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Besides being a professor at Syracuse University’s School of Education, Marcelle Haddix also teaches yoga classes.

Haddix started leading yoga classes at Salt City Market every Monday from 6-7 p.m. in mid-March. The $10 class is for patrons of any level and must be registered for in advance through Eventbrite.

Her passion for teaching yoga comes from a greater interest in the Syracuse community. She wants to foster a tight-knit group of people who are committed to their health through her classes.

Our first ever ‘Yoga @ the Market’ with @marcellehaddix / @zengangstayoga was an amazing success! :woman_in_lotus_position: Thank you to Dr. Haddix and everyone who trusted us enough to come out and restore their bodies with us. If you missed it, tickets for the next three Mondays (6-7pm) are on sale now :arrow_right: bit.ly/scmyoga

A photo posted by thesaltcitymarket

“Every class focuses on breathing and mindfulness, positive affirmation,” Haddix said. “I am hoping the yoga class will encourage a culture and practice of being in a community of people committed to wellness.”

Haddix is a registered yoga instructor and has been actively teaching for seven years. She previously taught yoga lessons — both in-person and virtual during the pandemic — at Cafe Sankofa Cooperative and participated in a wellness initiative on Syracuse’s Southside.

Haddix and Adam Sudmann, the market manager of Salt City Market, first met at Cafe Sankofa years ago, where they immediately connected. Sudmann said that the market wanted to have activities to bring the community together. While developing programs, Haddix immediately came to mind.

The classes were strategically scheduled on Mondays, as Sudmann said it’s a slower business day. Salt City Market also capped the classes at 10 people per lesson due to COVID-19 restrictions. So far, each one of the three lessons Haddix taught has sold out.

“It’s totally been successful,” Sudmann said. “We can only have so many other people in there so we’re starting off small.”

Salt City Market holds the hour-long lessons in one of the food hall’s rooms. Haddix starts the classes with a warm-up and then focuses on different breathing techniques, relaxation exercises and finishes the class with a few moments of rest to clear the mind. Haddix also makes sure to include modifications for certain exercises and stretches so everyone can fully participate.

CJ Butler, marketing communications specialist at Salt City Market, was initially concerned that since Salt City Market is a food hall, people wouldn’t necessarily come for yoga. However, the popularity of the classes have proved Butler wrong, and the lessons fit the food hall’s “number one mission” — to build community.

Haddix said she owes her current success to people wanting a sense of normalcy post-quarantine. She believes the interest in her class is high not only because of general interest in yoga, but because people are open to trying just about anything to reintegrate into society.

“Given what we’ve all gone through, some worse than others, but we have gone through a collective trauma,” Sudmann said. “Yoga and meditation are good ways to navigate that terrain. It is more important now more than ever.”

Published on April 5, 2021 at 9:25 pm

Contact Alexandra: [email protected]