Unwind With Bellevue's Yoga in the Park, Returning June 4
June 1, 2022 - by Sandy Vo
Unwind With Bellevue's Yoga in the Park,
Returning June 4
Downtown Bellevue is home to an endless plethora of summer activities, and Yoga in the Park is one of them. The weekly event returns to Bellevue Downtown Park on June 4 and plans to meet at 10 a.m. every Saturday through August. Each class is only $5 per person and $65 for all classes combined.
Program creator Laurie Sasser started Yoga in the Park as a free pilot program amid the pandemic last year. She said she only expected a handful of people to initially show up, but instead, was greeted by a large turnout looking for a great outdoor workout. She said roughly 45 people attended each class, exceeding her expectations.
“It was just an incredible response, and I had people coming up to me and thanking me for starting this event,” Sasser said. “Immediately, I knew that this was something the community needed. It just added a whole other element to the already thriving city.”
While Sasser saw a positive impact on those who participated, she also saw how it benefited the businesses around the park. She partnered with JujuBeet last year and drove yoga attendees to their shop for discounted juice products. Although JujuBeet is now closed, she hopes to build more relationships with other businesses that also focus on health and wellness.
“People would come down, do some yoga and right after would head over to Old Bellevue for a quick lunch or grab a quick snack,” she said. “I’m still shocked and amazed seeing this event's results.”
Sasser’s background has always been in the health industry.
Before coming to Bellevue, Sasser worked in Los Angeles promoting yoga and wellness for various studios in the LA community. From there, she sought out a way to make yoga accessible to all. Sasser said the best way to achieve this was to create a yoga event that was low in cost and hosted in an approachable public outdoor space.
“I wanted to change the narrative about the healing part of yoga,” she said. “There are dozens of yoga studios that charge hundreds of dollars, and that’s not what I’m about. I’m here to give people tools to start their own self-healing at an affordable price so they can lead a healthier life.”
This is only the beginning for Sasser. As Downtown Bellevue continues to grow, she hopes to grow with it by hosting more classes focused on a particular area like Tai Chi or meditation.
“My hopes and dreams for this event are to help others build friendships and find their own community within Downtown Bellevue,” she said. “I created Yoga in the Park so those living in the area could build a better version of themselves, whatever that means to them. I hope everyone can join and reap the benefits.”
Your next summer activity awaits! Register for Yoga in the Park and reserve your spot on the mat.
This blog is part of the Heart of Bellevue: our campaign to showcase local businesses while connecting you with stories of activity, creativity and recovery. Find out about our campaign and explore more of what’s happening around Downtown.
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Bellevue Downtown Park Plaza
10201 NE 4th St
Bellevue, WA 98004
