Yoga may be one of the oldest practices in human history to focus on a person’s happiness - a person’s physical and emotional well-being. In the United States it is estimated that 36 million adults practice yoga on a regular basis. They are likely to practice one of a couple kinds of yoga that derive from Vedic yoga and involve 12 basic postures, with names like cow, cobra, or fish. These kinds of yoga will also involve teaching deep breathing patterns  along with a focus on being present and mindful. Luckily for Mackinaw area residents, we have an expert on the subject: Julie Rhoades of Yoga4Life, located at 107 South Main Street in Mackinaw.

Julie explained to me how Yoga4Life came to be. “I came to yoga late in life” she says, although Julie wasn’t unfamiliar with the practice thanks to her older brother, who started teaching the ancient art when he was in his 20’s. However, Julie wasn’t really interested until some time in her mid-50’s. She sought out a nearby class and found one at Hopedale Fitness Center and started attending evening and Saturday classes. At the time, Julie was teaching full-time at Corpus Christi Catholic School in Bloomington so she was a bit limited with her schedule. Julie became a regular at her new yoga class and, after a few years, a fitness instructor suggested that she become certified to teach yoga herself.

“I laughed at first”, Julie says, “but the more I considered it, I thought why not!”. The management at the fitness center agreed, and Julie hit the ground running. In February of 2018, Julie took a Level 1 training class with YogaFit - the largest yoga school in North America. Her Level 1 training allowed her to teach a couple classes at the fitness center in Hopedale and on June 1st, 2019, Yoga4Life was born. A year later she had completed a 200 hour Registered Yoga Teacher course. Then in June 2020, Julie retired from teaching and began to focus on yoga full time.

Today, Julie offers yoga classes at various times all throughout the week. She also offers the Thai Energy Experience along with a hands-on practice to support overall health, known as “Reiki”. If anyone is interested in trying yoga or the other services Julie offers, now is a good time - Julie is offering new classes and new schedules starting April 1st. You can find more information on her website at yoga4lifemackinaw.com