Kerrisdale Yoga

So I guess you could call this week "Iyengar week" - 2 classes within 3 days. Today I checked out a cute and quaint studio - Kerrisdale Yoga on the west side of Vancouver.

What: Kerrisdale Yoga

Where: 6170 East Boulevard, Vancouver BC

When: June 26, 2010, 12:30pm-1:45pm

Class: Iyengar Yoga Level II

Teacher: Corrie

Drop-In price per class: $15

Types of classes offered: Beginner yoga, Hatha, Iyengar, Vinyasa, Anusara, Kundalini

Space:

Located right in the heart of the Kerrisdale neighborhood, this studio was easy to find and in a nice location. There was a small reception area at the front with a closet for belongings - no lockers or anything. The studio itself was surprisingly very small! This was surprising because the studio runs over 30 classes a week. I think that you could fit maybe 10 mats in there max. The space was very bright and sunny with yellow walls. It had some nice hard wood floors as well. The space was divided with a wall that separated the main studio from a storage area with lots of props. I'm not sure why they decided to put that wall in, because the floor continues into the storage space (not an extra room) and could probably be opened up to create a bigger studio. Well, what do I know? Maybe the wall had to be there for some reason. Anyhow, it was small and intimate, but quite nice. There was one small bathroom with no real changing area, which was a bit of a drawback.

Atmosphere:

There was a peaceful vibe throughout the space. The sunny walls made the place feel lively and light. One thing I noticed was that you could easily hear anyone talking out in the reception area if you were in the studio, and that was a bit distracting at times. My teacher even had to pop her head out during savasana to say "shhh!"

Teacher/Class:

I had only gone to one Iyengar class prior to this (and only a couple of days ago for that matter) but because I didn't want to wait another 2 hours, I went to the early class, which was a level 2 class. I figured I'd be alright seeing as I AM a yoga teacher for god's sake. We used a lot of props - no ropes or crazy things like at The Yoga Space, but blocks, straps, bolsters, etc. The teacher's name was Corrie and she was an older woman with a bit of a strict tone in her voice. At times, I felt a bit nervous because of how particular she was about elements of the pose, like having your hands in namaste behind the back while doing a forward bend. For me, my wrists really hate this, but she pressed my hands together and made me go there anyway. So in other words, this was a serious intermediate class - no beginner stuff here! This doesn't mean it was bad, just a certain style that was a bit more strict than others. Her voice was quiet and her dialogue was minimal - there was a lot of silence in the room that was at times a bit awkward. Nevertheless, she was definitely very experienced and knew a lot about the proper alignment of the poses. Like the other Iyengar class, it didn't flow like hatha or vinyasa, but instead was like an asana workshop. We worked on variations of a few key poses and did some partner work as well with the props. We did headstands too - and I must announce that I actually was able to do a full headstand on my own for the first time! It didn't feel so scary once I was in it.

Rating: 7/10. Good location, but the space was a bit too small. It was good for 5 people (as in the class I attended), but it would be cramped with more than 10. The price was right and there were lots of classes available at different times.

The Yoga Space

Yesterday I tried out Iyengar yoga for the first time. If you're not familiar with the Iyengar style, it was created by B.K.S. Iyengar and is mainly characterized by its use of props - lots of them! They use everything from ropes hanging on the wall to blocks, wedges, straps and much more. The style I was trained in was "anti-prop," so for a long time I avoided using them, but as I learn more about them, I am gradually starting to use them from time to time in my classes. Here's my review of Vancouver's largest Iyengar studio.

What: The Yoga Space

Where: 202-1715 Cook Street, Vancouver BC

When: June 24, 2010, 10:30am-12:00pm

Class: Iyengar Yoga Level 1

Teacher: Allison

Drop-In price per class: $13-$22

Types of classes offered: Gentle, Iyengar Levels 1, 2 and 3 and Yoga Kurunta/Ropes

Space:

Located in the bustling industrial area of Cambie/False Creek, this studio is the kind you would have to know about in advance or you would never find it. The studio itself was in a nice commercial building and was quite large. In addition to the main studio, it had a few extra rooms for storage, shoes, etc. The first thing you notice when you enter are the ropes hanging from the walls. This is a signature element of Iyengar studios. The floors and walls were lined with varnished plywood. They didn't have exactly and "elegant" feels, but were nice enough. In the corner of the room, there were some very interesting larger wooden props - ones that looked like gymnastics equipment almost. There were only to other people in my class, so we had plenty of space. The washrooms (aka changerooms) were located down the hall and were shared with other businesses in the building.

