Inner Space Yoga

Yesterday I went to check out Inner Space Yoga in Gastown. I used to work in that area and I forgot how much character the old brick buildings had. Needless to say, this studio was a hit from the second I stepped in there.

What: Inner Space Yoga

Where: 247 Abbott Street, Suite 100, Vancouver BC

When: May 27, 2010, 10:00am-11:30am

Class: Anusara Inspired

Teacher: Rebekka

Drop-In price per class: $20

Types of classes offered: Anusara, Hatha, Vinyasa, Yin, Restorative, Prenatal

Comments:

Space:

O.M.G. What a gorgeous space. I've definitely seem some beautiful spaces, such as the YYoga studios, but this one really had a special quality that you don't find with some of the newer spaces. The main yoga room was beautiful, with a huge OM symbol on the side wall and nice, decorative touches. Just when I thought that enough to wow me, I found myself wandering into another lovely yoga space. Both studios had a unique character and were oriented differently. The place had nice dark stained wood paneling all over and pretty touches of green (mats, plants, etc) to tie everything in together. I thought that a lot of care was put into making this space somewhat of a sanctuary for yoga students and teachers alike. There were no showers, but plenty of changing spaces, mini lockers and cubbies.


Atmosphere:

This space breathed serenity and tranquility. I got such a good vibe from the whole place. Maybe it was the oldness of the building, maybe it was the beautiful statues of Buddha and Ganesh, maybe it was all the lovely greenery in the space... whatever it was, it set up a very calming yet energizing atmosphere about the place. Then, I discovered the tea room! How awesome! It was absolutely lovely! I love it when yoga studios embrace the aspect of community that is cultivated through group practice.

Teacher/Class:

I was fortunate enough to attend a class taught by the owner of the studio, Rebekka. It was an Anusara Inspired class, which is a style conceived by a man named John Friend. It's very heart centered and they focus a lot on proper alignment. With Anusara, they sing an opening "invocation" in Sanskrit at the beginning of each class. I find that I am always mouthing the words and faking it when they sing the invocation. As a pleasant surprise, they had cheat sheets with the lyrics so I could follow along without feeling like a complete newb. I really appreciated this! Rebekka started her class with a beautiful poem that alluded to the act of greeting one's own arrival - that is, to be present to sit down with your self and recognize your own coming to being. Very profound stuff! Then came the yoga - holy crap was it challenging! I tried head stands, hand stands and some crazy core work. Lots of new and interesting variations on classic poses. It was definitely a great learning experience. The mats they provided were thinner and seemingly stickier than average mats, but with a bit of sweat on the hands, they were pretty slippery. She said they were new mats, so hopefully the problem of slipping while trying to get into a hand stand will subside! I thoroughly enjoyed the class and Rebekka's cool, laid back teaching style.

Rating: 10/10. This space has it all! Great location, atmosphere and teachers. It can get a bit pricey at $20 per drop in, but it's hard to put a price on feeling good.

Yoga Spirit

Today I visited Yoga Spirit in Burnaby, located near Holdom Skytrain station. It was my last Burnaby stop on the Passport to Prana promotion. I've wanted to always check this place out because the owner is a friend of a friend. I've heard good things, so here's my review!

What: Yoga Spirit

Where: 5681 Goring Street, Burnaby BC

When: May 25, 2010, 6:15pm-7:15pm

Class: Power Core

Teacher: Jes

Drop-In price per class: $16

Comments:

Space:

Located just one block south of Holdom Skytrain station, this space was very easy to get to. When I first walked into the studio, I was a bit surprised at how small it was. You could comfortably fit 10 people and up to 12 or so. It had a cool vibe though. It kinda felt like I was in someone's new apartment. The building did have apartments above it, so I suppose it might have very well been converted from a residential space or something close to that. There was one washroom just outside the main studio that was well kept and clean. It was an apartment-style bathroom complete with a bathtub that was covered up and converted to storage space.

Atmosphere:

Some serious TLC was given to make this place a warm and welcoming space. The front area had a reception desk and some goods for sale, along with cubby holes and props storage shelves. The front wall had a cool lotus decal-style painting and the whole space was adorned with nice ornaments and decorations. There was a great vibe in this space - I just couldn't quite kick the feeling that I was in someone's living room.

