Yoga Glow at Fernwood | Niles, MI

The original hot yoga, or at least that's what I was thinking when we ventured out near the river at the Fernwood Botanical Gardens to do some yoga. 

LOCATION: With my trusty Waze app I took off from Champaign this morning, luckily early (as I forgot there was a time change between here and Michigan). So grateful as I entered the grounds of Fernwood Botanical Gardens (which, by the way, had amazing signage along the way because it's a tourist attraction). Parked my car (for free) in the shade on this 100°+ day and walked up to the main entrance that smelled amazing. Thinking back on it now, it smelled like dried flowers... which may very well be the case in this heat. Regardless, it was a warm (pun intended?) welcome. At the front desk I asked about the yoga class, but I was the first one there so neither of us were sure if this class was really going to happen. So I looked around a bit, checked out the bathrooms (standard bathroom setting), filled up my water bottle, and looked at the art (beautiful photography by Sharon Beals). A second yogi showed up, so I was hopeful. Then our instructor showed up and we chatted whether to practice inside or outside. We braved it and opted for outside. As we walked down the pathway I was able to peek at some of the gardens set up, then we ventured into the woods (thank goodness our instructor grabbed the bug spray). We arrived at a wooden platform with benches to set up. It was beautiful. 

STUDIO:  How do you really top the beautiful outdoors? You can hear the river noises, little squirrels and birds chirping about, sunshine peeking through the leaves, and the view so relaxing. Even with the tempature at a heat index of 110°. Nature's hot yoga! 

CLASS DESCRIPTION: This class is designed to support all levels and is held outside (weather permitting) within the gorgeous Fernwood Botanical Gardens in Buchanan. The natural beauty of the surroundings will delight your senses and inspire deeper connection in your practice. 

INSTRUCTOR: Deirdre Guthrie holds a PhD in Anthropology and has been teaching yoga since 1998 in San Francisco, Chicago, and Southwest Michigan's Harbour Country. Deirdre complete the Chicago Temple of Kriya Yoga's two-year advanced teacher training program and Seminary, apprenticed with Dynamic Yoga Teacher—Godfrey Devereaux in Ibiza, Spain, and is certified in Ayurvedic nutrition and deep-tissure massage. She has helped facilitate yoga workshops and retreats in Scotland, Mexico, California, Costa Rica, Puerto Rico, the Dominican Republic, and the Bahamas. Read Deirdre's Yoga Journal article! 

CONTACT: YogaGlow: Three Oaks

Deirdre had us start out laying down to do a lot of our work, because of the heat. But that didn't mean that our yoga wouldn't be challenging with some great focus on core. She slowly started to introduce some viniyoga, which I always recognize when we do this in other classes but never really knew what it entailed. The linked article includes most of the bits I read from different articles. From my little experience, viniyoga is gentle yoga that revolves around the breath (I know, all yoga does, but I don't know how else to explain this... in class, viniyoga always gets the whole classroom honestly focusing on their breath) and the movement is from one pose to another repeated.

The sun moved on us (ok, we moved on the sun), so we shifted to the other side of the deck that was shaded. This is where the viniyoga really came into play. To be honest, I'm losing details in my memory because I enjoyed the view so much. Every Virabhadrasana I (Warrior I) or lunge we went into had us gazing up into the trees. And when we'd go into Vrksasana (Tree Pose) the breeze would kick up (the hippy in me decided it was all the trees joining in). Basically, if you've never done yoga outside... find a class or just take your mat outside for your home practice. It really does heighten the experience.

We ended in a sivasana that was a little challenging as you felt the ants crawl on you, heard the flies buzz by your ear, or your mind wanders to the breaking of twigs in the distance (I enjoyed the thought of deer or other nosies watching us silly humans from a distance). Dierdre is a lovely instructor who didn't do any physical adjustments but was great at verbally walking us through the poses, stopping to correct us when needed. She is also working on a paddle board class (I've always wanted to try that) and shared workshop info with me coming up next weekend (see their website home page for details). This definitely has me wondering if I can sneak a class in at YogaGlow's studio to learn more about what this director is brewing up. 

