Yoga mats return to Parliament Hill amid ongoing construction

The Great Lawn on Parliament Hill played host to yoga mats Wednesday as a popular tradition made its return amid construction.

A popular summer tradition returned to Parliament Hill Wednesday, as people rolled out their yoga mats on the great lawn.

While cranes rise above Centre Block for the ongoing construction, a local Ottawa yoga studio led a small crowd through a class at noon, with more classes to come.

“I had a pinch-me moment a little bit just because it really is such an honour to be able to share what we love with the community and, of course, in such an iconic space like Parliament Hill. We’re so grateful for the opportunity to do that,” Lizl Rodriguez, founder of Elevate Yoga, told Newstalk 580 CFRA’s Ottawa at Work with Patricia Boal on Tuesday.

Elevate Yoga’s teaching team is leading yoga classes on Parliament Hill every Wednesday in July from noon to 1 p.m., weather permitting. The event is free for all to attend, with no registration required.

Participants are asked to bring their own yoga mat and anything else they might need to be comfortable, including clothes that are easy to move in.

“It really is such a special experience to be able to practice yoga outdoors, and not just outdoors, but at Parliament Hill where you have a combination of nature and city life and also just doing it with a group of people. I think there’s a special energy around that, too,” Rodriguez said.

Rodriguez says she founded Elevate Yoga on Elgin Street, just a kilometre away from Parliament Hill, in 2013.

“It’s been such a blessing to be on this journey of having a yoga studio,” she said. “I came into yoga in more of a season of change in my personal life. I joined for the physical aspect of it at the beginning, which eventually evolved into a more spiritual practice and also, it was a really great way for me to ground myself from the uncertainties of life.”

Anyone can participate in Parliament Hill yoga. Elevate Yoga says classes are all-levels and beginner friendly. Teachers and demonstrators will be on hand to offer modifications and support to newcomers.

Olivier Duhaime, Director of Outreach and Media Relations for the Office of the Speaker of the House of Commons, told CTV News Ottawa around 150 people took part in Wednesday’s session.

Prior to the COVID-19 pandemic and the construction on Parliament Hill, the weekly event would attract thousands of participants every summer.