1. Eugene Yoga 245 E. Broadway. 541-520-8771. 3575 Donald Street. 458-205-8378. EugeneYoga.us 

2. Everyday People Yoga 352 W. 12th Avenue. 541-513-0180. EpYogaEugene.com.

3. Wild Light Yoga 820 Charnelton Street. 541-349-9642. WildLightYogaCenter.com.

Getting fit can take different avenues. For me, there’s nothing like spending some quality time in the Eugene YMCA’s squat cage or the mindfulness of a long run. For EW readers, it’s all about yoga. And they have a point because yoga not only gets you fit but also has a calming side. 

Eugene Yoga owner Valerie Morris says yoga is more than just a way to get fit. What separates yoga from weight lifting is that it calms the practitioner’s mind and has breathing exercises that benefit the mind-body complex. Morris adds that Eugene Yoga teaches “sustainable yoga,” meaning people go through the poses thoroughly rather than pushing a body’s heart rate or flexibility. 

With two studios, Eugene Yoga offers the more traditional classes — Hatha, Vinyasa, Gentle, Restorative, Yin and Ashtanga — as well as fusion courses, which are aimed at core, strength and balance, Dance Fitness and Pilates Fusion. That’s what makes the studio so successful, Morris says, since it isn’t specialized in one or two styles. 

For the beginner or casual yoga practitioner, that’s a lot to choose from, but staff is there to guide based on the client’s goals and abilities. But Eugene Yoga offers a series on the basics that provides an overview of yoga. 

Without members, Morris says Eugene Yoga wouldn’t exist, but they do have scholarships, free monthly sessions and $8 sessions for non-members.

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