Yoga Under the Stars
The room is dark and the atmosphere peaceful. The layered theater-like flooring is covered with mats of various sizes and colors. Overhead is a magnificent display of the stars. Tonight, we are looking up close at Mars with the rest of the galaxy stretching beyond in the backdrop. The group swells to about 30 as people continue to drift into the space. The sound of relaxing music is soon joined by a slow, soothing voice telling us to stay present and breathe.
“Breath is the bridge to reality,” said our instructor Meredith Causton.
Our class continues with detailed instructions of movements and continuous reminders to allow our breath to lead the action. Each person moves their body to the rhythm of their own breathing as they sit, stand or lie on their mat under the dome of the Science Center of Iowa’s planetarium. Throughout the hour-long session, we reach for the stars and focus inward. The guided meditation calms and re-centers the focus of the attendees.
“The only requirement of yoga is that you have a body and that you can breathe,” Causton said.
She is passionate about yoga because of its transformative power. It is yoga’s expansion into the mental realm that sets it apart from other wellness activities. Yoga changes brain waves to allow for an expansion of awareness. Causton said that this change in perspective brings the opportunity to live intentionally instead of reactively.
However, Causton did not always have this view of yoga. Prior to walking in her first yoga class 10 years ago, her thought process was much different.
“If I only have an hour to work out, there’s no way I’m going to sit around breathing,” Causton said.
But after giving it a try, she discovered the opportunities yoga can bring to live an intentional life outside of the classroom and enjoy the present moment. Five years later, she began her journey of becoming an instructor with Lifetime Fitness. The greatest obstacle that she overcame was her fear of getting in front of a class and public speaking. Causton said she found the motivation to overcome her fear because of her strong desire to help others find the life-changing experience of yoga.
“My goal in teaching is to help people connect with themselves to live lives they don’t want to avoid,” Causton said.
Her advice to a yoga beginner is to be gentle with their body and simply enjoy the exploration of what is possible without expectations.
Every Monday night from 5:30 to 6:30 through May 25, a rotation of instructors will be coming in to lead yoga each with their own style. The instructor schedule is on the Science Center of Iowa website where the required pre-registration is also available. A brief instructor spotlight gives a snapshot of the type of yoga you can expect to experience. Causton’s focus is hatha flow, yin yoga, and meditation, while other instructors incorporate styles such as vinyasa flow practice and asana practice.
Yoga Under the Stars provides the unique opportunity to connect with the ever-expanding galaxy as you simultaneously connect deeper within yourself and grow. Yoga in this space can bring awareness of something greater than yourself and leave you relaxed and ready to face the reality of life outside the planetarium. It is an experience worth the $10 admission cost and hassle of needing to pre-register online.
Each style of yoga has its own focus that allows a person to experiment and find the best fit. Arundhati Baitmangalkar on seattleyoganews.com writes that HATHA YOGA is slower-paced and focused on positions that allow energy to flow through the body. Breath is a key part of hatha yoga bringing attention to the present moment and leading to a mindset ripe for self-transformation. VINYASA YOGA, on the other hand, is a more modern form and faster-paced. Baitmangalkar writes that it requires that a person build up their strength gradually to avoid injury in keeping up with the sequence of challenging poses. Yoga Under the Stars offers a taste in a variety of these styles with the purchase of single classes or a multi-class pass.
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