Teacher/Class:

I knew Jes from my prenatal yoga teacher training course and I went specifically to check out her class. I was really impressed with her alignment cues and attention to postural adjustments. She definitely had an anusara-inspired flavour. The class was a Power Core class and man, was it challenging! Lots of ashtanga-style poses, which I like, but can aggravate wrist issues for some people. The class definitely lived up to its name! It was a great core workout! She did a good job of incorporating yogic philosophy in her teaching as well. We tried to do a forearm balance as in scorpion with your legs straight up and I ended up falling out of it by rolling forward and almost smacking the person in front of me... eep! It was a bit scary! I'll need a spotter next time, for sure. The hour passed by very quickly and I really enjoyed the feeling I was left with at the end.

Rating: 7/10. A small space, but with great teachers and overall character. The decor was nice and the place had that "homegrown" community vibe that you don't always get with the bigger studios.

Heart Centre Yoga

Burnaby doesn't seem to have a heck of a lot of yoga studios (at least ones on the passport to prana anyway). I went and checked out Heart Centre Yoga located in North Burnaby. A very pleasant surprise!

What: Heart Centre Yoga

Where: 3978B Hastings Street, Burnaby BC

When: May 21, 2010, 9:30am-10:45am

Class: Hatha Yoga

Teacher: Ariel

Drop-In price per class: $16

Comments:

Space:

Whoever converted this space into a yoga studio did an excellent job of creating a beautiful studio out of a retail space. Everything was in one room, except for the washrooms that were communal washrooms for other businesses in the building. The good thing was that the washrooms were close and not to inconvenient to get to. The space was quite small and there were only 12 yoga mats set up. I think that the max you could fit would be about 20, so that was a minor limitation. The class I went to only had 5 people so it seems that there is usually space for people to attend.

Atmosphere:

So much ambiance! I really felt at home in this studio. I loved the sheers that separated the parts of the room and the lighting. There were laminate hard wood floors, which was a nice addition. I really liked the vibe that this space put off. There was a good stockpile of equipment and supplies - everything from wrist wedges to eye pillows! It was very pleasant to do yoga here.

Teacher/Class:

Ariel did a great job of going through a vinyasa-hatha flow with all the proper posture and alignment cues. Her flow was very meditative and just made me feel good all around. I love going to a class and learning new things about common postures - like how a lunge with your back toes untucked and knee off the ground is really half of an up-dog pose. I appreciated the new approach a lot. Ariel had done the same training as me through Prana, but 8 years earlier, and it was cool to see what I recognized from her dialogue. She was cool to talk to after the class and gave me some more info on workshops and trainings that are held at Heart Centre every so often. A great class!

Rating: 9/10. A small space, but with tons of character and ambiance. You have to get changed in the washroom, but that was not too much of an inconvenience.

Semperviva Sun

...and because I'm slightly crazy, I decided to go to another class at a different studio right after the kundalini class (correction! the previous class ended at 10:45 not 11:45 like I stated)... I checked out one of Semperviva's studios on Broadway. There is actually another Semperviva studio (Sky studio) across the street. I had never been to the Sun studio before, though.

What: Semperviva Sun

Where: 2608 West Broadway, Vancouver, BC

When: May 20, 2010, 11:00am-12:15pm

Class: Hatha Yoga

Teacher: Tianne

Drop-In price per class: $18

Comments:

Space:

This yoga studio is also connected to the Semperviva Lifestyle shop, where you can get yoga clothes, book, health foods and other things. The studio itself was quite large and was easy to get get to. There was only one washroom and it had water all over the floors (they claim that it was due to condensation from temperature changes). Regardless, it was pretty gross to be stepping in water in your bare feet. Also, there was no changeroom other than that one bathroom. Not very convenient.

Atmosphere:

I'm finding that Semperviva puts a lot of care into making their front lobbies look nice, but when it comes to their studios, they sorta lack in atmosphere. The yoga space was nice, but had some odd artwork on the walls and the floors were an ugly cork tile. I just wished Semperviva had more hardwood floors!

Teacher/Class:

It felt really nice to do a hatha class again. I've been trying out all these other styles I don't teach to get a sense of what else is out there, but it's nice to come back to my own style and learn new things to incorporate in my own classes. I really liked Tianne's flow and she had some great alignment cues and wisdom to share. One thing that kept annoying me throughout the class was that she spoke quite slowly and kept saying "ex-a-hale" and over enunciating each word. I kept thinking: "just say it like you're having a conversation with me, not like you're the yoga teacher!" Overall, it was a great class.

