Welcome to the Honor Yoga Blog

by Darci Hammer, 200-hour YTT student

My journey took a turn off the “expected path” when I took an improv class.  It was completely out of character for me, but it’s where I learned a simple yet powerful idea:  “yes, and.”   The concept is simple:  you take a “gift” someone gives you and you add to it.  This slight change in perspective has opened countless doors for me.

Yoga is one of those doors.  While the physical practice of yoga (asana) has been part of my life for years, a simple question one day at Honor Yoga -  “Would you ever want to get your teacher certification?” - became their gift to me.  It inspired me to go beyond the physical and embrace yoga’s core philosophy.  

I discovered that yoga has a simple, yet powerful, code of ethics and way of being.  Many religions and cultures share similar principles, but this personal path spoke to me deeply, helping me reduce my own judgement of myself and others.

The Strength in Curiosity and Compassion

This journey of discovery began with curiosity.  By seeing new ideas not as a burden, but as an interesting perspective, I learned to let go of judgment and seek to understand rather than to be right.  I found real strength in being humble and vulnerable, which opened me up to authentic connections.  

I now see compassion as the energy that moves us to act and connect.  It’s the ability to see our shared humanity, acknowledging our differences while focusing on the common threads that can build a more positive world.

A Practice of Grounding

The “yes, and” mindset has taught me to pause before I respond to people.  In that moment of silence, I ask myself 3 questions:

Is my response going to be helpful?

Will it change the outcome?

Is this truly what I think, or what I think others want to hear?

This practice has helped me find a more calm and grounded state of mind.  It allows me to let go of self-judgement so I can respond to others with kindness and integrity.  By cultivating this peaceful energy, I can connect with others in a more genuine and considerate way.

By bringing this grounded and compassionate mindset to my world, I hope that I can help others cultivate peace and gratitude in their own interactions.

With gratitude and grounding,  Darci

By Maria Assunta Parrella

Chief Yogi & Founder, Honor Yoga | Chairwoman, Honor Yoga Foundation

Over the years, yoga has taught me that healing doesn’t always happen on a mat. Sometimes it happens in a chair, in stillness, or in a single breath. Chair yoga honors that truth — it invites us to return to ourselves in a way that’s gentle, grounded, and deeply effective.

And yet, so many people still believe chair yoga is only for seniors. That couldn’t be further from the truth.

Chair yoga is for every body and every season of life. Whether you’re navigating injury, sitting at a desk all day, easing back into movement, or simply craving a softer, more supportive practice — this is a path back to presence and vitality.

It’s the practice you didn’t know you needed — until now.

What Is Chair Yoga?

Chair yoga is a form of yoga that uses a chair for support — either seated, standing, or both. It adapts traditional postures into something more accessible, without sacrificing depth or intention.

This is not a “lesser” version of yoga. It’s a wiser one. It’s for people who are listening to their bodies and honoring what they truly need.

Who Is It For?

Anyone who wants to move more mindfully and with greater ease.

Chair yoga is especially helpful for:

• Those recovering from injury or managing chronic conditions

• Office workers with limited time or space to stretch

• Beginners looking for an inviting way in

• Aging adults who want strength, stability, and energy

• Longtime yogis seeking softness, restoration, and nervous system support

• Chair yoga reminds us that yoga is not about poses — it’s about presence.

Real Benefits, Real Results

This practice helps you:

• Build strength and improve mobility

• Deepen your breath and calm your mind

• Cultivate better posture and body awareness

• Reconnect with yourself in a way that feels safe, sacred, and sustainable

And the best part? You can do it anywhere. No mat, no fancy clothes, no pressure.

Meet the Teachers Who Will Guide You

At Honor Yoga, our Chair Yoga classes are held with warmth, wisdom, and joy — thanks to two very special guides:

Jackie George teaches on Tuesdays at 10:30 AM. She brings an infectious passion for Chair Yoga, Barre, and other mindful modalities. Jackie has a heart for helping children and active aging adults, and her classes are rooted in both strength and compassion.

On Thursdays at 10:30 AM, you’ll meet Gioia Fumo-Miranda — I’ve known Gioia for over 30 years. I still remember us teaching at LivingWell Lady Fitness in our leotards and legwarmers. From those energetic beginnings, Gioia has evolved into a grounded, grace-filled teacher whose love for movement and connection radiates in every class.

They are more than instructors — they are heart-centered women devoted to guiding others home to themselves.

Take Your Seat

If you’ve been waiting for the “right” time to return to your body… this is it.

Join us for 2 weeks unlimited yoga for just $61 - CLICK HERE https://pennington.honoryoga.com/specials-pricing

Come as you are. Leave feeling whole.

by Andy Cinque, 200-hour Honor Yoga Teacher Training Grad

When I began my yoga teacher training at Honor Yoga Pennington, I walked in with no specific expectations—just a deep curiosity and an openness to see where the journey would take me. 

