Category Archives: Seattle Yoga News

Yoga News Alert: New Yoga Studio Coming Soon to Richmond Beach

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Yesterday evening, my mom and I went to Richmond Beach for a walk after dinner. As I closed my car door in the upper parking lot of the Saltwater Park, ready to take the wooden stairs down to the beach, I saw, sitting off to the side of the sidewalk, by a tall shrub, a guy sitting on a rock staring off into the Olympic Mountains.

Immediately, I was drawn to the composition of this image; all the elements are there: blood-orange sun setting, mystical-looking mountain peaks, glistening blue ocean, contemplating man. You get the idea. It was one of those pictures you might see on calendars at Barnes and Noble, or on inspirational posters corporate HR people hang up to compensate for the decidedly non-inspiring ubiquitous gray cubicles.

I approached the guy, blurting out, “Do you want a picture taken?” He turned around, studying my mom and me for a moment. “No thank you,” he said, and then followed up, “Do you live around here?” “Just up the hill,” said I.

As if it was the answer he wanted to hear, right on cue, he handed us a flyer, “I’m opening a yoga studio here. You should check it out.” I scanned the yellow flyer in my hand, and thought out loud, “This is really weird. I teach yoga.”

And that’s how I met Glenn Tousignant, who’s opening a new studio in Richmond Beach, a neighborhood in the city of Shoreline, aptly named Richmond Beach Yoga.

My mom taking a picture of the sunset at Richmond Beach Park

This morning I met up with Glenn at the Richmond Beach Park again. We threw a frisbee around and talked about things, mostly yoga and meditation things (shocking, I know). Then after Glenn had had enough of running after my left-handed, embarrassing excuses for frisbee throws, we headed about a mile up the hill, where he showed me the studio space.

I always get a kick out of seeing when things are being built. It’s some sort of egotistical satisfaction of having an insider look at something that’s still coming into existence–unknown to the world–like a reporter getting the first scoop.

I looked at the floor covered in butcher paper and blue painter’s tape, imagining the bamboo hardwood floor underneath. I looked at the ceiling with wires running across, thinking of the decorative light fixtures that will shine down.

Glenn’s business partner is Angeline Johnston, whom I’ve actually met at LakeView Yoga in Bothell, and am happy to find out that she’s currently going through the 500-hour teacher training at Pacific Yoga with Theresa Elliott and Kathryn Payne, where I graduated from.

I have a feeling that these two will put together a great schedule for the Shoreline, North Seattle, and Richmond Beach community. Glenn’s already talking about having daily sits, Restorative Yoga, and he did not kick me out when I mentioned Alignment, so hooray!

“You know what’s crazy, we haven’t even known each other for even 24 hours,” I said to Glenn after he told me about his journey to here, a quaint beach town suburb (he’s from the East Coast, a city boy, etc.). However, he said something that makes me feel confident that Richmond Beach is in good hands.

While we were running around on the buff of the Beach Park, throwing a circular piece of white plastic in the air, talking about yoga styles and all their idiosyncrasy (or syncrazy), Glenn said, “You do yoga to ultimately sit, right. So eventually you just do enough for maintenance [to sit]. Yoga as an addiction is valid.” To that I say, hallelujah, brother.

So, if you live, work, go to school in this part of town, or just passing by, do check out Richmond Beach Yoga when it opens at the end of this month. It’s on 8th NW & Richmond Beach Road, and buses 301, 304, and 348 stop right in front of the parking lot.

I live less than a mile away from the studio, and if Glenn is cool with me not talking about the “English Bulldog determination and Bengal Tiger strength”, but rather stuff like, “Drawing up the inner corner of the outer eyes of the armpit chest”, you might see me show up as a sub from time to time as well.

I’m reminded that just last week, Bizeebee founder Poornima Vijayashanker tweeted about this Wall Street Journal article: Study: Yoga and Pilates Studios Poised for More Growth

If you’re looking to stretch your entrepreneurial muscles, starting up a yoga or Pilates studio may still be a safe bet, despite a profusion of them around the country.

