Picture yourself surrounded by a beautiful tropical garden, sitting underneath an ornate Thai pavilion and floating off into a world of serenity and rejuvenation. Sounds like a great Sunday afternoon, but where can you find that in an urbanized city like Madison? The answer is closer than one might think.
Yoga at Olbrich Gardens, taught by Jonathan Garber, turns this dream into a reality. Garber is a registered massage therapist and certified Kripalu Yoga instructor who has been teaching and practicing yoga for more than 15 years.
“I wanted an opportunity to take my yoga to a professional level so I could really do a lot of it and share what I learned with other people,” Garber said.
The Kripalu style makes Yoga at Olbrich Gardens much different than any other class around town. Kripalu is a blend of three types of yoga: Hatha yoga, mindfulness and tantra.
“Unlike yoga classes that are based on holding yoga poses, our poses are more gentle and soothing,” Garber said. “It has a really different feel than most yoga classes because it is not a forced thing.”
The other aspect that makes yoga at Olbrich so unique is the gardens themselves. When the weather permits, the class is held outside in either the Thai Pavilion – which was a gift to the University of Wisconsin-Madison from the Thai Government and Thai Chapter of the Wisconsin Alumni Association – or in the Rose Garden Courtyard, which encompasses many types of roses blended with perennials, ornamental grasses and trees and annuals.
During the colder months, the class takes place in the Bolz Conservatory. The Conservatory, for those unaware, is a glass pyramid at Olbrich that nourishes a tropical haven year-round. The building houses more than 650 plants and over 475 different species, as well as many small birds.
“When we’re going there in the fall, the birds don’t come out,” Garber said (in case you’re wondering whether or not the birds will leave you a surprise during your yoga session).
There are many reasons why taking Yoga at Olbrich Gardens makes for a fun and one-of-a-kind experience, but the practice of yoga itself is an even better reason to join in. The benefits of yoga, whether mental, physical or spiritual, stretch much farther than the space on this page, but one of the most important benefits is that yoga helps increase blood circulation. Lack of sufficient blood circulation causes many diseases to begin and tires the brain since oxygen levels are low.
With any style of yoga “you are giving yourself a chance to rejuvenate and heal from the tensions that build up in your body,” Garber said. “[Yoga] helps you to mentally and emotionally see life in a kind of relaxed and fresh way.”
Yoga helps the body find a relaxed state, fighting off stress that often makes us ill and discontent. Above all, yoga produces a happier self that gives one a more positive perspective on life.
“There are a lot of good things that come from persevering with something that feels good. People should keep up with good habits,” Garber said.
Yoga at Olbrich Gardens runs throughout the year, meeting on Monday nights from 5:30-6:45 p.m. and Thursday mornings from 7:30-8:45 a.m. (check with the instructor, Jonathan Garber, regarding holiday weeks). It costs $12 per session, or $80 for nine sessions. It is a drop-in class, so attendees may come anytime and meet in Olbrich’s lobby. Loose, comfortable clothing, a portable yoga mat and a water bottle are recommended. Visit www.olbrich.org/education/classes.cfm with questions regarding the class.
