Bryan Lubaway Says, Try Yoga

Bryan Lubaway never expected to love yoga. But in August 2008, it brought him home. He had been living in East Lansing and moved back to West Bloomfield to become more involved in his cousins' yoga studio chain, the Yoga Shelter.

Now the 28-year-old Michigan State University graduate manages the West Bloomfield location and teaches five classes a week. "It's something that will not leave my life now," he says of yoga and the overall experience it brings with it. "It's a chance to really focus on yourself a little bit--usually I run around, I have three phones on and everything else in the world going on, but with yoga, you go into a room and it shuts everything else out."

Beyond offering classes, Lubaway says he values the kind of community the studio builds around yoga and its participants. Founded by Eric Paskel and his wife Lisa in November 2004, the studio has offered apple picking, yoga retreats in Costa Rica and Belize, and has an open mic night in the works.

Lubaway says he also enjoys the opportunity to challenge people to make their days and lives a little better. "It's a great thing to do physically, to do the most that we can, work as hard as we can in class," he said. "Maybe off the mat we can do a lot of the same things...to challenge yourself and grow."

As for being back home, Lubaway says he sees a real push toward building out social and professional opportunities for young people who want to stay in the metro Detroit area or move back. From social events to mixers at area synagogues to staffing BBYO retreats, he says he likes to stay involved. "I like to give back when I can, and AZA did give me a whole lot when I was growing up," said Lubaway, who has fond memories of Greenberg AZA and regional conventions. "It's a great thing to be able to pass on."