Revenue for this niche is expected to increase over the next five years in the U.S. by an average annual rate of 5.0% to $8.3 billion, according to a report released Tuesday from consumer-research firm IBISWorld.

With that, I wish Glenn, Angeline, and Richmond Beach Yoga lots of success.

Richmond Beach Yoga under construction

Seattle Yoga News – A Cadaver Lab Course for Yoga Teachers and Body Workers

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I have to admit one thing first, I always find the term “body worker” to be somewhat amusing, but I guess that’s the industry standard, so there it is.

Okay, as some of you know, I have been working with the director of the Basic Cadaver Anatomy course at Bastyr University for the past couple months. It was been especially challenging to work with everyone’s schedule and availability *and* the instructor’s and the lab availability.

So, after what seems like mountains of emails, I’ve got the dates nailed. Unfortunately, I wasn’t able to accommodate with everyone’s schedule, but I’ve made it so that you can come to a portion of the training.

Costs:

There will be a total of three sessions of 4 hours each for a total of 12 hours. You can take each session individually, or you can take the whole thing for a 5% discount. The cost per hour is $35, making it $140 per session. The cost with discount for the whole course is $399 instead of $420.

Dates:

Saturdays October 2nd, 9th, and 16th from 1-5 PM

Location:

Bastyr University
14500 Juanita Drive Northeast
Kenmore, WA 98028-4966
(425) 823-1300

The University requires that there are at least 6 students for each class, and preregistration is absolutely necessary. If you know for sure you can attend one, two, or all the sessions, please contact me at nikki at nikkiyoga.com with the following information:

  • Institution/Company
  • Contact Person
  • Mailing address
  • Phone number

Please pass this on to anyone that you know would be interested. Thank you.

Here’s some information on the Cadaver Lab from the Bastyr website:

Basic Cadaver Anatomy For Health Professionals and Students

Course Benefits
The Basic Cadaver Anatomy course at Bastyr offers an opportunity for students and practitioners in every area of health care to review basic anatomy and to view the underlying structures of the body directly.

The course has two purposes:

  • To enhance the anatomy, physiology and kinesiology aspects of health care curricula
  • To provide a stand-alone review course for the established practitioner

Cadaver anatomy students represent many disciplines, including massage therapy, physical therapy, occupational therapy, rolfing, yoga, Heller body work, Alexander Technique, acupuncture, nursing, and dental hygiene.

Course Description
Experienced instructors ensure that all students have opportunities to view and touch the human body, as well as ask questions. Instructors are sensitive to students’ concerns about mortality and the body as a vessel of the spirit.

Course Outline

  • The muscles and structures of the back, upper and lower extremities
  • The brain and the muscles and structures of the head and neck
  • The muscles, structures and organs of the thorax and abdomen

Special requests for additional subject matter and special emphasis can frequently be accommodated.

Prerequisites
Prospective students should be well-versed in the subject of human anatomy. Students may prepare for the course through formal study or thorough exploration of the topic on their own.

cadaver lolcat

Seattle Yoga News: Benefit Class at Santosha Yoga for Girls Rock! Seattle

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Meghan Werner, a Seattle yoga teacher, is teaching a benefit yoga class at Santosha Yoga studio this Sunday, June 6 2010 at 2pm for Girls Rock! Seattle. GR!S is a non-profit organization dedicated to building positive self-esteem in girls and encouraging creative expression through music via their Rock ‘n’ Roll summer camps for girls & young women.

I met Meghan recently at the Seattle Street Yoga Teacher Training, and I’m so glad to have done so. Read more about Meghan and I’m sure you’ll see why she’s awesome too.

Santosha is a studio in the Madison neighborhood in Seattle. Here’s the Girls Rock Seattle Roar Yoga flyer.

