By: Savannah Johnston
The Town Brookhaven greenspace usually goes unused throughout the week. Today, it will be the host of a yoga class for anyone to join for free, hosted by Element Yoga ATL.
Yoga instructor Miji Lee gets her speaker set up for her class today. At first it was malfunctioning, and she was worried due to all of the noise from passing cars, but the speaker was fine and she played serene music all throughout class.
The students begin class in a comfortable seated position. Town Brookhaven is located near Buckhead, Atlanta and is a mixed-use space of commercial retail / restaurants and residential living.
Lee reads off a pre-written guided meditation to her students. The speech included being intentional in your practice and hearing your body and what it needs.
The students begin in a low lunge. Town Brookhaven is a busy area, especially at the time of this class (7p.m.) when a lot of restaurants nearby have happy hour.
The hands are outstretched to cactus pose. Cactus pose is what yogis call a "heart-opening pose," said Lee.
Participant in upward-facing dog pose. This is a transitional pose usually used in vinyasa yoga, a sequence-based yoga that was practiced in this session.
Participants transitioning between the warrior one and two poses. Similar to cactus pose, warrior 1 is a heart-opening position.
Participants in tree pose. The woman on the left, Foster, has been participating in these spring yoga events at Town Brookhaven.
Lee instructs her students on transitioning from chair pose to open-arm chair pose. Lee is an instructor from Element Yoga ATL, and has been teaching these free classes for all of the month of May.
The participants in warrior three position. The woman in the white disclosed that she is always self-concious of her balance and how she looks in these balance heavy positions.
Lee and participants in reverse warrior position. These classes in Town Brookhaven are offered to any skill level or age.
Lee works up a sweat in boat position. At this section of the class, they began core-focused poses.
Students in supine knees to chest pose. This is a restorative pose that also uses the core to balance as you rotate from side to side at a 45 degree angle.
Student in plow pose. Lee gives the students freedom over what positions they can or cannot do with their specific bodies.
Lee in supine pigeon pose. At this point in the flow, they have retreated to supine poses which means lying down facing upward.
Students in supine spinal twist. These are one of the last poses for the hour long class.
Student in happy baby pose. At this point the students are performing more calm, restorative poses.
Students laying down at the end of class. This is called savasana, a closing restorative pose that is often paired with meditation.
Lee and students bowing at end of practice. This is common at yoga classes to also say "namaste."
