Downtown Iowa City held its first Downtown Wellness Festival on Saturday, August 22, and I had the joy of teaching one of the event’s free yoga classes. Hundreds of community members came out to enjoy the day, and a morning run, free wellness classes, and dozens of local vendors filled the streets.

The Daily Iowan covered the festival and stopped by our class. Two University of Iowa students who practiced with us told the reporter they appreciated having a variety of ways to approach each exercise so all skill levels could participate. This is exactly what I hope people carry out of every class I teach. You can read the full story here: Iowa City downtown builds community through health and wellness festival.

Comfort Comes First

Everything at Serenity starts with a conversation. Before you join a class, we sit down together and talk through any injuries, health conditions, medical history and fitness goals, so that your practice fits your body instead of the other way around. It is the same approach whether you come to us for yoga, Pilates, or barre.

This Might Be Your Thing

If you participated in the festival and it sparked something for you—or if you wish you had been there—fall is a wonderful time to begin. We have three new classes starting this fall, including a beginner-friendly series, Intro to Pilates: Mat. You can always find the full lineup on our class schedule.

Scenes from Saturday

A friend caught a few moments from the morning on her phone cam. Here are some of my favorites, from our first standing poses to the stretching and relaxation that closed out the class.

Dozens of community members practice chair pose across the plaza at the free Downtown Wellness Festival yoga class

Marcie Evans teaches in front of the Serenity Yoga & Pilates Studio banner and the downtown Iowa City mural

Flowing through Warrior II together on the downtown pedestrian mall

Leg lifts and core work under the canopy to finish the morning class

We’re so glad you’re here!

A Studio Update: Check Out Our New Classes!

We’re excited to share some beautiful additions and updates to our weekly lineup! Whether you’re looking to build strength, find stillness, or try something new, we have something for you.

Relaxation Yoga with Noelle – Monday SEP 14, 21 & 28 at 6:30 PM

Enjoy this relaxing and inclusive yoga class to discover where your body is holding in tension. This flow incorporates breath work to regulate the nervous system and clear the mind. Essential oils, eye masks and hot stones may be used to enhance the relaxation experience. Class ends with deep stretches, a guided full-body relaxation, and an optional temple massage followed by stillness.

FEE: $60 ALL 3 OR $25 per class

Early Morning Yoga with Hope – Tuesdays at 6:00 AM

Yoga is THE BEST way to wake up! Join Hope for this wonderful combination of strength and stability, also calm, to give you the perfect start to your day!

Sept. 1st-Oct. 6th
FEE: $90 for ALL 6 or $20 per class

Intro to Pilates: Mat with Tricia

This 6-week Beginner Mat Pilates series will give you all of the basics of Pilates and help you better engage your core. Mat Pilates can also help tone your muscles, correct imbalances, and prevent back pain with regular practice.

Qi Gong – Tuesdays at 5:30 PM

This class is offered as a paid class through Deep Roots Acupuncture and is currently filled. If you are interested in future classes, please contact Lucy Marsh at Deep Roots (please email us with subject line Qi Gong) for more info.

**Please see the class schedule for select dates and registration.

Fall is when routines reset, and this year we are making it easy to build movement into yours. Three new classes are joining the schedule at our Iowa City studio this fall, spanning both ends of the day and both sides of our practice: yoga to help you unwind, yoga to help you wake up, and a brand-new Mat Pilates series built for beginners.

Whether you are looking to build strength, find stillness, or try something new, there is a spot here for you. None of these classes require an orientation, just register and show up. Here is what is starting, and how to grab your place before classes fill.

Relaxation Yoga with Noelle: Monday Evenings at 6:30 PM

If your nervous system needs a Monday reset, this is it. Relaxation Yoga is a gentle, inclusive class built around discovering where your body holds tension, and letting it go. Noelle weaves in breath work to calm the mind and regulate the nervous system, and may bring in essential oils, eye masks, and hot stones to deepen the experience. Each class closes with long, slow stretches, a guided full-body relaxation, and an optional temple massage followed by stillness.

• When: Mondays, September 14, 21 & 28 at 6:30 PM
• Cost: $60 for all three sessions, or $25 per class
• Best for: stress relief, better sleep, and anyone who has ever said “I’m too tense for yoga”

If gentle, restorative practice is your speed, you will find more options on our yoga classes page.

Early Morning Yoga with Hope: Tuesdays at 6:00 AM

Yoga is the best way to wake up, and Hope makes the case every Tuesday at 6 AM. This six-week series blends strength and stability work with a steady, calming pace, so you walk out the door stronger, clearer, and already ahead of your day.

• When: Tuesdays at 6:00 AM, September 1 to October 6
• Cost: $90 for all six sessions, or $20 per class
• Best for: early risers, before-work movers, and anyone who wants their workout done before the day starts negotiating

Intro to Pilates: Mat with Tricia, Thursdays at 5:30 PM

New to Pilates? This is your on-ramp. Tricia’s six-week Intro to Pilates: Mat series teaches the fundamentals from the ground up: how to properly engage your core, move with control, and build the kind of deep strength that supports everything else you do. With regular practice, Mat Pilates helps tone muscles, correct imbalances, and prevent back pain.

• When: Thursdays at 5:30 PM, August 27 through October 1
• Cost: $90 for all 6 sessions, or $18 per class
• Best for: first-timers, desk workers, and anyone curious about Pilates without the machines

Want the full picture of what mat Pilates is, who it is for, and how it compares to reformer? We put together a complete guide on our new Mat Pilates page.

And If You Have Been Eyeing the Reformer

Our reformer classes run all year, and fall is a great time to claim a spot as summer schedules wind down. If you have built some core strength on the mat, or you just want the full spring-resistance experience, explore our Reformer Pilates classes and come see why our students keep coming back.

New This Fall: $25 BIA Body-Composition Scans

One more addition to the studio: we now offer BIA (bioelectrical impedance analysis) scans, a quick, non-invasive assessment of muscle mass, body fat percentage, hydration, and more. It is meaningful data for your goals beyond the scale. Single scans are $25, or get four quarterly scans plus Marcie’s analysis for $175. Ask at the studio or contact us to book one alongside your classes.

Save Your Spot

Our classes stay intentionally small, and series like these fill up. You can register through our studio page, or check the full fall schedule to see where these new classes fit into your week.

See you on the mat this fall.

We’re so glad you’re here!

A Studio Update: Check Out Our New Classes!

We’re excited to share some beautiful additions and updates to our weekly lineup! Whether you’re looking to build strength, find stillness, or try something new, we have something for you.

Yoga for Stress Release with Noelle

Offered ONLY Thursday, July 16th, 2026 at 6-7:30PM. Relaxing and inclusive Yoga session with candlelight, essential oils, calming music. Led by one of our veteran yoga teachers (20+ years of experience)!

Yoga Therapy Flow (Your Yoga)- Wednesdays at 8:00 AM with Marcie Evans, CYT

Select dates this Summer, a very special class! Bring your body AS-IS to this Yoga fixer-upper! This ‘Pain or Shine’ class is the way to learn how to cope with and potentially help with chronic nagging issues in your body. We will move in a slow flow into postures and postures and self-massage techniques will specifically be selected and choreographed to deal with YOUR issues of the day!

Morning Yoga with Hope- Tues/Thurs at 6:00 AM

A class especially for the early riser! Special dates offered this Summer, please register online!

**Please peruse schedule for select dates.