Longtime yoga teacher brings meditation to Puyallup library

Anne Arntson was in the midst of her busy career in international business when one day she decided to take a yoga class at her gym.

“I went to one yoga class and fell in love,” Arntson said.

Arntson has taught yoga for more than a decade now, and has owned her own yoga studio, Yoga Soleil, in Puyallup for the last eight years.

“We’re still the only traditional yoga studio in the area,” Arntson said. “We’ve stayed close to the simple teachings of yoga and meditation.”

Arntson is originally from France, and moved to the States in 1987 before moving to Puyallup in 1996. Building a yoga community has become paramount for the Puyallup resident.

“We’ve built a community where people can reconnect,” she said. “People will sometimes walk in and see friends they haven’t seen since high school.”

In addition, Arntson has developed a meditation MeetUp group that meets twice a week at the First Spiritual Church in Puyallup. With the popularity of her meditation group taking off, Arntson is now partnering with the Puyallup Public Library to host free weekly meditation classes every Wednesday in May.

“Meditation is the practice to develop mindfulness,” the Puyallup resident said. “It’s creating a pause to make that wiser and more compassionate towards others.”

Arntson says the free meditation classes at the library are of a laid-back style, with the idea of participants coming as they are —regardless of whether they can commit to the entire 30-minute meditation session.

“She is excited, we’re excited,” said Beth Swartzbaugh, Adult Services librarian. “It’s a great way to draw in people from the community. It’s open to citizens of all ages, and we’re offering it as a healthy way to take a break in your day.”

Meditate in May is offered every Wednesday in May from noon to 12:30 p.m. at the Puyallup Public Library.

This story was originally published April 20, 2016 at 11:29 AM with the headline "Longtime yoga teacher brings meditation to Puyallup library."