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.