OCHS grad, aunt from Luna Soul are presenting free yoga class, açaí bowl April 28
PETERSBURG — The Upper Township Education Association will present Yoga for You and Yours, a special evening of wellness scheduled for 6:30 to 7:30 p.m. Thursday, April 28, in the gym at Upper Township Middle School.
Tara Gardner and Nicole Crudelle of Luna Soul & Bowls will lead the free class and provide an açaí bowl to the first 25 students and their guest. Everyone who signs up earns a chance to win prizes.
“It is an event to promote positive mental health for students,” teacher Courtney Haugh said. “Bring a person who matters to you and your own yoga mat or towel and join us.”
Gardner and Crudelle are an aunt and niece duo whose love for healthy eating and exercise spurred them to open Luna Soul & Bowls at 108 Route 50.
Gardner, who taught deaf students for 27 years in Vineland, wanted to open a business in the township but wasn’t sure what kind until she tried an açaí bowl while vacationing in North Carolina.
“That sparked her obsession,” Crudelle said.
Gardner realized she not only enjoyed making and eating the different bowl creations at home but that the açaí berry contains 16 antioxidants, making it an obvious healthier choice for a meal.
“It was that kind of healthy eating that she wanted to bring to the area,” Crudelle said. “When my son started asking for an açaí smoothie, I knew I had found something.”
Knowing it was Crudelle’s dream to open a yoga studio, Gardner approached her niece in May 2019 with the idea.
“I wasn’t sure if I was ready to take that leap, but I knew in my heart this was a chance for us to build and offer something extremely special to the community here, and decided I couldn’t say no,” said Crudelle, a 2011 graduate of Ocean City High School who found yoga in 2013, changing her life and health tremendously.
“I didn’t know that yoga and taking care of myself could help me heal in such a profound way,” she said.
Crudelle is certified as a registered yoga teacher, licensed yoga teacher, aerial yoga teacher and an anatomy and physiology aromatherapist.
Prior to opening the business, Crudelle taught yoga at various locations, including Upper Township Middle School, where she led a weekly afterschool club.
“The students really enjoyed the yoga classes as it was an excellent way for them to implement mindfulness into their school week,” she said.
Teacher Michele Carey organized that program with Luna Soul & Bowls and now is continuing that partnership.
“Although there hasn’t been a yoga after-school club since the pandemic, we have found new ways to offer yoga to the students and their families, really making it a community event,” Crudelle said.
She said the school and business offered two yoga nights in the past year.
“The students, along with their family members, got a night filled with yoga, prizes and açaí bowls. Luna Soul & Bowls uses our involvement with the community to share our love for yoga, health, mindfulness and healthy eating,” Crudelle said.
By CRAIG D. SCHENCK/Sentinel staff