WASHINGTON 鈥� The iconic red carpet in the Grand Foyer of the Kennedy Center was covered Saturday morning with something other than dress shoes waiting around for a performance.
Roughly 100 yoga mats of all different colors were arranged under the hall鈥檚 crystal chandeliers, as barefoot yogis prepared for a traditional yoga class in a nontraditional space.
A ’90s playlist started up and the mostly under-40 crowd began stretching and bending to commands from D.C.-based yoga instructor Alia Khan.
Saturday鈥檚 class was one of 13 聽the Kennedy Center will host between March and August. The bi-weekly聽morning workouts are part of the center鈥檚 Sound Health initiative, a partnership with the National Institutes of Health that highlights the connection between performing arts and wellness.
Matthew Winer, director of special programming at the Kennedy Center, said the yoga classes also make use of an otherwise underutilized space 鈥� especially on weekend mornings.
鈥淲hat better place to activate our living memorial to President Kennedy and welcome people here, and what better reason than to activate healthy living and encourage healthy lifestyles,鈥� Winer said.
The first class, held March 4, attracted 130 people. Winer said that鈥檚 right around the program鈥檚 capacity, so in advance is encouraged. A rotating team of local teachers lead the 60-minute classes; Saturday was Khan鈥檚 first.
鈥淚t鈥檚 such a magical place. I love the theater, and the opportunity to teach in a space like this was 鈥� you certainly couldn鈥檛 walk away from that,鈥� said Khan, owner of in Capitol Hill.
A major draw for her was the Kennedy Center鈥檚 push for music to be a focus of the class. (Winer explained a secondary goal of the program is to inspire further research into links between music and the brain.)
Khan says music is a big part of her practice. She finds it helpful for both the student and the teacher, since music allows everyone to 鈥渦nplug from the hamster wheel of the mind鈥� and get in the moment.
鈥淚t鈥檚 like a moving meditation,鈥� Khan said. 鈥淚f I know somebody is mouthing the words or dancing along a little bit in their down-dog, I know I鈥檝e succeeded.鈥�
Winer said the hope is to continue the yoga series beyond Aug. 19 and to find new activities to offer to the community.
鈥淭he sky鈥檚 the limit. We鈥檙e dreaming it up right now,鈥� Winer added.
