Helena’s Hot Yoga studio opened its doors on Saturday, wrapping up the first year of Man Therapy.
Man Therapy in Helena was contracted through the Lewis & Clark Suicide Prevention Coalition, breaking the socially-engineered stigma that men are not able to have or express emotions of sadness and grief.
The Guys Night Out ‘Bro-Yoga’ class is a promotional mental and spiritual wellness opportunity for men in the Helena Valley designed to open the door to taking care of oneself outside of work and family and creating social and supportive opportunities.
The sessions are about bringing men together to socialize and working on their inner and outer overall well-being and self-image.
Jess Hegstrom, Suicide Prevention Coordinator for Lewis & Clark Public Health said, "You know, if we are having a hard day, we can go to a place like Hot Yoga Helena and work out, get a good sweat on, be with other people and when you come away from it - whatever is bothering you, is maybe a little less painful, and makes it a little easier to bear while you figure out these issues and problems. The whole program is upstream; the idea that while we are trying to fight suicide, we are trying to get to men before that's even an issue.”
September is Suicide Awareness Month and the Lewis & Clark Public Health Suicide Prevention Coalition will be hosting a man therapy, end-of-year bash at the Helena YMCA on Friday Sept. 6 from 6:00-8:00 p.m.
Since starting the Man Therapy program, about 2,500 people have visited the website in Lewis and Clark County since September 2018.
For more information on the program and how to get involved visit ManTherapy.org .