I somehow was too distracted/forgetful to take pictures of the yoga spot, but here are a few pictures from the sculpture gardens (where that sweet lil red Elephant lives):

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Centre of Elgin | Elgin, IL

After a little research (oh yeah, reading their website may answer these questions, der), I realized that the Centre of Elgin was open to the public for drop-in classes (resident or not). So I clicked on their schedule a found a class that wouldn't interfere with volunteering at Elgin's Green Expo (NEOI's second collaboration) this weekend.  

LOCATION: I was born in Elgin, so it was quite easy for me to find. But even with quick directions, the Centre is on major roads and is a big beautiful building that is easy to find. Parking in Elgin is free (sweet!), so I parked in the parking garage across the street. On entering this beautiful building I spoke with the front desk to check in/pay and she gave me directions to the classroom. I wasn't paying close enough attention, so I found myself wondering which room I was suppose to set up in. Luckily a couple of ladies walked by with yoga mats, so I fell into line and followed them into the room. 

COST: For non-residents it is $8 for the drop-in fee, $7 for residents. They accept cards and cash. 

STUDIO:  They do have us in the "spin studio," so surrounding the room is all the bicycles. Which didn't get in the way, but often in classes we use the walls, and that wasn't an option for this class. It did help for balancing poses, you could just stand near a bike. There was a wall of windows overlooking the front of the Centre that brought in nice light, and the room were insulated well as I couldn't hear anything happening anywhere else. There wasn't a class next door, so I couldn't completely test it, but with an aquatic center nearby, vending machines outside the room, and the weight lifting down the hallway... I felt like it was tested well enough. This also offered a new formation in the classroom, everyone put their mats in a circle, the instructor included (which was easy to do with 10 people in the room).  

CLASS DESCRIPTION: There's a generic description for all the yoga classes: All levels! Reduce stress via deep breathing; increase strength, flexibility, and balance via structured poses... healing the body, mind, and spirit. The instructor, Danae, mentioned she teaches hatha. 

INSTRUCTOR: Danae Molitor—Having mastered almost every format in the Group Fitness genre, couple with over 20 years of teaching experience, Danae can be your go-to person for just about anything in the field of fitness. Don't let the pretty smile and warm demeanor confuse you. She can be quite the drill sergeant when it comes to upper body, lower body, and core work!

Maybe not the best description for your yoga instructor—especially if this is your first time visiting her class. With a little more research I found this bio on a different site: Danae began her journey to become a yoga teacher when she realized how much yoga helped her find balance in her life—physically, mentally, and spiritually—and wanted to share it with others. She has also been teaching Pilates for nine years and integrates core strengthening poses to enhance and support your yoga practice. All fitness levels are welcome and poses are modified to fit the needs of her students. Feel encouraged and supported as you connect with your mind, body, and spirit. 

CONTACT: Centre of Elgin

This is a fantastic introduction to yoga, while still adding a bit of challenge. Danae talks you through the entire class, starting you off slow with movement stretches—breathing and moving in and out of the stretch then landing in the stretch and holding for a bit. Once on our feet we moved into some standing poses—parsvottanasana (intense side stretch), utthita trikonasana (triangle), and parivrtta trikonasana (revolved triangle), and then she did a series (three times—I remember, because I was pooped by the end of the first one, lol) working from utkatasana (chair pose) to virabhadrasana I (warrior one) to virabhadrasana III (warrior three)—which worked our core nicely. We eventually made it down to the mat for so static stretching, as Danae called it, and then a nice sivasana. I would like to have seen a couple of warm up sun salutations, since that is so integral to traditional yoga, but a nice intro to yoga regardless that had me break a sweat, so I'm a fan! 

Thanks for sharing your yoga with me this beautiful Friday morning, Danae, namaste! 

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The Family Tree | Des Moines, IA

So I've said this in other reviews, but I want to take a moment to apply it to your general yoga studio knowledge. Most yoga studios don't have street signage. So, if you're driving to a studio for the first time, always include an extra 15 minutes to scope out the area (even with GPS), because you will most likely drive past the place three times before you know it's there. This extra time is definitely worth it, because I've always found it silly to stress myself out over going to a yoga class. I know we all do it from time to time, but in my head... I want to relax from the stress I already have, not use my class to overcome the stress of looking for the studio. Ok, on to the review!

