Giving back can lead to inner wellness

Open Space Yoga owner Michael Rudd, second from left, with volunteers at the annual Heart of Ladner Night Market raising funds for Delta Hospice.

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For Michael Rudd, owner of Open Space Yoga in Ladner, the secret to wellbeing isn’t just about healthy eating, exercise, and clean living, but giving back to your community as well.

Rudd is the vice president of the Delta Hospice Foundation, and says the time and effort he spends to help the local non-profit society is rewarding in way that few other endeavours can match.

Rudd’s mother passed away four and a half years ago, and he saw first hand how important hospice services are for those nearing the end of their lives.

“Community has always been a big part of my life, but after I lost my mom, I decided I wanted to help,” he says.

Rudd has help develop the annual Heart of Ladner Night Market, which has raised more than $30,000 for the Delta Hospice Society, and donated the use of his yoga studio for fundraising events. This year’s event takes place July 20.

“From the day we first opened, it was important to be connected with the community,” says Rudd. “For me, it feels good to give back. It can’t just be all about take, take, take.”

Open Space Yoga celebrates its eighth anniversary in April, and Rudd says the success of the studio has been in large part to how open and welcome it is to the community.

“We’ve created a space thats not intimidating and there’s something for everyone,” he says. “If people leave feeling better then when they walked in, then we’ve done our job,”

• Open Space Yoga is located at 4880 Delta St., in Ladner Village.