River Rock Yoga and Pilates in Ocean Springs, Mississippi, has been serving the Gulf Coast since 2006, opening right after hurricane Katrina. Owner and director, Moira Anderson, has devoted her life to this haven for peace, well-being and connection. She sees yoga as an ancient stabilizing practice, teaching self-mastery and discipline, improving mental and physical health and emphasizing techniques to calm the mind. River Rock Yoga is a center for community, where students and teachers feel like family in the beautiful, relaxing and comforting space. People gather for classes several times each day to move, breathe and connect back to the present moment.

The studio has expanded, now offering over 25 classes a week, mental health services, massage and reiki, workshops, concerts and community events. Ground-breaking recently took place for The Mississippi Center for Yoga and Health, which includes expanded studio space, a hot yoga room, massage, water therapies, ayurvedic nutrition, expanded mental health services and a healthy food restaurant.

Anderson has been teaching yoga for 23 years and is a licensed mental health professional with a master’s degree in social work. Her dream to create a space for community healing was realized with River Rock, which stands for two elements that inspire her: water and earth.

“Yoga philosophy teaches that two things are needed to make progress on the yogic path: the balance between persistent practice and letting go of results. As practitioners, yogis cultivate steadiness like a rock and fluidity like water. It is not power that allows water to cut through rock, it is persistence,” explains Anderson.