LOCATION: In the art museum area of Des Moines, this location is pretty great. Amazing little neighborhoods of different architecture, great local shops, and if I had more time I'm guessing I'd discover fantastic local restaurants too. There is a free parking lot behind the house I didn't know about, so I ended up parking for free on the street a half a block away, no biggie. 

COST: I didn't see a credit card machine, so I'm guessing cash and check. I paid $15 for my drop-in fee. 

STUDIO: 1930s house converted into a yoga/massage studio. You should walk in the back door, off of the parking lot, to sign in and grab a glass of water in the kitchen. You can walk in the front door (like I did), but it will land you right in the middle of the class and feeling somewhat awkward (also, like I did). The first floor has a kitchen, bathroom (I think), living room, and dining room. The living room and dining room is where you set up for class, each section holding no more than 4-5 students, I'm guessing. Which is great, because it guarantees you some one on one time with the instructor. Upstairs houses three bedrooms each set up for massage rooms. The house is a clean, simple, warm (there's a fireplace in the living room I bet they use in the winter months), and welcoming set up. 

CLASS DESCRIPTION: Beginner's Yoga: The perfect place to begin. Discover yoga breath and simple poses to lengthen and strengthen your body while relaxing your mind. For students new to yoga, recovering from illness/injury, or those looking to brush up on the basics.
They offer a lot of family-orientated classes—prenatal, baby & me, and family yoga. I should have grabbed one of my nephews to test this out, but thought of it too late. Anyway, I wanted to share this aspect of the studio with you, since they focus on it more than some. 

INSTRUCTOR: Sarah completed a 200-hour level Hatha yoga certification through Tree House Yoga in Iowa City with James Miller. It was during her training at Tree House Yoga that she developed an interest and passion for Yoga Therapy and working one one one with individuals who are interested in developing a home practice that is designed with their particular needs and goals in mind. She is also currently enrolled at Body Wisdom School of Massage Therapy in Urbandale and looks forward to expanding her career in wellness. 

CONTACT: The Family Tree

What a wonderful way to learn yoga from the very, very beginning. I spoke with Sarah after class, and she said this series is based on teacher training, only instead of spending a whole week on the topic you only spend an hour on the topic... which is stripped down to the very basics to not overwhelm the newcomer.

The first half hour was spent talking about the origins of modern yoga (last week they talked about the origins of yoga in general, and Sarah reviewed it briefly). Topics like Shiva, Krishnamacharya, BKS Iyengar, Indra Devi (the first woman of yoga), and much more were brought up with only a couple sentences, but enough to get you more comfortable with understanding the full picture of yoga.

The second half hour was spent going over two poses. One was to review the pose from last week (downward facing dog modified against a wall), and the second was to introduce trikonasana (triangle pose) also against the wall. I like working with the wall, because it is an easy reminder of your alignment just by having your head, shoulders, back, and feet touching the wall... you know you're going into a pose correctly. And it's tricks like this that you can take home with you to work on more. Sarah talked about the importance of not curving over or collapsing into your pose so you can touch your toes, but to extend out through you head and arm to create a straight line from foot to finger tips. She worked with each student to modify for their past injuries or adjust appropriately for their body. And that was it. No savasana, no meditation, no vinyasas. It was really about starting off slowly and getting to know the poses and the background of yoga before even moving on to the next level. If you live in the Des Moines area, I can't encourage you more, if you're wanting to learn about yoga but honestly are nervous about starting. This class is made for you, and really is well-rounded way to discover yourself and yoga.

After class I had the pleasure of talking with Sarah for another half hour. She really has a genuine excitement over people learning about themselves and their health and wellness. She worked with me on a few issues I've been having, suggesting things I can do to practice through them. We chatted about what inspired this class (her teacher training, as mentioned above), and I apologized for walking into the middle of the class room during the third session. Thank you for sharing your energy and knowledge with me Sarah, namaste!

