Thirty people sit cross-legged on the floor and join their voices in a low hum. When finished, they slowly and quietly stand, gather their mats and leave Inhale Yoga Studio prepared to meet the challenge of a new day.
Earlier this month, Inhale Yoga Studio moved from its previous Court Street location to a larger studio at 29 E. Carpenter St.
Michelle Stobart, director of the studio, opened it in 2004 in Marietta. Stobart said the integration of the body and mind is essential in the practice of yoga.
“When we suspend the mind there is this great sense of freedom,” she said.
“There is something really appealing about letting everything go, even if it is just for a little bit of time.”
Though many start taking classes for the health benefits, they soon realize the other positives, Stobart said.
“Many come because they hear yoga can help you lose weight or because it’s good for you, and it is,” she said. “But when they get here and start practicing, they realize all the extra things besides flexibility and health benefits.”
Megan Lobsinger, an instructor at Inhale Yoga Studio and an Ohio University alumna, said many go through their lives without taking the time to focus on the body and spirit.
“Yoga forces you to take time to be with yourself,” she said. “We don’t take the time to do that at any other place in our lives.”
It is the stress of the day-to-day that calls for relief, Lobsinger said.
“At its most basic level, it gives people an hour to come and sit with themselves and sort of slow down,” she said.
Many have sought and found relief at Inhale Yoga Studio since it opened in Athens in 2007. The new location accommodates the studio’s growth since its inception.
“You have to give to your practice enough that you realize what you’re getting back,” Stobart said.
Those who cite a busy schedule as a reason to not take the time for yoga are misguided, Lobsinger said.
“I would rather live in a world where it didn’t feel like stealing to take an hour out of your week to be with yourself,” she said. “There is value in doing something just for yourself. It helps you treat other people better.”
cd234008@ohiou.edu
@ThePostCulture
