Group Ex., Yoga, & Martial Arts

A punch card is required for the following group exercise classes: Tai Chi, Tread and Shed, Stretch and Meditation, and all yoga classes.

5-class punch – a good way to try out various classes.

$25 (Members), $50 (Non-Members)

10-class punch - the most economical option.

$45 (Members), $90 (Non-Members)

Drop-in – best for a one-time use.

$8 (Members), $10 (Non-Members)

Gentle Yoga Stretches & Meditation
The exercises in this class are slow moving and recommended for people with injuries, severe stiffness, or those who wish to approach yoga exercises gradually. The physical postures, breathing exercises and meditation practices of yoga have been proven to reduce stress, lower blood pressure, and regulate heartbeat. Classes are open to all levels.

Hatha Yoga
Hatha represents ha “sun” and “tha” moon. Hatha Yoga is a series of physical postures and breathing exercises that balances the opposing masculine and feminine forces of the body, the “sun” and the “moon”. An excellent class for beginners

Power Yoga
Power Yoga is a more challenging yoga practice where the focus is on building muscular and core strength as well as flexibility.

Vinyasa Yoga
Vinyasa means “breath-synchronized movement”. In a Vinyasa class, poses flow from one to another in conjunction with the breath.

Shauna Babcock
A former runner and weightlifter, Shauna found her way back to yoga in 2005 to heal an injury and when a coach suggested she start a regular meditation practice.  After experiencing the transformative power of yoga in her own life, she completed her 200 hour teacher training in 2008 with the Shambhava School of Yoga.  In addition to being an experienced, Registered Yoga Teacher, she has completed  400 hours towards her 500 hour certification including: Pre- Post Natal Yoga, Level 2 hips and legs, Level 3 shoulders and hand balances, and Adjustments.

Shauna currently teaches a Power Yoga class from 6-7 am on Tuesdays and Thursdays at the McGaw YMCA. She appreciates the Y because it supports a culture of inclusion and makes health, wellness and fitness accessible to all members of the community. “Yoga has deepened my understanding of the connection between movement and breath; holding on and letting go, I am passionate about sharing the benefits of yoga–increased joy, clarity and confidence and I encourage my students to listen deeply to what matters most to them.”

Shauna lives in Roger’s Park with her husband and two cats. She enjoys music at the Old Town School and Lyric Opera, and you might even find her painting an outdoor mural at Pratt Beach in June.

Ine Jansen
Ine Jansen was born and raised in the Netherlands where she also received her Nursing degree. She worked as a R.N. for 2 years in England and the Scandinavian countries. In 1969, Ine immiganted over to the U.S. and continued working as an R.N. in many different environments, her favorite being Home Health. Ine tried a Hatha yoga class in a moment of great stress in her life, and immediately became hooked by the relaxation she gained from the experience.

Ine trained to be a yoga instructor at the Temple of Kriya Yoga in 1991 and began teaching yoga at the McGaw  YMCA in that same year. Since then, Ine has been teaching yoga classes to mothers and babies, seniors, and everyone in between. In 1998, she retired from Nursing to become a full time yoga instructor. “Each and every class has given me multiple opportunities to get to konw the students well and see them grow. The babies I once taught are now rejoining the classes as teenagers.”

“The McGaw Y has been, and is, a place of fulfillment for me. I meet real people who are willing to learn and grow, and the community is loving and embracing, an energy I need and thrive in.”

Jancy Jerome
A life-long athlete, Jancy found that she needed to increase her flexibility and balance in her workouts. After completing marathons and triathlons in the past, Jancy found that yoga gave her the flexibility and balance her body needed. “Yoga not only helped stretch my body, yoga stretched into my life. I continue to be profoundly amazed how transforming yoga can be both physically and spiritually.”

In 2009, Jancy studied with Suddha Weixler of Chicago Yoga Studio and completed a 200 hour yoga teacher training program. Currently, Jancy teaches at the Y as well as LifeTime Fitness in Skokie and at the Levy Center in Evanston. She is available to teach private lessons upon request.

Laura Reynolds
Laura teaches Yoga for Athletes; Beginner, Intermediate, and Advanced Vinyasa Flow Yoga; Gentle Yoga; Hatha Yoga; Yoga for Teens; and Forrest Yoga. She started practicing yoga many years ago to provide flexibility and strength to compliment her heavy exercise regimen. Laura completed her yoga teacher training with the Forrest Foundation Teacher Training Program and is certified and registered through Yoga Alliance. Outside the Y, Laura is a competitive tennis player, a former marathon and half marathon coach, and a former MS 150 Cyclist. Currently, Laura teaches at Winnetka Community House Group X, former Generations Yoga (recently reopened as Yogaview), Michigan Shores Club, the McGaw YMCA and the Kenilworth Club.

