It is What I Do
By Mary Esther Middleton

The Free Day of Yoga was conceived in 1999 by a group of Austin yoga teachers who thought there was a need to give back to the local yoga community.  These teachers put their idea together and began what has grown to be an eagerly anticipated annual event.  The first year, there were 35 classes offered in Austin and about 800 people in attendance.  This event  has steadily grown to 275 classes offered in Austin and surrounding areas with approximately 3000 people taking classes!

The founders of the event wanted to make sure that people knew there was a form of yoga for every body.  They wanted to give people a chance to try yoga, meet instructors, and experience different styles of yoga.

Classes are offered at yoga and dance studios, hospitals, parks, churches, and fitness centers.  New students are encouraged to try out a class.  Experienced students can take the opportunity to discover a different style of yoga or a new instructor.  “Don’t stay away from yoga because you’re out of shape, or too tall, or too round, or think you won’t measure up,” says Donna Belk, one of the creators of the Free Day of Yoga.  “The beauty of yoga is that you can find a teacher who encourages you to do what you can, in a healthy way; without overdoing it.  Then you can experience the benefits of yoga for yourself, and see why it has been practiced for over 4,000 years.”

A lot of people ask me why I now organize the Free Day of Yoga.  Or how I manage to do it year after year.  As I begin to reflect on this and ask myself the same questions, the answer I have come to: It’s What I Do.  I suppose you could say that I derive joy from it.  But that is not quite right.  It’s more like satisfaction.  A sense of serving my community.  A sense of completion.  There, I found it, seva (service), santosha (contentment).

When I began my yoga practice in Austin, my teacher told our class about the Free Day of Yoga. I tried a couple of classes that year; I met new and interesting people.  It seemed to be such a lovely way for the teachers in the Austin area to present themselves to the community, to offer to spend their time to share their knowledge of this ancient practice with others in such a selfless way.

A few years later when I went on to a teacher training and became a Registered Yoga Teacher I began teaching classes at one of the studios that I had gone to on the Free Day of Yoga.  And that same year, I was one of the teachers for this wonderful day in Austin!  I began to get involved volunteering at the event, helping to spread the word prior to Labor day, the day that had been chosen for Austin Yoga Teachers to perform their seva for the community.  I enjoyed the low-key, grassroots effort of it.  Advertising was through distribution of fliers to all the studios and teachers, getting fliers on bulletin boards, and talking to people about it.  It had the feeling of coziness, nurturing, and caring for all the individuals in one neighborhood or area of town.

The next year, the organizers of the event asked a couple of us if we would like to take on the organization of the day.   I love to organize things!  With their guidance, we successfully held another Free Day of Yoga.  And then we decided that it was growing enough that we might need to expand the scope.  Not only were more people attending the classes, more studios and venues were participating and the number of yoga teachers in Austin was on the rise.

Fortunately, the original organizers were, well, organized.  They had a plan.  It was a gift handed to me on a platter.  The teachers in our yoga community are already aware of the event.  All that needs to be done each year is to take it through the outlined steps to completion.

It all starts out in late spring.  I update the web site to prepare.  I send an email to the Austin Yoga Teacher community.  As the heat of summer comes into our focus, so do the activities and the buzz with the planning. We enlist volunteers to make phone calls and send individual emails to teachers and studios.  We ask for help spreading the word.  We see if we can assist teachers that don’t have a studio or location to teach on Labor Day.  We ask if people would like to be a sponsor or to make a donation.  We begin to grow. We design the advertisement and the schedule.  It makes the crescendo on Labor Day, typically in full-blown Austin summer heat, with over 200 classes being offered.

What started out as a smaller event was growing too, like all things that are well tended and nurtured.  We decided that we needed to expand and try to reach more Austin-area residents.  And the Free Day of Yoga took a few steps forward when we organized various levels for the sponsors for the day.  The web site was rearranged to contain the complete schedule along with the sponsor logos.  And there was a negotiation for additional advertising shifting from donated space in a smaller local publication to a larger publication.

This day has also sprouted in other areas as well.  Houston has been offering the Free Day of Yoga for a number of years, nearly as long as we have in Austin. In Dallas this year had 4685 participants!

This was our 11th year to host the Free Day in Austin.  Dallas began offering theirs in 2007.  Wimberley, Dripping Spring, Marble Falls, Georgetown, Round Rock, Elgin, Bastrop, all surrounding Austin, offer classes.  One year, we had Nederland.  And another year, Guam!  We have guidelines on how to start your own Free Day of Yoga in your community.  If you know someone who would want to organize such an event in their area, spread the word and have them contact me!

It’s wonderful to see people students and teachers prior to the event.  Talking about what classes they want to take or teach, how they are going to manage their day.  And then to hear them afterward telling about their experiences.

Some years, I teach one or two classes, then drive around to the studios to catch some of that lovely energy, take some photos, and then go to a class.  Some years, I teach all day, knowing in the back of my mind what all is going on all around town.  Sometimes, my classes are packed to the brim.  Other times, I have four to five precious souls finding their Free Day of Yoga experience.  It truly is wonderful!

After the event, I ask that teachers and studios submit the numbers of people that attended classes.  I get the most wonderful feedback.  Each year the number of people that we serve on the Free Day increases.  It is fabulous to see those numbers continue to rise.  And to hear how much fun everyone had.  And then, fall comes, time for some introspection.  How did we do this year?  Are there any things that could be improved or added to make the day better for everyone?

The Free Day of Yoga.  It’s What I Do.  And I love doing it. What nourishes others nourishes me as well.

Mary Esther Middleton is a Registered Yoga Teacher. Her training was through  The Living Yoga Program.  She is a former Computer Scientist, now devoted to sharing her knowledge of the benefits of a regular yoga practice.  She teaches gentle Hatha yoga, offering compassion, serenity, and a sense of humor. Her e-mail is mary_esther@yahoo.com