How to Pick a Studio in Two Steps

There is so much to be said about the ways a studio becomes a community. Also how "cliche" that sounds. Some people don't want to have a big, social thing or feel like they have to "fit in" everywhere they go - including their yoga studio. It's tough for them to find the right balance, as some studios become toooo much. :\

Some people want to talk before and after class and hang on the couch.

Some people like to read a book before class quietly on their mat and then sit afterwards on their mat for a couple moments quietly.

Some people have to change their clothes before class and race out after.

Some people practice all the time and in a strict routine and some are like that and then drop and some drop away for months...and come back.

Whatever your reasons for being in a space to practice, it may just boil down to this:

1. How does it feel when you walk in?

- When you walk into a place and it feels off, ick, cold, nasty, bitchy, incompetent, asleep, stoned, rude. etc... just, no. How vou feel when you walk into a space to practice moving your body is a good indication of the energy there.

2. When you practice in the space what happens for you?

- When you are moving your body be it vinyasa flow, be it sculpt - or - practicing meditation, sound healing, yin, moon gatherings, etc.,what happens FOR you while you are in the space? The space should provide a backdrop for your practice that allows space for you.

And that depends on what you need. For many of us, we need a space without mirrors to tune deeper within, or maybe we need a space that has music that we like. Maybe we need a more aesthetic space with attention to detail to soothe our eyes. But the physical space will also provide us with the people in it and around us, and the teachers who are guiding us. Because when you practice in a public space, that is what it is. You have to feel what is happening for you. If it feels off, then it won't be a place you will want to be. When it feels true and aligned, you will notice that the experience will be good for you, mind and body. Your time and energy will be well spent because being there will be your space when you close your eyes and get on your mat. no matter if it is an intense class or a sound bath.

You can't control everything. And to be in a public place means that the world doesn't revolves around you, but you can choose to find a place that delivers the right experience for you. We think that there are as many different preferences as there are styles and people! The most important piece is NOT what the style is! It is what works for the practitioner. If a student gravitates towards something and a way that they move their body in a style of yoga that feels true and aligned for them, that is what is matters.

So, getting back to the two steps. When you walk in, pay attention to the signals. And when you practice in the space. Through 28 years of practice, this is my best advice. I have only been a studio owner for 1/3 of my practice time. And anytime I found the best spaces to practice,I had answers that satisfied me my answers to the two questions:

How does it feel when you walk in?

When you practice in the space, what happens for you?

‍

‍