'Yoga in the Square' returns to Downtown Pittsburgh
Strike a pose.
The Pittsburgh Downtown Partnership and several area yoga studios are reintroducing “Yoga in the Square.” The one-hour outdoor classes at Market Square will be offered free, Wednesdays and Sundays beginning Aug. 5 and running through September. The Wednesday sessions begin at 5:30 p.m. and Sunday sessions at 10 a.m.
Participants need to bring a yoga mat. Fitness instructors will each bring their signature routine, style and sensibility to the experience.
Masks are required. Attendees will be spaced 10 feet apart.
Participation is limited to 50 people. Walk-ups will be welcomed, space permitting, though pre-registration is recommended.
Russell A. Howard, vice president special events and development for the Pittsburgh Downtown Partnership, said yoga is a popular offering.
“Yoga is great because it is low impact and easily done in a socially distant way,” Howard said. “There is plenty of space to be safe. And it will bring back some of the vibrancy to Downtown.”
Kayla Hersperger, a certified yoga instructor at Urban Elements & Cycology on Pittsburgh’s North Shore will be teaching classes on Sept. 13 and 20. She said her plan is to teach at a level that is accessible to everyone.
It will be her third year teaching at Yoga in the Square, which is where she was introduced to the exercise. One of her first yoga classes was there so she strives to make it a positive experience for all attendees like it was when she was a participant. She said she chooses a playlist that complements the class which embraces the mind, body and spirit.
“I love the outdoor yoga events,” said Hersperger, who has been teaching outdoors for several weeks because of the pandemic. “It provides such a sense of community. And, anytime I get to teach yoga in person I definitely want to do it.”
Loren Schulte, a certified yoga instructor at Urban Elements, who will be teaching on Wednesday and Sunday, said showing up safely in a space with fellow community members promotes a sense of connection that “many of us really miss.” She said she will be teaching what’s called “power vinyasa classes.” She said participants will breathe deeply and flow through different yoga shapes, with opportunities to modify or intensify the poses.
Schulte said she finds it invigorating to be out within nature and the elements that are so often referenced when they practice inside a yoga room. The grass or the city sidewalks under her feet are a textured, supportive reminder that she is grounded.
“The trees or the cityscape seem powerful and optimistic,” she said. “And to look or reach up to a breezy, clear sky or through gentle rain is such a vivid reminder to me of how interconnected we all are. Yoga in the Square provides for a shared, open air experience in movement and breathing. This recipe including community, mindfulness, and connection is quite powerful in terms of our personal and collective wellness during these uncertain times.”
This is the second event being reopened in the square. The weekly Farmers Market returned to the square July 16 from its temporary location near the David L. Lawrence Convention Center.
“The farmers market has been a pillar of the Downtown community for over 15 years,” Howard said. “It coming back to the square is an important milestone on the road back to some normalcy.”
He said they’ve been working on ways to reinvent and balance the criteria for events in Market Square. There is live music at the farmers markets and the PDP plans to add some pop-up lunchtime and happy hour entertainment.
In addition, tables and chairs in the square will be spaced to allow for same outdoor dining, supplementing the expanded outdoor dining spaces from nearby restaurants.
JoAnne Klimovich Harrop is a TribLive reporter covering the region's diverse culinary scene and unique homes. She writes features about interesting people. The Edward R. Murrow award-winning journalist began her career as a sports reporter. She has been with the Trib for 26 years and is the author of "A Daughter's Promise." She can be reached at jharrop@triblive.com.
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