Address:
2812 East Madison Street
Seattle, WA 98112-4872
(206) 264-5034

girlsrockseattleyoga

Seattle Yoga News: Improv and Yoga Stories with Threshold Ensemble at Samadhi Yoga

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A year ago, I took an Improv class taught by my friend Jed Rose, who’s on the ensemble with a group called Quiet Monkey Fight. After the series, we put on a show for our friends and family, and other willing and unwilling victims, at a theater in the Capitol Hill neighborhood of Seattle called Odd Duck Studio. There were moments of being a duck, moments of being a monkey, and many moments of being odd. One thing’s for sure, it was great fun.

Where am I going with this? What does this have to do with yoga?

Improv has a lot more to do with yoga than you might think. Specifically, it’s a lot about your ability to stay in the present moment. You’re not supposed to run off with a script in your own mind, but instead build on what your partners say. To do that, you need to keep up with their stories and connect with them.

So, if that all sounds good to you, and you have a story to tell, check out this upcoming event hosted by Soleil Hepner of YogaBlaze and Samadhi Yoga in Seattle: HEARTFIRE @ Samadhi – Yoga Stories with the Threshold Ensemble, a Playback Theater Group.

The theme of the event is: How has Yoga inspired, challenged, & changed you?

From the event description:

Unfold the heart of your personal (yoga) story through PLAYBACK THEATER – spontaneous re-enactments with music, movement and improv. Let’s celebrate our yoga community together – through story and play.

When: May 8, 2010 from 7:30pm to 9pm
Where: Samadhi Yoga – Capitol Hill, 1205 E Pike St.
Contact: SAMADHI YOGA – 206-329-4070
Event link: YogaBlaze Events

Bonus: There’s a suggested donation of $15. I will be out of town and won’t be able to make it. So, if you would like to go, please let me know and I’ll put your name on the list (yup, just like “goin’ to da club!”). Okay, I actually just have one ticket, so first come first serve!

So then I decided to take up yoga...

So then I decided to take up yoga...

Study Sanskrit in Seattle with Kathryn Payne

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Two years ago, when I decided that I would enroll in a yoga teacher training, I had no idea that I would be learning Sanskrit. Quite frankly, I didn’t even know such a thing existed, that’s how “not with it” I was. And now, I cannot be more glad to have been exposed to this ancient language, and that I have access to continue my studies with American Sanskrit Institute teacher Kathryn Payne.

This coming May, 2010, you too, can read Sanskrit. No, really, that’s not an exaggeration or me just being facetious. It’s a promise. Kathryn will be conducting two workshops, Part 1 taking place May 22-23, and Part 2 on May 29, and I whole-heartedly recommend them.

From the flyer:

The first step in learning Sanskrit is to develop an intimacy with its sounds; become familiar with their exact location, feeling their force and power, and the unique way they vibrate the palate and engage the breath. Above all, enjoying sound is at the heart of our program.

The 14 hour Sanskrit Training is an educational adventure that will give you a permanent connection to the beauty and energy of Sanskrit as well as a dynamic model of yoga in the classroom that supports a natural and effortless focus.

Knowledge of Sanskrit makes it possible to grasp the subtleties of yoga, whose body of teachings are written in Sanskrit. Since ancient times the practice of yoga has included the study of Sanskrit and the chanting of Sanskrit mantras to induce calm and clarity in meditation.

Sanskrit is integral to yoga – its pure and sacred sounds essential for harmonizing and balancing the mind. This Sanskrit training will teach you how to approach the language of yoga – as a yoga – that is both enjoyable and inspiring.

By the end of a weekend you’ll be reading this sutra, savoring the precise pronunciation and pure energy of Sanskrit, and gaining direct access to the ancient wisdom of yoga encoded in this sacred language.

Where:
Sound Yoga in West Seattle
5639 California Ave Southwest, Seattle WA

When:
Part 1 – May 22 and 23, 2010
Saturday and Sunday, 11:00 a.m. – 6:00 p.m.
Part 2 – May 29, 11 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.

Tuition:
Part 1 – $225
Part 2 – $95
Refundable less $25 by May 14, 2010.

