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Runners know a thing or two about creating space. You carve out time in a packed schedule, lace up, and step away from the noise of the day. That post-run quiet, the one that settles in somewhere around mile two, is something many of us are chasing well beyond the finish line.
As someone who runs and teaches yoga, I’ve been thinking a lot about what Thich Nhat Hanh calls a “breathing room,” a space without judgment, without the mental chatter, without the to-do list following you in the door. We have rooms for eating, sleeping, and watching TV. Why not a space just for breathing and peace?
For me, the yoga studio has always served that role, a personal Zen Zone. When I started practicing in 2010, I made a deal with myself: leave the worries outside. The studio became a worry-free zone. (My cat and dogs have absolutely no respect for the boundaries of my yoga mat at home, so finding that Zen Zone elsewhere has been essential.)
I’d love to offer that space to you.
Spark Joy Yoga is a Tuesday evening class at hOMe PYM in Berks County (154 Skyline Drive, just northeast of Reading), and the studio itself is something special. For those of us who love to connect to the outdoors, it feels like a natural extension of the trail. One entire wall is comprised of large windows, skylights fill the ceiling with natural light, and if you’re lucky (and I often am!) you’ll spot deer grazing nearby or catch a woodpecker making his presence known. It’s a genuinely idyllic setting for practice.
And speaking of the trail, yoga is one of the best things you can do for your running. Research shows it reduces musculoskeletal pain, decreases stress, and improves sleep quality, all of which supports better recovery and more consistent training. Improved flexibility leads to better form, a longer stride, and reduced injury risk, and hip-targeted yoga poses in particular can help prevent IT band syndrome and runner’s knee. And if you’ve ever struggled with sleep after a hard training week, there’s good news: a recent network meta-analysis of 30 randomized controlled trials involving 2,576 subjects found that yoga ranked as the top exercise for improving sleep quality in people with sleep disorders. More rest, less tightness, a clearer head, yoga just makes you a better runner.
Class is all levels, so whether you’ve been practicing for years or have never unrolled a mat, you’re welcome here. If you’re brand new to yoga, reach out and I’ll meet you at the studio early to give you a preview of the class and help you settle into your practice. And if you don’t have a mat, no worries, mats are available to borrow.
We’ll move, breathe, and create a little space, for your body and your mind.
Cost: $15 per class
When: Tuesdays, 6:15–7:15 PM
Where: hOMe PYM, 154 Skyline Drive, Reading
Sign up: www.joyandspace.com/yoga
Hope to see some familiar faces on the mat!
Yuriko Beaman
Joy & Space, LLC | Yoga Teacher | KonMari Consultant | Genetic Counselor
References:
- Research: Yoga and Sleep — “Which exercise prescription is most effective for patients with sleep disorders? A network meta-analysis of 30 randomized controlled trials” (2025): pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/40988902
- Research: Yoga for Runners — overview of flexibility, injury prevention, and recovery benefits: www.vitacost.com/blog/the-benefits-of-yoga-for-runners
- Thich Nhat Hanh – https://thichnhathanhfoundation.org/blog/2018/1/11/breathe-remember-return
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