Grace Yoga

I went to my first yoga class with Grace this past Memorial Day weekend. It was a good sized class (around 30 I would guess). Enough people so that the room felt filled, but not so many that you were doing yoga in another person’s space.
One of the first things I noticed about Grace (and it’s hard not to notice) is her voice. It’s a little deeper than you might expect, but smooth. A jazz singer comes to mind. I wouldn’t be surprised if Grace could sing Norah Jones well. Random thought, i know.
Grace started the class with some core work, which helped me build momentum as the class increase in difficulty. And increase in difficulty it does. But hey, I was there to challenge myself. So the challenge was a welcome one.
Grace keeps a keen eye on the energy in the room and collectively steers the participants to poses that seem like a good fit given the energy/​momentum that we brought to the practice.
I left the class drenched in sweat, and feeling 100% more energized/​relaxed. I will definitely be back to visit Grace again and would recommend her class to all levels of yogis.

Disclaimer: I am not a frequent yogi. So, you’ll have to excuse my non-​yoga lingo.
My visit this past Saturday was my first in months, if not years. And, Grace really put my strength and balance to the test!
First, the setting, Santa Monica Power Yoga, is a peaceful, green, and soothing escape from the tourist-​filled Promenade. Upon entering the studio, I immediately felt calmer, marveled at the high ceilings, and Grace’s ability to shut out the outside world by closing the blinds, turning down the lights, and playing calming yet soulful music. And her voice also envelopes you in the experience.
I appreciated the fact that Grace inquired of everyone’s experience level prior to starting the class. She explained the structure of the class so everyone knew what to expect, and turned down the lights to get everyone «in the mood» to yoga.
Not only did Grace put everyone in touch with themselves, with the breathing exercises and by encouraging each person to focus on their own individual intentions, but she also encouraged everyone in their practice of yoga. She helped to adjust my position, stretch me out, and, most importantly, sweat all of my insides out. (I’m surprised I had any energy to step out of the class afterwards.)
Grace’s Power Yoga class included numerous fluid yoga positions. We were always on the move — stretching, concentrating on extending ourselves, our fingers, our toes, and reminded not to scrunch our noses, furrow our brows, and turn the corners of our mouths upward to start positivity on our faces.
Despite all the hard work, shaking muscles, and teeter-​tottering to keep balance, I really enjoyed the class. It was 70 minutes of concentrating on myself and my body with Grace’s direction, help, and encouragement. Grace made everyone feel like it was a private yoga class despite the number of students there.
I’ll definitely go back on my frequent visits to Santa Monica. Despite the never-​ending sweat that fell off my face and the sore muscles I had on Sunday, Grace’s yoga class is an experience worth going back for… several times over!