Just B Yoga in REO Town: A safe space to explore yoga, tai chi and meditation
There’s a place on the mat for everyone at Just B Yoga, started in 2010 by Belinda Thurston. There’s nothing fancy about her studio at 106 Island Avenue, yet people with little to spend on exercise are welcome. Classes are $9 per session, and if you contribute a 
little extra “KarmaKash”, you pay it forward to allow someone you may not know to take a class.
Belinda Thurston is passionate that her classes welcome individuals of all sizes and shapes, the LGBTQ community, and those who have suffered t
rauma of any kind to find their authentic selves in her studio. One doesn’t have to have fancy yoga outfits. There are
mats, cushions, and blankets for all. Here, one can stretch their body as much as possible and a bit more in a series of Hatha Yoga classes. Clear your mind of past or present thoughts and just be present to your breath. Learn a series of flowing forms for increased energy, balance and flexibility in a Tai Chi session. Rid your mind of negative thoughts through breath-based meditation.
Belinda and her co-teachers guide students in basic yoga, chakra flow (working on the body’s seven energy centers), yoga on a stability ball, Yoga 2eXceL for men and women with curvy 
bodies, Empower Yoga for advanced students, and LGBTQ Yoga Flow – yoga that’s inclusive, non-discriminating and finding ease in one’s body.
“We have classes every day but Tuesday, and we use that day to train other teachers the disciplines we offer. I want to yoke together the practices of tai chi, yoga and meditation. We honor the body and the mind, and break down barriers of shame and not being welcomed.”
Belinda’s mother practiced yoga as a child and adult, and extended the invitation to her daughter – “Come join me.” Long a practitioner of Eastern disciplines, Belinda started her business in retirement after 22 years as a journalist and editor for a variety of news venues.
Her students come eager to sweat, stretch, laugh, and acquire self-confidence in movement and positive thinking. There is always room for one more student. They leave 
feeling physically and mentally charged to be in touch with their core selves. One first-time student said: “I’ve had back problems for years, and I feel great now.”
“I consider myself a movement storyteller,” says Belinda. “These disciplines are not so much about perfection, but what you learn about yourself during the practice.
Just B Yoga (donation-based, community-driven)
Group events and private classes available
517-488-5260
106 Island Ave.
Lansing, MI 48910
www.justbyoga.com