Yogapalooza brings healthy fun and fitness to Downtown Mount Pleasant
More than 40 people gathered on Thursday in the Town Center park in Downtown Mount Pleasant for a free yoga session co-hosted by RedBloom Yoga and the City of Mount Pleasant.
Yogapalooza is the first in the ten-week Thrilling Thursday series organized by the City of Mount Pleasant, which began last year as a way for people to get more involved with the community during the summer.
The yoga session was instructed by Kris Batzner, owner of RedBloom Yoga. RedBloom Yoga a community-based wellness center that features yoga alongside other services meant to enrich the well-being of the community, including message therapy, life coaching and addiction counselling.
"I want yoga to be accessible to everybody, and today was one way to do that," Batzner said. "Most of the people here haven't practiced yoga before. Our goal is to get as many people healthy, as many people doing yoga and as people part of our community as we possibly can."
For Kim Bennett, the event was the first time she has been able to practice yoga in years, having just recovered after a seven-year period of physical therapy for her back injury.
"Doing it again today, I realized I had forgotten how much I loved (yoga)," Bennett said. "I loved (Yogapalooza) today. I've never been to RedBloom before, but I think that's probably going to be my new hang out spot."
Thrilling Thursdays in organized by Melinda Salchert, special events coordinator for the City of Mount Pleasant. Salchert said Yogapalooza exemplifies what the entire series is about — a fun and informative event where residents can come together to enjoy the summer weather and the community.
"I think it was a great turn out today," Salchert said. "The yoga is healthy, but it's the people who come who inspire events like this by how they work together."
GreenTree Cooperative Grocery and Pure Vitality Juice Bar and Spa were at the event to provide attendees with refreshments and information about healthy eating options offered by their companies.
A newer organization in Mount Pleasant, Pure Vitality will be officially opening at 128 East Broadway Street in early July. Pure Vitality is attending events around Mount Pleasant like Yogapalooza to build awareness about the company, said Pure Vitality representative Mitch Perry.
Next week, the City of Mount Pleasant is teaming up with the Mount Pleasant Optimist Club for an event called "Let's Ride," which will feature events centered around bike-riding and safety.
The full schedule for the Thrilling Thursdays series is as follows:
- June 22: Let's Ride
- June 29: Scavenger Hunt
- July 6: Bugs R Us
- July 13: Fun with Vegetables
- July 20: Mad Science Fair
- July 27: Superhero and Princess Extravaganza
- August 3: Stepping Stones
- August 10: Urban Printmaking
- August 17: Supersoaker Festivus
