So you’ve finally decided to jump on the bandwagon and start practicing yoga. Lament if you must the globalization of this ancient Eastern practice; the fact remains, with its ideals of harmony and health, yoga provides a great counterbalance to the hectic modern world.
Oh, blah blah blah. Everyone’s doing it, so you wanna do it too, right? You need to justify those 200 bucks you dropped at Lululemon anyway.
Maybe you’ll start with a video by Rodney Yee or Baron Baptiste to experiment at home, then upgrade to a registered class at a fitness centre. Or you might sample a few drop-in classes at studios around the city. Well, aren’t you smart? That’s exactly what I did. I visited four established local studios to see what they offered in the way of scheduling, variety of drop-in classes, and the styles of yoga they taught.
My first stop was The Yoga Loft on Whyte Avenue (www.theyogaloft.com). Though the reception area and changerooms are cramped, the studio itself is spacious. Warm yellow and orange walls lined by windows make it a beautiful (albeit hot) place to practice on a summer afternoon, or a cozy haven in the winter. For those who want a heart-pounding class in smaller groups, The Loft’s Ashtanga classes are a great way to go—a registered intro class to familiarize yourself with the postures is a definite must.
If you want a slower pace, check out their Yin Yoga class. Yin Yoga is designed as a complement to other forms of yoga, targeting connective tissues between muscles rather than the muscles themselves. In this practice postures are held for 3-5 minutes at a time, a slow pace which also helps meditation practice. Yin classes cost $12 and are offered Wednesday and Saturday afternoons on a drop-in basis.
My second stop was a fairly new Lotus Soul Gym location downtown in Little Italy (www.lotussoulgym.com). Because of its newness, the entire studio is immaculate and stunning. I was particularly struck by the welcoming nature of the staff and instructors. I tried out their Vinyasa Flow class—a method that comprises six series of postures that “flow” into one another, creating purifying heat and encouraging circulation and perspiration. The class is workshop-style with lots of individual instruction, and I felt a good sense of camaraderie with the other practitioners. The studio is well-equipped with heating lamps that kept everyone warm and limber. If you are looking for more personalized instruction and an intimate group setting, this may be the studio for you. Plus, after class you can take a stroll and indulge in the aromas emanating from the Italian Centre.
Once you familiarize yourself with the basics, you might try a different variation—like “hot” yoga. Bikram yoga is a series of 26 postures practiced in a hot and humid environment to deepen strength and flexibility and flush out bodily toxins.
So, my next stop was the Bikram Yoga Studio in Old Strathcona (www.bikramyogaedmonton.com). Bikram studios are always equipped with showers and changerooms—I highly recommend reviewing the website and their studio’s recommendations before attending your first class. Clad in booty shorts and tanktop, water bottle and extra towel in hand, the first thing to hit me when I entered the studio was the smell—to be expected, I suppose, given the number of bodies sweating into the carpet every day.
If you can get past the cramped space (I accidentally hit the girl beside me three times) and claustrophobic heat, the class is well worth it; you will sweat from places you never thought you could sweat from, and walk out refreshed and oddly energetic. If you like the idea of working out in a sauna and being constantly barked at by an instructor, try hot yoga.
A relatively new studio in Edmonton, Moksha Yoga (www.mokshayogaedmonton.com), also offers this style and operates with an environmentally conscious philosophy: their studios are built and cleaned with sustainable non-toxic supplies.
The last studio on my sampler list was Lion’s Breath downtown (www.lionsbreath.ca) to try Hatha yoga, a more classical (and common) form of yoga. Hatha is a more gentle, meditative form of yoga that uses asanas, breath, and meditation to connect mind and body. In this expansive second-floor studio, the setting sun shone through the space all through the class. With no mirrors to distract you, I found it a much more personal experience. Any concern I had about being awkward or uncoordinated dissipated as I concentrated on the moment-to-moment ritual. Our final savasana was enriched when the instructor came around with aromatherapy oil and gave us each a temple massage—a wonderful touch. This style and studio is well suited to those who are looking for mental exercise more than physical exertion.
Whatever you do, wherever you start, remember that yoga is a very personalized practice. My own journey began years ago in an Iyengar yoga class, which uses props to facilitate healthy posture and alignment (go to www.bksiyengar.com for more information). I learned how to properly align in the asanas and developed strength, stamina, and flexibility to boot. The greatest benefit was the balanced sense of self that crept into my every cell. Certainly better than any aerobic activity I’d ever tried.