Atmosphere:

The lighting was nice here. The place had something like a playroom vibe with all the "toys" we had to play with. I noticed there was a nice stained glass "Om" mosaic over the front entrance that was a pleasant touch. I enjoyed practicing in this space. The only thing that was a bit distracting was the loud street noise coming through the windows. Lots of big trucks and loud motors passing by makes for a not-so-zen yoga class.

Teacher/Class:

Normally classes at this studio are by registration and are part of a set. I called in advance to see if I could drop in with the Passport to Prana card and they said it was good for any level 1 class. The teacher's name was Allison and she was clearly an experienced teacher. She paid particular attention to alignment and muscle engagement, much like an Anusara class. At the beginning, we did some work at the wall and then moved on to work on some warrior poses and some back bends. We didn't do a hell of a lot of poses in the 90 minutes. Some poses were more restorative in nature, which means we held them for a while. Others were just explained very thoroughly. I learned a lot - it was almost like an asana workshop. The hands-on corrections were quite nice too. One drawback to this style was that there ewas no real flow between the poses, which was something I missed about hatha or vinyasa styles. We didn't get to use the super cool ropes hanging from the walls either - I was hoping to do some crazy inversion whilst hanging from the ropes or something. Well - it WAS a level 1 class after all!

Rating: 7/10. Great studio and really great teaching. I really respect the Iyengar style, but the props kind of got in the way of the yoga for me. I am biased, but I really like to see what happens when you take a body and a yoga mat and just go with the flow.

The Three Jewels Tibetan Heart Yoga

A couple nights ago I tried out Tibetan Heart Yoga. I was very curious about this style because I had never heard of it before. Three Jewels doesn't offer classes very often (just three evenings a week for yoga and one for meditation in addition to periodic workshops). I wasn't quite sure what to expect, but needless to say, I was pleasantly surprised.

What: The Three Jewels Tibetan Heart Yoga

Where: 2 - 2275 West 10th Avenue, Vancouver BC

When: June 14, 2010, 7:00pm-8:30pm

Class: Tibetan Heart Yoga

Teacher: Jonie

Drop-In price per class: By donation - Suggested donation $12

Types of classes offered: Tibetan Heart Yoga, Meditation

Space:

Three Jewels is located behind the London Drugs on Broadway between Yew and Vine. Luckily, I talked to a teacher before driving there because I wouldn't have been able to find it without much circling around. The entrance is in the alley and the studio is on the second floor. There were signs in the alley, thankfully. Once you got up the stairs, a beautiful space opened up for you. It had lovely hardwood floors and a really cool slanted ceiling with a big skylight. The space wasn't huge, but it could fit maybe 15 people or so. There were only 4 people in your class. There was a closet nook with lots of mats and props, which was nice. I forgot to check whether or not there were washrooms, so unfortunately, I can't comment on that aspect of the studio. The teacher told us that they will be moving out of that space at the end of the month and are currently acquiring a new studio, so don't come to this location after June 30th!

Atmosphere:

The big skylight really gave this space a cool vibe. There weren't too many decorative elements except for a floor lamp emitting soft light, but I felt the space didn't really need too much. The hardwood floors were nice enough. During our class there was a thunder and lightning storm, which set a certain stillness and serenity about the room. With rain pitter-pattering on the roof and bolts of lightning illuminating the space in flashes, I felt super still in the calamity, especially during our opening meditation. It was really cool.

Teacher/Class:

Tibetan Heart Yoga is a style that was adapted from Tibetan Buddhist practices and traditional styles of yoga. The current style originated from a couple of spiritual teachers in New York and was created to share the teachings of the Gelukpa order of Tibetan Buddhism, which began about 500 years ago, and is the tradition of His Holiness the Dalai Lama. The class that I attended was an adaptation of one of the series of 8 yoga flows that characterizes Tibetan Heart Yoga.

