Tour of South Boston Yoga Studio

After meeting all the other SBY teachers and taking a tour of the new studio yesterday, I can barely contain my excitement. :)

The studio is going to be right next door to an organic cafe called Sophia's. There's ample parking, and it's literally just steps away from the Red Line Broadway T Stop. I was a little nervous about getting lost, but the place is really easy to find.

The studio will have a dedicated yoga wall with ropes and straps for lots of cool back traction poses. There will even be a yoga swing hanging from the ceiling!!!! (Ah, how I miss the days of blissful yoga monkeying around at Boustany's old yoga studio in Houston.)

We're all striving to maintain the greenest possible space for yoga students. The mats and props will be eco-friendly, as well as all the cleaning products and sanitizers to be used in the studio.

I think the most striking thing about SBY is the diversity amongst its teachers. Even though most classes will be vinyasa-based, you'll get an insightfully different experience with each teacher. No two teachers are alike at this studio! Our differences in personalities, priorities, sequencings, teaching styles, and passions give students the opportunity to learn so much more. I suspect the one thing we do have in common is that we all teach to help others. We really enjoy watching students grow both on and off the mat.

As of now, I'm scheduled to teach at SBY on two different days: Tuesdays 7:30-9pm and Thursdays 4-5:30 pm. I'll confirm this once everything is finalized.

If you ever make it to Texas...

You must take a class with Ann Hyde and Robert Boustany, two of the best yoga teachers I've ever had the pleasure of meeting.

I just returned from a week-long trip in Houston, TX. Most of the trip was spent wedding planning (yay! and ick), and the rest was spent in sheer yoga bliss with Ann and Robert. I took vinyasa-based yoga with Robert on two nights and Forrest yoga with Ann on two mornings.

Robert reminded us that despite all the mad crazy tangled up intense poses we do, none of it mattered. What really matters is how present we are. How just observing and paying attention to what is true in ourselves is enough. The breath is true. The more I just paid attention to my breath without controlling or navigating it, the more pervasive it became inside and outside of my body.

Ann has such a wonderful sense of humor. She managed to keep all of us in good spirits, even through the infamous Forrest ab exercises! I was very appreciative of her smart, compassionate, and extremely effective hands-on adjustments; having a busy teaching schedule myself, I rarely have the privilege of taking from other teachers, much less getting adjusted. Ann has a way with words. Her soothing voice and articulate yet succinct instructions kept me going strong, even through the most physically intense moments. It was truly a gift to be around Ann's boundless energy.

From Ann's and Robert's classes, I was reminded that doing a flawless handstand is not the point. It's the experience that matters. What am I feeling? Am I present? Can I breathe in more space? Can I appreciate exactly what I'm doing right now?

Each breath, even the silences in between, is an experience. To experience a breath, to let it be, and to not judge it is being in the now.

South Boston Yoga Website

South Boston Yoga's website is now up but still under construction, so be sure to check back for future updates. Here it is: www.southbostonyoga.net.

And of course, I'll let you know when the studio opens for classes!