By: Clarice Metzger, Life+Style Editor (@_itsClarice)
Yoga, along with its natural health benefits, has been around for over 5,000 years. Its focus on the body’s natural tendency towards health and self-healing creates strength, awareness and harmony in both the mind and body.
“Yoga is calming and relaxing and allows you to maintain an internal sense of peace,” explained Abby Dobbs, owner of Kali Yoga Studio in D.C. “It’s a way to feel more connected while relieving all suffering. Through practicing yoga, you can connect in a truer and deeper sense to yourself. If you’re feeling anxious, stressed or pained, yoga can alleviate it.”
The medical journal Complimentary Therapies in Clinical Practice has published numerous studies about yoga’s positive effects on the body including its effect on reducing hypertension and anxiety, regulating heart rhythm, the connection between yoga and changes in brainwave activity and the improvement of core stability and balance.
Johannes R. Fisslinger, President of the Yoga Health Foundation and founder of September National Yoga Month says that “National Yoga Month is an awareness campaign and national observance to educate about the health benefits of yoga and inspire a healthy lifestyle.”
Yoga is great for a slew of reasons. But for college students with tight budgets, it may seem like an expensive art to practice. To conclude National Yoga Month, here are some of the best places in D.C. to find peace of mind on a budget.
Circle Yoga, Friendship Heights
This studio offers donation-based yoga classes every Saturday at 12:30 p.m., and donation-based mindfulness meditation on Monday, Wednesday and Friday. Circle Yoga offers a range of classes including Pilates and other wellness modalities.
Embrace Yoga DC, Adams Morgan
Every Saturday at 9:15 a.m., Embrace Yoga offers a free community yoga class and a 15 percent student discount off regularly-priced passes. The studio is black-owned and “provides a culturally sensitive space to feel comfortable in my practice as a black woman. It’s very rare to find that in a yoga studio,” said Dainti Richards, a senior Howard University student.
Down Dog Yoga, Georgetown
Down Dog Yoga, a studio known for its signature power yoga class, offers a $10 student drop-in yoga class (with valid student I.D.). New members can receive an unlimited two week pass for $25.
Kali Yoga Studio, Columbia Heights
Named after the Hindu Goddess of Empowerment, this studio offers a 15% student discount (with valid I.D.) as well as a new member special of $30 for two weeks.
Studio DC Yoga Center, Dupont Circle and Adams Morgan
With a strong commitment to making yoga accessible to everyone, Studio DC offers a $10 community yoga class every day of the week. In addition to $10 classes, one day out the month, the studio offers free classes all day. Check the class schedule here.
Yoga District, Bloomingdale and Dupont Circle
For $11.35 plus taxes, Yoga District offers drop-in passes for any of its classes. There is also a new student special—two class passes and a one week pass for the same price.
Whether you want to relieve stress, increase flexibility or just take your fitness to a higher level, yoga has an undeniable effect on the total body and yes, it can be practiced on a budget.
