By Barry Sankey Special to The Mercury

PHOENIXVILLE — The Phoenixville Area Police Athletic League (PAL) boxing program has built a solid reputation at the Civic Center on Main Street with success at both the amateur and professional levels. Phoenixville PAL has also enhanced youngsters in wrestling and other activities. Now, the organization is considering adding street yoga for youth to its subjects to aid the boxers and participants in other sports.

Yoga instructors Colleen Devirgiliis and Mike Huggins were on hand for a yoga demonstration at the Civic Center last Thursday evening. The event was arranged through Phoenixville PAL executive director Jim Deoria and Eric Forsythe of the Open Heart Board of Directors.

Devirgiliis has been a yoga instructor six years and holds levels of certification at numberous levels. She taught Huggins, who has been practicing for eight years and became certified this year. They practice traditional yoga, but they are attempting to bring street yoga to Phoenixville. "Street yoga is taking positions of yoga where you center yourself in typical situations," said Huggins. "You collect newer kids who are not in the normal studio and provide life success. Some of them have a bad home life and poor finances."

"You can do street yoga anywhere with anyone at any time," said Devirgiliis. "You don't need a fancy location. It benefits the physical well-being and mental clarity and bring them together. Jim (Deoria) had to develop that here. This is a great place to introduce that concept." Devirgiliis has spent time working with people at risk in West Chester at Safe Harbor, which is located in the center of town. "There people are struggling with big issues with life," she said. "We make them feel good about themselves for 45 minutes at a time. We direct them to take a lot of very positive things from the program and make it grow. This is the beginning."

Yoga has become increasingly popular across the United States as a mental and physical booster. The positive aspects of yoga are also useful in becoming proficient at other sports. National Basketball Association (NBA) stars like Kobe Bryant, LeBron James and Shaquille O'Neal have adopted yoga to incorporate as part of their detailed routines. "We want use power yoga to supplement the boxing program," said Huggins. "Jim was open to the concept on a trial basis. The yoga is physically intensive." "These guys are very athletic so they are connected," said Devirgiliis. "They are in great shape so there is cross training that is adaptable to their needs."

The first class at Phoenixville was very well-received with positive feedback. As far as finding space to practice, not much is needed. The teachers worked with the boxers on yoga in the hallway outside the boxing gym downstairs at the Civic Center. Each participant used a small floor mat on which to do his or her exercises. Shoes are taken off for workouts. "We are reaching out to a broader group and after school program," said Huggins. "You do not need much of a budget." Benefits are becoming mentally stronger, thinking clearly and developing discipline to deal with daily problems. "You have to have patience in life," said Devirgiliis. "It is something that spills out into the rest of life."

Some of the prominent athletes and instructors have become ambassadors for the sport because they have found it beneficial in their own personal lives. "You have to have flexibility and focus," said Huggins. "You are centered and that is really helpful. You also use proper breathing methods." There is a lot of stretching of arms and legs, similar to a gymnastics routine. There are leg lifts and the practitioners balance their bodies on their hands. Eyes are often closed in meditation. Huggins said sessions normally last for an hour or hour and a half at a time. But for the boxers' purposes last week, the session lasted just one-half hour.

The boxers included Max Stine, 20; Jake Martinez, 20; Anthony Deoria, Jim's son, who is just 8; Owen Logue, 17; Brendan Logue, 16; Justin Dean, 18; Crhis Barrett, 15; and Andrew Ray, 20.