Stretch, Breathe, Connect: Lake Walk Hosts Communiy Yoga for the Bryan-College Station Community

Article By: Ashely Bautista, Student Intern | BCS Chronicle

What You Need To Know:

• Lake Walk hosts free community yoga sessions every Saturday morning from 8-9 AM at 4107 Lake Atlas Dr in Bryan.

• Yoga instructor, Karah Welch, discusses her journey and what community yoga means to her.

• Attendees can expect a calm and serene environment when participating in community yoga.

As the early Saturday morning wind bellows through the trees and across the lake, birds sing their melodies, and Bryan-College Station community hub, Lake Walk, hosts their free community yoga event.

Held on their pavilion lawn facing the calm nature scenery, these free Saturday morning recurring yoga sessions bring the Bryan-College Station community together to learn new yoga skills and improve attendees’ individual health goals.

For owner of Studio Muse, Karah Welch, hosting community yoga events is both a personally rewarding endeavor and a way to build connections with the Bryan-College Station community.

“I wanted to give people a little taste of what we were going to offer in the studio and around Lakewalk, and I also wanted to just bring an affordable, more accessible way to move your body to people around the area,” Welch said.

Coach, Train, and Learn

Welch grew up as a swimmer and figure skater, which inspired her to become a swim coach to teach children and help them get comfortable in the water.

“I just loved [coaching] and I liked seeing people realize that they had a lot of potential and I liked seeing that switch flip in their brain when they realized that they could progress higher than what they thought they could,” Welch said.

As a coach, Welch's inspiration to lead community yoga and to own her own studio has revolved around helping others to see themselves reach their full potential in their own bodies.

“Just seeing people realize that they're a lot stronger than they think they are and they're a lot more powerful than they think that they are,” Welch said.

Stretching to Grow

Welch describes community yoga at Lake Walk as a unique opportunity for individuals to engage athletically no matter their background, culture, or skillset.

“Movement is medicine,” Welch said. “I think having community yoga out here that's free to the public and also that builds a good community out here – I think that it just encourages people to step outside of their comfort zone and enjoy that type of movement.”

While yoga is typically viewed as a relaxing and calming workout routine, Welch still faces some daily challenges.

“You always want everybody to be happy and you always want to appeal to everyone and you always want everyone to feel amazing when they get done with a class or when they get done with a session,” Welch said. “Our main challenge is just making sure everyone's happy and everyone feels good afterwards and just wants to come back.”

Stepping Towards Wellness

Yoga is often associated with relaxation and mindfulness to help people's overall health, according to the National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health website. For Welch, the hardest thing a person can do though, is simply to come out in-person on Saturday morning. 

“I would advise [you] to just take the first step and just show up and then you won't regret it after that,” Welch said.

For potential attendees, Welch recommends bringing water, personal yoga mats, and a personable attitude. 

“[Attendees] can expect a really calm and knowledgeable instructor, Welch said. “[Attendees] can expect just a good community – people who are willing to talk to you, people who are willing to guide you and help you out if you need help.”