National Lakeshore, Friends of Sleeping Bear offer Yoga on the Beach at Glen Haven
From staff reports
Community residents and visitors are invited to get outside, connect with the beauty of nature, and relax both in mind and body with a summer series of yoga classes being offered at Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore. Beginning on the Summer Solstice, Yoga on the Beach and the Friends of Sleeping Bear Dunes are partnering up to offer these outdoor, donation-based yoga classes to the community.
The series of eight beginner-friendly classes will take place at Glen Haven beach near the Cannery starting with a special solstice class on Friday, June 21 at 7 pm, and then every Friday morning at 10 am from June 28 through August 9. Each hour-long class is open to the general public, and donations will help support the Friends’ program to improve accessibility to our trails and beaches.
“We are glad to be able to offer these classes to encourage people to come enjoy the lakeshore while doing something good for their health,” said Kerry Kelly, chairman of the board for Friends of Sleeping Bear Dunes, which is a nonprofit volunteer organization. Participants can make donations to the Friends of Sleeping Bear Dunes.
Classes will be taught by Amy Hubbell, a certified yoga instructor who has been teaching donation-based yoga on the area’s beaches every summer since 2010. “I enjoy taking my own yoga practice out of the studio and into nature whenever I can, and always look forward to sharing this experience with others in an affordable way,” Hubbell said. “There are so many benefits to yoga—not just improved flexibility, but other important things like strength, balance, focus and stress reduction,” she added. “I try to make my beach classes simple and fun but still challenging—accessible both to seasoned yogis and those who have never tried yoga before.”
This is the fourth year Yoga on the Beach has partnered with the Friends of Sleeping Bear Dunes. “It’s an honor to be working with them again, and doing what we can to support their programs,” Hubbell said. She also hopes to raise awareness about the many opportunities the Friends have for volunteering. “They do so much to keep our park beautiful and accessible, and can always use more hands on deck.” Find out more at FriendsOfSleepingBear.org.
Yoga on the Beach will also offer beach classes by donation at Fountain Point Resort on Tuesday and Thursday mornings at 8:30AM, June 25-August 15, and private classes by appointment. More information can be found at Facebook.com/yogaonthebeachNMI.
