Yoga, Meditation & Mindfulness Frequently Asked Questions Sol Center Tucson AZ
About the Sol Center
What is the Sol Center?
The Sol Center is a yoga, meditation, and mindfulness center in Tucson, Arizona, with a diverse schedule of classes and programs including beginner and advanced yoga, meditation, introductory mindfulness, in-depth mindfulness courses, yoga teacher training, and related contemplative studies. We understand that people are seeking more than just physical exercise when it comes to their well-being you’ll find we offer much more than yoga.
What does “a common contemplative thread” mean?
Our classes emphasize inner awareness and embodied understanding. Rather than treating yoga as exercise and meditation as a separate discipline, both are taught as ways of developing a greater capacity to be whole in the midst of the action and distraction, beauty and challenge, that fills your everyday life.
Where are you located, and how do I reach you?
The Sol Center is at 527 N Tucson Blvd, Tucson, AZ 85716, in Central Tucson. Parking is available on site.
Use the contact form on our website. Phone 520-628-YOGA (9642)
Are you on social media?
We made a deliberate departure from social media Facebook, Instagram, Twitter/X and the rest, a practice known as social media distancing in favor of direct human connection. Our reasoning is laid out in the Insights article Our Departure from Social Media.
To stay current on classes, programs, and events, subscribe to our newsletter and check the schedule of classes on our homepage.
Our Founder & Teachers
Who founded the Sol Center?
Natasha Korshak is the founder of the Sol Center and serves as its Director. She is well regarded for her depth, warmth, authenticity, and the smile in her voice. A longtime teacher and trainer of yoga, meditation, and mindfulness, Natasha has worked in the field of integrative health and wellness her entire professional career, teaching in a myriad of environments with diverse populations, and directed the yoga and meditation program at Miraval for over a decade.
What are Natasha Korshak’s qualifications?
Her studies and training in mind/body/spirit methods are extensive and have been with many of the pioneers in their respective fields:
- Yoga: She carries the highest level of yoga teacher certification through the national Yoga Alliance (E-RYT 500) and is a member of the International Association of Yoga Therapists. Her training began in the 1980s with Swami Maha-Tarananda of the Kriya Yoga lineage and continued with Rama Jyoti Vernon considered a matriarch of yoga in the West, who helped found Yoga Journal, Unity in Yoga, and the National Yoga Alliance. Natasha has also studied Vedic astrology and Kashmir Shaivism.
- Mindfulness and MBSR: She is a certified MBSR Teacher trained with the Center for Mindfulness in Medicine, Health Care, and Society (CFM) at the University of Massachusetts Medical School, founded by Jon Kabat-Zinn. The center was renowned for the Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction Program, which forms the basis of most research conducted on the clinical and measurable effects of mindfulness. She has been especially informed in teaching MBSR by Florence Meleo-Meyer, and in Vipassana practice by Michelle McDonald.
- Interfaith ministry and spiritual direction: Her graduate training at the Interfaith Theological Seminary, founded by the Reverend Doctor Beverly Lanzetta, was a three-year program in interfaith theology, pastoral care, contemplative healing traditions, and spiritual direction, culminating in her ordination as an Interfaith Contemplative Minister in 2000. She is a member of the Order of Interfaith Contemplatives and Spiritual Directors International, and serves on the faculty of the Hesychia School of Spiritual Direction and the Contemplative Study & Retreat Sabbatical Program, both at the Redemptorist Renewal Center.
- Trauma, iRest, and grief: Natasha helped launch the Mindful Veterans Project, a Tucson non-profit, and began studying the application of yoga and mindfulness to trauma. She completed two levels of iRest Yoga Nidra training with Richard Miller of the Integrative Restoration Institute, and a two-year Grief and Loss training program with Dr. Lawrence Lincoln and Anne Taylor-Lincoln.
Natasha is honored to bring all of this together in her person, her teaching, and the training programs of the Sol Center.
Should I stick with one teacher?
You’ll benefit from learning from a variety of teachers. Each of our teachers has particular personalities, bodies, and strengths, and all share a base of training through the Sol Center. Some classes have a different focus, but it is all the practice of yoga.
New & Returning Students
I’m new to all of this. Where do I start?
Whether you’re new or experienced with these practices, we endeavor to keep participation simple and meaningful so you can begin, continue, immerse, or simply drop in when needed. Everyday Yoga Goodness is our accessible daily foundation class and a good first step. Join us anytime.
Do I need to be flexible, fit, or experienced?
