The heart of the Pacific Northwest draws yogis searching for a taste of the great outdoors.
By Mariniah Prendergast
The natural beauty of the Pacific Northwest makes Portland an obvious destination for outdoor fitness enthusiasts, but yoga is thriving indoors and changing people from the inside out. "Portland is a place where people can throw themselves into their yoga practice because of our access to nature," says Julie Lawrence, a certified Iyengar Yoga instructor with 25 years teaching experience. "Yoga teaches us to let go of extraneous activity and stress and allows us to be who we are; the simplicity of nature supports us in that."
Large windows let in light and a good view of downtown Portland at the Julie Lawrence Yoga Studio, across from the city's central library. Lawrence's experienced staff offer 30 classes per week, including Iyengar Yoga, pranayama, and prenatal courses. Lawrence teaches a popular Iyengar teacher-training program, and the other instructors are available for private and corporate classes.
Holiday Johnson opened Holiday's Health and Fitness Yoga Center nine years ago. Her journey began 25 years ago when she started bringing yoga to the masses at local community colleges, universities, the YMCA, and athletic clubs. Later she introduced yoga to several local businesses, including Nike. "I welcome people of all ages, shapes, and walks of life," Johnson says. Her diverse student population includes teenage girls, who are part of a program called "Standing on Your Own Two Feet." Teens receive discounted rates and classes are free to all students one Sunday each month.
Julie Gudmestad, a certified Iyengar instructor since 1970, physical therapist, and YJ contributor, is the proprietor of Gudmestad Yoga Studio. She offers an anatomy series in which each session incorporates principles of human anatomy into the yoga practice. Most of the teachers at her studio are trained physical therapists incorporating physical therapy techniques into their classes. "We start out more gently than most teachers do," Gudmestad says of her unique program, which offers five levels, from first-timers to advanced. "Safety comes first."
Barbara Fergusson, an established local teacher who helped form the Portland Teacher's Yoga Association 25 years ago, runs the Northeast Yoga Center in northeast Portland. She and her two associates teach Iyengar-based hatha yoga with an emphasis on therapeutic healing and personal attention. The studio offers more than 30 classes per week, and classes usually fill up; however, drop-in students who call ahead are welcome to fill available space. Free parking is available on the street.
Albert Trople is a popular yoga teacher who combines techniques from Iyengar, White Lotus, Ashtanga, Bikram, and Anusara Yoga. Trople uses his massage therapy training in classes, and his assistant, Lynn Brown, specializes in working with beginners. Students can attend one of seven weekly classes at Rejuvenation Day Spa, where they can have a massage, facial, or steam bath after class.
Sarahjoy Marsh runs The Sanctuary: A Center for Yoga, Dharma, and Healing Arts. The Sanctuary offers more than 35 classes each week in the Anusara style. The center also offers massage therapy and acupuncture. Sanctuary Sundays provide a change of pace for students by giving them the opportunity to explore in-depth a specific practice, such as pranayama or acupuncture techniques. Marsh says her studio serves a dedicated community of students and teachers. "This is a place where people find a home," she says.
The Yoga Space in southeast Portland offers more than 30 classes taught by nearly 20 different teachers in a range of styles. "We practice being firmly rooted so we can bend when the winds of our lives blow," says teacher Amanda Yampolsky. Amy Stange recently started teaching the moving meditative practice of qi gong at The Yoga Space. She says that with all the unrest in the world, qi gong helps people retain an inner peace. "The world may not be peaceful, but we can create peace within."
From hatha in the Hawthorne District to pranayama in the Pearl District, the range of styles and studios in Portland vary as much as the eclectic inhabitants of this friendly city. As the city grows, so do the opportunities for yoga students. With so many options, it appears that the City of Roses—named for its Rose Garden, where more than 500 varieties of roses bloom—has made room for the lotus flower as well.
By Mariniah Prendergast
The natural beauty of the Pacific Northwest makes Portland an obvious destination for outdoor fitness enthusiasts, but yoga is thriving indoors and changing people from the inside out. "Portland is a place where people can throw themselves into their yoga practice because of our access to nature," says Julie Lawrence, a certified Iyengar Yoga instructor with 25 years teaching experience. "Yoga teaches us to let go of extraneous activity and stress and allows us to be who we are; the simplicity of nature supports us in that."
Large windows let in light and a good view of downtown Portland at the Julie Lawrence Yoga Studio, across from the city's central library. Lawrence's experienced staff offer 30 classes per week, including Iyengar Yoga, pranayama, and prenatal courses. Lawrence teaches a popular Iyengar teacher-training program, and the other instructors are available for private and corporate classes.
Holiday Johnson opened Holiday's Health and Fitness Yoga Center nine years ago. Her journey began 25 years ago when she started bringing yoga to the masses at local community colleges, universities, the YMCA, and athletic clubs. Later she introduced yoga to several local businesses, including Nike. "I welcome people of all ages, shapes, and walks of life," Johnson says. Her diverse student population includes teenage girls, who are part of a program called "Standing on Your Own Two Feet." Teens receive discounted rates and classes are free to all students one Sunday each month.
Julie Gudmestad, a certified Iyengar instructor since 1970, physical therapist, and YJ contributor, is the proprietor of Gudmestad Yoga Studio. She offers an anatomy series in which each session incorporates principles of human anatomy into the yoga practice. Most of the teachers at her studio are trained physical therapists incorporating physical therapy techniques into their classes. "We start out more gently than most teachers do," Gudmestad says of her unique program, which offers five levels, from first-timers to advanced. "Safety comes first."
Barbara Fergusson, an established local teacher who helped form the Portland Teacher's Yoga Association 25 years ago, runs the Northeast Yoga Center in northeast Portland. She and her two associates teach Iyengar-based hatha yoga with an emphasis on therapeutic healing and personal attention. The studio offers more than 30 classes per week, and classes usually fill up; however, drop-in students who call ahead are welcome to fill available space. Free parking is available on the street.
Albert Trople is a popular yoga teacher who combines techniques from Iyengar, White Lotus, Ashtanga, Bikram, and Anusara Yoga. Trople uses his massage therapy training in classes, and his assistant, Lynn Brown, specializes in working with beginners. Students can attend one of seven weekly classes at Rejuvenation Day Spa, where they can have a massage, facial, or steam bath after class.
Sarahjoy Marsh runs The Sanctuary: A Center for Yoga, Dharma, and Healing Arts. The Sanctuary offers more than 35 classes each week in the Anusara style. The center also offers massage therapy and acupuncture. Sanctuary Sundays provide a change of pace for students by giving them the opportunity to explore in-depth a specific practice, such as pranayama or acupuncture techniques. Marsh says her studio serves a dedicated community of students and teachers. "This is a place where people find a home," she says.
The Yoga Space in southeast Portland offers more than 30 classes taught by nearly 20 different teachers in a range of styles. "We practice being firmly rooted so we can bend when the winds of our lives blow," says teacher Amanda Yampolsky. Amy Stange recently started teaching the moving meditative practice of qi gong at The Yoga Space. She says that with all the unrest in the world, qi gong helps people retain an inner peace. "The world may not be peaceful, but we can create peace within."
From hatha in the Hawthorne District to pranayama in the Pearl District, the range of styles and studios in Portland vary as much as the eclectic inhabitants of this friendly city. As the city grows, so do the opportunities for yoga students. With so many options, it appears that the City of Roses—named for its Rose Garden, where more than 500 varieties of roses bloom—has made room for the lotus flower as well.
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