Healthy Pursuits
OFFICE HOURS: Monday – Thursday: 8:00am to 5:00pm • Friday: 8:00am to 3:00pm
AFTER-HOURS CRISIS SUPPORT & VICTIM ASSISTANCE: 303-615-9911
Healthy Pursuits
As part of the Healthy Pursuits program, Mind Body Fitness classes including Pilates, Yoga and Zumba, aim to support your health through a connection from the inside out. The goal of the classes is to enable students, faculty and staff of the Auraria Campus to lead a healthier and less stressful lifestyle. There is no charge to attend the Mind Body Fitness classes and no prior registration is required.
Spring ’24 Schedule
Class Updates
If you would like to sign up for notifications about class updates, changes and/or schedules you can do so by downloading the Remind app from the App Store or Google Play Store. Once downloaded you can follow the steps below to connect with one or all of our classes:
- From your menu, click “Add Class”
- Choose “Join Existing Class”
- Enter the following class codes: @HCAyoga, @HCApilates or @HCAzumba
- Click the “Join” button and you are all set
Additional Information
There is no charge for all Mind Body Fitness classes for all Auraria Campus Members, including AHEC, CCD, MSU Denver and CU Denver students, faculty and staff.
For in-person classes, equipment is provided and, with the exception of Zumba, no shoes are required for the classes. It’s ideal to wear clothing that you can move and stretch in.
You do not need to sign up in advance to attend the classes. When you arrive, you will sign in before taking the class.
If campus is closed for any reason, there will be no Healthy Pursuits Mind Body Fitness classes.
For additional fitness offerings you can visit the MSU Denver Campus Recreation or the CU Denver Wellness Center websites.
Mind Body Fitness Class Descriptions
Flow Yoga
Calm the mind and tone the body with this active style of yoga. Build internal heat as you link yoga poses together with deep breathing and creative movement sequences that will leave you feeling restored for the week.
Mat Pilates
Strengthen your core while you tone and stretch the muscles in your entire body. Turn your focus inward with concentration on linking a rhythmic breathing pattern to each exercise while you flow through a total body Pilates workout on a mat.
Power Yoga
Build heat in the body by warming up with basic stretching and strengthening, and a breath-to-movement flow. Progress to a flowing class interspersed with yoga pose holds to keep up the intensity while you work towards a final flow or posture.
Zumba®
This class will relieve stress while you sweat and dance the class away. Zumba® is a combination of international dance rhythms combined with dance and fitness exercises for a dynamic, fun and engaging workout.
Mind Body Fitness Instructors
Cathy Phelps
Zumba Instructor
Cathy is a licensed Zumba® Instructor (2010). She is a former member of Joda & Friends, African Dance and Drumming. Participants will dance to a variety of rhythms: merengue, salsa, cumbia, reggaeton, bollywood and pop. Cathy encourages people to find their own expression of dance in her class.
Katie Polce
Yoga Instructor | Sound Healthing and Meditation Guide
Katie began practicing yoga during college as a different way to stay active. After exploring the practice she noticed some physical benefits, but also a way toward a positive inner “shift”. She completed her 200-hour teacher training at The Samadhi Center for Yoga in Denver in 2006 and has continued to study and teach since.
She encourages to breathe and move in a way that is energizing, but mindful. She enjoys leading classes with a range of options and styles- from slower, more restorative and grounding poses- to more physical and challenging sequences. She also offers meditation and sound healing as a way to help students center, connect and be more present. Her intention is for students to leave class feeling refreshed, aligned and at ease.
Haley Halkidis
Yoga Instructor | Soma Breathwork Facilitator | Reiki 2 Practitioner
With a 200-hour yoga certification from The River Yoga, Soma Breathwork expertise and Reiki 2 credentials, Haley blends ancient wisdom with modern practices to guide individuals toward balance and purpose. Her passion lies in empowering participants with mindful tools and education for seamless integration into their daily lives. She offers evidence-based practices for stress management, increased vitality, and enhanced focus.
As a teacher, Haley’s intention is to make mindful living accessible in everyday experiences. Explore the benefits of yoga, breathwork, meditation and Reiki, cultivating a life beyond the mat that harmoniously realigns participants with their authentic selves.
Karen Byers
Mat Pilates Instructor
Karen Byers has been a fan of group fitness for over 25 years, and a fitness instructor for the last 10 of them. Karen believes fitness should be fun, challenging, restorative, and expand our definition of what we are capable of. Her goal as an instructor is to help people gain body awareness, strength, confidence and mindfulness through exercise. Karen incorporates safe but challenging techniques to increase strength, flexibility, self-awareness and a mind/body connection.
Karen holds her Mat Pilates certification from Peak Pilates and her Reformer certification from Boost Pilates. Karen spent many years as a Barre3 instructor and teacher trainer for Barre3 in Denver, and is Les Mills BODYBALANCE and AFAA/NASM certified.