Community center hosts yoga, art classes

HOPE — The Memorial Community Center is now hosting art and yoga classes.

The yoga classes will be hosted May 10, 17 and 24 from 3-5 p.m., said instructor Stephanie Ray. More will be scheduled based on public interest.

The beginner workshop is open to all ages, she said, and will teach basic poses, breathwork and meditation. Classes are $15 for all three classes or $8 per class.

Ray earned her teaching certificate in 2017, she said, and began her own journey years before that.

“I’ve been using yoga more in a therapeutic sense,” she said. “I was working as a field guide at a wilderness therapy [when I first started], and we used yoga to help our students ground [themselves.] I was able to ‘drop in,’ and then i was like, ‘Oh, I get it.’”

There are numerous benefits and reasons someone might want to try yoga for physical, mental and spiritual wellness.

“It could be as simple as they want to gain more strength and flexibility to trying to find deeper meaning within themselves,” she said.

The art classes, which began May 5, are every Wednesday from 1-3 p.m. All abilities are welcome, and a variety of techniques will be taught, including basic drawing and acrylic painting.

The cost is $5 per class. Attendees are welcomed to bring their own supplies, or they can use supplies provided at the class.