Healthy Living • YMCA Health and Fitness
Free yoga this summer in St. James Park
03 August 2016 - by Nicole Meredith
On a recent sweltering Wednesday afternoon in St. James Park, just east of downtown, a couple dozen people found the perfect way to beat the heat: a free yoga session, courtesy of the Cooper Koo Family Cherry St. YMCA. For Paul, one of the participants, the class helped set the tone for the rest of his day. “It was so nice to take a moment out from my routine and make room for some ‘me’ time,” he says. “The instructors picked the perfect spot in the shade and there was this great breeze. I eventually got so focused on my breathing and flowing through the different moves that I completely forgot it was so hot out, and I was just feeling totally calm and centered. I got to go about my afternoon with this great peace of mind and focus.”
Exercise and mindfulness are helpful ways to combat the scorching sunshine and tons of humidity that have made the city so stifling this summer. Fortunately, the free yoga series continues in the park every Wednesday until the end of August. These classes are designed for people of all ages and physical abilities, so if a certain pose or stretch is a bit too intense, we can give you an alternative that will help you work your way up to the more challenging position.
A typical class begins with a view of the park’s luscious treetops as participants lie on their mats, eyes closed, focused solely on taking deep, steady breaths. But once everyone has had a moment to unwind, focus on the present, and begin to feel their bodies, this class turns into a serious workout. Sometimes, people dismiss yoga as a glorified stretch session, but nothing could be further from the truth. Many poses do absolutely improve flexibility and mobility, but they also promote strength and stamina.
There are some intense abdominal strengthening moves that make crunches look like a piece of cake. Then you’ve got a whole series of ultra-efficient poses that target your hamstrings, glutes, core, and arms simultaneously.
Of course, you’ll also get to enjoy some of the feel-good stretching complemented by deep breathing that yoga’s famous for. But you can count on that peaceful stretching as a reward for the combination of cardio and muscle conditioning you’ll get from doing deep lunges, planks, and core-engaging side bends in quick succession.
It’s this range of experiences — not to mention the rush of feel-good endorphins that follow any rigorous workout — that make these yoga sessions so popular. “There was this perfect flow to the class,” said Paul. “We’d do something very calming that let me focus on being present, and then move into a fairly quick sequence where I could feel all kinds of different muscles getting worked, and my heart would start pumping a bit harder so I knew I was also getting a bit of cardio in at the same time. It wound up being a pretty good workout!”
So whether you’re a seasoned yogi looking for a change of scenery, or a beginner hoping to try something new, you’ve got nothing to lose: every class is completely free and open to everyone who shows up. Meet in St. James Park every Wednesday in August from 12:00pm – 12:45pm. Just don’t wait too long to give it a try; the last free class of the summer is on Wednesday, August 31st.
Exercise and mindfulness are helpful ways to combat the scorching sunshine and tons of humidity that have made the city so stifling this summer. Fortunately, the free yoga series continues in the park every Wednesday until the end of August. These classes are designed for people of all ages and physical abilities, so if a certain pose or stretch is a bit too intense, we can give you an alternative that will help you work your way up to the more challenging position.
A typical class begins with a view of the park’s luscious treetops as participants lie on their mats, eyes closed, focused solely on taking deep, steady breaths. But once everyone has had a moment to unwind, focus on the present, and begin to feel their bodies, this class turns into a serious workout. Sometimes, people dismiss yoga as a glorified stretch session, but nothing could be further from the truth. Many poses do absolutely improve flexibility and mobility, but they also promote strength and stamina.
There are some intense abdominal strengthening moves that make crunches look like a piece of cake. Then you’ve got a whole series of ultra-efficient poses that target your hamstrings, glutes, core, and arms simultaneously.
Of course, you’ll also get to enjoy some of the feel-good stretching complemented by deep breathing that yoga’s famous for. But you can count on that peaceful stretching as a reward for the combination of cardio and muscle conditioning you’ll get from doing deep lunges, planks, and core-engaging side bends in quick succession.
It’s this range of experiences — not to mention the rush of feel-good endorphins that follow any rigorous workout — that make these yoga sessions so popular. “There was this perfect flow to the class,” said Paul. “We’d do something very calming that let me focus on being present, and then move into a fairly quick sequence where I could feel all kinds of different muscles getting worked, and my heart would start pumping a bit harder so I knew I was also getting a bit of cardio in at the same time. It wound up being a pretty good workout!”
So whether you’re a seasoned yogi looking for a change of scenery, or a beginner hoping to try something new, you’ve got nothing to lose: every class is completely free and open to everyone who shows up. Meet in St. James Park every Wednesday in August from 12:00pm – 12:45pm. Just don’t wait too long to give it a try; the last free class of the summer is on Wednesday, August 31st.
