Imagine: Sixty people outstretched on yoga mats, holding Downward Facing Dog and Warrior poses four stories above the streets of Bay City.
Morning Rooftop Yoga is returning to Uptown Bay City this Saturday morning, July 20. Tickets are limited and going fast, according to organizers. Approximately 50 of the 60 tickets have already been purchased.
The rooftop yoga event is being hosted by The RAC, an athleisure clothing boutique that opened in Uptown Bay City last fall. It's part of a series of community events organized by the clothing store that goes well beyond traditional retail. The RAC has put together fashion shows, hosted runners groups, and organized happy hours.
It’s the second such rooftop yoga event. A third is scheduled for August.
"We’re trying to offer things to the community and keep things locally-minded. We try and do things that are unique and bring something different to the Great Lakes Bay Region," says Chad Van Slembrouck, general manager for The RAC and the Runners Athletic Company sister stores.
"Even with The RAC, there weren’t many athleisure stores here. It’s about bringing something to the community that we didn’t think was here."
Van Slembrouck says that when The RAC opened last fall, a trip to the roof triggered a lightbulb moment: Yoga. Serendipitous, then, that yoga instructor Kathryn Wilson soon came into the store, the very person he was thinking about asking to lead the rooftop sessions.
It’s a partnership that makes sense. The RAC sells athleisure clothes, items that are comfortable for yoga class or the gym, yet also suitable for coffee shops and happy hours.
"I used be an instructor in Chicago and I love bringing big city-type yoga events back to the Great Lakes Bay Region," says Wilson, instructor and owner of Yoga by Kathryn.
"Practicing yoga with the beautiful view of the water is so relaxing and peaceful."
The RAC is located at 140 Uptown Dr. in Bay City. Registration for Rooftop Yoga is available online.
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