Fit: Poses a la Paris

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MOST FRENCH CLASSES at the Alliance Francaise involve sitting at a desk, not on a mat. But for students who want to work on expanding their awareness along with their vocabulary, the cultural center offers a unique language-learning environment: Kundalini yoga.

Dim lighting and silky tunes transform an ornately decorated space — adorned with both French and American flags — into an ad hoc yoga studio. On a raised platform at the front is instructor Brigitte Pichot, who began her yoga studies 30 years ago in Paris. She started offering her teachings through the Alliance in 2001 after originally working there as a librarian.

Although it's listed in the course catalog under French classes, the idea isn't to learn verb conjugation by practicing plank pose. Rather, it's geared toward people who already have a firm grasp of the language. The lessons are a chance for them to explore Kundalini, a form of yoga that relies on movement, breath and chants to facilitate a better mind-body connection. Although you don't need a background in Kundalini to master the moves, that helps, too.

Each aspect enhances the other, says Adams Morgan resident Ruben Lubowski. "The class helps me practice French, but it actually helps with the yoga because it puts me in a different state of mind," he says.

Kim Enger, who's been practicing with Pichot for more than five years (and has taken yoga in English as well), has found that the French version allows her to separate herself further from her daily life. Plus, it has vocabulary benefits: "I've learned expressions that you would never learn in a million years in a French class."

The poses themselves are basic yet strenuous and last five to seven minutes each — Pichot whips out a stopwatch to make sure. First, she demonstrates each move to the class — like child's pose with hips swinging from side to side, and a modified boat pose with backs touching the ground. Then she rotates through the studio, helping students who need either physical or psychological support. Every pose within itself includes a warm-down breathing routine, allowing students to "come back to Earth" after intense concentration.

If one wanted to play copycat, a non-French speaker could probably follow along, says Jacqueline Wonsky, a French schoolteacher. "But you wouldn't really feel comfortable, because you wouldn't be able to understand the emotion and the spirituality behind it."

So, don't expect to let your brain check out just because you're exercising. This hour and 20 minutes of "om"-ing is much more taxing — and rewarding — than a dialogue about what to order at a café.

Photo by Marge Ely/Express