Rating: 7/10. Semperviva is a great because once you join, you're able to go to all of their studios (although very condensed in the Kitsilano area). I liked the size of the space and the class, but Semperviva needs to work on providing the proper amenities!

Yoga West

Today I decided to switch it up and check out a Kundalini class. I've been to Kundalini before at Semperviva, but never to an actual Kundalini studio based on the Sikh religion. Kundalini yoga consists of yoga exercises (kriyas) and meditations which are designed to awaken one's consciousness to the universal nature of the soul and ones spirituality. It is very different from other physical forms and one might consider it to be a bit more "new age-y" than the common styles.

What: Yoga West

Where: 2662 West 4th Avenue, Vancouver, BC

When: May 20, 2010, 9:30am-11:45am

Class: Kundalini Yoga

Teacher: Nambir Kaur

Drop-In price per class: $15

Comments:

Space:

A nice big open space for the reception area with chai tea and arrowroot cookies in the lounge. There were lots of books on Kundalini yoga and music for sale. The space also had a seperate gurdwara room for private meditation. The actual yoga space sorta felt like I was in someone's living room, complete with a fireplace in the corner and carpet floors. There was a stage set up that looked like a shrine paying homage to some of the master teachers. There were adequate washrooms and even a little kitchen area next to the cubby holes. It had a cool vibe - definitely different from most yoga studios.

Atmosphere:

Yoga West had a very welcoming and inclusive atmosphere. With the gurdwara and many people dressed in white from head to toe with traditional head coverings, I felt like this was a place where serious kundalini practioners went. Some people sat on real animal pelts! I was one of two people with a yoga mat! I didn't feel excluded though. Everyone was very friendly and there was a cool vibe.

Teacher/Class:

The teacher sat on the stage and used a microphone on a stand. At first, I felt that this was a little unnecessary seeing as there were only about 7 people in the class and the room was not big. However, it did help when it came to chanting and singing. The teacher had a beautiful energy and approached the class with a mixture of eastern philosophy and physical posture cues. The class was quite difficult too! The active meditations went on for about 3-7 minutes each, and I found myself trying to breathe through the strain of keeping my arms in the air for a (seemingly) long time. We also did 108 frog squat and let me tell you - my legs burned so much at the end! The mediations were great as well. I didn't think I would enjoy it, but after all the pranayama work and mental challenges of the kriyas, I had this feeling of elation at the end. Lots of cool sensations!

Rating: 7/10. If you don't mind trying a more spiritual-based yoga discipline and you want to try kundalini yoga, I would definitely come to this place for the authentic experience.

Moksha Yoga Vancouver

Today I checked out Moksha Hot Yoga. What is Moksha, you ask? It's a new hot yoga chain that has roots in Bikram's but also in the hatha and vinyasa styles. It was created by a couple of Bikram's graduates who got fed up with the strictness of the hot style and its risk to beginners. I appreciate what they're trying to do - make hot yoga safe for all levels - but does it have to be another yoga chain with a pre-determined set of postures? I'm not sure if the flow is copyrighted, but it somehow pains me to see yoga becoming such a corporate thing, regardless of how good the yoga actually is (I quite liked Moksha yoga!) One yoga chain stealing students from the other...

What: Moksha Yoga Vancouver

Where: 242 - 2083 Alma Street, Vancouver, BC

When: May 16, 2010, 10:00am-11:30am

Class: Moksha 90 min

Teacher: Rose

Drop-In price per class: $18

Comments:

Space:

A small reception area, but very nice showers and changing area. The yoga studio was a descent size with nice hard wood floors and ambient lighting. I could see it getting quite sweaty in there with more people (my class only had about 8 people in it).

Atmosphere:

This was a very beautiful studio. Small decorative touches with beautiful fixtures and amenities made it a great place to practice. I loved the water fountain in the lobby - simple yet elegant. The teacher/front desk person was really nice and she was happy to answer any questions I had about the yoga. There was a friendly and inclusive atmosphere there that you don't always get at hot yoga studios.

