Moira Dwyer, who recently completed yoga teacher training and works as a regional preparedness manager for the Red Cross, teaches a by-donation class at the Open Space Co-op in Rosendale. Paying rent for the space out of her own pocket, Dwyer donates all proceeds from her class to the Queens Galley, a Kingston nonprofit that runs a soup kitchen and offers nutrition programs. (She notes that her project is part of a larger movement called Yogis for Food, a local collective that raises money for the Queens Galley.) “I’m really grateful for the experience I’ve had with yoga, and for the work I’ve been able to do in human services,” says Dwyer. “It just made sense to me to combine the two. It’s my way of keeping the cycle of giving going.”
By-donation and community yoga classes are beautiful gifts—but somewhere, someone has to foot the bill. Studio rents must be paid, and yoga teachers need to make a living. Most community classes could not happen without the backing of a supportive studio owner and a thriving venue that offers plenty of full-priced classes on its weekly schedule. Thankfully, community classes attract new students drawn by the low price, and once these nascent yogis get a taste of yoga’s benefits they often become hungry for more. Many end up using community classes as a jumping-off point to frequent drop-ins at regular-priced classes. It’s this passion-driven commitment that allows the studio, the student—and via a ripple effect, the world—to blossom and flourish.
A listing of low-priced yoga classes in our region follows, though this is not a comprehensive listing. Call your local yoga studio to inquire about community or by-donation classes in your area.
Wendy Kagan is a freelance writer, yoga teacher, and mother of two girls.
She lives in Woodstock.
Resources:
Hudson
Sadhana Center for Yoga and Meditation, 403 Warren St.
Wednesday, 6 pm
$5
New Paltz
Ashtanga of New Paltz, 71 Main St.
Sunday 6:30 pm
by donation
Poughkeepsie
Kishna Yoga, 1820 New Hackensack Rd. (Rt. 376)
Sunday, 10 am (through Jan. 11, 2011)
by donation
Rhinebeck
Satya Yoga Center, 6400 Montgomery St.
Thursday 7 pm
$7
Rosendale
Open Space Co-op, 426 Main St.
Sunday 7:30 pm
by donation
Saugerties
Shakti Yoga, 67 Partition St.
7 classes/week
$5
Stone Ridge
Yoga at MAMA, 3588 Main St.
Tuesday 4 pm
by donation
Woodstock
Bliss Yoga Center, 6 Deming St.
Sunday 5 pm
$5
Euphoria Yoga, 99 Tinker St.
Thursday 6:30 pm
$5
Yoga Monkey, 2568 Rt. 212
Wednesday 5:30 pm
$5
