BUSINESS FEATURE
TheWoodlands Yoga Studio Site o ers community physical, mental and spiritual relief S ue Brooks, owner of The Woodlands Yoga Studio, attended classes at the studio since it opened in 2004, and she purchased the facility on Grogans Park Drive in 2012. She said it is one of the longest in operation in The Woodlands. “The yoga studio has really provided almost a kind of community,” Brooks said. “I see people all over The Woodlands that I know that have come and taken a class here.” The Woodlands Yoga Studio o ers 12 classes, including basic yoga, restorative yoga, meditation, gentle classes, senior classes, Core Balance and prenatal yoga. “The variety [in classes] is there so you can shape the kind of practice that you need,” Brooks said. The studio employs 25 certi ed instructors and o ers training courses for yoga teachers to receive certi cations. “The philosophy is—when you can train and prepare the body—then the mind and the spirit will follow, and it becomes one,” Brooks said. “They are all connected.” Bene ts of yoga Brooks said in addition to providing strength and exibility-building activities, her yoga classes encompass practices for the body, mind and spirit. “As we age, our body sti ens,” Brooks said. “[Yoga] keeps the body exible. When the body is exible and doesn’t have pain, it a ects the mind and the spirit. I always say, ‘Happy hips; happy people.’” Brooks said she works with a variety of students who have physical di culties, such as knee replacements, hip displacements and scoliosis. She said everyone is welcome to the studio, regardless of age, physical ability or yoga experience. Community during closure Brooks said after Gov. Greg Abbott closed gyms at the beginning of the coronavirus pandemic, she began conducting free virtual classes for the yoga community through Facebook Live. She continues to host about four virtual yoga classes a week through Zoom. Brooks said a majority of her new students said they are attending classes with the purpose of helping to relieve stress and anxiety associated with the pandemic. “[Students] are coming for peace to relieve the stress and anxiety. That I nd very interesting,” Brooks said. “There is more to yoga than just moving your body.” BY ALLY BOLENDER
Sue Brooks, owner of The Woodlands Yoga Studio, said she began taking classes at the studio when it opened in 2004 before purchasing the studio in 2012. (Ally Bolender/Community Impact Newspaper)
HOWDOES YOGAHELP THE BODY?
Regular yoga practice can provide a variety of mental and physical bene ts to the mind and body, according to the American Osteopathic Association.
Mental bene ts • Reduces stress • Improves sleep • Reduces anxiety • Provides mental clarity
Physical bene ts • Increases exibility • Improves balance • Relieves pain • Promotes cardio and circulatory health
SOURCE: AMERICAN OSTEOPATHIC ASSOCIATION COMMUNITY IMPACT NEWSPAPER
TYPES OF YOGA PRACTICES
The Woodlands Yoga Studio o ers di erent types of yoga classes for a range of experience levels.
• Yoga Shape incorporates the bene ts of yoga along with a focus on strength training.
• Gentle yoga is a beginners class that focuses on stretching and exing along with balance.
• Senior yoga is designed to help seniors with mobility, exibility, balance and strength while dealing with chronic issues.
• Core Balance is a tness class with a focus on increasing strength, balance and stability.
SOURCE: THE WOODLANDS YOGA STUDIO COMMUNITY IMPACT NEWSPAPER
TheWoodlands Yoga Studio 25126 Grogans Park Drive, The Woodlands 936-271-1485 www.thewoodlandsyogastudio.com Hours vary by class times
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THE WOODLANDS EDITION • JANUARY 2022
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