Jonie taught a great class. It started out with a long 20 minute meditation where were practiced a "giving and taking" visualization to help a loved one be rid of their suffering. It was very powerful and left me feeling a little bit funny at the end - not sure how to describe it. One thing's for sure: I couldn't feel my legs at the end! They had gone completely numb! Moving on to the rest of the practice, we did some vinyasa-like flows and variations of sun salutations, along with some warrior asanas and energetic flows. Jonie's teaching style was influenced by a lot of classical styles, such as hatha, ashtanga-vinyasa and even anusara. The thing that made it Tibetan Heart Yoga was a continual reference to practicing compassion and thinking about our loved ones through the challenging moments of the practice. It was a great class and her hands-on corrections were very helpful.

Rating: 7/10. I loved the class and the philosophy behind this style of yoga. However, it was hard to find a class time that worked for me, as they only offered four classes a week. Hopefully their new studio will offer more classes at different times.

Semperviva Sky

Back to Semperviva! I headed back to the intersection of yoga studios at Trafalgar and Broadway for a Friday night class to cap off my week. As I mentioned before, there are two Semperviva studios across the street from one another (Sun and Sky) and Yogacara studio across the street from that. Also, on this block are tons of wellness clinics and alternative medicine centers... it's almost scary how many there are, but I guess it's what you can expect in Kitsilano. I had been to this studio a couple times before on a previous promotion, so my experience is not entirely novel... however, I'll relate back to the first time I went there in this review.

What: Semperviva Sky

Where: 2582 West Broadway, Vancouver BC

When: June 11, 2010, 7:15pm-8:30pm

Class: Hatha

Teacher: Ingrid

Drop-In price per class: $18

Types of classes offered: Hatha, Yin, Kundalini, Prenatal, Postnatal, Vinyasa Power

Comments:

Space:

I remember the first time I cam to this studio. I was extremely confused as to where the actual studio was and how to get in. I of course went to the Sun studio first as that one had a sign visible from the street and a storefront. The Sky studio has very little signage except for a small sign that points you to go into a restaurant (Greens and Gourmet). I remember thinking "you have to go through a restaurant to get to the yoga studio?!?" I still find it weird. Anyways, yes you have have to walk through the restaurant to get to the studio. There was a small hallway/waiting area with benches and a small washroom outside the studio. No changerooms so you have to either come dressed for yoga or awkwardly try to get changed in a bathroom stall without any hooks to put your things on. There were only two walls in the women's washroom, and with Semperviva's draw, lineups tend to form. I really didn't enjoy the washrooms at all. they were dirty and in need of serious renovations. I think that they were also shared with the restaurant, which is not cool. Anyways, enough about that outside stuff, let's move on to the actual yoga space.

It was a fair size, with nice big windows to let in a lot of natural light. I didn't dig the carpet floors, though. There were of course Semperviva's ubiquitous blue mats laid out on the floor, but the majority were worn and had lost their stickiness. Bringing your own mat is highly recommended. There was a good amount of props, which was appreciated.

Atmosphere:

The studio was very bright and had a nice vibe. Not a lot of decorative elements except for a plant, some candles and some crystals in the front of the room. This is kind of what you can expect from all the Semperviva studios. Simply put, they were converted spaces. They serve the purpose of being a space for yoga, and things like nice washrooms and changing areas are less of a priority. As a last note, the street noise was quite loud and you could hear a lot of big trucks and engines revving outside on Broadway.

Teacher/Class:

As a hatha teacher, I always love to attend hatha classes to learn new things to encorporate into my own classes. Ingrid was an older woman (albeit ridiculously fit and flexible). She was a very kindhearted teacher and brought a great deal of powerful yogic wisdom to her class. The only thing was that she was a bit too soft spoken and spoke too fast for me. At times she was hard to comprehend. Her flow was great - it started out with some relaxing restorative poses and then moved through a more powerful vinyasa and warrior sequence. It was a great end to a long week.

Rating: 6/10 The studio was nice once you were doing yoga in it, but the washrooms really sucked and there was no changing area. This was my least favourite Semperviva studio. That being said, the location was great and very accessible. As an after-thought, I'm beginning to understand why Semperviva doesn't post pictures of their studios on their website....