No. Our schedule encompasses beginner through advanced classes, and all of our yoga classes are intended to accommodate beginning and continuing students, tight and flexible bodies, and folks of any age, unless otherwise indicated. If you’re hesitant to enter a general class, it can be helpful to schedule a private getting-started session first.
Do I have to commit to a series or membership?
No. Drop-in participation is genuinely welcome, and it’s part of how we think about access. Ongoing weekly classes, monthly gatherings, multi-week courses, and drop-in visits all coexist on the schedule.
Do I bring my own mat?
It always helps to bring your own yoga mat. For those new to practicing, Manduka mats and props are available to borrow or purchase.
Where is the current schedule, and how do I register?
This week’s class schedule and a running list of Upcoming Special Programs and Events are both on our homepage, with each listing showing date, time, and location. Because weekly classes and special programs change seasonally, please check back for updates. Follow the link on any listing to register for that class.
Yoga Classes
What style of yoga do you teach?
Our distinct style can be described as mindful and meditative. We believe yoga is for everybody, and that yoga is not strictly about particular postures – it is about working intelligently with your body and cultivating your own holistic awareness. Practicing this way, we believe you will find your yoga.
What might I be looking for when I come to class?
Any of these, and all are welcome. You may want to improve your strength, flexibility, agility, or balance. You may need restoration and healing. Or you may be seeking peace of mind, insight, inspiration, or a deeper perspective. Yoga is a natural body, mind, spirit exercise, and it is at the heart of what we do at the Sol Center.
What classes run each week?
Our weekly schedule rotates seasonally and typically includes gentle all-levels practice, strength and stability work, restorative and yin practice, and Qigong & Sound. Recent offerings have included Everyday Yoga Goodness, Yoga For Strength & Stability, Restorative Yoga, Yin Yoga & Inner Flow, and Qigong & Sound. Check the schedule or visit our homepage for the current weeks schedule.
What is Restorative Yoga?
A deeply supported, slow practice for rest and recovery.
What is Yin Yoga?
A practice designed to connect you with your inner calm, opening with a slow flow and transitioning into yin sequences inspired by Chinese meridian theory.
What is Qigong & Sound?
Gentle therapeutic movement that creates space within the body, opening opportunities for improved health, energy (qi) storage, and access.
Why do many of your yoga classes end with chanting?
This comes up often enough that we wrote about it, see the Insights article Why We Chant at the end of many of our yoga classes. Participation is optional; students may chant or simply listen.
Meditation & Sound Practice
What meditation offerings do you have?
We hold a weekly Mindful Meditation Meet-Up of lightly guided, silent, and compassion practice, intended for those with an established practice. We also offer Yoga Nidra, Breath & Sound Meditation, and Interactive Meditation private sessions.
What sound offerings do you have?
Tibetan Style Gong Meditation is a repeating event at the Sol Center – join us to experience the potential and power of sound, in a form of organic, non-electronic sound that offers many possibilities beyond what we might imagine. The Solstice Sound Bath marks the winter turn: rest in darkness, abide in the threshold of the new season, align anew to the growing light. Sound is also woven into our weekly Qigong & Sound classes.
Mindfulness, MBSR, and MBCT
What is the MBSR program?
The essence of the Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction program is the development of mindfulness the practice of paying attention on purpose in the present moment, without judgment. MBSR is an eight-week program pioneered by Jon Kabat-Zinn at the University of Massachusetts Medical School. Our program is taught by a certified MBSR teacher trained through Kabat-Zinn’s Center for Mindfulness at UMass Medical School, the institution whose research established most of what is known about the clinical effects of mindfulness.
What is MBCT?
Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy is an intervention designed for individuals with a history of depression and those who experience stress or anxiety. It is among the most widely used and researched mindfulness-based approaches.
Is MBSR or MBCT right for everyone?
These programs may be inappropriate for people experiencing severe mental illness, suicidal thoughts, active chemical addiction, or early-stage addiction recovery. Anyone with mental-health or medical concerns should consult a licensed professional and speak with the instructor before enrolling. Both are educational mind-body training not a replacement for medical care, psychotherapy, medication, or crisis services.
What other mindfulness programs do you offer?
Mindful Self-Compassion; Mindful Communication: Listening, Speaking & Relating with Care Check our schedule for current availability. And Customized MBSR and Mindfulness Programs for your group.
Retreats, Circles & Special Programs
Do you offer retreats?