“Each season brings about a new appreciation, a fresh start. Each class I teach will be filled with enthusiasm, motivation, and humor.”

Our Taekwon-do program emphasises safety and self control. Students work with the teacher to progress at the pace that is right for them, because one of the tenets of this art form is that we learn throughout our lives, not according to fixed time periods. Students of all ages to develop lasting strength and focus in a non-competitive, mutually respectful environment.

Training methods include sparring, traditional patterns, and practical self-defense techniques. Sparring in class and during belt promotion tests is strictly non-contact, although instruction for senior belt levels may involve light contact sparring. New students are welcome to join any time.

Kumdo is a relatively new martial art that is based on ancient fighting techniques. Like all traditoinal martial arts, the emphasis is on respect, discipline, self-control and authentic growth. Students learn sword forms, step drills, sitting and moving meditation, and practice sparring in a safe and controlled manner. Some equipment can be provided to beginners.

Grandmaster Joe Connelly
BS, Communications, Southern Illinois University
MS, Counseling, National Louis University

Grandmaster Joe Connelly has over 43 years of experience in martial arts. He was awarded his 7th degree black belt in July 2009 and is internationally recognized for pioneering and creating success-based Martial Arts programming for special needs and handicapped populations. You can contact him at JoeC@mcgawymca.org or 847.568.0912.

Eli Clark
Eli Clarke is a 1st Dan Black Belt and has been a student of Grandmaster Connelly’s for 4 and a half years.  He also holds a 2nd Degree Blacksash in Northern Shaolin KungFu which he practiced for 13 years. Currently, Eli is a Broadcast TV Cameraman whose clients include HBO, Comedy Central, TBS, the Networks, and many others.

Eli views Martial Arts as a lifestyle, not just a means of self defense or exercise. “It changes the way you breathe. It changes the way you eat. You develop more respect for yourself and others. And, you gain the courage and confidence to resolve conflicts peacefully rather than fight.” A native New Yorker, Eli relocated to Chicago in 1992 to get married. He and his wife are raising their child in Evanston.

Manel Valdes-Cruz
MA, Philosophy, Northwestern University
JD, University of Chicago

Manel Valdes-Cruz is a 3rd Dan Taekwon-do and began studying Taekwon-do with Grandmaster Connelly in 1997. He has been a communications professional in the pharmaceutical industry since 1984.

David Austen-Smith
PhD, Economics, Cambridge University, England
BSc, Economics, Bristol University, England

David Austin-Smith, a 3rd Dan Taekdon-do, has been studying Taekwon-do with Grandmaster Connelly since January of 1988 when his (then) 7 year-old daughter insisted on taking a martial arts class with her fatherl while the daughter only managed a few classes, her father became hooked. When not training, David is the Peter G. Peterson Professor of Corporate Ethics at Northwestern University’s Kellogg School of Management and an elected fellow of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences.

Vinny Finneran
BA, Fine Arts, Rutgers University
MS, Exercise Physiology, University of Illinois – Chicago
MEd, Secondary Education, DePaul University

Originally from the Bronx, New York, Vinny Fineran is a 2nd Dan black belt and has studied Taekwon-do under Duk Sung Son, 9^thDan, from 1974-78, Tai Chi Chuan under Sifu Jou, 1973-77, and has been studying Taekwon-do under Grandmaster Connelly since 2004. Vinny is also the N.Y.C. Breast Stroke Champion, 1968 and 1969; All New York State in Cross Country(14^th place), 1972; Competed in Track and Cross Country at Rutgers University, 1973-77; National Age Group Triathlon Championship Qualifier 1983-88; 3^rd place overall in Leon’s QEM Triathlon, 1982; winner of several Chicago area races including 1982 McGaw YMCA Evanston Express with course record. Married to Sarah Linsley, he has 3 daughters, and currently is the Physical Education Teacher at Nichols Middle School.

Anne Mason
Anne Mason received her BS from Michigan State University in Earth Sciences and Mathematics and did her graduate work in Systems Project Management.  She worked as a systems consultant to the construction industry for 25 years.  Anne is a 3rd Degree Black Belt in Tae Kwon Do and devotes her time to being a Senior Program Leader in Connelly’s Academy, working mainly with elementary school children. She has designed and supervised Martial Arts programs for Special Needs populations. Currently, she leads the Special Needs Taekwon-do program at McGaw YMCA.  She became a certified, full-force self-defense and Kidpower instructor in 1990 and is active as an instructor, teaching supervisor and trainer. Anne is also a Licensed Massage Therapist and Certified Structural Therapist.