Every Tuesday at 6:30 p.m. at the Moab Arts Building, locals and visitors alike join together for an hour-long session of community yoga to move, breathe, and connect.
“Yoga was my introduction to meeting a part of the Moab community and now yoga is incredibly special to me,” said Moab resident Tasia Wu. “Yoga is special in many ways but yoga here in Moab, for me, has become a place to meet new faces and connect with others and myself.“
The organizational structure of community yoga was spearheaded by the Moab Arts staff to diversify their community offerings back in 2018. They initially reached out to teachers from Moab Yoga, a now-closed local studio owned by Angela Houghton, to instruct the classes. Since then, the initiative has maintained a regular, weekly schedule.
Six years later, there are no signs of slowing down with instructors from several local studios joining to participate or teach. Mats, blankets, and blocks are available to borrow at no cost from the Moab Arts Building.
A different instructor volunteers their time each week to run the class. Participants are asked to donate from $5 to $10 to participate, with funds going directly back to the instructors.
Local instructor Samantha Metzner recalls teaching the first-ever community yoga in 2018. She quickly fell in love with teaching the class and took on the organizer role for a couple of years with the Moab Arts staff before passing the torch to a fellow teacher at Mindful Movement Moab, Crystal Bunch.
“I love teaching community yoga for many reasons. I strongly believe gathering in community is a powerful act that helps add to the richness and depth of a place,” Metzner said, adding that practicing yoga helps foster connections with one another and ourselves in a safe space.
Bunch echoed that sentiment of love for community yoga classes. “I believe that yoga is the key to a healthier well-being, and when we become healthier, so does our environment.”
Metzner and Bunch strongly feel that yoga should be accessible to everyone, regardless of finances. They highlighted the importance of the sliding scale cost to encourage inclusivity, which in turn also supports the teachers who volunteer their time.
“I strongly believe the practice of yoga should always be accessible and everyone, regardless of monetary means, should be able to participate because everyone benefits from the practice,” Metzner explained.
Bunch added that accessibility to this type of wellness service is very needed in the community. “Moab has an amazing selection of places to practice yoga but not every person living or visiting Moab has the financial privilege to attend a class.”
Both instructors encourage everyone to join community yoga, regardless of skill level or prior experience with yoga.
“I am really passionate about making yoga spaces feel inclusive and accessible through language choice as well as giving folks multiple options and variations for the asanas, or poses,” Metzner said. “If anyone is nervous about it being their first time, come a few minutes early to set up and perhaps check in with the instructor so they know it’s their first time.”
Bunch added that it’s important for individuals to listen to their bodies while practicing yoga. If a pose doesn’t feel right, she encourages participants to adjust or modify the position.
“Yoga isn’t about the movement or perfectly doing each pose. Yoga is unity, yoga is finding peace in yourself, and that can mean yoga is just arriving to sit on your mat,” Bunch said. “All of our instructors are trained to provide modifications to make the practice work for anyone who joins.”
Metzner agreed that limited flexibility or mobility shouldn’t keep someone from practicing yoga. “Some postures may certainly be challenging for anyone, but the postures are not the end goal of the practice,” she said.
Going forward, Bunch is eager to continue facilitating the space between instructors, participants, and the Moab Arts Building to create a space where everyone feels welcome to join in community yoga.
For more information on community gatherings, or if instructors are interested in volunteering their time for community yoga, reach out to Bunch at mindfulmovementmoab@gmail.com.
