MISSOURI — Nature can be enjoyed in many ways, including as a backdrop for healthy exercise such as yoga. The Missouri Department of Conservation (MDC) will offer free Prairie Yoga classes from 2:30 to 4 p.m. on Saturday, April 9, and from 3 to 4:30 p.m. on Tuesday, April 12, at the Burr Oak Woods Nature Center in Blue Springs. This event is part of the ongoing Nature Rx series that helps people learn about nature and glean health benefits from the outdoors.

A restored native grassland with prairie wildflowers and grasses will be the backdrop for the yoga session. The exercises will be on a mowed tract. Molly Postlewait, certified yoga instructor, will lead the yoga exercises. Lisa Richter, MDC naturalist, will provide prairie plant lore and discuss human connections to native grasslands. Each household will receive a prairie plant seedling to take home.

The Nature Rx series immerses participants in nature. Science has shown that contact with nature can provide physical and mental health benefits. This series teaches various ways to connect with nature via awareness and understanding.

Prairie Yoga is open to participants ages 18 and older. COVID-19 precautions will be followed. Registration is required. To register for the April 9 session, visit https://short.mdc.mo.gov/4J2. For the April 12 session, visit https://short.mdc.mo.gov/4J6.

For more information about the free conservation and nature programs offered at Burr Oak Woods, and the area’s trails through forest and woodland, call 816-228-3766, or visit https://mdc.mo.gov/burroakwoods