Contact:
Kathryn Payne
kp@islandyogacenter.com
206.778.5805

Get the printable flyer: Kathryn Payne’s Sanskrit Workshop May 2010

You'll read this by the end of the weekend with Kathryn

You'll read this by the end of the weekend with Kathryn

When One Door Closes

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Last week I told you guys that a climbing gym where I had been teaching Yoga for Climbers decided to discontinue the program. As someone who enjoys synthesizing the two together big time, I was bummed for not having a place to share that with my fellow climbers and yoga practitioners.

Two days later, an awesome email arrived in my inbox, and I had to laugh out loud while reading it. You know that U2 song, She Moves in Mysterious Ways? I immediately thought of it, and shook my head smiling, thinking, “Okay, the Universe, you’ve got me. I surrender.” All those cheesy self-help feel-good things that you hear started flashing through my mind. Sure, people say when one door closes, another opens. But there is sometimes a long hallway in between, and wow, this one opened almost immediately right after the other one closed.

What happened that got me so jazzed? Check out the email I received and you’ll see:

My name is Danielle, I have very recently opened a yoga studio and outdoor excursion company in Ballard: Backside Bow. Most of our yoga classes are based around outdoor, “action sports” or “surf, snow, and dirt” (climbing, biking, surfing, snow). The Bow’s purpose is to create a community around healthy living, the outdoors, and yoga. Bringing all outdoor creatures to yoga, and yoga to them. Also, there’s the hope that this will bring the different outdoor communities together!

I have heard great things about you and your teaching. I would be very interested in sitting down with you to talk about the classes you have been teaching, ideas, and your availability or interest in teaching more yoga for climbers classes. Please, let me know if this is something you’d be interested in talking about further.

Would I be interested? Hell yeah! And talking about it further I did. This morning I met Danielle Harvey, an inspiring young woman who grabbed the bull by the horns, followed her passion, and opened Backside Bow, a yoga studio for anyone who likes to play outside with snow, water, and dirt.

We spent almost two hours talking about everything from being an entrepreneur, to marketing, to Danielle’s vision for the outdoors and yoga worlds to collide, and everything in between. (When two women with crazy love and ambition for yoga meet, long conversations are sure to ensue.) So, you’ll be hearing more about Backside Bow from me in the future. For a sneak peek, I’ll be teaching there twice a week:

  • R&R Yoga on Sunday nights, 7-8:30 p.m. starting April 4, 2010.
  • 8-week Intro series of Yoga for Climbers, Wednesday nights, 7:45 p.m. – 9:00 p.m. starting May 5, 2010.

In the meantime, here’s a short video of Danielle talking about her vision at Backside Bow. And if I can tell you something a guy named Tom once said, it’s that life is really, truly a box of chocolates, and if something tugs at you, just run like the wind blows.

Backside Bow Yoga Studio in Ballard, Seattle.

Backside Bow Yoga Studio in Ballard, Seattle.

Press:

KOMO: Backside Bow ties yoga to outdoor sports
Ballard News Tribune: 23-year-old creates her dream job

Yoga as a Service – A Case Study

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This is a case study in how a yoga program works, or doesn’t work, in a non traditional yoga setting.

A couple things first:

+ I realize that teaching is a service, any kind of teaching. I called this Yoga as a Service because in the tech world, there’s SaaS, or Software as a Service, where the benefits are touted as superior. (I won’t go into details here, or we’d be here all day.)

+ As I write this, it reminds me of a New York Times article, Rolling out the Yoga Mat, describing the current trend where yoga is becoming part of a service package, especially in hotels and resorts. “Yoga is becoming a must-have amenity,” on the order of Internet access, said Chekitan S. Dev, a professor of marketing at the Cornell University School of Hotel Administration.

Background: The Story

I’ve been climbing for about 8 years, and the more that I do it, the more that I realize there’s a whole art and science to it, just like yoga. There’s the physical aspect, and then there’s the mental aspect, and there’s the dedication, the perseverance, and the patience with time. (Sounds like sutra 1.14, doesn’t it?)

