Yoga's New Kids on the Block

| Print Post This | Like (0) | Comments (0)

WASHINGTON'S RATIO OF YOGA STUDIOS to residents has rapidly grown in recent years, as serene spaces have opened faster than you can say "Namaste." But is it really possible to have too many places to stretch, strengthen and de-stress? Not when they're offering unique ways to help you chill out.

» Veria

It's a TV channel, a Web site and now a chain of "wellness centers," where people craving the healthy life can shop for organic goodies, pamper themselves with spa treatments and energize their bodies with movement classes. "The concept is multimedia," explains team leader Julie Smalfelt. "We're a holistic place that caters to all of the aspects of your life."

The brand-new Bethesda location is the first outside of Texas, home to Veria headquarters. Certainly, the demographics seem just right to target customers who might want to pick up "socially conscious" Edun clothing and sign up for a seaweed detoxifying body wrap ($125). Shoppers can browse vitamins, oils, yoga mats, books, mineral makeup and incense. Not sure why spikenard is in that soap? Look it up at a computer terminal connected to the company's Veriapedia.

And of course, slip off your shoes and take advantage of the gorgeous sunken studio space. Qigong and hula and belly dancing are on the schedule, but yoga dominates — vinyasa, restorative and original approaches. One twist is Padma Yoga, offered several times a week. "It's a combination of styles. I base it on what I'm seeing in the class rather than coming in with an agenda," says instructor Padma Lakshmi.

Reading customers' needs is key to the spa's Ayurvedic bent as well. Certain treatments include a questionnaire to determine your "dosha," or mind and body type, so your oils can be customized.

In the coming months, look for a slew of workshops (feng shui, holistic athlete nutrition), mobile spa services and more movement classes.

7710 Woodmont Ave., Bethesda; 240-497-0416; Veria.com.

» Quiet Mind

Just a few blocks up from the new Target/Best Buy/Marshalls behemoth in Columbia Heights, in an adorable converted house, is the much more homegrown Quiet Mind. Nicole Foley, who's lived in the neighborhood for seven years (and practiced yoga for 11), had been desperate for a local studio for ages. So, she decided to do it herself.

Ownership has its privileges, and in Foley's case, that means promoting her favorite styles. "I know a lot of studios offer fast movement, but I wanted to slow things down and increase intensity," she says. That translates into holding postures for longer, emphasizing proper alignment and breath, and never skimping on shavasana, the lying-down pose that traditionally marks the end of a practice. "It's the most important pose because it absorbs all of the benefits," she explains.

In an attempt to draw in more newbies, Quiet Mind offers Yoga Basics on Saturday mornings — although even advanced students might learn something about yogic philosophy or how to better activate the right muscles in a pose. Foley is also dedicated to scheduling a free session each week.

3423 14th St. NW; 202-299-0111; Quietminddc.com.

» Mind the Mat

Every other storefront in Del Ray promises to soothe your body or soul, it seems. So, how does co-owner Megan Bellamy Brown plan to make her studio, Mind the Mat, stand out? "It's a place that no matter who you are, there's a class for you," she says. So, though there are loads of Pilates and yoga, there's also Zumba, Thai yoga massage for couples and hoop dance workshops.

And coming this fall, the schedule will expand to include a calisthenics class (Brown thinks guys will dig that), as well as a Friday afternoon offering called happy hour. "It's a free-for-all mix of things after the end of the workweek, so you're celebrating with a Pilates roll-up instead of a sushi roll," she says.

The one-room space adds to its charm — there's no room for a front desk (just a tiny table where people pay on the honor system), so it feels a bit like walking into a friend's living room. To promote the community vibe even more, Mind the Mat plans to keep its Sunday morning meditation class free and offer a rotating free class one other day a week.

2214 Mount Vernon Ave., Alexandria; 703-683-2228; Mindthemat.com.

Photo by Marge Ely/Express