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It’s a Stretch! Free Yoga!
Written By: Deena Bouknight | Issue: 2020/06 - June
With quarantines keeping people close to home for weeks on end, Highlands Biological Station and Yoga Highlands decided to begin offering in May a once-a-month free yoga experience.
The goal is for participants to enjoy the newly completed north campus by Lindenwood Lake, which is located on the grounds of HBS. However because of continued restrictions on gatherings, May’s class took place on line – via the HBS Facebook page.
“We know that many people have visited the Botanical Garden at the Highlands Biological Station (a multi-campus center of Western Carolina University) to relax and recharge,” said Paige Engelbrektsson, Nature Center Education Specialist for the Highlands Biological Foundation. “We envisioned the series as an opportunity for them to do so in a new way. Studies have repeatedly shown that spending time in the outdoors can improve your health and wellbeing, and the same is true of yoga. When I began brainstorming new ideas for our 2020 summer, combining the two seemed a natural fit.”
Teaching the classes, scheduled from 5:30 to 6:30 P.M. June 1, July 6, and August 3, is Yoga Highlands instructor Rachel Kinback, who received her 200-hour training in 2017 and 500-hour training in 2019, both with Sivananda Yoga Vedanta Ashram in the Bahamas.
“I’ve known Rachel for years and so I reached out to her,” explained Engelbrektsson.
Of course, when Engelbrektsson and Kinback conceived “Yoga by the Lake,” there were no rules governing groups congregating together. May’s virtual class took place in an HBS garden, but anyone interested in the upcoming classes can check HBS or Yoga Highlands sites to learn if and when classes will actually take place “by the lake.” Otherwise, yoga sessions are available online at any time.
In the meantime, to truly enjoy a virtual outdoor experience, take your laptop outside and participate in the class. Participants will be guided through breathing techniques and gentle movements to bring about a sense of well-being.
“Now perhaps more than ever it is important to find the time to destress and be present in the moment, especially if viewers can do so in a natural setting. We hope that our viewers find the series helpful and relevant to their lives, said Engelbrektsson.