Ever since I got my teaching certification, I have wanted to combine the similar aspects of yoga and climbing, and teach yoga specifically for climbers. I approached the manager at Gym A, a climbing gym in Seattle, last April, and was first told thanks but no thanks. Some time passed, and I was approached about six months later about teaching there. I don’t really know what happened, but my guess is that another gym in town, Gym B, started to offer free yoga, and that had something to do with it. In any case, I was ecstatic!

We decided to start in January of 2010, and at first it was offered for free for the gym members. Gym A has a work out room separate from the climbing area, and I decided it would be best to use that space since it would provide a firm surface. The space would hold 8 people, max, and we started a registration list. Soon the list grew so big that they had to be wait-listed, and we decided to have two classes. In exchange for my teaching, I would get a membership at the gym for free.

With the popularity of the yoga program, Gym A management decided to charge a fee for the class the following month. That’s where the number retracted considerably, understandably so, because, well, free is a great price. Gym A made it a requirement to be a member to take the class, and charged for a series of monthly 4 classes. Later, a drop-in fee of $12 would be added. As the classes are not free, I would be paid to teach them.

After two months of offering paid yoga, the popularity, or lack thereof, indicated that it wasn’t a profitable endeavor, and Gym A asked if I would go back to teaching for free in exchange for a membership. I thought things over, and proposed that I would, on the condition that I would teach twice a month instead of four times a month. Gym A then decided to scrap the program altogether, citing that the classes would only make sense if there were dedicated space.

I am bummed upon hearing this, because I greatly enjoy the marriage of yoga and climbing, and enjoyed teaching the classes and getting to know more fellow climbers. In retrospect, I think there are some things that I’ve learned from this, and I’m writing this post as a case study, so that perhaps you too, can learn something from my experience, and can perhaps offer your insight into this too.

Post-Mortem: What Didn’t Work

+ Space. The space availability was a factor in deciding how to structure the various ways we would run the yoga program. The constraint made it hard to account for drop-ins, which could vary widely, so a preregistration was enforced. Because of this, we first asked for a 4-week commitment, which probably turned some people away.

+ Time. The only time that I could teach was in the morning, from 7-8:30 a.m. Because the workout room sees more traffic in the evenings, Gym A management didn’t want to cut in that time to dedicate to yoga. This makes it hard for people who work early or have to commute a long distance to go to work to do yoga before work.

+ Location. This, I believe, is one of the shortcomings of my yoga class. The location of Gym A is in a part of town that’s not on the way to anything. It is a destination, and it takes dedicated time to go there. If you have to go to work, it would add a minimum of an hour just in transit.

+ Membership Constraint. I had a student who is currently not in class this month at Gym A, but instead going to my other yoga classes at another studio. This is because you had to be a member of the gym to take yoga, and she didn’t renew her monthly pass. I think if this was available to anyone who was willing to pay a drop-in fee, there would have been a larger group of people to appeal to.

+ Marketing & Communication. One morning as I walked through the gym with my skeleton, Bob, someone who was there climbing asked what that’s for. “For Yoga,” I said. “There’s yoga here?” she asked, astonished. I was equally astonished. You would have thought that with the poster up for two months in various places in the gym, that *everyone* would know about it. I think that’s where we made the mistake, of assuming that the flyers on the wall would do an adequate job of creating awareness.

Come and think about it, the gym does not send out newsletter, does not tweet, does not do any sort of mass communication. Unless I physically show up and read the announcements taped to the wall, I as a member would have no idea that there was a new workout room put in, or that there’s a competition coming up and certain parts of the gym will be closed, or that there’s yoga offered in the morning.

+ The Teacher (Me). There is also the possibility that people just did not enjoy my classes and style of teaching as well, and so they did not come back. If so, why did they come back during the month when the classes were free? Maybe free yoga is free yoga, even if you don’t like the teacher?

