3 studios offering yoga for runners in Charlotte

There was a time in my life where the only thing I wanted to do was run. I knew I should be doing yoga to compensate for all the running but I avoided it despite knowing the benefits it could have. I would occasionally attend classes but never followed through. When I moved to Charlotte six years ago, a perfect storm of injury + opportunity led me to my yoga practice. I was training for my second marathon and dealing with yet another injury. I was stunned when my doctor delivered the news that I would continue to struggle with injury if I didn’t improve flexibility and work on the imbalances in my body.

I gave yoga another chance and discovered that the Charlotte yoga scene was unlike anything I had ever experienced. I quickly fell in love with the power vinyasa style of yoga and as the months passed I found myself wanting to be on my mat as much as I wanted to be out on the road. I was amazed by the transformation that my practice had on me both physically and mentally.

We are so lucky to live in a city with an incredible yoga scene. Most studios offer rental mats so no worries if you’re not ready to commit to buying one just yet. Show up with a towel, some water and a willing attitude!

Enlighten Yoga 

9852 Rea Road, Suite D2

Charlotte, NC 28277

Enlighten Yoga in Blakeny offers a Yoga for Athletes class twice a week. These classes are led by teachers who have experience working with athletes as well as a deeper understanding of anatomy. According to the website the classes offer postures geared towards increasing range of motion and mobility in the hips, shoulders, spine, wrists and ankles and also focus on breath work to improve focus and mental endurance. They also address imbalances that may exist through overuse and repetitive movement.

Be Yoga

1247 East Blvd

Charlotte, NC 28203

Be Yoga in Dilworth will be offering a four-part Yoga for Runners series on Saturdays in September. The workshop is geared towards runners of all levels and the focus will be on learning practices that will assist in performance and injury prevention. The workshop will be led by Sonya Pfeiffer, RYT-500, who has complete five marathons, including Boston. This workshop will leave you with take-home practices that can be used with a variety of training programs.

Moga

2108 South Boulevard, Atherton Lofts #202

Charlotte, NC

Located in SouthEnd, Moga is a yoga studio dedicated to enhancing athletic performance through yoga and mobility. They offer deep stretch classes daily that provide athletes with a restorative yoga practice. Long holds in postures allow muscles, tendons and ligaments to stretch and open up. This class will help you relieve stress, release tight muscles and increase your flexibility.

Photo: Mark Hames / Charlotte Observer

This story was originally published September 6, 2014 at 4:02 AM with the headline "3 studios offering yoga for runners in Charlotte."