Breathing in nature

BATAVIA – Saturday mornings in the summer mean yoga in the park.

Lori Kirsch of East Cincinnati Yoga leads the free breathing and stretching programs from 9 to 10 a.m. Saturdays at Sycamore Park.

This is her third year partnering with the Clermont County Park District for the program. Yoga in the park began at Union Township’s Shor Park in 2016, but moved to Sycamore while Shor undergoes renovations this year.

Kirsch began practicing yoga in 2012 and completed her instructor training in 2014. She opened the ECY studio in Batavia last year.

There are some differences between the indoor and outdoor classes.

“Yoga in the park, you get to really sink into it, you get to dive in and get your feet wet,” Kirsch said. “You get to test it out. In the studio it’s going to be a little bit more personalized, but here you get to try it all out at first.”

Kirsch had one word for her favorite part about teaching outdoors.

“Nature,” she said simply. “You get to be out in nature and feel free and breathe. Breathe all the air in. That’s the best part.”

Attendance averages 40-plus people and has been as high as 60, but there can be some obstacles outside. Wet weather kept the attendance in the 20s on June 23. A light mist turned into a steady rain as the class began.

Undaunted, instructor and students backed out of the meadow and under the trees for a little protection.

Yoga in the park returns Saturday, June 30, and continues every Saturday through September.