De-stress with help from these 4 local yoga studios

From essays to student jobs to your weekly phone call with mom, finding a moment to relax and de-stress from the hustle of student life can be challenging. With its plethora of physical, mental and spiritual benefits, yoga is an activity that more and more young people practice to let go of day-to-day anxieties.

With so many affordable options near campus, it can be hard to decide in which studio to practice. A few of the yoga studios nearer to campus include YogaOasis Downtown, 4th Avenue Yoga, Session Yoga and classes at UA’s Student Recreation Center.

YogaOasis — 245 E. Congress St.

YogaOasis has multiple locations across Tucson, but the one closest to campus is its downtown location. The studio is home to many Tucson yogis, including Jessica Luse, who works at the front desk.

“I think that it is a different kind of atmosphere, definitely,” Luse said. “There’s something special about YogaOasis. It’s the teachers—their passion and their creativity, and then their alignment and safety and their willingness to get students to really want to be here. They lead by example and they’re dedicated.”

There are a few different types of classes offered at YogaOasis Downtown, including yogahour, expanding, Love yo’ Body and more.

Yogahour is the studio’s cheapest offered class, at $5 each. It is marketed toward anyone interested in an hour of practice, no matter their skill level. The expanding class is more advanced and more expensive.

“When I was a student, I did a work trade,” Luse said. “I would clean the studio for two hours a day and trade for free yoga.”

YogaOasis also offers a student discount of $10 off a monthly pass for students interested in unlimited monthly yoga.

4th Avenue Yoga — 413 E. 5th St.

4th Avenue Yoga is a very popular studio among Tucsonans looking for great classes at cheap prices. Nychole Reilly, one of 4th Avenue Yoga’s many teachers, said the studio is one of the best in town.

“We have tons of styles of yoga,” Reilly said. “Our teachers are very eclectic—we all come from different backgrounds, and just the community we’re in is the best.”

Reilly believes that because of 4th Avenue Yoga’s friendly atmosphere and welcoming teachers, students tend to leave the studio having made new friends. She said that many times students will end up doing activities together outside the studio as well.

Every class offered at 4th Avenue Yoga costs $5, no matter the style of yoga being taught. It offers both a 10-class pass and an unlimited monthly pass.

“We don’t do student discounts just because we’re already $5 and we’re the most affordable in town,” Reilly said. “We do offer workshops and stuff like that throughout the year.”

4th Avenue Yoga also partners with various charities around town, including Tucson’s Cause for Canines and a community food drive. The food drive is currently accepting donations for Thanksgiving.

Session Yoga — 123 S. Eastbourne Ave.

Session Yoga is a little farther away from campus than the previously mentioned studios, but is just a short drive away via Broadway Boulevard. Owned by Chelsea Lucas, Session Yoga has been around for five years.

“This place is really, really special to me,” Lucas said. “I am really very picky with my yoga teachers. People can’t just come in here and ask for a job—you need to really love yoga and have a passion for the lifestyle.”

Session Yoga prides itself on the atmosphere its creates inside the studio. Lucas ensures her teachers are as welcoming as they can be by putting post-it notes behind the front desk with reminders to keep the discussion healthy and centered on the yogi lifestyle.

Classes at Session Yoga cost $7 with cash or $8 with credit card. It offers both a 10-class pass and an unlimited monthly pass, which is $25 cheaper if set up on automatic payment. Each month, Lucas chooses a local charity to donate the proceeds fundraised through her Sunday karma class.

Campus Recreation — 1400 N. Highland Ave.

Another great spot where students can take yoga classes is the UA’s very own Rec Center. Yoga classes of all sorts of styles are offered, including Yoga Sculpt, SUP yoga, Power Yoga and more.

A group fitness pass, which costs $59 on the Rec Center’s website, admits students to any class throughout the semester. Halfway through the semester, passes become half off, making regular yoga sessions at the Rec Center an awesome deal.

Start decompressing from the long days of student life at these yoga studios nearby campus.

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