The center held five free yoga classes last week asking for donations for the Lansing Art Gallery, 113 S. Washington Square, in Lansing.

The $1,000 raised went toward keeping the gallery open.

The facility has struggled financially for the past few years, said Catherine Allswedebabcock, the gallery’s executive director.

A number of things have hurt revenue – less money from foundations, fewer grants, reduced memberships and low sales all had an impact on the gallery, Allswedebabcock said.

“It’s overall an economy thing,” she said. “There’s less money to be given out.”

The gallery’s board of directors set a goal of raising $40,000 to ensure the gallery wouldn’t have to close, Allswedebabcock said.

After tours and other fundraisers, the gallery has reached 60 percent of their goal, and Allswedebabcock said it is unlikely it will close. They also have an auction and an evening of the arts in the works during the next few months, she said.

“We’re not planning for anything but a long future,” Allswedebabcock said.

The Center for Yoga, Movement & Massage wanted to be a part of that future, said Ruth Fisk, the center’s owner.

“We’re a small business,” she said. “And you don’t want that to happen to you.”

Yoga teachers are very service-oriented, Fisk said.

“When my associate teacher told me they were struggling and perhaps going to close – which is awful, as they are the oldest nonprofit art gallery in our community – I felt strongly that I wanted to help in any way to prevent that from happening,” she said.

Free classes aren’t new to the center, Fisk said.

They hold classes to introduce newcomers to yoga, she said, but if they can find a way to help someone else in the process, they will.

“They are a great way to offer classes to the community and, in this case, to help out a long-standing institution that offers a lot to the greater Lansing community,” Fisk said.

Gabriele Kende, a yoga instructor, said art is an interest of hers.

“I enjoy going to galleries,” she said. “And it’s very nice – it does promote Michigan art and it would be good to keep it open. It’s good to have something downtown, where a lot of people are in and out.”

Kende has been teaching yoga since 1998 and was an MSU instructor before that. She said the class she taught for free only had about six attendees, but the afternoon classes were well attended.

“People had a good time,” she said. “The money speaks for itself.”