A tropical beach getaway is closer than faculty and staff may know.

That’s exactly where Mary Ann Devine, associate professor in the department of foundation, leadership and administration, feels like she is when she attends yoga classes at the Women’s Resource Center.

“This class offers a great mid-day escape,” she said. “It’s like you get to go to the beach for an hour to be calm and relax.”

Heather Adams, director of the Women’s Resource Center, said that most faculty and staff requested that a yoga class be offered. Two classes started, with only eight spots in each class available, for public registration. This year the classes are offered at 5:15 p.m. Mondays and noon on Tuesdays.

“People come to the class for different reasons,” Adams said. “Some come for the health benefits, to minimize stress and to feel centered.”

The convenient location is one of the most appealing aspects, which draws faculty and staff to attend. The class meets in the library at the Women’s Resource Center and allows faculty to quickly return to work.

“You can’t actually reduce stress, but you can reduce your reactions to it,” said yoga instructor Margot Milcetich. “The class helps people develop habits to stay calm.”

Milcetich said that the class helps participants learn different ways to breathe and focus.

“I find that not everyone, but many people once they start, want to find a niche,” she said. “It’s difficult to discipline oneself to get calm. It’s really about teaching people the art of staying centered.”

The small, intimate atmosphere allows Milcetich to work individually with each participant. She focuses on imbalances in the body that are causing pain.

“I certainly attend to things that are hurting,” Milcetich said. “I include ways to relieve the pain during class.”

Felicia Black, a graduate assistant and doctoral student, said Milcetich diagnosed a chronic pain in her neck due to a car accident she had been in. Since then, Black has been seeing a chiropractor regularly, as well as receiving monthly massages.

“Milcetich’s class is better than any other yoga class I have attended,” Black said. “Her class is extremely calm and all about relaxation.”

You can contact Nicole Gennarelli at [email protected]