Yes, mindfulness retreats held through the year, each an opportunity to step away from the busyness and pressure of daily life and create a “clearing” for rest and insight. Recent examples include Clearing the Way and Falling Away, the latter corresponding to the Fall season, the shift of the light, and the natural invitation to let go of the past and pause in the interim. Awakening to Your True Nature is a longer seasonal offering – a celebration of the wild and wonderful fact that each of us is truly nature in nature, viewed through the lens of Full Ecology.
What is the Second Sunday Circle?
A monthly gathering devoted to exploring the many dimensions of spiritual perspective, path, and practice. Each month takes up a different theme; one recent session addressed how true generosity develops in the heart at times when we feel touched by another person. Held the second Sunday of the month, 2:00–3:45 pm.
Do you offer anything for grief?
Yes. We have grief and loss offerings built on the recognition that grief touches every part of our lives emotionally, physically, and spiritually. These classes offer a compassionate and supportive space, combining mindfulness, guided meditation, teaching, and facilitated processing. Our grief work is grounded in a two-year Grief and Loss training program completed with Dr. Lawrence Lincoln and Anne Taylor-Lincoln, and in graduate training in pastoral care and contemplative healing traditions. These offerings are not a substitute for individualized grief counseling or crisis care.
Yoga Teacher Training in Tucson
Do you offer yoga teacher training?
Yes, the Yoga Practice Immersion & Teacher Training Certification Program, a seven-month, 200-hour program uniquely designed to light your path if you love yoga and want to further your practice and understanding of this powerful body/mind/spirit modality.
How much does yoga teacher training cost?
Tuition is $3,500, which includes a Sol Center Community Membership from September through March. See our Yoga Teacher Training page for complete details, current dates, and enrollment.
How is the program structured, and what does it cover?
We see yoga training as a personal process that is first and foremost for your own growth and enhancement. In order to fulfill the 200-hour Yoga Alliance requirements at a measured pace, our program spans seven months. We choose to prioritize in-person transmission of our course work while there will be some live-stream teaching and content available virtually, your direct experience in the classroom is central to the training process. Nine weekend immersions, a Fall weekly course, specific practice and study assignments, and regular portfolio check-ins help you integrate your learning, balance your personal practice, and develop your voice all along the way.
What is the program’s lineage and philosophy?
The program is dedicated to our teacher Rama Jyoti Vernon, one of the modern matriarchs of yoga in the United States, who helped found Yoga Journal, Unity in Yoga, and the National Yoga Alliance. We carry on the vision of yoga as a universal commonwealth, a foundational health enhancement practice, and a methodology for conflict resolution and peace. Our director’s training runs directly through Rama and, before her, Swami Maha-Tarananda of the Kriya Yoga lineage.
Can I learn more before committing?
Yes. We hold informational sessions where we share our origins, approach, and plans for the coming year of training. These are conversations, not sales pitches: we want to hear what you’re wanting, needing, looking for, and curious about. You can also contact us directly with questions or to schedule an interview.
Class Rates & Memberships
What does a single yoga class cost?
| Option | Price | What’s included |
| Single class | $15 | Drop in anytime |
| Community Membership | $100/month | Unlimited daily yoga classes, plus 15% off many special programs |
| 5 Class Pass | $65 | Five daily classes, valid for 40 days |
New local students can use the code WELCOME for 50% off a five-class package. See our Class Rates and Community Membership page for full details and to purchase.
How do I stay informed about new classes and programs?
Since we’re not on social media, you can stay up to date by subscribing to our newsletter, and visiting our website schedule where we share everything.
The Sol Center Arboretum
What is the Sol Center Arboretum?
The arboretum is nestled within and about the grounds of the Sol Center. It is here to greet you and your senses, both as you arrive for class and as you circle the grounds. You can learn more on the Sol Center Arboretum page.
Insights (Sol Centers Blog): The Ideas Behind the Practice
Where can I read more about your approach?
Our Insights section collects articles on yoga, meditation, mindfulness, breath, and contemplative practice, including:
- Yoga, Astrology, & Mindfulness, Oh My! on how these fields do and don’t relate
- Why We Chant at the end of many of our yoga classes
- Purpose, Practice, Prayer
- Take Your Practice Beyond the Mat
- The Four Foundations of Mindfulness, or The Satipatthana Sutta
- Inner Peace Six things to make it easier
- Converting Oxygen to Energy
- Reflections, Appreciations, and Intentions
- Our Departure from Social Media
How do I take my practice beyond the mat?
Postures are only one part of yoga. You can practice breath awareness through the day, feel your feet as you walk to stay grounded, and find a neutral spine even off the mat shifting from “body driving head around” to being present and self-regulated.