After a long day of classes or work, people often need a way to unwind, which is just what the Underground Yoga Studio can offer the WSU community. Detroit native Tim Clark was introduced to yoga 12 years ago, while performing as a musician in Santa Monica, Calif. He soon found out that yoga was more than what he thought.
“Yoga not only has the ability to give a quality workout,” he said, “but it has amazing restorative aspects to the body with its mediation and relaxation components.”
According to the International Journal of Yoga Therapy, yoga is an exercise that has therapeutic benefit to the well being of the body and incorporates the mind and body with every movement. WSU Recreation and Fitness Center employee Kaity Simmonds agreed that yoga is a workout that can help maintain your physical fitness.
“Exercise is important to everyday health,” she said. “Doing an activity such as yoga can help your overall health and better your overall sense of well being.”
Clark opened the studio in the Salem Memorial Lutheran Church in Detroit in February 2008. The creative, friendly and energy-filled atmosphere is welcoming to all; painted a calming lilac color with hand-painted art of a garden motif on the walls.
He founded it as an alternative to the rigid, high-priced ways of yoga studios.
“With the economy the way it is and how people are, the ones who could benefit the most from yoga can’t afford it,” Clark said. “Yoga should be affordable to anyone that wants to experience it.”
Student, seniors, and all residents of Detroit only have to pay a charge of $5 per class.
The new class schedule started the week of Oct. 19 and with self-produced yoga DVDs available for purchase, Clark hopes that he will get the community out and involved.
Clark teaches many styles of yoga, his main style is Hatha Vinyasa, a style which encompasses the many physical types of yoga through gentle, breath-synchronized movements.
“Tim’s classes are not your grandma’s yoga classes,” said Lisa Lipscomb, who has been taking classes with Clark for the past few months.
“The atmosphere, the music and the classes are energetic,” she said. “And Tim, well, he’s very energetic.”
Jae Fisher is another frequent attendant of Clark’s classes. He enjoys the intensity of the classes because so many aspects are involved in them.
“In our last class, Tim brought the intensity to a new level by adding drum beats with the bongos, chants, and even dancing to the yoga experience,” he said.
Clark offers classes for all levels of people interested in yoga. He also is interested in any suggestions for types of classes to offer, as he is always looking for new ways to bring people together.
If you are looking for a new place to keep up with your yoga routine or are interested in trying it for your first time, the studio is a great place to go. Plus, with only a $5 fee per class, it is completely affordable on a student budget.
The Underground Yoga Studio is located in the lower level of the Salem Memorial Lutheran Church at 21230 Moross on the corner of Moross and Chester, less than a ten minute drive from WSU’s campus right off of I-94.
For more information on The Underground Yoga Studio, check out their website at http://undergroundyoga.blogspot.com.
‘Not your grandma’s yoga’
Local studio offers energetic classes
Published: Tuesday, October 20, 2009
Updated: Wednesday, October 21, 2009
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