Eastern and western cultures blended Tuesday in the Ackland Art Museum's Asian Art Gallery, where a large sculpture of Buddha's head served as the centerpiece for a yoga session.
"You're here and now - not wherever you came from or where you're going to after class," instructor Joanne Marshall told her class of nine participants as they inhaled deeply, holding their hands in together against their chests.
Accompanied by a soft tune and surrounded by ancient Asian sculptures, the group began its practice.
"Yoga in the Galleries" sessions not only mentally benefit the participants but also bring people into the museum to experience the art, said Sarah Abrahams, director of membership and visitor resources.
Because of its popularity, the class, which has been held since June, will occur biweekly on alternating Monday and Tuesday afternoons. It is free to the public, with a $5 suggested donation to the museum.
"Yoga," a Sanskrit word meaning "to solder a union between mind and body" originated in India about 5,000 years ago and now is practiced by millions of people in the U.S. It is meant to increase strength and flexibility and to have a positive effect on the mind and body.
"I like the idea of having yoga in an art gallery," said UNC junior Sheeva Harris. She attended the class for the first time Tuesday and said it was a good way to take her mind off of exam preparations.
Abrahams said the gallery is convenient for the yoga class because all of the sculptures are surrounded by plastic safety cases, preventing any possible damage to the artwork.
"It is fortuitous that this is appropriately also the Asian Art Gallery," she added.
Marshall, who also is a professor at the School of Information and Library Science, said she is very interested in how yoga works in the body and how it relaxes the mind.
"I'm so intrigued by the potential of yoga in our health care system," she said. "Practices like yoga really have the potential to help us retain our health longer."
Studies have been conducted on meditation that show the physiological benefits and the body's responses to the practice.
Marshall calls her class "mindful yoga" because it emphasizes the meditative, relaxing kind of yoga. This makes it accessible to people of all ages and experience levels.
Freshman Emily Bald was exposed to yoga for the first time at the Ackland and has returned for her third practice with Marshall. She said she was nervous at first because she was a beginner.
"It was really easy and there was no pressure on anyone individually," she said. "I was pleasantly surprised at how easy it was."
Marshall also teaches yoga at 5:15 p.m. Tuesdays at the Rams Head Center.
The one-hour practice ended as Marshall bowed her head in respect toward her participants.
"Namaste" concludes each practice as the instructor and students take a mutual bow acknowledging each other's internal divinity.
Contact the University Editor at udesk@unc.edu.
