Derrek Vaughn | The Valdosta Daily TimesSutherland Yoga offers free classes through Facebook Live.

VALDOSTA — Michelle Sutherland decided March 20 she could not continue holding public yoga classes at her studio, Sutherland Yoga.

“It became apparent that I could be putting people at risk and I didn’t want to do that,” Sutherland said.

It was a hard decision and a tough reality, she said, after working in some way with the studio everyday for the past eight years.

A Toronto native, Sutherland began doing yoga when she was 15.

“I feel totally at home on my mat,” Sutherland said. “I enjoy doing a lot of different activities but yoga is the one thing where I feel most myself.”

The closure hasn’t stopped Sutherland and her instructors from practicing yoga and offering it to the public.

One of her teachers, Mary Grace Storm, called her up the day after the studio closed and asked if she could go to the studio and teach to an empty class but post it on Facebook Live.

“Thousands of people have watched it,” Sutherland said.

Even some of her friends back in Canada watched, she said, and participated in the live stream.

After the first one, other instructors asked if they could teach a class and post it, too. There is no set schedule and they have been doing yoga sessions ever since providing them to whomever may want to try it.

“I feel this is a service and if we can offer something to people while they’re stuck at home that might help a little,” Sutherland said

For people who have never tried yoga, Sutherland said don’t be scared to roll out a towel and give it a try.

“It doesn’t really matter who you are, how good you are at a certain pose, how you look when you do it, what you are wearing. None of that matters in yoga, you just be yourself,” she said.

Sutherland said she hopes people give it a try and see the benefits yoga can offer, and if nothing else, it gives people a social outlet.

“Maybe you find you’re calmer, more collected afterwards, nicer, maybe you have more patience with your kids,” she said.

Like everyone else, she doesn’t know how long the shutdown will last.

“I don’t know how long this is going to last and how long we will need to remain closed and yes that does mean I’m not making any money with this,” Sutherland said. “Sometimes we are called to be bigger than ourselves.”

Future classes and ones that have already posted can be found at https://www.facebook.com/Sutherlandyogastudio/