If muscles, tension, soreness or nerves have you feeling like you’re tied in a knot, maybe it’s time to unwind and try a yoga routine.
Instructor Casey Lesmeister said yoga is a body, mind and spiritual practice with various styles of combined physical postures, breathwork and meditation for relaxation to promote mental and physical well-being.
Lesmeister recently conducted a 45-minute restorative yoga class at the Muchnic Gallery in Atchison. Restorative yoga is slower-paced but offers a soothing and relaxing class of poses at floor level. More meditative than some other yoga styles, the restorative practice focuses on the breath as the central tool to maintain a mindful presence. Students practice a series of poses from three to five minutes each on the floor and are supported with soft items like bolsters, blankets, blocks and/or straps. Restorative yoga is for all levels.
The corpse and butterfly are relaxed poses. Others with various twists are executed atop a cushion laid flat on the floor.
Lesmeister also is registered to teach gentle flow yoga, which consists of various poses to increase balance, strength, stability and flexibility. The gentle flow yoga practice also includes breathing and mediation. The practice is adaptable to suit all student levels ranging from beginners to the more advanced.
The yoga practice often is practiced amid calm, meditative settings neutralized with soft musical tones or sounds of nature like a gentle breeze, a bird chirping and a babbling stream.
Whether one practices yoga indoors or outdoors where ever one can relax offers an ambient setting.
“The warmth and charm of the Muchnic create the space to practice yoga,” Leismeister said about the atmosphere there. “I love feeling the warm sun coming through the stained glass on a bright sunny evening.”
For more information about yoga and classes in the area, check out