Disregard the myths and get started in this ancient practice that has become a staple of mainstream fitness in the U.S.
Magazine covers of svelte women modeling idealized yoga poses. Sanskrit terms peppering class descriptions. YouTube videos of an 85-year-old effortlessly tucking his heels behind his head.
With all the intimidating and baffling messages about yoga, it’s no wonder some people simply refuse to make it one of their exercise options.
But a growing number of women and men are seeking out yoga classes and reaping its physical and mental rewards.
This ancient practice has come a long way in the U.S. since Weese Wagner, owner of Yoga U on Concord Pike, stumbled onto a yoga library book as a young teen and used it to teach herself, because that’s all that was available. Back then, if you could find a class, it was likely to be a continuing education course on an obscure topic in a chilly community center classroom—like the eight-week “yoga for the eyes” Wagner took as a teenager.
Thanks to modern research, today’s yoga teachers have more tools to structure a well-balanced class, techniques for cueing students in and out of poses safely, and ways to adapt traditional postures for every type of body in the room, says Erin Sweeney, co-owner of Liberty Yoga in Newark. That’s really important, because the postures were designed for boys training to sit for long periods of meditation, and a grown woman’s hips and a 74-year-old man’s ability to balance are nothing like a child’s. Today there are also classes that present specific challenges, like mobility and balance, prenatal, the MS population, even recovery from addiction.
Despite its growing popularity, myths abound that keep people from getting started in yoga. Among them:
Jason Aviles of Flyogi in downtown Wilmington brings the
benefits of yoga to teens at Mt. Pleasant High School. (Photo courtesy of Flyogi Studio)
I can’t do it because I’m not athletic. This one comes in a variety of flavors: I’m not flexible enough, I’m too fat, I don’t have enough strength, I’m not coordinated, and so on. A core principle in yoga is acceptance and starting where you are. If showing up in shape had been a pre-requisite, Jason Aviles, owner of Flyogi in downtown Wilmington, never would have tried yoga, or transformed his life. “I was 250 pounds and could not touch my knees,” he says. “Yoga was the safe space where I could progress.”
Wagner agrees, and she loves it when people tell her they can’t try yoga because they can’t touch their toes. “That’s when I invite them to a class to see that 90 percent of the people in class can’t either.”
A video is the same as a class. Nothing can replace a teacher observing your movements and individualizing instruction for you. Vicki Mazik of Zen Yoga Room in Newark shares this story: “I never realized that I clench my jaw and raise my shoulders when I’m cold. In a yoga class one day, the instructor noticed and invited me to release my shoulders and jaw. I don’t have neck and shoulder issues anymore.”
Students in a class at the Awareness Center in Newark settle into “Stretch Pose,”
a challenging Kundalini posture that wakes up the body by engaging the core. (Photo Melissa Buckminster)
Yoga is for women. This myth is ironic, because yoga was created for guys—monks-in-training, to be exact. However, when studios became popular in the U.S. in the 1990s, the meditative atmosphere attracted mostly women. Thankfully, the advent of yoga in guy-friendly places like fitness centers is making it popular among men, says YMCA teacher Gwen Gerty. “Accessibility is one of the reasons I teach at the Y,” she says. Ys have workout equipment, tracks, and basketball courts, which can make it easier for a man to walk into a yoga class. Whatever the reason, Gerty says that about 40 percent of her classes tend to be male.
That’s great, because men need yoga too, says Rita Stapiro, owner of Inner Light Yoga and teacher at Fit Studio in Wilmington’s Rockford Park. Athletes who have lost muscle flexibility as they bulked up find their way to yoga to get it back. She often hears them say they are surprised to find yoga is as physically challenging as a typical workout, but in a different way. Instead of promoting a forceful, aggressive lifestyle, yoga reinforces mental focus and inner discipline.
Yoga’s biggest payoff is physical. Make no mistake, regular practice tones and strengthens a body magnificently. It helps with weight loss as well as any exercise regimen out there. But the biggest benefit is a mind transformed, and with that, the possibility of a transformed life. That’s a big claim, yet one teachers and regular practitioners testify to over and over.
“It doesn’t matter who you are; get on the mat and you will experience a quieting of the mind,” says Stapiro. “Society is demanding and the mind is busy. When we quiet the mind, we are prepared to deal with life, and everything comes with more ease.”
Sounds unrealistic? It’s actually the whole point of yoga, says Sarah Wnenchak, owner of Truly Yoga Studio in Newark. “We start with the body because it’s tangible,” she says, knowing that it is connected to the mind, and they work together. Examples: specific breath work activates the parasympathetic relaxation response. Moving through postures shifts attention to the present moment, away from the mind’s un-restful storyline.
Sweeney puts it this way: “Once you relax the mind, nothing more really needs to be done. Everything else follows.”
