Students from Thrive Yoga in Rockville on Saturday joined together for a “seva,” a Sanskrit word meaning service. The focus: A stream in Potomac Woods Park.

“The reason why we did the stream cleanup was to do something locally in the community," said Thrive Yoga owner Susan Bowen. "Because we use so many water bottles here, we do our share of using the earth’s resources, so we want to do our share of contributing to the earth. That’s really why we wanted to do it."

Thrive Yoga is one of only a few local businesses participating in the City of Rockville’s Adopt-A-Stream program. The city facilitates cleanups along 44 stream segments and enlists the help of local organizations and businesses willing to make a one-year commitment to the program. All of the streams are expected to be cleaned around October and again in the spring.

"There’s something about physically using your hands and feet," Bowen said. "There’s something about the action of being in the earth and doing it, that is a lot like what we try to create in yoga. Through movement and the experience, we actually lift our spirits. You can write a check to an organization and that’s great, but when you’re out there you have the experience of actually giving back. That’s the key thing.”

Trash travels from streets and parking lots through storm drains into the local creeks creating a serious problem for Rockville’s waterways. When the trash accumulates in the watersheds, the water quality decreases and endangers some types of wildlife.

Thrive’s group of 20 volunteers, which included friends and family of the students, didn’t let the rain deter their efforts along the muddy banks. In two hours, the group collected more than six bags of garbage, including scrap metal, an old dinosaur bed sheet, carpeting, a wheel and a large plumbing pipe. Seven county students earned Student Service Learning hours.

The volunteers said they felt as if they connected to the stream. Because it was such a great experience, they were already discussing plans to return for the spring cleaning. Because those pursuing yoga strive to detoxify and cleanse their own bodies, their work to clean the environment was considered a natural extension of their beliefs put into action. As each student left, they thanked Bowen for the opportunity.

The studio hopes their participation will encourage others to join this month’s efforts to clean all of Rockville’s streams. Those interested in helping can join the efforts organized by the city for Montgomery County’s Community Service Day on Oct. 22. Go to www.montgomeryserves.org to sign up.