The stillness of Hearn Plaza made for an exceptional outdoor yoga studio on Wednesday morning as Deacons practiced gentle yoga on the upper quad.

With the faint hum of a lawn mower as their soundtrack, the yogis began their day flowing through a series of poses testing balance, ease and strength.

Campus Recreation’s Gentle Yoga on the Lawn is a part of a greater initiative to bring the Wake Forest community together in a place of peace.

In promotion of health and wellness, Campus Recreation is scheduling specialty group fitness classes throughout the year.

“[We] are hopeful for those who might have the mindset of ‘live fast and go hard’ to initiate early in the semester a time for them,” says DeDe Cox, Campus Recreation’s Coordinator of Fitness and Special Events. “Slow down enough to listen to what your body actually says because it speaks to us daily, and we tend not to always listen.”

Mats and towels were sprawled across a patch of grass facing Wait Chapel. Participants began their morning exercise with admiration of campus’ beauty.

“Whether [participants] are new to [yoga] or an experienced yogi, they can embrace the outdoor experience and beauty of Wake Forest,” Cox says. “There is comfort, power and pride when we join together as a community.”

In addition to Campus Recreation’s regular student-instructed yoga classes in the Miller Center, SunSals at Sunset is a specialty fitness event held on Kentner Stadium turf.

This unique class will begin on Sunday, September 4 and is open to participants with all levels of experience.

Through this event, Campus Recreation hopes to attract students interested in attending yoga classes in the future.

“We have amazing talent within our group fitness staff,” Cox says. “They have years of experience and are ready to share their knowledge with all who join for class.”

Additional group fitness classes have been added to the rotation for the upcoming year.

Campus Recreation will now offer specific types of yoga classes including yoga fundamentals, restorative yoga, gentle yoga and power vinyasa. HIIT, or high intensity interval training, will be offered in the studio and outside the Miller Center. Zumba toning and three formats of indoor cycle — RPM, spinning and freestyle — will be offered in addition to the traditional classes.

Next week from August 30 through September 11, Campus Recreation will offer free group fitness opportunities to faculty and students as part of their back to school promotional program.

Classes include Zumba on the Lawn, HIIT in the Miller Center Walkway and indoor cycle classes in the Sutton Center Cycle Studio.

All classes will be marked by a teal THRIVE banner.

For a complete schedule of these events, visit the Campus Recreation website for more information.

The final installment of specialty fitness events for the upcoming semester is a three-part series titled Strengthen and Lengthen. This series addresses the imbalances in three main areas on the human body: thoracic spine mobility, medical knee tracking and low back pain and hamstring flexibility.

Each session will culminate in discussions of ways to combat health challenges surrounding postural issues. The first session on thoracic spine mobility is scheduled for September 28 from 6:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m.

“I’ve always been really interested in yoga because it works the mind just as much as it works the body,” said Madison Howard, a senior at Wake Forest. “Life can get really hectic at Wake, so having the oppurtunity to participate in yoga on campus is a great way to de-stress and regain focus.”