There are plenty of places in Providence that become part of your routine without you realizing it. A favorite coffee shop. The walking route you take with your dog. The restaurant where the staff starts to recognize you. Somewhere over the past few years, West Side Yoga joined that list. What started as a way to move my body gradually became a familiar part of the week, and along the way came a few lessons that had very little to do with touching my toes.
With International Day of Yoga arriving on June 21, I found myself thinking less about the number of classes and more about everything that happened because I kept showing up.
Walking into a yoga studio for the first time can feel surprisingly intimidating. It's easy to assume everyone else knows exactly what they're doing while you're busy trying to figure out where your mat goes and whether you're in the right pose.
That feeling doesn't last long. A quick glance around the room reveals that everyone is focused on their own practice. Some people are working on balance. Others are trying to unwind after a stressful day. A few are simply grateful to have carved out an hour for themselves. Once the pressure to perform fades, yoga becomes a lot more enjoyable.
People occasionally ask how someone reaches 300 classes, as if there's a secret formula involved.
The reality is much less glamorous. Most classes happened on ordinary Tuesdays, rainy Saturdays, and busy weeknights when staying home sounded like the easier choice. The milestone wasn't built on constant motivation. It was built on showing up repeatedly, even when it would have been simpler not to. Over time, that lesson started showing up outside the studio, too.
At first, a yoga studio is simply a place to take a class. Then familiar faces start appearing. You recognize the person who always arrives a few minutes early, the instructor whose class seems to arrive exactly when you need it most, and the regulars whose names you may not know but whose presence feels comforting all the same.
Like a neighborhood coffee shop or farmers market, the studio gradually becomes one of those places that makes a city feel a little smaller and a little more connected. What begins as a workout quietly becomes a community.
Most people imagine yoga progress as finally touching their toes, mastering a difficult balance pose, or moving effortlessly through an advanced flow.
While those moments are certainly satisfying, they weren't the milestones that mattered most. The bigger changes were often less visible. Showing up after a difficult day. Holding a pose a little longer instead of immediately giving up. Learning to stay present when something felt uncomfortable rather than rushing to escape it.
Yoga has a way of teaching that growth doesn't always happen when things feel easy. Sometimes it happens when you realize you're capable of more than you thought. Not because a pose suddenly becomes perfect, but because you've learned how to stay with the challenge a little longer.
The most noticeable changes didn't always happen during class. They appeared in everyday moments instead. Standing a little taller after hours spent at a desk. Feeling less tension at the end of a busy week. Taking a breath before reacting to a stressful situation. Moving through daily life with a little more awareness. The poses stayed in the studio, but the benefits had a way of following me home.
For years, I measured a workout by how tired I felt afterward. If I wasn't out of breath or drenched in sweat, it was easy to assume it hadn't been effective. Yoga challenged that way of thinking. Some of the most demanding classes weren't the fastest or most physically intense. They were the ones that required slowing down, paying attention, and staying present when my mind wanted to be somewhere else.
In a culture that often celebrates doing more and moving faster, there is something refreshing about a practice that values intention over intensity. Over time, yoga became a reminder that slowing down isn't the opposite of progress. Sometimes it's what makes progress possible.
Three hundred classes later, the biggest surprise isn't that the milestone happened. It's that what began as a workout became a community, a routine, and a reminder that growth doesn't always come from pushing harder. Sometimes it comes from showing up, paying attention, and making space for yourself, even if only for an hour.
If International Day of Yoga inspires you to give it a try, Rhode Island offers plenty of places to begin.
One of the best things about yoga in Rhode Island is that there isn't just one way to practice. Across the state, studios offer everything from heated power flows and restorative classes to meditation, wellness workshops, and community events. Whether you're looking for your first class or your three hundredth, there's likely a studio nearby ready to welcome you in.
Whether you're drawn to a challenging flow, a restorative stretch, or simply an hour away from your phone, International Day of Yoga is a good reminder that the practice is less about touching your toes and more about creating space to reconnect with yourself, your community, and the present moment.
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