Yoga enthusiasts now have a new venue to practice the increasingly popular body-and-mind discipline. Reiman Gardens and the Ames Parks and Recreation Department teamed together Thursday to offer the first yoga class of the season in the conservatory of the gardens.

The idea was born when an employee at Reiman Gardens approached Nancy Shaw, wellness supervisor for Ames parks and recreation about the possibility of having the class taught there, Shaw said.

“The yoga program has been growing quite a bit,” Shaw said.

Offering a new setting by meshing the class with the serenity of the gardens seemed like a perfect match, she said.

The program has been in the planning stages for a couple of years, said yoga instructor Christine Peters. Peters taught the class Thursday.

The new conservatory that opened this year at the Reiman Gardens finally allowed for the space and time the exercise program needed, Shaw said.

Shaw said the new conservatory complex and butterfly wing add more enjoyment to the gardens.

“It’s a great opportunity,” Shaw said.

The class is the first of several to be held throughout the summer. The cost is $8 per person, which includes admission costs to enter the gardens.

The class may be extended into winter and spring, Shaw said.

The turnout for the program’s debut was smaller than the instructors were anticipating, Shaw said, with only nine attendees. Shaw said she hopes for a larger crowd at the next class as word of the program spreads.

The type of exercise featured each month will rotate, Peters said.

The next class will be held Thursday, July 11, and will focus on Pilates. The yoga class will return on Thursday, Aug. 14.

Regardless of the activity, the sessions will be held from 10-11 a.m.

Experience is not required for any of the classes, although many attending the class have had some experience, Peters said.

“Most all of [the participants] had done yoga before,” she said.

Yoga mats and blocks are provided with the fee, but attendees may also bring their own equipment, Peters said.

The classes are open to the public and all ages are welcomed, Shaw said, although she noted that yoga is considered more of an “adult activity.”