Teacher/Class:

Rose was a great teacher! It was 40 degrees in there and man did I ever sweat! I had done Bikrams many times before and I was curious as to how the Moksha flow of 40 poses compared. I am happy to say that I didn't feel like barfing once! There were definitely challenging parts, but what I really liked about the class was how it flowed nicely from one pose to the next. There were similarities to the Bikram's flow, such as pranayama breathing techniques and some of the key standing and back bending poses. However, there were more hatha and vinyasa style postures such as down dog and warrior poses, as well as abdominal exercises. I appreciated the blending of different disciplines and the fact that not everything was repeated twice. I find that aspect of the Bikram's flow to be a bit boring and there is no real flow, whereas with Moksha, the class is in a sense a bit more intuitive. It's funny looking back on my first few years of Bikram's devotion and realizing that I never knew what a down dog was until after I had been practicing for 3 years! I loved the alignment and attention to safety that the teacher gave. I don't often hear teachers reminding students to engage the right muscles (especially the core), so it was refreshing to hear her give those cues. After the class I felt extremely invigorated and my skin was radiant after all that sweating! I really enjoyed the Moksha style and would love to check out the other types of classes they offer.

Rating: 9/10. A beautiful studio and space. If you like Bikram's, I recommend trying it out for sure. I do caution that hot yoga is not for everyone and for that Moksha loses a point.

Semperviva Kits Beach

After touring the growing YYoga chain, I turned my attention to Vancouver's other yoga chain, Semperviva. Semperviva's studios are located on the west side of Vancouver (Kitsilano) and are all quite different. They offer a mix of hatha, vinyasa, yin, kundalini and pre/post natal classes. The Kits Beach location is a newer location and sports a very large yoga space. Here are my thoughts...

What: Semperviva Kits Beach

Where: #110-2201 West 4th Avenue, Vancouver, BC

When: May 14, 2010, 10:30am-11:45am

Class: Vinyasa Power Flow

Teacher: Charlie

Drop-In price per class: $18

Comments:

Space:

Very nice front entrance lobby area with clothes, books, jewelery, mats, etc, for sale. A good place to hang out before class. The yoga studio space was HUGE. Converted from an outdoor sports store, this is one of the biggest yoga studios I've ever seen. The thing that I didn't like was that the washrooms were in the yoga studio and you couldn't use them before class. In other words, if you were outside and a class was going on, there were no washrooms. There was only one toilet for men's and two for women's. There was no water fountain outside the studio either. Also, there was only one communal changing area with cubbies and no lockers. The changing spaces had simple drapes that didn't really make things the most private. With all the challenging power classes they offer, you'd think they would have better freshening up facilities.

Atmosphere:

The yoga studio was very white and lacked in ambiance. No particular attention to the decor was given. The cork floors were alright, but still kind of had that "shop floor" vibe vs. yoga studio. There was a stage for the instructor, which I am never super fond of, but with a studio that size, I suppose it does serve a purpose. I was in the back of the room and with the side door slightly ajar I could hear lots of street noise and people talking as they walked up towards busy West 4th Ave. I really wished that this space was a little warmer. The front entrance really had a lively, friendly vibe that could have been carried into the main studio space.

Teacher/Class:

Charlie was a cool guy. He led us through some interesting hand stretches and warm-ups at the beginning of class. This power vinyasa flow was seriously powerful. I sweated a lot! We attempted some crazy arm balances again and spent a lot of time on our wrists. He made us hold our standing warrior poses for a long time, which really got the sweat flowing. This was an advanced class, for sure. I would have appreciated maybe some modifications. I'm finding that a lot of teachers are forgetting to teach to the beginner levels and include all levels in their classes, regardless of whether or not it is called "power". He did a lot of hands-on modifications, which were appropriate and useful. The class was a lot of fun and his attitude was very personal. I liked the reggae music he played too!

Rating: 7/10. I really liked the space and location, but the changing/washing up facilities need to be expanded and it was annoying to not be able to use the washroom before class. Semperviva has a good thing going on, but the ambiance was lacking.

Radha Yoga & Eatery

This morning, I decided to try something a little different and venture to East Van for a class at Radha Yoga and Eatery.

What: Radha Yoga and Eatery

Where: 728 Main Street, Vancouver BC

When: May 14, 2010, 9:30am-10:45am

Class: Hatha Yoga

Teacher: Ciera

Drop in rate per class: $12

Comments:

Space:

Located on the top floor of a building in the downtown east side, this studio has a lot of character. It is part restaurant, part yoga studio, with a simple bamboo divider separating the two areas. The restaurant wasn't open during the yoga class, of course. Although a bit small, the space had beautiful old hard wood floors and old brick walls adorned with Buddhas and other ornaments. We faced some lovely large windows which let lots of natural light flow into the room.

