As a way to give back to its community, Creative Therapeutics created a program that encourages customers to donate to a charity each month.

The free community yoga class at Creative Therapeutics, 400 E. Hillcrest Drive, is a program that combines charity work and yoga in one 75-minute class. The class invites yoga-doers of all levels to come and enjoy a free class while also having the option to help a non-profit organization in the community.

“We wanted to offer something to give back to people who take our regular classes and introduce ourselves to the community,” said Creative Therapeutics co-owner Mark Mattson.

Each month, donations are collected for a different organization. Creative Therapeutics has already helped Salvation Army and Hope Haven. For April, Neighbors’ House is the organization for which Creative Therapeutics is accepting donations.

“We leave the collection up all month long. It gives our customers a chance to go shopping and to donate to the cause at their convenience,” Mattson said.

The free community yoga class is held every second Sunday of the month at Creative Therapeutics.

“I’m glad this is a case where we can make donations,” said Ralph Hannon, 72, a DeKalb resident and frequent attendee of free community yoga. “It’s casually mentioned. Most people like to make a donation, which [is] an extra positive reason to come to class.”

Hannon is a retired Kishwaukee College professor who said this class is a great way to start practicing yoga.

“I’m not a spring chick. It’s a very nice yoga class,” Hannon said. “There’s no pressure in this class; it’s a relatively easy intro to yoga.”

Jill Browne, registered yoga teacher and one of the main instructors of free community yoga, said yoga’s purpose is to connect the mind, the body and the breath of the individual. She said this program does that and more.

“Yoga is just a kind of thing to take off the map and take a dedication to something or someone else other than yourself,” Browne said. “So your practice becomes more of a worldly thing.”

Browne said not only does this class bring together yoga and community service, it is also a way for Creative Therapeutics to connect with the DeKalb community.

“I didn’t know half of [the organizations] existed, and interesting enough, not a lot of them know about Creative Therapeutics,” Browne said.