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?