namasté your way in
Akasha Yoga
Nowadays, in California, it seems there's just as many yoga venues as there are bars and Starbucks on every corner. Although your doses of caffeine and happy hours are accessible and can be a temporary remedy, it can drain your energy and your bank account with very limited health benefits.
With the popularity of Yoga and pop-up studios, it may be overwhelming to figure out which studios to venture into without feeling intimidated by some of those incredibly flexible students, hot rooms and chanting. However, you don't have to be a Yoga guru by any means. Just like any fitness regimen, it takes time to master exercises. Even with Yoga it's a discipline, and it starts with simply willing to be open with yourself and your potential.
I admit, I'm a yoga junkie, checking out new yoga spots, addicted to yoga pants, with a zeal to live a stress-free and balanced lifestyle. Flashing back, I'll never forgot my first yoga experience - it was awkward, unfamiliar, and I was so unbalanced - I didn't get it. Yet I felt compelled to step onto the mat, boldly shaking through my downward dogs. Honestly, the practice of yoga spoke to me and opened up a new door on a personal, spiritual, and fitness level - plus I slept like a baby. It challenged me in so many ways offering up a new found discovery, with breathing, and stretching my body in ways that I had never experienced. With every wobbly warrior pose, chair pose, uttanasana (forward bend), and chaturanga (low push up), I embraced my weakness and eventually became comfortable my vinyasa flow.
Essentially yoga can be defined as oneness, unity, and a journey into the self. Ultimately, it's an opportunity to look inward and find yourself and possibly be enlightened. The challenges that come with learning yoga are key to your growth on a physical and mental level. Being able to calm your mind, to silence your inner voice that critiques and makes noise, to overcome the doubt, pushing yourself through every pose, to hold, to breathe, and to just show up to a class are all a part of the process.
Luckily, to help you find your Zen is Jamie Testa and Carolyn Thomas owners of Akasha Yoga Studios - a local business from Vacaville and Davis, California. Having met the folks doing some good for their community, I was able to sit with the owners to discover what inspired their journey with Akasha Yoga and what their studio had to offer. Unique instructors who are smart, thoughtful, kind, and engaged, guide a variety of inspiring classes for any level. Typically taught in a warm room setting, some classes are set to musical beats that motivate and challenge your body and mind. They also encourage deepening your practice through additional workshops and events.
To learn more about Akasha Yoga or browse their schedule of classes, visit the website at www.akashayogastudio.com. Plus, here's a video to introduce you to Akasha Yoga and the owners.
~namasté
Check out Akasha Yoga Studio on Do Tell Do Tell TV Youtube channel here:
Thanks to my crew Mark Marcelo at IdioGenius.
Thanks to Jamie Testa at Akasha Yoga for inviting us in.