Oh! Yes! You should also know, it's pretty common for classes categorized as Beginners' Classes that they have a 8-9 week schedule in place. I'm guessing anyone would let you do a drop-in (as Sarah kindly did with me), but you really should get the full benefit of these classes and start when the schedule starts. If I had done more research I probably would have discovered I was crashing a series, but then you wouldn't get to learn all the weird things to avoid when taking your first class. Seriously, this blog has liberated me from fearing awkwardness, thank you for encouraging me to check out studios and fumble through with a sense of humor I eagerly look forward to sharing with you! I'm definitely enjoying my journey with you! 

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Living Yoga Center | Urbana, IL

LOCATION: Living Yoga Center is in downtown Urbana, upstairs from Crane Alley. There are two entrances to the studio, but the more common-used one is off the upstairs level of the parking garage it's attached to... you do have to pay for parking in this area, but the parking garage is only 50¢ for the first two hours.
COST: You'll have to go to their website to see the drop-in fee. I signed on for the monthly fee of $65, which allows me to take as many classes I want, along with a few other benefits.
STUDIO: A beautiful space... with two bathrooms, a changing room, a kitchen, a lobby-like area with free tea, and the studio itself is always a breath of fresh air for me. The studio is painted a happy yellow, has a wall full of windows bringing in wonderful light (and privacy, since it's on the second floor).
CLASS DESCRIPTION: The classes I choose are based on when I can make it in the middle of the day... for a while now I've been taking mostly flow classes (with one Hatha in there on Monday mornings)—A stimulating and creative practice that focuses on integrating strength, flexibility, alignment, and awareness through a dynamic sequence of asanas linked by the breath.
INSTRUCTOR: My regular instructors are Hayli and Jenna, with a dose of Mary, Steve, Deb, and Kerry when schedules spoil me. All the instructors at LYC offer wonderful instruction, but I am definitely drawn to Hayli since she as my first instructor (it's like yogic imprinting or something, lol). For full bios on everyone, please visit the site, but i will highlight Hayli in my review. Hayli Peterson has been practicing yoga since 1998 and teaching since 2003. She has trained with Shiva Rea and teaches her flow classes in the Vinyasa style, a stimulating and invigorating practice that focuses on moving the body with the breath while allowing students to work at their own ability level. She also studied and is trained in traditional Ashtanga and Hatha yoga by Yoga Vidya Gurukul in Nasik, India. This is where she derives most of her gentle yoga technique from and teaches these classes with the emphasis on maintaining comfortable, relaxing, and steady postures. She is a certified Massage Therapist with her practice on the same floor as the Living Yoga Center. She also has her MBA through the University of Massachusetts - Amherst and works with her father at Financial Synergy, Inc doing tax accounting and financial planning. Most importantly she has three amazing children and a fabulous husband that are the center of her life.
CONTACT: Living Yoga Center

When I decided to switch from The Refinery to Living Yoga Center I knew I had made the right decision just walking into the studio. The space instantly felt like home to me. What surprised me, was it never occurred to me that Hayli and Steve also feel more comfortable at LYC too. They knew their students well here, and could help the class move along at different levels with ease. It was here I participated in my first oms, my first class longer than an hour, had beautiful passages read to me at the end of a savasana, and my first steps down a lifelong journey with yoga. It's so exciting, looking back on what is probably my year anniversary with LYC.

Each instructor has offered new ways for me to learn about my body and how it should play with the poses. Each class offers me a break in the middle of the stressful work day to breathe, find joy, relax, re-energize, and just be in my own special space on my mat every day. It is here that I have found patience in myself, excitement in my short-comings (knowing I found a starting point to chart my progress), amazement in my capabilities, confidence in my true self, beauty in the people I'm surrounded by, and constant wonderment in where yoga can take the mind, body, and soul.

Yoga's Reach

It is a wonder
how a simple stretch
deepens breath,
and an elegantly held pose
grows to touch the
whole of me.

Like sugar stirred into tea,
the potency
of yoga spreads
from body into mind
and heart, revealing
an ocean of energy
that heals and opens,

holds me close
and sets me free
all in the same moment.

—Danna Faulds

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