For those searching for time to relax and just breathe, the Downtown Yoga Center in Johnson City offers a variety of sessions to heal the individual.
From gentle yoga, to strength and stretch and power yoga, these classes offer a chance to those who wish to become more connected with themselves.
Yoga instructor Krystal Taylor is an ex-college athlete and began her journey in 2009. Her classes include restorative yin, yin flow and power yoga. Taylor’s favorite is restorative yin.
“It’s about relaxing,” Taylor said. “You’re not forcing yourself into any poses … You don’t realize how important it is to restore the body.”
Taylor said yoga is a health benefit, too. Physically, she said it’s important to keep the body stretched. She talked about stress and the negative effects it can have on the body.
Though she maintains a more conservative teaching in some of her classes, sometimes she breaks the mold and infuses a more spiritual aspect. She focuses not only on the interconnectivity of the body and mind, but with the soul too.
“There’s a sacredness to every part of you, and it’s learning how to use those things in a way that helps you grow,” Taylor said.
Her primary foundations pull from ancient teachings such as the Tantra philosophy.
“Tantra is the whole philosophy of seeing your body as a microcosm of the macrocosm of the universe,” Taylor said.
According to Taylor, yoga can become a personal journey for an individual. Yoga is a form of reflection and meditation, a quiet time for those with busy lives, especially students. For her, it’s about expressing the “authentic self.”
“With any of my yoga classes, with anything I do, what’s most important to me, as a teacher, is that somebody heals,” Taylor said. “That’s the whole purpose of yoga … to tap into your intuition and become aware of what it is you need, whether it be emotionally, physically, mentally. Listen to your body, and it’ll tell you what you need to know.”
The only thing she regrets about yoga is that she didn’t start sooner.
“We live in a very uncertain world,” Taylor said. “Yoga allows you to center yourself.”
More information on the Downtown Yoga Center and featured classes can be found online at downtownyogacenter.com/our-staff.