The pros we talked to offered these tips for first-timers:
Start with a “Brand New Beginner” class. Most studios have them. When you do try your first “all levels” class, arrive early so you can put your mat in the middle of the room, where you can hear the teacher and see other students from any angle.
Know and act on what’s important to you. If you prefer anonymity during your learning curve or feel squeamish about people getting an unflattering view, try a large studio, get there early and unroll your mat in the back. If auditory and visual learning isn’t enough and you wish someone would physically help you get into a position, look for a class where the teacher makes physical adjustments.
Instructor Hunter Clarke-Fields adjusts a student’s pose during class at Pure Yoga in Trolley Square. (Photo by Joe del Tufo)
Try out a lot of studios, classes and teachers. Two gentle flow vinyasa teachers may cure the same posture quite differently. Be patient and experiment.
Practice with teachers who educate as they cue. The best ones will give you tools to help you tune in and make adjustments that work for your skeletal type, muscle tone, injuries and/or conditions. “When students first come to class they often can’t identify what they are sensing in their bodies and don’t know what to do about it even if they did,” says Sweeney. “Our aim is to help people feel in their own body what they are experiencing.”
Modify, modify, modify. When teachers invite the class to rest in child’s pose as needed, or to try a gentler or supported version of a posture, they mean it. In many group exercise classes, the norm is to push, feel the burn, work harder—which can breed competition with others or yourself. But in yoga, it’s the opposite: the norm is to listen to your body, not to imitate your neighbor. You’ll see experienced practitioners do just that in class.
Meredith McFadden of Pure Yoga demonstrates an advanced pose: “Side Crow,”
an arm balance posture in which both legs rest on the same elbow. (Photo by Luigi Ciuffetelli)
The Right Class for You
With the plethora of styles, formats and specializations out there, finding the right class can be tough. Here’s a guide to local studios to help get you started.
Hands-on Attention
Pure Yoga Pilates Studio, Trolley Square, Wilmington
226.9642 | pureyogapilatesstudio.com
Meredith McFadden’s studio is all about the “middle way”—a balance of serious and lighthearted, of work and play. Her studio isn’t heated, she says, because “there’s no need to. The practice creates heat internally and safely.” There are no mirrors to spur competition or self-judgment, and with the medium-sized classes (30 max), she aims to give personal attention to each student with either a verbal or physical adjustment. Non-heated Classes: Vinyasa, Yin, Power, Restorative, Beginner, Gentle, Fusion with weights. Specialty: Prenatal, Kids. Cost: Drop in/$15; Unlimited/$110 mo.
Practical Coaching
Yoga U, Concord Pike, North Wilmington
893.4585 | yogau.org
When fitness trainer Weese Wagner opened Yoga U, she almost called it “Oasis,” because that’s what she envisioned: a place where hard-working people could come for an hour and leave physically better and mentally more at ease. In this medium-sized studio (35 max), rather than strictly follow a preset workout or routine, she adapts each class to what people need that day. Those who want to make sure they “get it,” visit Wagner; she’ll pause an experienced class to go over a common posture if it looks like folks need review. Heated Classes: Vinyasa, Boot Camp Full Fit. Non-heated: Flow, Restorative, Gentle, Yin. Workshops: Inversion, Partner, Restorative with Reiki, Aroma-Vinyasa. Cost: Drop-in/$15; Unlimited/$99 mo. Noteworthy: five Classes: $40 for new customers.
Intimate Setting
Zen Yoga Room, St. Regis Dr., Newark
983.6983 | ZenYogaRoom.com
Owner Vicki Mazik says people recovering from injury and beginners gravitate to her studio and stay, perhaps because the intimate size (10 max) ensures individual attention. Or, perhaps because her vision and practice is to be practical, therapeutic and affordable. This unheated studio runs a Brand New Beginner class every five weeks. Non-heated Classes: Beginners, All Levels Vinyasa Flow. Specialty: Yoga as Medicine Series. Cost: Drop-in/$10. Noteworthy: Free yoga workshops for people in cancer treatment; Yoga and Meditation for high stress jobs like first responders, teachers, medical professions, bankers and collections, sales and customer service.
Youthful Vibe
Truly Yoga Studio, Polly Drummond Shopping Center, Newark
547.7905 | trulyyogastudio.com
Sarah Wnenchak, 25, is like her studio: young, energetic, and community-minded. The soccer and cross country athlete opened Truly Yoga in January because she felt strongly about sharing the benefits of yoga with her neighbors and friends. This larger studio (40 max) offers Vinyasa and gentle Hatha—a more stationary, less flowing movement, for older adults or people with balance challenges. Heated Classes: Vinyasa Flow, Balanced. Non-heated: Gentle Hatha. Specialty workshops: Kids. Cost: Drop-in/$16; Senior & Student/$14; Unlimited/$95 mo. Noteworthy: Private sessions for $75/ hour.
