If you’ve ever wanted to do yoga while surrounded by the works of the great Van Gogh, now is your chance.
Lighthouse Immersive, the producers of the original Immersive Van Gogh exhibition in Detroit, is teaming with Detroit’s The Trap Yoga & Massage Studio to bring yoga under “The Starry Night.”
Certified yoga instructors will be on hand to lead Immersive Van Gogh Yoga. All fitness levels are welcome. The sessions will take place inside Lighthouse ArtSpace Detroit, within the Immersive Van Gogh gallery. Sessions are 9:30 a.m. on Oct. 30, Nov. 6, Nov. 12, Nov. 20 and Nov. 26.
Jamel Randall is the owner of The Trap Yoga & Massage Studio. He says he had the idea to hold a yoga class within the gallery after seeing a yoga friend do it in Las Vegas.
“I wanted to find something cool for people in the city to do after the weather breaks, because when it gets cold, we don’t have anything to do,” Randall said. “I reached out to host a class there, and they took it to the next level and said, ‘I think you guys would be a perfect partner for us.’”
Randall, who has owned The Trap Yoga & Massage Studio for seven years, says doing yoga within the Immersive Van Gogh gallery will add a whole new layer to the experience.
“You get the visuals, sounds and full aesthetics of it, and that creates an experience that’s kind of like going to Disney World,” he said. “We also have different music that they normally play at the Van Gogh exhibition to amplify the experience. It’s about just being mindful and in the moment. That’s always our aim for any kind of yoga class.”
Yoga has greatly increased in popularity over the past decade, Randall says. That’s largely thanks to both the mental and physical benefits of the exercise.
“It’s a good stretch, but more than that, it’s really a chance to open yourself up, from the hips to the back and more, and bring yourself back into alignment,” he said. “Yoga provides a subtle adjustment to yourself that your body needs. There is also a deliberate focus on breath, and that is so key, especially coming out of times where COVID was so prevalent around Detroit. Lung health is very important to your whole being, so we deliberately focus on breath, and you don’t get that often.”
Randall says he’s looking forward to seeing attendees enjoy the yoga experience while immersed in Van Gogh.
“It’s meditative to go into these spaces and have the walls and ceilings all surrounded with art, not just a few photos on the walls,” he said. “The entire space is immersing you in the moment, and that’s what meditation and yoga is about: being yourself in the moment.”
He added, “I’m looking forward to seeing new people in a space that I’ve never been before. I love introducing people to the practice of yoga.”
Immersive Van Gogh Yoga classes will be held at 9:30 a.m. Oct. 30, Nov. 6, Nov. 12, Nov. 20 and Nov. 26 inside the Lighthouse ArtSpace Detroit, 311 E. Grand River, Detroit. Admission is $49.99 per person/per class. For more information or to purchase tickets, visit detroitvangogh.com/yoga-classes. For more information about The Trap Yoga & Massage Studio, visit thetrapstudio.com.
