Yoga in Tucson: all the angles
By Coley Ward
CWARD@AZSTARNET.COM
Tucson, Arizona | Published: 01.03.2008
If you think you're too old, too young, too fat, too busy, too pregnant, too injured or too broke for yoga — think again. Tucson offers yoga classes for almost anyone. Yoga — a combination of meditation and postures developed in India — is growing more popular by the day. It's practiced in schools, at resorts, in gyms, in prisons, on hillsides — you name it.
Darren Rhodes, who owns Yoga Oasis, says Tucson is a special place to practice yoga. "First, Tucson is community-oriented," he said. "And second, at every studio both the owners and teachers are highly passionate and dedicated to yoga. At least all the studios I know of."
People practice yoga for different reasons
Amy Scheller, who studies physiology at the University of Arizona, and her friend Lindsey Hager, who graduated from the UA in December with a degree in nutrition, recently decided to try Bikram yoga, or "hot yoga," at Yoga Vida.
"We work out together all the time," Scheller said. "This time we just decided to add yoga to our routine."
Heather Alberts started going to yoga more than a year ago at the suggestion of her therapist. She attends classes at Yoga Connection and practices along with a DVD at home.
"I was experiencing severe depression," says Alberts, who is the founder of the Arizona Cancer Center's Better Than Ever program. "And I think yoga has helped me reach my introverted preference. It was very appropriate for me and helped me gain some healing."
Doug Friedman is a consultant who practices yoga at the Providence Institute after work. He says he also does kickboxing and weight training to stay in shape.
"It's a neat way to combine a good workout with mindfulness and meditation," he says.
Yoga, yoga everywhere
Ginny Beal, past president of the Arizona Yoga Association (and wife of Arizona Daily Star reporter Tom Beal), says yoga's popularity has exploded in Tucson.
"When Tom and I started doing yoga in 1994, there were probably three or four studios," she says. "Now there are many more, plus yoga is practiced in heath clubs and gyms."
The diverse selection of yoga offerings is necessary, according to Priscilla Potter, who owns Yoga Connections.
"Tucson has Bikram yoga, which is great when you're young and strong," Potter says. "But we also have more gentle yoga, which is what you need when you're a little old lady."
These days, you won't find yoga in just studios and gyms.
Kate Donovan teaches yoga at Tucson High Magnet School. Her program, which has 200 students, has become so popular the school recently hired a second yoga instructor.
"I still do get more girls than boys," Donovan says, "but it's improving. On average, I'd say the class is three-quarters girls, but I'm getting a little bit more of a push from the coaches to get their star athletes in classes, which is nice."
Donovan says teens benefit from yoga as much as adults.
"I have some teenagers who are so stressed out that they could barely bend over," she says.
Kim Chumley, assistant director of detention for the Pima County Juvenile Court Center, agrees.
"Both our girls units and boys units do yoga," Chumley says. "I think if they can get a natural high from doing yoga, that might keep them from doing drugs. It gives them another tool in their tool box, another thing they can choose."
And lest you thought yoga was just for people, Muttropolis Dog and Cat Boutique at La Encantada offers occasional classes for dogs and their owners.
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