Fitness Table TCP Vancouver

So far, I've been strictly reviewing yoga studios on the Passport to Prana card, but today I feel the need to break the rules a bit. Last week, I tried a very unique class that was introduced to Vancouver by one of my good friends, Katharine Ford. The method is called the Fitness Table and the style originated from Quebec under founder Therese Cadrin-Petit (TCP) in the 1980's. Katharine's business has grown as people begin to learn about the awesome benefits this method has to offer. For more information, visit www.fitnesstable.com or fitnesstablevancouver.com.

What: Fitness Table TCP

Where: 2nd Floor, 302 West 2nd Ave, Vancouver BC

When: June 8, 2010, 8:30am-9:45am

Class: Fitness Table Level 1/1+

Teacher: Katharine

Drop-In price per class: $28

Comments:

Space:

The Fitness Table classes are held in a small dance studio in the Cambie/False Creek area of Vancouver. The space had nice hardwood floors, mirrors and a nice lounge/front desk area. In this practice, the mirrors are key to gaining an understanding of your posture and alignment. The studio could fit 10 tables comfortably, which is the limit for each class.

Atmosphere:

Because this isn't a yoga studio, creating a beautiful meditative atmosphere was not necessarilty the goal of the owner, but I will say that the place was very welcoming and had a vibe of being well used and well loved.

Teacher/Class:

Because this is the first studio to open in Vancouver, I am probably guessing that you have no idea what it's about. A lot can be said about the Fitness Table method, and although I am certainly no expert, I can give you the low-down on how the classes are run and what this "table" stuff is all about. First - the table. Each student gets a table (hence the need to call in and reserve your table before class). The tables are made of wood and are composed of trestles and a table top shaped like a squarish peanut. The nooks in the table allow you to grip the table with the feet, arms or hands. The table allows you to stretch one or several parts of the body and perform various flexions, extensions and rotations below its surface.

The beginner classes use the table laying flat on both trestles but in more advanced classes, the table can be used on a slant. The classes are 75 mins and typically start with a gentle warm up off the table. Props such as small and large balls and straps are used throughout the class. The table work is primarily focused on core strengthening and posture alignment. One thing to note is that in order to participate, you need to attend a one-on-one postural evaluation with Katharine, which costs $70. This is only the beginning of the individualized nature of this practice.

Katharine's teaching style is super hands on and she does a great job of getting you to engage the proper muscle groups. Her language is very technical, but it's not overwhelming and plus it's nice to know exactly what muscles you're using. Even as a yoga and fitness instructor, I learned a great deal about my alignment and muscular kinetics. It's similar to pilates in its focus on core strengthening through breath and movement, but the table enables you to have more stability and leverage.

Rating: 8.5/10. I really recommend this class to anyone with postural or back problems. The drop in fee can be a bit pricey (along with the manditory $70 postural evaluation), but Katharine's individualized feedback and attention is well worth the money. The classes cater to multiple levels so there is no real prerequisite, which is a bonus.

Semperviva City

Yesterday, I found myself once again in the land of yoga studios, Kitsilano. I checked out Semperviva's city studio, located in a business complex (known as the Wawanesa building). It didn't have a storefront with a sign in the front - you kind of had to know it was there. When you came in, it fortunately lost that commercial feel and took on a yoga studio vibe. Here's what I thought of the rest...

What: Semperviva City Centre

Where: 100 - 1985 West Broadway, Vancouver BC

When: June 5, 2010, 11:15am-12:30pm

Class: Yin

Teacher: Cameron

Drop-In price per class: $18

Comments:

Space:

There was a nice-sized reception area upon entry. There you could peruse books and other stuff for sale while you waited for the main studio to open. As with all other Semperviva studios, there was no specific men's and women's changing area. There was just a space with cubbies and changing rooms (like in a clothing store) that was communal. There weren't any lockers, which was a bit of a drawback. Also, like the Kits Beach studio, the washrooms and water were in the main studio and you couldn't access it if there was another class going on. The main studio was definitely the show-stopper. The space was HUGE! It was shaped like an upside-down L and could fit probably 70 people in there. The class was packed but it didn't seem cramped at all. It was nice to see a lot of props and equipment available, with the signature blue mats that Semperviva has in all their studios. Their mats are not the nicest and are over-used, but they're free to use so you can't complain. I wish I had taken a picture of the space because Semperviva has NO photos of their studios on their website and I couldn't find one online. :(

Atmosphere:

This studio had better ambiance than the Kits Beach and Sun studios. It actually had ambient lighting! It's nuts how much of a different a few cheap Ikea lamps will make in a big space like that. However, the space didn't have that extra special touch that some other studios in the city have. It did serve its purpose to hold a large class. Semperviva is very popular so it's no wonder why they keep acquiring larger and larger spaces. One thing that I didn't like was that you could hear the toilet flushing from everywhere in the studio. It's a bit distracting when you're trying to come into a meditative state and you get distracted from a toilet flushing.

