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Geauga County Maple Leaf
Thursday, March 13, 2025
Geauga County Offers Many Paths to Wellness By Ann Wishart ann@karlovecmedia.com
Health and wellness are high on the list of priorities for Geauga County residents. University Hospitals Geauga Medical Center, one of the largest employers in the county, is only one example of how focused the community is on staying healthy — especially for those who want to stay in a familiar neighborhood as they age. Nursing homes, assisted living and senior housing are operating or under construction across the county. Health care professionals are in demand and appointments with specialists are often made months in advance. Not only do Geaugans appreciate having a plethora of medical and exercise options, many are determined to stay healthy by taking advantage of numerous fitness programs available around the county and benefiting from services offered at the Middlefield Care Center.
Sunshine Yoga
For centuries, Eastern civilizations have recognized the many health benefits of yoga and other whole-body-and-mind fitness routines for young and old. Denise Musgrave, a lifelong student of yoga in its many forms, took over a suite at
8389 Mayfield Road in Chester Township seven years ago, despite the shag carpet and ceiling to floor mirrors her predecessor left behind. After months of interior renovation, she opened Sunshine Yoga and welcomed participants to join her happy band of followers on smooth wood floors under restful, quiet lighting. “I tried to make it as organic as I could,” she said, pointing out the custom counter tops made by an Amish carpenter. A Chester resident since 1976 and a 1984 graduate of West Geauga High School, Musgrave said she taught yoga classes in many venues, including in high school gym classes, the Kirtland Country Club and the Geauga Family YMCA, but it wasn’t her first career choice. “I had a background in personal training,” she said, recalling how the challenge of Baptiste Power Yoga attracted her. Baptiste Power Yoga is a practice that combines physical poses, meditation and inquiry to access vitality, power and freedom, according to the Baptiste Institute website. “It challenged me in a different way,” Musgrave said, observing what one can do at 20 changes as one ages. See Wellness • Page 17
ANN WISHART/KMG
Denise Musgrave, yoga instructor, gives classes at many levels at her Sunshine Yoga suite at 8389 Mayfield Road in Chester Township, a space she shares with massage therapist Emma Carlson.