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As Balanced Life Yoga owner Chanelle Neilson instructs Brandie Sharp, Neilson's 18-month-old son Trevor meanders over to join them.

Balanced Life Yoga

Published: Friday, April 29, 2011 1:26 PM CDT

During her other sessions, affordable babysitting is available: classes are $25 a month for unlimited sessions, with another $5 tacked on for the month if babysitting services are desired.

It’s one less thing to worry about for her students, she says.

“And it adds balance, especially if you can balance work and family without that worry,” she says — one of the reasons why she calls it Balanced Life Yoga.

Since the classes started in March, she’s had several regular students looking for that particular balance in their lives.

Brandie Sharp, a physical therapy assistant who lives in Beaumont, came at the suggestion of her sister, Leslie Cammack, who had to take a break from yoga since she is currently pregnant.

“I’ve been coming for a month,” Sharp said. “I’d never tried it before. I’ve gained a lot of upper body strength and it’s helped me with my flexibility. It’s relaxing, and it’s fun.”

Chanelle Neilson has taught aerobics, but she appreciates yoga better.

“I really like yoga because you really work your whole body, and your mind,” she says. “Nothing against aerobics, but there’s more fighting your own body. It’s harder on joints. In yoga you mentally focus on your breathing, you slow things down, you control your thoughts. It’s definitely a discipline.”

As a stay-at-home mom, she wanted to reach out to others in her situation. She has four children, two of which were hanging out at the studio with her recently.

One night a week is family night, where the entire family is encouraged to participate in yoga. Neilson says that there have been kids as young as 5 participate in yoga for the whole hour during family class.