Lauren Groves
October 20, 2017 11:51
I don't even know where to begin. I started going to Dharma yoga back in 2009 while I was a sophomore in high school. At their old location near the New World Deli on Guadalupe street, I took my very first yoga classes with the owner, Keith. His aura was kind and understanding, his demeanor was calm and I felt that I could fit in there even though I didn't know all of the poses. It was a safe place.
Now, eight years after my first yoga experience with Keith, Dharma Yoga is unchanged in those beautiful ways that drew me to it in the first place. Dharma has moved to its 3rd location and it feels homier than ever. I have taken several long hiatuses from yoga and I was always surprised to find that when I came back (even after a couple of years) Keith always remembered my name.
The classes at Dharma yoga have a spiritual quality to them unlike any other place I've been. Many other yoga studios are focused more on the fitness of the body, while Dharma emphasizes the strong connection between the body and the mind with the aid of meditation and mindfulness in breathing. Sometimes a class is brought to focus with a short poem or mantra, which for me draws a deeper universal meaning for the practice... I am always so excited when I receive a little slip of paper with a mantra or a poem on the front of my mat, and I will often pin it up in my room or on the dashboard of my car if it has a special significance for me!
In terms of teacher-quality: the owner, Keith is a wonderful human being who takes it upon himself to go out and find other wonderful beings to represent his business and his heart. Dharma studio has many yoga teachers who are educated beyond the realm of yoga and movement, sometimes holding bachelor's and masters' degrees in fields such as social work, literature, and engineering. Many Dharma teachers also hold certifications having to do with the spiritual and philosophical applications of Tibetan Buddhism and meditation. Recently I have branched out to begin taking classes with a teacher named Erika. She is a spunky and spontaneous, upbeat survivor! Her classes have a humorous, inquisitive twist and her energy/strength is contagious.
So if you're reading this and you haven't been to Dharma Yoga, I urge you to come out and share my experience. This little Cherrywood gem of a yoga studio is a welcoming and positive neighborhood environment! You will feel at home, greeted by the smiling faces of other practitioners and the teachers will always know your name.