Don't Down Beers, Down Dog!: Friday Night Yoga Specials

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

INSTEAD OF FRIDAY night cocktails, how about winding down from the workweek with a twist? And a shot at crow pose? That's the idea behind "happy hour" at Past Tense (3253 Mt. Pleasant Ave. NW; 202-462-9642; Pasttensestudio.com), a new studio (pictured left) that's scheduled its highest-energy class for the TGIF crowd. "We should take our practice seriously, not ourselves," explains owner/instructor Kelly DiNardo, who greets her students at 6:30 p.m. with a Top 40 soundtrack and bids them farewell an hour later, exhausted yet exhilarated.

Evolve (2024 P St. NW; 202-955-5555; Evolveyogadupont.com), another recent addition to the local studio scene, has a similar Friday night special. The 7 p.m. open-level class is purposely groovy. "I like to encourage a little boogie," says instructor Dahlia Shaaban. Rather than shoo everyone on home, students are invited to stick around afterward in the lounge — a cozy nook with couches and a small yoga library — for wine and small talk.

Evolve owner Leah Craft and DiNardo hope offerings such as these will promote a sense of community at the studios, which are both aiming to attract folks who've been too intimidated to roll out a mat before. And if price is a barrier, they both have beginner bargains, too: It's $20 for three classes at Evolve or a 10-day unlimited pass at Past Tense.

Photo courtesy Stacey Vaeth Photography