Southern Utah group’s ‘Day of Yoga’ event to offer free online classes for all ages, abilities

Stock image | St. George News

ST. GEORGE — An event intended to help people get healthy through the art of Yoga will be available to all Southern Utah residents through online classes.

Intermountain LiVe Well Center, Dixie State University’s “Live Long. Live Well” initiative, Southern Utah Yoga Fest and the city of St. George announced that they will host the “State of Utah International Day of Yoga” event free for everyone on June 20. In light of the COVID-19 pandemic, this year’s event will be held online via Zoom videoconferencing. People of all ages and abilities are invited to participate in several hours of free yoga and meditation classes from 9:45 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.

“Last year, the International Day of Yoga was limited to St. George, but this year locals can invite families and friends from a distance to connect and practice with them on the Zoom platform,” Allen Christensen, operations manager at Intermountain LiVe Well Center, said in a press release. “Yoga and meditation are ways to reduce stress and boost the immune system, both excellent practices for the times we live in.”

The International Day of Yoga provides a wide range of classes for everyone from first-timers to practiced yoga enthusiasts. Classes include kids yoga, relaxing restorative yoga, sound healing, heat-inducing yoga flows, and chair and adaptive yoga to help those healing from an injury or who find it challenging to move because of age or medical issues.

“We are excited to bring an awareness to yoga that many have yet to discover,” said Chanda Vaniman, exercise specialist at Intermountain LiVe Well Center. “Attendees can try it out for the first time wearing whatever they wish in the comfort of their own residences. We can discover how yoga increases flexibility, both physically and cognitively. We encourage anyone who has thought of trying yoga to sign up now.”

Flyer for “State of Utah International Day of Yoga” event to be held online June 20, 2020 | Image courtesy of Yvonne Lynott, St. George News

The full class schedule and list of instructors from across Utah can be found on the Eventbrite website. The website also allows interested participants to register for classes. Event organizers encourage early signups because Zoom has a ceiling on the number of participants.

“It is important that people unite to breathe, meditate, move, practice and heal with others,” Camille Zolman, creator and director of Southern Utah Yoga Fest, said. “Although we may be separated physically, we have the option to see each other and practice together on screen to support each other’s very personal efforts and be uplifted together as a community. No one is alone as we share in a collective uplifting experience together.”

“Live Long Live Well (Live!)” is a collaborative program founded in 2018 that combines education, medicine and city government participation to create community outreach encouraging the adoption of healthy habits and lifestyle. The program is dedicated to increasing wellness and longevity. Organizations that comprise “Live Long. Live Well” include Dixie State University Community and Global Engagement, DSU Institute of Continued Learning, the city of St. George and Intermountain Healthcare.

The 2020 International Day of Yoga is also sponsored by Southern Utah Yoga Fest. For more information, contact Allen Christensen at Intermountain LiVe Well Center at [email protected] or 435-251-3799.

Copyright St. George News, SaintGeorgeUtah.com LLC, 2020, all rights reserved.

Free News Delivery by Email

Would you like to have the day's news stories delivered right to your inbox every evening? Enter your email below to start!