At 11:30 a.m. on Saturday, about 20 members of the Providence community gathered outside to raise their hands in a sun salutation — in 30 degree weather.
This pose marked the beginning of “Snowga,” a free yoga event at 195 District Park. Saturday’s class was the second of three sessions, all organized by Jala Studio, that will take place this winter.
“We strive to find ways to keep the park active and lively even during the coldest winter months,” Jacob Nathan, the park manager for 195 District Park, wrote in an email to The Herald. “Yoga and fitness classes are very popular in the warmer seasons, so we thought adventurous spirits might be interested in trying winter yoga as well.”
“The outdoor yoga classes focus on mindfulness to increase accessibility,” Nathan wrote. “Movements can be modified to work for any individual’s body.”
Many attendees at Saturday’s class were older adults like Marjorie Lewis, a self-described “senior.”
“Yoga keeps me limbered and focused,” said Lewis, who has been practicing yoga regularly for over eight years and considers herself to be a “yogalini.”
The sessions are an “opportunity for people to spend time with other like-minded folks who care about nature,” said Eve Carey, studio manager and instructor at Jala Studio who taught Saturday’s yoga class. Carey added that, for adults, making friends can be difficult.
“The root of the word ‘yoga’ in Sanskrit is union,” Carey said. “It’s coming together and connecting with not only the universe, but also with yourself and with your community.”
At the event, the participants “opened up and got more comfortable with each other,” said attendee Ashley Desuze. “It was a really great experience.”
“In the wintertime, it is especially important to get exposure to the sun,” Carey said. “It helps to boost the mood, and it helps your immune system.”
This was true for attendee Paola Dilone, who said she felt “really at peace with my body, and in touch with nature” after the class.
The opening sun salutation was adapted to the chilly weather and incorporated mostly standing poses, with a focus on hand movements and breathwork.
After moving through multiple different poses, Carey led a meditative walk around the Providence River, encouraging participants to mindfully observe the “different smells and sounds and feels” in the environment, she said.
“Instead of the quick drudgery of a walk, like trying to get from your car to work or between classes, it’s a meditative walk — one where you move very slowly, and you’re really taking in everything around you,” Carey said.
“I’ve never done yoga ever, so this is my first time experiencing it, and I’m honestly really happy that I came,” Dilone said. “I will probably be doing more yoga every day after this.”