Atmosphere:

This place breathed "community yoga". It had a very friendly atmosphere and really catered to practitioners at the beginning levels. Lots of tea and cozy places to sit and chat. I liked the way the room was set up with no solid divisions, just a suggestion of different parts of the space. It resonated with a good energy, almost as if the old wood and brick held on to the vibrations from past visitors and kept this prana alive in its matter. There were decent washrooms - nothing fancy. Mats were also available, which was nice.

Teacher/Class:

Ciera was a soft-spoken teacher who really took her time to clearly articulate the important notes for each pose. The hatha class was very gentle and slower-paced, which I appreciated because I rarely go to classes that focus on relaxation and release. It was a pleasant surprise! We opened with a Light Invocation and did an amazing visualization of light energy spiraling from our centers and up and out into the universe. I always love going through visualization exercises. The participants in the class were older and you could tell they really enjoyed going through things slowly and patiently. It was definitely a place where you could sink into your own being and tune in with yourself.

Rating: 6/10. This studio is not for everyone - it offers a more relaxing style of yoga and if you're looking for a workout, you probably won't get it here. That being said, the space was beautiful and the style was very soothing. They don't offer classes too often, mainly mornings and evenings. They also hold other community events, such as cooking classes and community organic vegan dinners.

Highgate YYoga

Back to YYoga! This chain is popping up everywhere! You can't deny the studios are gorgeous. I made my way back to my hometown of Burnaby to check out the Highgate location on Kingsway. This area of Burnaby used to be pretty run-down and dingy, but with new developments over the past couple of years, the Highgate area is really an urban hub. I decided to pop in to a power class before I went off to teach my own class downtown.

What: Highgate YYoga

Where: 315 - 7155 Kingsway, Burnaby BC

When: May 13, 2010, 4:00pm-5:15pm

Class: Power Yoga

Teacher: Joe

Drop in rate per class: $15-20

Comments:

Space:

Once again, YYoga never fails to have beautiful yoga spaces. The main studio was large and bright with nice lighting. There were two studios, quirkily named "this" and "that". The second one was really small and I'm not sure what kinds of classes usually get offered there because it could fit maybe 10 people. There was a nice space for post-class chatting over tea by the front desk entrance area which was nice. Really nice changerooms and shower areas too!

Atmosphere:

This place had a calming and soothing atmosphere. Lots of dark colours on the walls contrasted with natural textures throughout. It had a great vibe and the people were really friendly.

Teacher/Class:

Joe was an older teacher and clearly looked like he had been doing yoga for decades. He was very tall and brought about a presence that you don't really get from petite female teachers. He opened his power class by reading some verses from a yoga book (I can't recall which one or the author) and taught us about the bandas (physiological locks where we suck our stomachs in while holding our breath). The room was quite warm and I got sweaty pretty quick. He got us to go through some vinyasas and then proceeded to lead us through a ridiculous series with lots of binds and intense stretches. It was cool to try something new and challenging, but a lot of people weren't able to go there and not too many modifications were given. I appreciated the fact that he shared a lot of his wisdom throughout the class and got us to think beyond the postures and towards and connectivity with something bigger than our bodies.

Rating: 10/10 I would recommend this studio to everyone. They offered more variety than other YYoga studios (kundalini, power, hatha, hot, yin, etc). It was a beautiful studio with a great atmosphere.

Westcoast Hot Yoga

Ahh, the return of hot yoga. I practiced hot yoga for years and years before I ever tried any other style of yoga. I was a devout Bikram's yogi and spent a lot of time sweating it out at Bikram's Yoga Metrotown in Burnaby. Then I moved away from Burnaby and stopped going to classes (I still have about 20 to use up still!) and I couldn't get back into it. I went back for a class or two and just felt like serious crap (I'm not talking about the challenged feeling you get from the class; something wasn't right). Then I took my teacher training where I learned all the bad things about hot yoga (injury, liability, torture-like trainings, no class for beginners, etc), which swore me off of the practice all-together. Some months after my swearing I would never do hot yoga again, I realized that if I had a conscious mind and knew my body, I'd be alright to go to a class or two. So here I was at Westcoast Hot Yoga. Oh, something interesting to note: this yoga studio fought with Bikrams over a copyrighting lawsuit and won. Bikram's told them they weren't allowed to offer hot classes unless they opened a franchise under Bikram's. I'm glad that they were able to break free from the absurdity of copyrighting an ancient practice.

