As the clock approaches 7 a.m., student after student files into State Gym to attend a group fitness class known as Sunrise Yoga.

Aimed at starting the day on a positive note, things begin slowly as the group is led through some light stretching and breathing exercises. Meditative music plays softly in the background while each class member reflects upon the personal intentions they wish to set for the 50-minute session. As the minutes tick by, the poses become slightly more involved, and everyone is reminded of their intentions.

“Everyone is tired and sleepy, and you can kind of feel the room wake up as you wake up,” said Kelsey Creten, a sophomore studying genetics. “I think the energy is good.”

The studio utilized for Sunrise Yoga is located on the second floor of State Gym. The front of this room is lined with a wall of mirrors, and to the right is an east-facing window through which the sunrise can be seen during the class.

Having attended Sunrise Yoga a few different times, Creten appreciates the class environment.

“I like the class setting [and] being with other people of all different levels,” Creten said. “I like the idea of going to it and holding myself accountable…because I know there are other people in the room that might not be watching me, but it feels different than if I were to just do it by myself.”

Gabriel Rummel has been instructing the Monday and Wednesday sessions of Sunrise Yoga throughout the fall 2022 semester. A graduate student studying food science and human nutrition, Rummel is also a personal trainer. After receiving his yoga certification, he began teaching Sunrise Yoga during the spring 2022 semester.

Rummel has observed that many of the individuals who participate in his specific sections of the class are regular attendees.

“Seeing the same people come, I didn’t think that was going to happen,” Rummel said. “They keep coming back; everyone seems to be happy and feel pretty good afterward.”

Despite her lack of enjoyment of early mornings, Courtney Olson, a senior majoring in biochemistry, has frequented the sessions led by Rummel this entire semester. Her roommate convinced her to attend Sunrise Yoga the first day it was offered this fall, and since then, she has only missed two sessions.

“This kind of gives me a reason to get up and start my day,” Olson said. “I think it’s just given me more time to enjoy setting up my day almost, and then that leads into the rest of it. I’m just in a better headspace from the start.”

Throughout her journey with Sunrise Yoga, Olson has noticed some positive changes in her life.

“When you get into the middle of the semester and you have a lot going on, you wake up and it’s just instantly bad,” Olson said. “I think [Sunrise Yoga] has definitely helped. I feel a lot better on a day-to-day basis.”

Some individuals may be intimidated by the thought of practicing yoga due to their perceptions of its difficulty. However, Sunrise Yoga provides class participants with flexible options throughout each session.

“People think it’s pretty hard, but it doesn’t have to be,” Rummel said. “You don’t have to do all the poses if you don’t want to.”

Sunrise Yoga is offered Monday through Thursday during the academic year. Students can register for this class for free by visiting the Iowa State recreation services website. In some cases, classes also accept drop-in participants.