Get Grounded and Fly
Liberty Yoga, Liberty Plaza, Newark
367.5074 | LibertyYoga.org
Co-owner Christine Shaw’s unique Fly Vinyasa is great for building body awareness and mental grounding. The flowing repetitions build a strong core with movements that hug to center. Co-owner Erin Sweeney’s therapeutic yoga, once called yoga for seniors, is more stationary, and generally starts and ends each posture from a centered position, with time for using props as needed—great for anyone with injuries and balance challenges. Students must be able to get up and down on the floor unassisted. Max class: 26. Non-heated: Vinyasa, Fly, Therapeutic, Restorative, Gentle Therapeutic. Heated: Tues/Thurs evenings. Specialty Classes: Prenatal, MELT (acupressure self-treatment), Chair. Cost: Drop-in/$18; Unlimited/$99 mo. Noteworthy: 10 classes/$45 for new students.
Creative & Radically Inclusive
Flyogi, Shipley Lofts. North Shipley Street, Wilmington
298-0926| flyogi.com
Owner Jason Aviles’ mission is to make yoga accessible to urban kids and everyone else. A young black man raised in the projects, Aviles knows that substantial cultural barriers exist for many people, so in his intimate studio (10 max), be prepared to toss out every preconceived notion about what yoga is “supposed to be,” and get ready for an unconventional practice that will put you at ease. “Come here to breathe, work things out, share, feel a part of something,” he says. “No matter who you are, shape, size, ethnic background—you can say yes to you.” Non-heated: Vinyasa, Flow. Cost: Drop-in/$12 Noteworthy: 45-minute lunch hour classes Tuesday – Thursday. Cool Flyogi apparel online.
Mindful & Consistent
Empowered Yoga, Pennsylvania Ave., Wilmington; East Main Street,, Newark; Wilmington Pike, Glen Mills, Pa. (Owned and operated by Plexus Fitness)
654-YOGA | empoweredyoga.com
Empowered Yoga applies modern exercise science to the ancient practice, and achieves remarkable consistency among its 140 weekly classes and its roster of 40 teachers, because all are trained in the studio’s methods. Mindfulness is incorporated into every program. “A mindful brain is more beneficial and important than strong quads or the ability to do an arm balance,” says Operations Director and teacher Diana Hoscheit. Max class size varies by location, from 10 to 50. Heated & Non-heated: Stationary Sequence, Vinyasa, Roots, Balanced Athlete, Sacred Music. Specialty Classes: Yin, Restorative. Cost: Drop-in/$18; Unlimited/$135 mo. Sunday donation-based class. Noteworthy: eight-session Beginner course introduces postures, alignment and movement; Yoga for Recovery for Addiction is an eight-week evidence-based course that uses breath, movement and awareness for recovery.
Niche Offerings
Fit, Rockford Park, Wilmington
777.4FIT | fitdelaware.com
Michael Fahey, Ellyn Stanek Hutton and Rita Stapiro provide diverse offerings. Fahey’s classes are informed by Iyengar, focusing on proper alignment and the use of props (belts, blocks, blankets and chairs). In contrast, Hutton’s Kundalini-based class is infused with chanting, breath work and spiritual teachings (mudras and krias). It includes warm-up, extended savasana (final relaxation) and meditation. Hutton, author of Colors of Birth, also offers pregnancy and infant massage, and therapeutic body work in her studio, Wellness Within. Stapiro, a self-described traditionalist, offers a classic vinyasa flow, with breath work and challenging and healing postures, with cuing to evoke intentionality and mindfulness. Cost: $18/drop-in. Heated: Iyengar, Kundalini, Vinyasa Flow, Vinyasa Restorative, Relax & Release. Noteworthy: Preferred members can come early to Stapiro’s class for one-on-one review.
Popular with Guys
YMCA of Delaware, Wilmington, Newark, North Wilmington & more. Find your local Y at ymcade.org
All Y locations in northern Delaware offer a variety of yoga classes. Most of the teachers also teach at local yoga studios. Classes are held in multipurpose group exercise rooms, and so are unheated. Max class size varies by location. Cost: Free to members. Adult membership starts at $60/month, plus a one-time $60 joiner fee. Childcare and scholarships available. Non-heated: Sunrise, Gentle, Flex, Flow, Flow Challenge, Power, Fundamentals, Advanced. Specialty: Chair, Yoga and Meditation
Affordable Fitness
NCC Community Services, Community Recreation Center (inside PAL) in Hockessin, Brandywine Town Center, Garfield Park, New Castle
de-newcastlecounty.civicplus.com/255/The-Happenings-Guide
Max class size varies by location, small to 50. Non-heated: Core Stability, Dynamic Flow, Gentle, Senior Strength, YogaLates. Specialty: Restorative. Noteworthy: Most classes run in four-week series and cost $6/class. Preregistration recommended. Drop-in/$5 at the Gilliam Building, New Castle.
