Liverpool yoga lovers can immerse themselves in classes at the stunning Van Gogh exhibition

Yoga lovers can immerse themselves in classes surrounded by the masterpieces when the stunning Van Gogh installation arrives in Liverpool later this month.

Beyond Van Gogh: The Immersive Experience, featuring more than 300 of his works brought to life, is coming to the Exhibition Centre for an extended run from June 27 to July 24.

And it’s not just art fans who are in for a memorable experience because on Saturday mornings the exhibition will be opening a hour early to host special yoga sessions.

The 50-minute classes will encourage everyone taking part to go through a series of postures while they interact with the famous art on every surface all around them.

Lucita Fernandez, who runs Yogacita in the Baltic Triangle, will be one of those teaching classes in Liverpool.

She says it promises to be a yoga experience totally different to anything people will have ever experienced before.

“Usually in a class you get people to think about themselves and their body whereas with this you’re asking them to take in what’s going on visually around them as well,” she explains.

“Normally at the beginning I’d get everybody to settle in, start to check in how they feel and then do a breath exercise with their eyes closed so you’re really connecting with your body and bringing your awareness within.

“With this it’s really going to be the opposite, you’re being asked to take your awareness to the surrounding environment so it’ll be very different but that’s what will make it so unique and I’m really excited to do it.”

Lucita was delighted to be contacted by the yoga co-ordinator for Beyond Van Gogh: The Immersive Experience to ask if she and her teachers would like to collaborate in Liverpool.

“We’d already seen the exhibition was coming here and were going to go when I got an email inviting us to be part of it,” she adds.

Lucita will teach the first class, on Saturday June 29, then one of the other teachers at her studio will do a second on July 6, with the possibility of more now the run has been extended.

“We’re going to do one each because it’ll be nice for everyone to have the experience and I want to have that variety of different classes and styles,” she says. “I’ll be teaching vinyasa flow and we’ve been asked to keep it very beginner-friendly, so it’s about enjoying and engaging with your body,

“There is something mediative about art, so I think it’s going to work really well. Each class will be 50 minutes long then people will have up to an extra 60 minutes to wander around the exhibition.

“In some ways I don’t know what to expect myself but I’m sure it’s going to be quite emotional, and a really connecting experience.

“This is definitely the most unusual location I’ve ever done and I think it will be wonderful.”