A different take on yoga in Stevensville

by John Dowd

About a year ago, Stevensville became home to a new yoga studio. However, according to the owner and yoga instructor, it is a different take that many may enjoy. Shari Feeser’s life has been guided by her faith as a Christian, and for her one of the purest and most underdeveloped sides to faith is when the body and mind work as one. She says she found that experience in yoga, and wanted to bring it to others. 

Feeser took yoga for four years locally and fell in love with it, but it never occurred to her that she would one day be leading yoga sessions. She has lived in the community for over 30 years. For 14 years she led youth and teen ministry in what is now the Bitterroot Family Church. After that she spent time at the Florence-Carlton Community Church teaching adult ministry. 

She found that people responded well to physical engagement and after an experience walking part of the Camino pilgrimage, in Spain, she felt she should do something along those lines for others in her community. Feeser felt physical action with the body helped connect her more to her spirituality, and allowed her another medium through which to explore her faith. She believed others would benefit from the same thing

She also explained that she believes many Christians are limited to intellectual connection and pursuit in faith. She believes that is a great aspect to faith, but she wanted something more in the physical to go along with it, and saw a need in others in the community as well. Feeser sought to include the body, which she said is something that was historically and biblically part of Christianity.

Because of all these experiences, Feeser decided to pursue bringing yoga, with a Christian element, to the area. She opened her studio, ReMain, in May of 2024. She offers three main groups of activities through her ReMain space. The first are the “Gather” table events, which include food and conversation around a passage that is read at the beginning. During these she usually orders hors d’oeuvres from The Catered Table. 

The next group of activities she does are her “Restore” workshops, which aim to have smaller groups discuss various points of interest in faith. These small groups often work on specific key aspects of faith, while the Gather events are general discussions which she has tried to model after the Last Supper.

The final flagship activity Feeser hosts at ReMain are the yoga sessions. Feeser said yoga means to unite, or bring together. For her, that translates to “yoked,” like to become one with the Father, Son, Holy Spirit. According to Feeser, yoga is “more than just movement connected to breath,” it is about “setting intention through physical movement.”

Feeser’s yoga is a variation of Vinyasa yoga, which is a type of flow yoga. Each session starts with the reading of a passage or verse, and then the yoga commences. After the session concludes, it ends with a prayer. Feeser added that it is “important that people feel known, heard and valued.” Because of this, her class spaces are limited for each session. She said she does not like them to be too crowded, that way everyone gets the proper amount of instruction and attention.

The name of Feeser’s studio, ReMain, took inspiration from the Biblical verse, John 15. That passage reads: “I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit. Apart from me you can do nothing.” The piece that reads “remain in me,” resonated with her, and for her that leads to “life with a capital L.” She believes it speaks to living life to the fullest, and her belief in the need for Jesus in a person’s life to attain that.

“Staying connected with Jesus is where life really happens,” said Feeser.

ReMain was formed as part of her business branding, which also denotes that the space is located on Stevensville’s Main Street. The combination of the words “remain” and “main” became “ReMain.”

Feeser said she finds that there are three kinds of people that usually come to ReMain. These include people who are just looking for yoga, locally. Another group are those with an inkling of spiritual curiosity. The last are already committed Christians looking to amplify their spiritual experience through a physical embodiment, or activity.

ReMain hosts yoga on Tuesdays at 6 p.m., Saturdays at 9:30 a.m. and yoga for women on Thursdays at 6 p.m. 

Yoga classes must be booked ahead of time. As for pricing, yoga classes are by donation. Feeser said she does this because “whoever needs to be here, or wants to be here, there is no obstacle for them. I try to keep these as accessible as possible.”

Interested parties can register on the website remainspace.com. To register for the Gather events, the cost is $25. For the small Restore groups, interested parties must register, and those cost between $15 and $25, depending on the activities that will be involved. Sometimes they are part of a series. 

Feeser is certified through YogaFaith, a Christian yoga school. She is also a current M.A. candidate in Theology and Ministry at Fuller Theological Seminary. She really hopes to bring a sense of connection and faith, through her work with ReMain, to the community as a whole.

“Proper Christianity is about the flourishing of the community, not just the church or the Christian,” said Feeser. “I’m hoping that an encounter here helps people flourish in their own life, whether they continue with Christianity or not. I hope it’s a generous space.”