Yoga is a meditation practice that has been around for many years. Yoga has been known to relieve stress, aid in weight loss, balancing the mind and spirit, etc. Recently, there has been a rise in this practice in Coos Bay. More and more people are starting to get into yoga. 

Bryanna Health is a yoga instructor for Momentum Fitness in Coquille, Ore. She has been practicing yoga since she was 12-years-old, usually with her mom. Yoga helps Health by bringing balance in her life, 

“Not even like physical strength and flexibility but mental strength and flexibility,” said Health. “There are many different aspects of yoga that can be all encompassing as far as how mental well-being goes.”

Health sees yoga as a great way for the community to become more active and get some space in for some self-care. 

“There’s a lot of studies that show how yoga helps with PTSD and trauma,” she said. “I work in the field of addiction as well, and one of my life goals is to take younger people into recovery so that they can help reconnect their mind and bodies.”

Health is a recovering addict, as well, and yoga has helped her on her healing journey. She believes that yoga helps in a spiritual way, as well as physical. After doing yoga Health feels amazing,

“Even if I don’t want to, I still force myself to do it and I always feel good!” said Health.

Yoga has its own philosophy that correlates with Buddhist philosophy. It’s ideal to improve one’s mental, spiritual, and physical health. For Health, she hopes people get self-care out of her teachings,

“Just showing up for themselves for the day, maybe it’s like once a week, a couple times a week, but from a physical standpoint I’ve had people say how much their body feels better,” said Health. 

Lisa Park has been partaking in yoga since March 2023. Park wanted to try a different form of exercise that wouldn’t be to stressful on her joints, 

“So I decided to give yoga a try,” she said. 

Yoga has affected her life physically as well as spiritually; Park finds that yoga helps her with stress and anxiety. 

“It helps calm you down, you learn different breathing exercises and helps with focusness,” says Park. 

Park enjoys all sorts of forms of yoga, however she finds that restored yoga is one of her favorites. Restored yoga consists of more stretching and is done at a slower pace then the other forms. After exercising in a yoga class Park feels great, she always feels energized and more relaxed. As a whole, Park thinks yoga brings the community together,

“The yoga place that I go to they do a lot with the full moon and half of moon,” she said. “They offer free classes to the community for that so I think it brings people together!” 

If you are interested in yoga, Park recommends going to a class and finding a class that you are most interested in,

“If you have questions, call the place you want to go to,” she said. “There are several different yoga studios around town, so if you’re interested, definitely call the studios. All the instructors are just wonderful!”

Jean Nichols has been doing yoga for 15 years but really got into it two and a half years ago. 

“I think I was attending group classes four times weekly for about six months before my health tanked a bit,” said Nichols. “Now I do it randomly when I have time.”

Yoga helped Nicols build emotional and physical strength and empower herself. After doing a yoga session, she feels content, empowered, calm and accomplished. Overall, yoga has helped Nichols and her body, 

“I am horribly un-flexible and have busted my body from sports and overall stupid ideas,”

she says.

“Yoga helped me become more flexible and push myself,” said Nichols. “It’s taught me how to breathe properly and be more present in my own body.”

Nichols sees yoga as a way for the community to reconnect themselves, nature and honesty. 

“I’ve gone to a few yoga classes outdoors and there’s something magic that happens there,” she says.

Like any sport or activity, there is a little gear involved in yoga. Clothing consists of loose-fitting garments; yoga pants and tank tops are popular. There are no specific shoes, as yoga is often practiced in bare feet.
“Get a legit mat,” advised Nichols. “I was using super cheap mats and was sliding all over the place and simply falling apart. My super yoga friend suggested a Manduka mat and it hasn’t failed me yet!” 

  Anyone looking to start their yoga journey should look into Momentum Fitness In Coquille or if you’re looking for something a little more local there is House of Asana, Nick’s Pro Fitness, Mossy Yoga Forest Therapy and much more!