YYoga Northshore Elements

This week I ventured over to beautiful Lynn Valley in North Van to check out yet another YYoga installment. It was, as usual, absolutely stunning and the lovely location made the experience extra special.

What: YYoga Northshore Elements

Where: 231-1233 Lynn Valley Road, North Vancouver BC

When: July 20, 2010, 9:30am-11:00am

Class: Flow

Teacher: Chloe

Drop-In price per class: $15-20

Types of classes offered: Hatha, Anusara-Inspired, Kids Yoga, YHot, Flow, Power, Core, Pilates, Yin, Beginner Classes


Space:

Located in Whistler-style Lynn Valley Village, this studio was placed in a lovely valley with mountains in the background and gave off a real "BC" feel. The studio itself did not fail to live up to YYoga's reputation for premiere spa-like facilities. There was a large reception area with a little shop and beautiful changing areas. I always liked the fact that YYoga had complimentary lockers. It does make a difference for some people. The main studio was very large and had an awesome view of the mountains. There was another one a couple doors down (I don't think it was connected to the main areas) that had a lot more props and Iyengar-style ropes hanging from the wall and such. I loved the bamboo floors and the lighting in the space. There was also an infrared sauna, which was mint! It was deluxe.

Atmosphere:

I got a great vibe from this studio. It didn't come off as pretentious as the downtown YYoga locations. I consider the North Van yogis as people who just really live a "BC" life. In other words, North Van has a lot of outdoorsy people with families and good jobs that appreciate the finer elements of life. I saw a lot of these people here. All in all, the atmosphere was very spa-like and the front desk staff made sure you were well-taken care of.

Teacher/Class:
I attended a Flow class, which pretty much translates to a mix between hatha and vinyasa and power. Chloe was an excellent teacher and her style was very focused on proper alignment and engagement of the muscles. I liked that she started out by talking about the concept of a "higher self" and how yoga is really just a metaphor for life. It was refreshing to hear about these concepts in a new way. Her class was pretty advanced, and I was surprised there were so many men around me who were super strong and flexible. I learned a few new ways to get into more advanced poses and took away some great sequencing ideas. It was a 90 minute class and I can't really think of a pose that we didn't do. It was packed chock full of warrior sequences, balancing poses and long holds/stretches. Definitely a class that leaves you feeling invigorated and proud of yourself. It was awesome!

Rating: 10/10 If you live in North Van and have a car (it's kinda hard to get here by transit), this studio is one of the best. It's got everything you need for the full yoga experience. Plus, there's awesome coffee shops and boutiques in the same complex for post-yoga chilling.