New Scenery for My Practice: Be the Change Yoga & Wellness

In honor of National Yoga Month in September, The Yoga Health Foundation has been offering
coupons for one free week of yoga at 2,000 participating studios nationwide. Even though I often practice yoga either on my own, through following DVD/YouTube videos, or with the recent addition of Fitness OnRequest at my gym, by choosing one of those classes, I had yet to go to a studio since moving to the Bay Area. After looking around at the options in my area, I decided to try out a place in San Jose called Be The Change Yoga & Wellness.

After convincing my hubby that yoga may help improve his constant lower back pain, he has been joining me a bit for my at-home yoga sessions lately. He was interested in coming with me to try a class as well, so earlier this week, we had a mid-week date night that involved soup for dinner at Panera Bread, then a yoga session at Be The Change.

The studio sits right in the middle of downtown, and is a cozy, cute space. One of the reasons that I chose this yoga center is because of its name. Dead center on the wall in the studio reads one of the most well-known Gandhi quotes:

I used to only enjoy fast-paced yoga – the kind that got me sweating and felt like a “real” workout. In recent times, I’ve kind of shifted that mindset and allowed myself to look at the perks of lower impact yoga. I find it great to practice the gentler styles of yoga the day after I’ve had a hard workout, if I’m feeling sore, and/or if I really am in need of some relaxation. Yoga helps to put things into perspective, and I always feel lighter and more relaxed after practicing it.

The Vinyasa class I took at Be The Change Yoga was more of this style, and I really enjoyed it. The instructor Libby seemed really nice, and I definitely liked the atmosphere of the studio. Be The Change Yoga is donation based, meaning they have a suggested price for classes ($10), but it’s not set. This is a nice change of pace compared to other yoga studios and specialty exercise spaces around, which are charging double that at a flat rate. Since I have a gym that I already pay for, I have a hard time justifying spending a lot on additional classes, but spending $5 or $10 for a yoga session once a week? No biggie. This makes me much more likely to attend!

So when I found out that Be The Change Yoga was holding an outdoor yoga session this morning at Veggielution, a 6-acre non-profit community farm that uses sustainable practices, I thought it sounded like a great way to start off my Saturday. My friend Gina, another Bay Area blogger, joined me for the class.

When I got to the farm, I couldn’t help but laugh. It’s literally in the middle of San Jose next to major highways, yet when you get onto the property, it seems like its own little world. There were chickens running around the parking lot!

The class was held under this pavilion on the farm, and it felt great to practice yoga outside on a beautiful, brisk morning.

Afterwards, Gina and I wandered over to their farm stand. They were selling veggies like chili peppers, kale, and lettuce, and I nabbed some Thai basil to take home.

A lot of volunteers were gathering to start working on the farm, which is definitely something I’d like to do one of these weekends. I think that Veggielution seems like an awesome place, and I’m glad that I know about them now!

I’m happy that I’ve found a nearby yoga studio I like that I can drop in for a class at here or there. Be the Change Yoga & Wellness, I’m now a fan of yours!

And by the way, if you missed my author interview & book review (& giveaway) on Warrior Pose: How Yoga (Literally) Saved My Life you can check out the post here.

Yogis: Do you generally take classes at a studio or practice at home? Have you ever participated in a yoga class outdoors?