boom!

the ABC7 eyewitness news in new york city recently aired a feature on the yoga studio boom. according to lauren glassberg, "... when everything seems to be crumbling around you, lots of people tend to look inward for ways of coping. and yoga, it appears, is one of those ways. but yoga just doesn't help people cope; it can also be transformative."

she then goes on to show elena brower's packed yoga class at virayoga, which sometimes has "70 to 80 people, in the middle of the day!". she talks with a student who's there because he doesn't have a job (hmm... sounds familiar). as he put it, "i kind of dread going back to work because i want to live a healthier life, a more relaxed life. so i want more yoga and less work." and i say amen to that!!

from there, the reporter moves on to the brand-new 13,000 square foot (!) yoga works soho studio, its sixth location in new york. phil swain, yoga works' CEO says, "... a lot of people are only purchasing what's a necessity, and we really believe that yoga is a necessity. it's a lifestyle, it's their health and wellness, it's community, and frankly, it's entertainment." hmmm... i guess watching teachers and fellow students perform ridiculously insane arm balances can be considered entertainment :)

but if, according to the report, "dropping nearly twenty bucks on a yoga class is money well spent" because "it creates that relaxation, that sense of well-being, and is really helpful for people in these times", why do i feel stressed out whenever i think about the REAL necessities i could be paying for with that $20 bill -- things like food, utilities, and my cell phone bill? and mind you, i don't even own a smartphone because i can't justify paying the additional $30 for a data plan... which is sad because there are a number of yoga-related iphone apps that i'd love to try out. if i had an iphone...

maybe elena had a point when she said, "it will give you the confidence, the strength, the fortitude so that you can see what it is that needs to be done right now... what's next..."

at this point, i think i need more than yoga; i need a crystal ball!!

speaking of yoga boom, it isn't happening just in new york city. here in LA, we have more than a handful of yoga studios about to open in the next few weeks, with a few more under construction and due to open sometime this summer. and that doesn't even include all the studios that opened up since the beginning of the year!

keep an eye out for these new studios scattered all over LA county:

~ vinyasa lounge in el segundo, just opened; FREE yoga may 1st-7th, classes by donation after!
~ trans4mation yoga in santa monica, soft opening schedule/rates through may 31st
~ hot 8 yoga in santa monica, scheduled to open may 6th
~ yoga vista in playa vista, grand opening celebration to be held on may 29th, classes start june 1st
~ YAS in downtown LA, scheduled to open june 1st
~ 5 point yoga in malibu, launch date to be announced

can the local yoga community keep all these studios and yoga teachers in business? we'll see....

by the way, if you want to take elena brower's anusara flow class and find out why students pack her classes in manhattan, she'll be here in LA starting tomorrow and will be teaching at yogaglo in santa monica THIS WEEK: tuesday, may 4th and thursday, may 6th, both at 9am. and these hour-long classes are FREE!