What: Westcoast Hot Yoga

Where: 1128 Mainland Stree, Vancouver BC (Yaletown)

When: May 11, 2010, 4:00pm-5:30pm

Class: Hot (Bikram's Series of 26 postures)

Teacher: Leo

Comments:

Space:

Located in the heart of Yaletown, this space was pretty easy to get to. The decor was quite nice, although the yoga studio's floor was not hard wood and the plastic sheath was bubbling in places. The females change rooms were quite small and the showers kind of sucked. I did like the lounge area in the back and the yoga studio was a decent size.

Atmosphere:

This space had a bit of an odd aesthetic, albeit still nice. It had more of a spa-like atmosphere, with a Victorian vibe - lots of frilly ornaments and European style fixtures. It didn't really speak to the eastern tradition of yoga at all. I didn't like the burnt orange colours used in the main studio either. It wasn't all that bad, just not as nice as say the YYoga studios. The staff were very friendly though!

Teacher/Class:

Leo was very friendly and personally greeted each participant before class. The class was of course done in a 40 degree celcius room and was the full 90 minute Bikram's flow. It was super challenging for me and I sweated buckets. I didn't remember it being so intense! It felt good to really go to my edge in the hot room, but I did notice that a lot of guys were struggling to find modifications. That's the thing that I really don't like about Bikram's dialogue - no really consideration for the beginners or less-flexible people in class. Leo did do a lot of hands on modifications, but didn't really ask permission, which I always appreciate in teachers. Some people simply don't like getting touched when they're super sweaty and half naked! I wished that the 90 minutes included a proper relaxation (savasana) because people tend to jump up as soon as they lay on their backs, which is never good after such an intense class.

Rating: 7/10 I would recommend this studio to intermediate to advanced practitioners. They did offer power and yin classes, as well as shorter 1 hr hot classes. The aesthetic didn't really appeal to me, but it was in a popular and accessible location.

Flow Wellness YYoga

Back to YYoga! For anyone who didn't check it out during the Olympics, YYoga's downtown location is deluxe! With three studios, beautiful changing/shower spaces, infrared sauna, lounge, juice bar and store, it is definitely one of the nicest studios around town. I just wish it wasn't so busy and "corporate". YYoga is a yoga chain to be reckoned with, but sometimes loses that community grassroots atmosphere that you get with smaller studios.

What: YYoga Flow Wellness

Where: 888 Burrard Street, Vancouver, BC

When: May 9, 2010, 10:00am-11:30am

Class: Power Yoga

Teacher: Mike

Drop-In price per class: $15-20

Comments:

Space:

Gorgeous! There is no denying that this YYoga studio is beautiful. It really has that upscale yoga studio feel - lots of round shapes, soft lighting, bamboo. By far one the nicest studios I have ever seen. It almost feels like a spa.

Atmosphere:

Lots of sweaty people walking around due to all the hot classes that take place there, but it had a friendly atmosphere. As with YYoga Yaletown, this location did give me the feeling that it was for hardcore yogis only. They did offer a variety of different classes, including hatha, hot, power, yin and cycling fusion classes. Overall, it was a nice place to be in.

Teacher/Class:

Mike was a very cool teacher. He had this way of teaching that was very personal, as if he was having a conversation with you. I really liked the set up of the class with people facing each other - it lightened things up a bit. His power flow was pretty challenging! Lots of time spent on the wrists which is something about power classes that I'm not particularly fond of. This was definitely an advanced class, which made me feel again like this studio caters primarily to hardcore yogis. We did a number of arm balances and even tried head stands. I am always interested in how teachers teach these advanced poses, especially inverted head stands, because there is so much that could potentially go wrong. One guy that was really sweaty collapsed while doing some inversion and slammed his body into the floor. It didn't seem to hurt him, but I would be really scared if that happened to anyone in my class. I really liked his flow, but one thing that ticked me off a bit was that he was more than 10 minutes over time. It's important for teachers to respect the class' allocated time because you never want to make people feel rushed after class.


Rating: 9/10 I would recommend this studio to intermediate to advanced practitioners. I wish they would offer classes that cater more to beginners, though.

