The Best of Both Worlds!

Hello workout fans! Thanks for stopping by the blog.
This week's workout is wonderful. It's "Yoga in the Gardens" at Salisbury House.

"We very much believe in aligning ourselves with nature," Brette Scott of Shakti Yoga in Des Moines tells participants, and in this class you’re surrounded by it. “Stretch for the sky,” and you see clouds overhead. “Touch the earth in front of you,” and you feel green grass under your fingertips. The outdoor setting gives downward dog an entirely different feel. "We thought of doing something outdoors with the popularity and curiosity about yoga and this seemed like a good fit." Scott says she was thrilled when event organizers at Salisbury House created “Yoga in the Gardens” this year. "The word yoga means connect,” she explains, “we're connecting with our community, our bodies and nature." And everyone is welcome. The people here are all ages and all abilities. "Generally you just feel better when you do yoga – no matter who you are. The body becomes stronger and more flexible, you breathe better, it decreases stress, and you sleep better." You have to put in some hard work to reap those rewards. "It wouldn't be yoga if we didn't get you a little pretzeled up, right?" But there are immediate rewards at the end of this class. A harpist plays live in the courtyard and wine and cheese round out the evening. "Yoga can be fun, “says Scott with a smile, “it doesn't have to be serious. If it's fun, people will want to do it." And that makes this the perfect combination for feeding body, mind and soul.

I'll be honest - the class started a six and I had to anchor, so I arrived just in time for corpse pose. That basically means I got a brief nap, interviewed Brette and had a glass of wine. Not a bad night of work, if you ask me!

In all seriousness, you should give this a try. Classes are the fourth Thursday of every month. And if you'd like to visit Brette before then - her studio is located in the Shops at Roosevelt.

EEK
Erin.Kiernan@whotv.com