Sunset Yoga in Sims Park offers a welcome respite

By MICHELE MILLER

Published June 2020

“You’re always going to find distractions in life. If you know how to feel that center, that inner peace, you know you’re getting that true connection with yourself.”
Krysta Smith, Yoga Instructor

NEW PORT RICHEY – Sunset Yoga in Sims Park is a casual affair; a Tuesday night gathering that affords a view of the Pithlachascotee River with the waning day, and a welcome refuge for those who lay mats on the grassy slope for an hour of zen.

“The experience is awesome – better than going to the studio, especially if you like being outdoors,” said Theresa Rodden, a local real estate agent who attends regularly. 

Others drop in and out at will, said Krysta Smith, a 200-hour certified instructor and owner of Pink Lotus and Wellness.

Smith has been offering her beginning sunset yoga class to anyone who shows up since Oct. 2016.

“Typically there’s 15 to 20. The most was 32,” she said. “That was on a good day. The weather was perfect. The snowbirds were here.”

She smashed that record on May 12 when 97 people attended the donation based class.

“I was blown away,” said Smith, adding that she was happy to have taken the precaution to make social distancing signs to remind others to keep a six foot spread.

When the COVID-19 pandemic closed Florida gyms and studios, Smith figured there would be people looking for an outdoor yoga fix. She advertised the beginning sunset yoga class on her Facebook page, and got an extra push from co-sponsor, Rock the Boat Productions.

Close to 700 people responded to the event on the Rock the Boat Facebook Page, said Lia Gallegos, a who runs the business with partners, Kacey and Kiera Atkinson.

“The sheer numbers show that this is something that is desperately needed in our community,” Gallegos said. “(Krysta) is providing an opportunity for people to come together in a responsible way, to relax their bodies and their minds in a natural setting, which is greatly needed right now. “

As a student, the practice brought Smith serenity and eased postpartum anxiety after the birth of her son, Myles.

“It woke something inside of me,” she said.

She wanted to share that with others.

For a time Smith, a Gulf High graduate, taught classes in two local gyms, always adding a “studio feel” with singing bowls and soothing oils and tinctures. 

“Sims Park was something that I always had in my mind because I wanted to give back something to my community,” she said. “I grew up going to that park. I love that park.”

The outdoor class is an enhancement for Renee Shelton, a 10-year student of yoga. She also takes hot power classes at Trinity Yoga in New Port Richey, but enjoys the open feel of Smith’s class.

Smith has a deft touch in breaking down the fundamentals of yoga, Shelton said.

“I think that’s something that gets lost in some of the more physical classes,” she said. “There’s more connecting spiritually and connecting with your surroundings in the outdoor class. There’s a feeling of comfort with her approach and her delivery. And because it’s donation-based, more people can join and get that experience.”

The class suits Pat Patterson, who works in marketing. She enjoys biking and running outdoors as part of her exercise regimen and helps organize the annual RAP River Run which benefits Runaway Alternative Project (RAP) House in New Port Richey.

“Being outside adds to the whole feeling. Smelling the fresh air. Hearing the birds,” she said. “It helps strengthen me physically, but it also settles me. The mental aspect is even better than the physical aspect. You forget about the bad things happening.” 

And in the process, maybe learn to breathe through the sounds of foot traffic moving along the surrounding pathways and, on occasion, the sound of screaming ambulance or fire engine sirens headed down Main Street to U.S. Highway 19.

“You need to find your center in the storm, especially now,” Smith said. “You’re always going to find distractions in life. If you know how to feel that center, that inner peace, you know you’re getting that true connection with yourself.”

NOTE: Sunset Yoga in the Park is held at 6:30 p.m. most Tuesdays in Sims Park, Grand Boulevard and Main Street in downtown New Port Richey. For information check out the Pink Lotus and Wellness Facebook page.

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