You might ask, “Well, how come the classes were busting at the seams before?” I don’t really know. Maybe it was January and there was more resolve for an early morning yoga practice. My guess is that the inconvenience of time and location may have been made up by the fact that the classes were free. If you’d be willing to drive out of your way to a gas station in another part of town to save a few pennies per gallon, you’d be more willing to rearrange your schedule for free yoga.

Where To Next?

As for me, I’m still convinced yoga and climbing go great together, and I’ll continue to explore ways to teach yoga for climbers. I also think that yoga is a great service that a climbing gym can offer, and it could even sway someone to become a member of one gym vs. another. Then again, I don’t run a climbing gym, so that’s just a speculation.

I wonder how the hotels and resorts are packaging, pricing, and advertising their yoga offerings? Do you know? What are your thoughts or insights about yoga as an added service?

Cat climbing on a door

Blind Items Yoga

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In self reflection, I realized that I have developed a few traits over the years, like a certain sense of skepticism and snarkiness, all wrapped in a tongue in cheek live and let live perspective. I’d like to think that I can blame this on the years and years of reading websites like Gawker and Pajiba, but perhaps they’re just catalysts and convenient scapegoats.

One fun Gawker column is Blind Items, or #blinditems, where the author entices you with questions about lives of people you’d really like to care less about, such as, Which Famous Couple Is Splitting and Getting New Boyfriends? Resistance is often futile.

I think the lure of the Blind Items column is that it invokes our inner Nancy Drew, Hardy Boys, Sherlock Holmes, Clue, etc. It gives us a rush of excitement to try to figure out Who Dun It. Oh, and of course, it gives us gossip. So, in the spirit of Blind Items, I introduce to you Blind Items Yoga, an occasional reporting on things that the wind from the rumor mills brings me.

To start with, here’s one for all you in the Seattle area.

Which yoga studio is packing people in wall-to-wall, and telling earnest students that they should come an hour early to get their spot, and refusing to refund passes if the yoga student just isn’t *that* earnest?

Oh, and if the wind from the rumor mills ever asked you for direction, you’re more than welcome to whisper in its ears: “Blind Items Yoga”.

Is it elementary, Watson?

Is it elementary, Watson?

State of The Union in Nikki Yoga News, March 2010

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Here in Seattle, there’s an indie alternative newspaper called The Stranger, wherein there’s a column called Last Days, which accounts for notable news of the last days in the last week, and it’s the inspiration for this blog’s format in Nikki Yoga News (NYN).

My Heart Will Go On

  • The 2nd installment of Intro to Yoga at Taj Yoga is off and running, starting Wednesday March 3, 2010, from 6:00 – 7:15pm. As always with Intros, for the next 7 weeks I will take the students through a rousing round of the different types of yoga postures, breath work, and dabble into the philosophy of what makes yoga, well, yoga. I’m glad to see new faces as well as familiar old ones from the previous Intro session. It’s always a ton of fun to get to work with students for an extended amount of time.
  • The 10th, yes, 10th! session of my 500-hour Yoga Teacher Training at Pacific Yoga came and went this past weekend of March 5-7, 2010. That means there are only 2 sessions left and I’ll be a 500-Certified Yoga Teacher (CYT). Big excitement! Big responsibilities! What does this 500 CYT business mean? It means I’ve gone through a certain amount of training that meets the Yoga Alliance standards at the 500-hour level [PDF].
  • Cora Wen, a long-time yoga teacher who has been tagging the world with headstands, or sirsasana, came to Seattle on Thursday March 4, 2010, and we got to hang out and had big fun talking about The State of the Yoga (Union). Har, har. I’ve gotta go for those cheap jokes when I can, ya know. Cora and I met up with Karen Lindenberg, owner and teacher of Phyzz Yoga, and we did some Down Dogs against the Seattle skyline at Volunteer Park.
  • Then, a little virus caught up with me on Friday. All those days of having fun in the sun and “we go deep and we don’t get no sleep ’cause we be up all night until the early light” caught up with me. Throw in some questionable milk at a coffee shop, and I was done for. Being sick has always given me perspectives on appreciating exactly what is, and that my health is my wealth.