Teacher/Class:

The class I went to was a Yin class. If you're not familiar with this style, it is derived from the Taoist concept of yin that embraces a quality of softness, tranquility and moon-like characteristics. The practice involves passive relaxation rather than muscle conditioning. Poses are held for several minutes in order to get into the deep tissues and ligaments. It is not necessarily restorative yoga, but has some similarities in its use of props and passivity. The teacher, Cameron, was amazing! I had only been to one Yin class before, and his teaching really allowed me to gain perspective on what it was all about. When holding the stretches for long periods of time, your mind starts to go a bit crazy. The discomfort only starts to become more apparent, and you start to think only about when you'll be able to release. He described the feeling as "joyful discomfort". The goal is to fully embrace yourself in that experience, through that sensation, in that moment and to re-frame your consciousness towards a state of simply being. If you thought Bikram's was hard, try Yin. It is a whole different kind of hard. It is so difficult to keep your mind still in the moment, and to exist as you are in the asana, void of ambition, anticipation or definitions. It is truly a challenging thing! I really enjoyed the Yin practice and its philosophical and spiritual offerings. It was great!

Rating: 9/10. Semperviva's studios are always a great place to practice yoga. Although they do miss some elements in the ambiance department and in amenities, they do tend to have kick ass teachers, which is all that really matters, isn't it?

Yogacara

A couple of days ago I checked out Yogacara studio, located at what I want to call the yoga studio intersection of Vancouver at Trafalgar and Broadway. Three yoga studios on three corners (Semperviva the other two), not to mention many other yoga studios along those couple blocks!

What: Yogacara

Where: 2460 Trafalgar Street, Vancouver BC

When: June 1, 2010, 9:30am-10:30am

Class: Hatha

Teacher: Tomas

Drop-In price per class: $16

Comments:

Space:

The yoga space was right there as soon as you entered. There was a small front desk with a nice big buddha statue to greet you in the entrance. The room was a bit of an odd shape - sort of T shape with the teacher at the top of the T. It was a fair size and could fit around 15-20 mats. The mats were laid out nicely with a cushion and blanket for each. There was a lovely tea room near the entrance. Also, the place had an infrared sauna and one bathroom. It seemed a bit odd that there was a sauna and no showers, but maybe it's not for those really sweaty types. Who knows! Either way, the space was set up nicely and had a lot of props available.

Atmosphere:

Great ambiance! I loved the touches of red throughout the space - red mats, cushions and asian-style wall lanterns with lots of woody features. The floor had a treatment that made it look like it was made of straw. There was a large mural with big abstract Buddha images that complimented the space nicely. One really cute thing I noticed was the use of little faux jewels stuck on the furniture (like the kind you used to stick on stuff as a kid). Even the wall Buddha's third eye had a jewel! I loved the tea room and the complimentary lady fingers to go along with a nice cup of tea after class.

Teacher/Class:

Tomas was a very soft spoken teacher. He had a very calming effect on the space, which was nice for me seeing as I had already taught a class at 6:30 earlier that morning. I needed to chill out and not do such a vigorous class, and that's exactly what I got! Well... we did do a TON of core work, which was interesting, because a lot of it had similarities to pilates and other more fitness oriented exercises. Nonetheless, the practice was grounded in yogic traditions, and we did some bandha work and pranayama. We didn't do a single down dog and it actually was kind of nice to go to a hatha class with a different flavour. I was really relaxed by the end - for sure slept through my savasana! There weren't too many participants, and most of them were older women. It was cool to chat with them after over tea.

Rating: 9/10. This was a lovely space and had a great atmosphere. No showers, but they weren't really necessary unless you sweated buckets in the infrared sauna. It was easy to get to and the class was a pleasure to attend.