38 The WELLNESS QUEE NS Courier • wellness • AUGUST 18, 2016 for breaking news visit www.qns.com Our guide to Ridgewood’s yoga studios By Maria Gotay editorial@qns.com/@RidgewoodTimes Yoga is a form of exercise that challenges you to connect with yourself in ways that feel good rather than pushing your body past its limits. And while it can be intimidating to start up a practice after a break, or even for the first time, Ridgewood is a great place to find your way back to the mat. We’ve profiled three studios that offer accessible, affordable and communityoriented s yoga in the neighborhood. All Yoga All Yoga is a fully functional yoga studio. With lots of windows, polished hardwood floors and a welcoming atmosphere, it’s a comfort from the moment you walk in the door. While the studio is very minimal, the bright orange wall and various rosetinted mats and props give the studio a warm feeling. Their daily schedule features between four and six classes of hatha, vinyasa, kundalini and restorative varieties of yoga. Christina Rufin, owner of All Yoga NYC, describes it as a studio “dedicated to offering yoga classes of all styles to all people, regardless of age, mobility or experience.” That includes a Mommy & Me flow and also a “gentle yoga” class meant for those recovering from injuries or dealing with chronic pain. Our class pick: Sweet Flow with Shieri (Wednesday at 8 p.m.) Drop-in class price: $15 New student special: $30 for three weeks unlimited yoga All Yoga offers classes seven days a week and is located at 780 Woodward Ave., Ridgewood. Ridgewood Yoga Ridgewood Yoga’s best feature is that it offers you a practice surrounded on all sides by world-class art inside of Lorimoto Gallery. Peaceful warrior has you leaning back to look at beautiful prints of the Northern Lights, while up dog brings you face to face with a oceanic explosion of paint. Minus the art on the walls, the space itself is nothing fancy — just old wooden floors and a tiny bathroom — but they take what they do seriously and have high-quality instruction. Classes range from weekly pre-natal and family classes to community flow, which is donation-based and proceeds go to benefit a monthly charity of the studio’s choice. Our class pick: Ridgewood Yoga Basics with Laurel (Wednedays 10:30 a.m.) Drop-in class price: $15 New student special: $25 for three yoga classes (to be used in one month) Ridgewood Yoga offers classes seven days a week and is located inside Lorimoto Gallery at 16-23 Hancock St., Ridgewood. Yoga Of The Light Yoga Of The Light currently pops up on Monday, Tuesday nights and Wednesday mornings inside event space The Bushwick Venue near the Halsey L stop. Inside is the perfect, dark, cool, nest-like space for relaxing with a kundalini, vinyasa or meditation practice. Owners and partners Christine Cáceres and Kenny Sperry are also teachers at other studios in the area, and their aim is to “spread the light of yoga, help students get in touch with their spirituality, reduce stress, strengthen your body, mind and connect to your soul.” Though they only offer a few classes for now, the ones they do teach are soulful and juicy, with lots of breath work and soothing instruction. Their space is large and could fit at least 40, so they will be bulking up their schedule in the fall. Our class pick: Lunar Flow with Christine (Mondays at 7 p.m.) Drop-in class price: $12 New student special: TBD Ridgewood Yoga offers classes only on Mondays through Wednesdays (for now) and is located at The Bushwick Venue at 881 Wyckoff Ave., Ridgewood.
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