Somewhere Out There

  • I’m starting the next Yoga for Newbies series at Village Green Yoga this Thursday, March 11, 2010, from 7:00 pm – 8:30 pm. Hooray! I’ll be looking forward to new and familiar faces there.
  • This weekend, March 13 and 14, 2010 I’ll be back assisting the fabulous trio of Theresa, Kathryn, and Paul at the Pacific Yoga 200-hour Teacher Training.
  • I’m starting a new class called Yoga Happy Hour at Taj Yoga, where the emphasis will be more on working with the breath and doing restorative yoga poses. It’s on Friday afternoons from 5:30-6:45pm. As you know, starting anything new is a little bit of a risky adventure, and I’m trying to see if this time slot will work. I’m asking for your help to please let all your friends who live and work in the Crown Hill/Ballard/North Seattle area know!

Always On My Mind

  • Many, many projects are swirling around in my head right now. I’m feeling awfully creative. My right brain is seriously working over time right now. I’m interviewing local yoga teachers in a Support Local Yoga Teachers project. If you are a yoga teacher, please let me know if you would like to be interviewed!
  • I’ve been designing greeting cards and shirts in the theme of tongue-and-cheek quirky sayings.
  • The 200-hour Yoga Teacher Training has started at Pacific Yoga, and what a privilege it is for me to get to assist teachers Theresa Elliott in Asanas, Kathryn Payne in Pranayama, and Paul Bubak in Anatomy. It’s also great fun for me to get to know the next class of yoga teachers.

All I Have To Do Is Dream

  • Spring is around the corner, and I’ll be teaching a workshop for a Smoother Sun Saluation at Village Green Yoga on Saturday, March 27, 2010. 9:30 – 11:30 am.
  • I’m officially enrolled in the Traditional Yoga Studies 800-hour Distance Learning Course on the History, Literature, and Philosophy of Yoga, written and designed by Georg Feuerstein. I’ll be starting this after my graduation from the 500-hour Training in May.
  • I’m really enjoying teaching Yoga for Climbers at Stone Gardens climbing gym, and looking for ways to create videos for my climbing homies from far-away. Mini-vids are in the work, oh yeah.
  • I am actively working on another series of interviews and biographies on the senior and pioneer yoga teachers in the Pacific Northwest. If you have any information on any teachers who started teaching in the 60s and 70s, or even earlier, please, please let me know.
Drive, Reverse, Neutral, Park, Drive, Reverse, Neutral, Overdrive, Neutral...

Drive, Reverse, Neutral, Park, Drive, Reverse, Neutral, Overdrive, Neutral...

Seattle Yoga News – Studio Closing, Opening, and Name Changing

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The Yoga studio scene in Seattle is seeing some changes as we transition from February to March.

+ Om Yoga of Redmond is closing its doors after 2 years. Owner Karen Herold is an amazing woman for having a full time executive job, coaching her daughters’ sports teams, and of course, teaching and running a small business. Kudos to her for having realized her dream, and I wish her lots of happy and joyful “me” time. The last day for Om Yoga is March 6, 2010.

+ Hot Yoga of Issaquah is officially Terra Yoga. On Saturday, March 6, 2010, there will be an open-house celebration with food and music between 1:00 p.m. and 3:00 p.m., and a dedication at 2:00 p.m. Owner Carina Ostebovik renamed the studio after her middle name, Terra. The old name also no longer reflects the diverse styles offered in the space.

+ West Side Yoga and Doga is a new studio that just opened this past week, with the opening night on February 20, 2010. Since Ashtanga Yoga School closed in 2007, there hasn’t been a pure traditional Ashtanga school in Seattle (that I know of). West Side Yoga Doga seems to be filling in that gap. The web site also says that they are the only Doga studio in the US. Here’s wishing them the best, and as Neil Young would say, “long may you run”!

Good bye, hello, and godspeed!

Good bye, hello, and godspeed!