A letter to the Bobcat Yoga community

When I started Bobcat Yoga, I really just wanted to meet more people interested in yoga. As I taught at the Student Rec Center, I noticed there were people interested and saw the potential for a larger community to form. And what better way to use my resources at Texas State then to create a student organization based around the principles of yoga. Offering a free weekly class by the river for students to have an accessible tool for wellness right on campus.

The Rec Center was still charging for group fitness classes, local studios can be intimidating and expensive, so Bobcat Yoga was made on the notion that yoga should be accessible, especially to students. College students are often under a lot of pressure through school, working to support themselves, busy schedules, engaging in social activities, loans, food insecurity, future careers, and the general presumption of “what’s next?”; so any opportunity to be present with your breath and body can be appealing, especially since free class passes can only get you so far.

That being said, going into my junior year, I was so excited to start this project, emailing over 150 people their requested information about the club, putting up posters, and painting that big poster so people could find us outside. I didn’t know what to expect but when 27 people showed up for the first meeting I lit up! I had never taught to that many people or taught that loud. Teaching outside brought a whole new challenge as an instructor, keeping people engaged in their own bodies with all the distractions of the world still around them. But still we persisted! The club kept growing, week by week, peaking that year at one of the first sessions of 2024 hosting over 110 people. With the rapid growth of the organization I couldn’t keep up on my own, so I recruited Lauren as my VP that spring semester. She played such a crucial role in the organization of everything behind the scenes. The “Bobcat Yoga”, members see today through Canvas, GroupMe, etc. would not be how it is without her.

That spring, It was time we put a price on what was going on, since the support was there, we wanted to build the community to offer more (and we were getting charged to use Sewell Park…). So it became $10 for the whole semester. 13 yoga classes, additional classes with partnering studios in the area, community service projects, and lots of goodies. I felt so much gratitude for this community and how they continued showing up for themselves, and for the group, through socials, river clean-up initiatives, Bobcat Build, and those additional classes. The first year of Bobcat Yoga wildly exceeded my expectations, making my only complaint trying to find a room on campus that could host all of us!

Onto the new school year, many new faces and so many returning members, again! We upped the dues to $25 to reflect our continuing growth, which created more events for our members. We were still offering a weekly class outside; connecting people to nature, their breaths, and some movement. In addition, biweekly studio classes, a monthly hike to clean our adopted spot on Upper Purgatory Trail, and social events to get more involved with one another. By the end of this school year, Spring 2025, we were even able to introduce a scholarship to help a member pursue their own yoga teacher training, which I deservingly gave to Lauren as she had put as much heart into the organization.

My last semester (Fall 2025), with Lauren taking over the organization and this process of phasing myself out, brought a lot of thoughts of what’s next… I had been so focused on the present chaos of college whether it was drinking, personal drama, schoolwork, work-work, or my favorite part of it all, running Bobcat Yoga, that I didn’t take any time to check in with myself. I had been preaching to look inward and create a safe place for yourself to land, without giving myself the same grace.

I’ve felt this slight paralysis since graduating and coming back to Corpus Christi, like a bit of my heart was left in San Marcos, and it certainly was. I am so incredibly grateful to everyone who has been involved with the starting and continuation of Bobcat Yoga; whether you came once for a free session, participated in the clean-ups, came for another club’s collaboration, participated in any social events, joined the retreat we held, taught a class for us, or worked behind the scenes as any exec member. My heart is with you, as I couldn’t be where I am today without all of you in this organization. Throughout the years at Texas State, whether everything in my life was falling apart, or going really well, I always had Wednesdays at 7PM to look forward to. My lighthouse through it all!

Now that I no longer have that constant, I’ve had a lot of time to think about how teaching and being a part of this community has been the joy of my life. Only now, applying for job-jobs, coming back to my own yoga practice, visiting old friends, hanging out with family, resting from this burnout - allowing myself to reflect on the last several years… I have been able to reconnect with what I am meant to do.

I believe that is to share my practice with others, and soon I will be teaching again! With the uncertainty of where I am, regarding employment, my general “home-base”, and having Bobcat Yoga alumni all over - I thought it would be in my best interest to offer a weekly yoga class on Zoom, to later post on YouTube. Offering a free weekly practice once again. Whether you are interested in trying something new, or practicing something you know, removing the pressure of going anywhere. Whether you are in your room, at a park, on the beach, wherever you are at. Taking your practice into the Wilde ;)

I have learned so much from everyone I have met, and could not have done any of it without my teachers at Practice Yoga Austin, mentors Kyle Dean and Raelynn Haynes, the yoga studios around Central TX (Wild Rice, Hot Yoga San Marcos, Willow Gardens, The Blank Space, and Gypsy Waltz), my girl Lauren, my friends from Texas State, all the exec members and all Bobcat Yoga members to this day and beyond!!!

As I shift my teaching practice towards something new, I continue being grateful for anyone who has been a part of this chapter. As a student to life, I continue learning everyday and cannot wait to grow, learn, and practice with whoever chooses to join this ever-growing community.

All my love,

Adriana Wilde