YCC in the Community: Community Hikes for Sierra Club
At the Yoga Center of Columbia, we value our students and community, and would like to highlighting the organizations and causes that we support with a new blog series YCC in the Community! We offer donation-based events and gatherings at the Yoga Center of Columbia and beyond throughout the year. Read more about our Community Hikes here.
Community Spotlight: Tracy S.
The Yoga Center of Columbia is more than just 100 weekly classes in yoga, Pilates, meditation and qigong, taught by over 30 expert instructors: we value our students and community, and would like to extend our gratitude and support to our student Tracy in our Community Spotlight series! Read the full interview with Tracy here.
May The Road Rise
Colleen Palmateer’s beautiful letter to us at YCC as she retires from teaching.
Teacher Feature: Rimmi
Our Teacher Feature series highlights those who use their knowledge and expertise to provide a welcoming and inclusive experience for everyone. Read more about Rimmi, E-RYT 500 and YACEP, here!
The 11th Step: Slowing Down to Connect
At Columbia Yoga Center, our 11th Step Yoga Workshop offers a quiet refuge from the noise of everyday life.
Community Spotlight: Wayne E.
The Yoga Center of Columbia is more than just 100 weekly classes in yoga, Pilates, meditation and qigong, taught by over 30 expert instructors: we value our students and community, and would like to extend our gratitude and support with our first Community Spotlight on long-time YCC student Wayne! Read the full interview with Wayne here.
21 Things Science Just Confirmed About Movement in 2026
The American College of Sports Medicine just released its first major update to resistance training guidelines in 17 years. Here's what it means for you — and why so much of what we do at the Yoga Center of Columbia has been right all along.
Yoga for Every Body: Why Accessibility and Adaptation Matter
Yoga is often seen as a physical practice, but at its heart, it is about connection, awareness, and meeting yourself where you are. This is why yoga truly is for every body, everyone, everywhere. No matter a person’s experience or physical ability, everyone deserves access to the benefits of yoga in a way that supports their body, mind, and heart.
Accessible and adaptive yoga play essential roles in making this possible.
Happy Earth Day from the Yoga Center of Columbia
At the Yoga Center of Columbia, so much of what we practice — the stillness of meditation, the rooted strength of yoga and Pilates, the flowing breath of qigong — mirrors what the natural world has been teaching all along. To root deep. To keep flowing. To breathe deeper with each season.
Beyond Yoga Poses
“If yoga practice [insert your mindful movement here, Pilates, qigong, nature walks] doesn’t make you a better person, why do it?” I once had a yoga teacher ask me this and I’ve never forgotten it. I was a gymnast through middle and high school and began yoga once that seemed too dangerous, but it was and is the mental and spiritual benefits that keep me coming back to my practice.
26 Ways to Find Your Calm in 2026
In a world that feels increasingly chaotic, finding calm isn't about escaping reality—it's about building an inner refuge you can return to again and again. The good news? Calm isn't something you have to chase. It's something you cultivate, one small practice at a time.
Here are 26 ways to nurture your peace and resilience this year—because when you feel calm, you make the world a more peaceful place.
Book Study: The Wisdom of Your Body by Hillary McBride
For over 45 years, I have been at war with my body.
I felt my body was unruly: too tall, too big, too much…and yet, not enough.
Not small enough, not disciplined enough, not good enough.
Tara Brach would call this the trance of unworthiness
My First Sound Healing Experience
Long before I began holding space as a sound healer, I was once the person lying on a mat covered by a blanket at my very first sound healing session, unsure of what I was getting into…
Why take Yoga Teacher Training Now?
Practicing yoga is an act of social resistance. When society continues to push and say, more consumption, more things, more busy, much faster, and no need to think of others’ welfare, to slow down and really feel is an act of rebellion.
The Science of Sticking: Why Your Habits Keep Falling Apart (And How to Fix It)
If you're reading this, chances are you've started a positive habit more than once. Maybe it was daily exercise, drinking more water, or getting to bed earlier. You had the best intentions, felt motivated, and genuinely wanted to make the change. So why didn't it stick?
Here's the truth that might surprise you: You're not weak, and you don't lack willpower. The problem isn't with you—it's with how we've been taught to think about habits.
Yoga with Weights
Want to add a little extra to your yoga practice? Just add weights!
For decades, health and wellness experts, healthcare professionals, and even scientists have researched and have proven the benefits of exercise and fitness. Many of them even say movement is medicine. It can be overwhelming at times to choose what works best for you because of how many modalities of fitness there are.
Yoga in the Wild
My nephew recently graduated from college. He went to James Madison University in Harrisonburg, VA, so we went down to help him celebrate with his family. It is an exciting time to see his promise and potential, and we drove home on Skyline Drive. Taking the scenic route home reminded me that we do not have to go far to have wonderful experiences. This summer, celebrate with the Yoga Center. If you are traveling somewhere near or far, snap a pic of yourself in a yoga pose, then follow and tag us on social media. We are @The Yoga Center of Columbia on Facebook and @Columbiayoga on Instagram.
The Gentle Wisdom of Yin: A Path to Longevity
In a world that moves fast and demands more, yin yoga invites us to slow down… and simply be.
So much of life today is yang in nature—busy, active, and outward-reaching. We chase deadlines, juggle schedules, and pour energy into constant motion. While this fire has its place, we are not meant to burn endlessly. Without moments of stillness, the body wearies, the mind scatters, and the spirit begins to dim.
Steadfast and Strong in Spring
“I am beginning to despair and can see only two choices: either go crazy or turn holy.”
― Adélia Prado, The Alphabet in the Park: Selected Poems
What does yoga practice have to offer us in times of great chaos? Among other things, stability, grounding, connection, will power, and perspective.
Finding Balance: Equinox Meditation
Join Karen on a guided meditation to celebrate the Spring Equinox.