What unfolded was more enriching than I could have imagined.

As we near the end of this certification, I’ve come to realize that this is not a conclusion, but the beginning of our journeys. 

My perspective has shifted greatly. 

I am learning to embrace the unknown with a sense of openness, grounded in the tools, insights, and inner strength this training has helped me cultivate.

Throughout this experience, I’ve been surrounded by a community of passionate, supportive, and diverse individuals. 

We all arrived with different reasons—healing, transformation, growth, exploration—but found common ground in our shared love of yoga and our desire to learn. That shared value of community has been one of the most meaningful parts of the journey.

What’s been especially beautiful is how much we’ve learned from each other. 

Each person brought a different voice, a different story, and a different lens—but together, we created a space where all of it belonged. 

We listened, reflected, challenged, supported, and inspired one another in ways that have deepened not just our practices, but our understanding of ourselves.

This training has helped me begin to uncover my own voice—not just as a teacher, but as a student of life. 

It’s taught me to be more present, more compassionate, and more trusting of the process, even when I don’t know exactly where it’s leading. That, in itself, has been a profound gift.

So while this chapter of teacher training may be coming to a close, the journey ahead is wide open—and I’m stepping into it with gratitude, curiosity, and a sense of grounded possibility.

To anyone thinking about starting this path: you don’t need to have all the answers. Just bring your breath, your heart, and your willingness to grow.

Because sometimes, the most powerful journeys begin with simply showing up.

By: Julie Mellk

I’ve never been the type to gravitate toward group activities. Social gatherings exhaust me. And you'll absolutely never find me on a cruise (I know "watch your always and your nevers"). 

I find pure joy in solitude. Quiet is my dearest friend. I can sit in a room and work for hours without a single sound or interaction. 

And yet, I thrive as the owner operater of a yoga studio. 

What continues to surprise me most about yoga isn’t the way it strengthens my body or calms my mind (though it does both beautifully), but the way it’s quietly and steadily built a community around me, and,  within me.

11 years ago I moved from NYC to central NJ and left what I now call my sisterhood. For nearly 15 years I had spent hours upon hours in NYC yoga studios. Yes, on the surface I was there to teach and practice yoga, but once removed from it, I painfully discovered that is was my that heart needed to be there. I spent over a decade walking into a place where people didn't just know my name, they knew much of my life! Why? Because they genuinely cared to. 

Yoga, it turns out, is not a solitary practice. 

Even when practiced in silence, even when your mat is set up quietly in the back of the room, yoga has a way of binding people together. Not in a forced, performative way, but in a deeply human way. 

Over time, yoga cultivates what researchers are only now starting to measure: the healing power of authentic, consistent relationships.

The word yoga itself means union. While many interpret that as the union of body, mind, and spirit, there’s another layer I’ve come to understand over time: it’s also about the union between people. When we move and breathe together, when we show up to the same underlying desire- inner peace- something subtle happens. We regulate to one another. Our nervous systems respond. We feel safer. Seen. Known.

Yoga doesn’t ask for performative interaction. It doesn’t demand smiles or chit-chat. It simply offers the choice to build presence. And presence, when shared over time, creates trust.

More and more, science is confirming what yogic philosophy has long held: we thrive in connection. One of the most famous longitudinal studies on health, the Harvard Study of Adult Development, has tracked participants for over 80 years. Their finding?

The clearest predictor of longevity and life satisfaction wasn’t wealth, fame, or even exercise. It was the quality of their relationships.

Not the number of friends. Not social status. 

Just simple, consistent, nourishing connection. The kind that reminds you that you matter.

Strong, regular social ties lower the risk of chronic disease, boost immunity, and even increase lifespan. 

In other words, we’re wired to be together. Even (and maybe especially) those of us who prefer quiet.

What makes yoga different from other group activities is that it creates space for individual experience within collective energy. No one’s asking you to perform. You don’t need to compete, impress, or even talk. 

You show up, breathe, move, and somehow, without trying, you start to feel part of something larger.

In a yoga community, connection builds slowly and sincerely. It might begin with recognizing a familiar face in class, a shared smile in an awkward pose, a brief exchange about tight shoulders or busy mornings. 

Over time, those small interactions root into something deeper...a sense of belonging.

And for those of us who crave connection but feel drained by the traditional ways it’s offered, this is a lifeline.

What yoga offers is a chosen family of supportive people in your week that nourishes more than your muscles. It’s a place where you can simply be, and in doing so, become more connected to yourself and others.

I will forever love silence. Alone time will always fill my cup. But now I know this: the path to a long, healthy, meaningful life isn’t just paved in self-care, it’s walked alongside others.

With love, Julie