Every Tuesday and Friday morning, a lively group of 15 to 17 women gather in the meeting room at the Bluffton Public Library for an hour of yoga and laughter.

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On a recent Friday morning, the session ended – as it usually does – with chatter, jokes and the anticipation of lunch at The Crazy Crab. Post-workout lunches at area restaurants are an occasional event, especially if there are reasons to celebrate, and this day it was for three July birthdays.

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But that’s not why the women – not all of whom are of Gullah heritage – get together.

Beverly Youngblood leads the group through numerous yoga moves and generally ends the day with some thought-provoking words. She, Anne Cooke and Sandy Bedosky were the ones who got it started. Or, actually, got it restarted, as they explained around the table at the restaurant.

“Three of us were in a yoga class a few years ago, and then it disbanded,” said Anne Cooke. “And then I ran into Beverly, and she looked like she was going to be depressed. She said we need to do something, so I said let’s do something. So, we started talking, and then Sandy came along and we got going.”

Three years ago, a lot of programs were shut down due to COVID, and often those people who were leading such groups did not return, but the participants missed not only the activities but the people.

“We needed something to do. And to exercise and to get out, and just to be around,” said Youngblood. “We needed it for our health. A lot of us had high blood pressure w were working on, so that’s what really started this.”

Because the class had been held previously at the library, they approached the staff to return, and in March 2022, the group began to meet.

At first, it was just the three women and maybe one or two others popped in. They designed a flyer and the library posted it on their bulletin board.

“We told everybody else we knew, so word of mouth and I think a couple of people I’ve sent emails to and say join us,” Cooke said. Youngblood says she is a teacher, not a certified instructor. She has been practicing yoga for years, and leads the women in vari ous moves and poses, incorporating some of the qigong she practices at a class on Hilton Head. The exercise has been positive for many of the women in attendance, and not just for moving the body.

“This is a big thing for me because if I didn’t have this to do, I wouldn’t be dressed. I’d tend to just schlep around, so it gives me a purpose to get up and get moving,” Youngblood said.

Elizabeth Thompson and Dottie Holman enjoy the sessions because it lifts their spirits.

“I have more flexibility and better balance,” added Thompson.

“Not only were they some of the universal benefits, but also more energy, being able to move the body easier (and sexier, said one member), as well as having a structure during the week,” said Bedosky who recently retired.

“I get more stretching and bending, and it’s great that I get up early enough to get out of the house at nine o’clock in the morning, because otherwise I probably wouldn’t get up that early, of course it’s good for myself,” said Cooke. “It’s also good for my mental health, because again, just breathing hard and getting oxygen into your head clears your head. It’s just really fun. It makes me feel better. Increasing your body image makes you feel better.”

Between answering questions, ordering lunch and generally having a lot of laughs, the consensus of everyone gathered around the table was those who showed up for the first time felt a warm welcome from those already in the group. The Gullah Women

Yoga was as much about being together and enjoying one another as it was about exercising.

“She gives us instruction on what to do. And she says she doesn’t want us to hurt ourselves, do what you can,” said Julie Cordray, who has been a member from the beginning. “And if you can’t do what the others are doing, don’t worry about it, you do what you can. That means so much.”

On new T-shirts made for everyone were the words “Breathing, Stretching, Relaxation.” The group calls itself Gullah Women Yoga but it is open to everyone, and occasionally a man shows up, does yoga but doesn’t return. There is no cost to attend, but the participants value being part of the group.

“I tell you, this lady, we owe the whole thing to her,” said Cordray about Youngblood. “She and her nice, quiet person, she leads this group of ladies. And you know, ladies are not easy to lead. It is so refreshing. We have the most wonderful ladies, and it just seems like everybody is on one accord. And we are not shy about smiling with one another. And correcting one another, as Miss Cooke will do from time to time. Call us out. And we all just laugh, and go on and do what Miss Cooke says.”

Gullah Women Yoga meets from 9:30 to 10:30 a.m. every Tuesday and Friday at the Bluffton Public Library.