Yaletown YYoga

The second studio I visited on the Passport to Prana promotion was Yaletown YYoga. YYoga is a chain of yoga studios in the lower mainland and is known for offering power, hot (adapted Bikram's), hatha and cycling fusion classes. The studios are very sleek and tend to cater to the higher end clientele. They recently had a promotion during the Vancouver 2010 Olympics where people were able to attend an unlimited amount of classes for free, which was very cool. I wasn't able to check out the Yaletown location, so this was my first experience there.

What: YYoga Yaletown

Where: 280 - 1050 Homer Street, Vancouver BC

When: May 7, 2010, 4:30pm-6:00pm

Class: Anusara Inspired - Intermediate to Advanced

Teacher: Shelley

Drop-In price per class: $15-20

Comments:

Space:

Located in the heart of Yaletown, this space was pretty easy to get to. The decor was beautiful, but the two studios were quite small. The studio I was in for my anusara class was quite warm and with the relatively low ceilings, it felt a bit cramped. There were nice amenities for showering and changing and the little yoga store was a bonus.

Atmosphere:

Being in Yaletown, the space had a bit of an uptight and austere vibe - the same kind of vibe I used to get at Bikram's. Maybe it was the fact that I had chosen to go to an advanced anusara class, but I tended to get the feeling that this was a place for hardcore yogis only. The staff were really nice, though! It was just the fact that this studio didn't offer any classes for beginners really - it's all mainly power yoga, hot and anusara. I wish it offered more hatha classes to include all levels of students.

Teacher/Class:

Shelley was very passionate about her role as a teacher both on the physical and spiritual fronts. She opened with a thoughtful story and reminded us of the true essence of what it means to be on a yogic path. Her presence was both powerful and nurturing. I had been to her anusara class before and every time I go to anusara, I am amazed by the rigorous detail they give to each pose - right down to the placement of our internal organs! At times, I found this language was difficult to connect with (what does it mean to scoop your kidneys in?). Anusara is definitely intense and this class was no exception! This class had crazy arm balances, contortionist-like poses and not a lot of time for resting poses. At least it was labeled intermediate to advanced! We also did some partner work where we meticulously set up our Warrior stances... so don't come if you're apprehensive about someone grabbing on to your thigh and standing on the top of your foot. I really did learn a lot from this class and was impressed with the quality of instruction. Not for the faint of heart though!


Rating: 8/10 I would recommend this studio to intermediate to advanced practitioners. I wish they would offer classes that cater more to beginners, though.

Yoga for the People

So in good blogging fashion, I'm about 5 days behind on my first post. Better late than never, they say! So the first studio I went to on this Passport to Prana promo was Yoga for the People. Here are my impressions:

What: Yoga for the People

Where: #201-150 W Hastings Street, Vancouver BC, V6B 1G8

When: April 28, 2010, 4:00pm-5:30pm

Class: Hatha Flow

Teacher: Elle

Comments:

Space:
I love this space! I can't believe I never knew about this place. It's located just where the downtown east side begins on Hastings above a few run-down businesses. The studio was huge with beautiful dark hard wood floors and rustic brick walls. A great place for daily practice.

Atmosphere:

I really liked the inclusiveness and community atmosphere with this studio. My favourite aspect is that it is all donation based and their suggested donation is $10, which is by far the cheapest I've seen around town. There was a looseness and playfulness that you don't get at some other studios. It was very beginner friendly, as well. The class I went to was small - only about 7 people.

Teacher/Class:

Elle was a very quirky teacher. She wore a rainbow shirt, leg warmers and thick-rimmed glasses that kept sliding down her nose every time she went upside down. Her flow was very powerful and quite challenging. She guided us through a Taoist Flow and ran through some interesting vinyasas such as the Flying Dragon Vinyasa. It was an interesting mix of tai-chi-like movements and traditional hatha yoga asanas. Then we did hand stands. I still can't quite do one - even at the wall. I always get both a bit excited and nervous whenever the teacher tells us to practice hand stands. I enjoy learning how to teach them (and of course, do them myself), because I never really got that training in my teacher course. At the same time, I feel a little anxious because I am still clinging to some sort of belief that I should be able to do these poses since I'm a teacher. I know Shakti, the woman who trained me, would be shaking her head (she taught yoga beautifully even after falling out of a tree and nearly killing herself, not being able to do any of the poses to demo). Alas, I guess this is where yoga becomes a practice of patience.

Rating: 10/10 I would recommend this studio to anyone.