You have probably seen them walking along Ravenswood Avenue or in the parking lot behind Walgreens: men and women carrying yoga mats, looking fit and relaxed.
They have, no doubt, just emerged from Devi Yoga, a Menlo Park studio located between Applewood Pizza and Depot Laundry on El Camino Real.
In operation for seven years, Devi Yoga has remained a thriving endeavor, despite the downturn in the economy. A visit to this quiet oasis of calm reveals just why Devi has beat the odds that usually doom a small business, especially in adverse times.
Devi Yoga opened in the fall of 2002 in the 800 block of Santa Cruz Avenue, in a small two-room suite. Nicole Perkins, a yoga instructor who had studied and traveled in India, started the studio with the intention of offering a nurturing, supportive place where beginners and long-time “yogis” could practice.
In 2005, the studio moved to its current location, which provided more space for both classes and the boutique, where yoga clothing and accessories are sold.
In 2007, Ms. Perkins sold the business to Manthi Nguyen, who is also the owner of the Pilates Zone in Menlo Park. Ms. Nguyen says she saw it as an opportunity to build a premier yoga studio in the area, and to promote healthful living.
Starting May 1, the business will operate under the umbrella of Bhakti Blessings LLC, a partnership of Ms. Nguyen and John Berg, she announced by e-mail on April 22.
National statistics demonstrate the popularity of yoga. A recent survey in Yoga Journal magazine reports that some 15 million people practice yoga in the United States. They also spent about $5 billion on classes, yoga clothing, CDs and DVDs.
Yoga aficionados will tell you that a regular (three times a week) yoga practice can help tone and strengthen muscles, correct alignment issues, help keep the spine supple, and quiet and calm the mind.
The discipline of yoga, practiced for more than 5,000 years, is considered a lifestyle, rather than a religion (although there is much in common with Eastern religious traditions).
The physical poses (or asanas) were originally meant to allow the yoga student to remain seated in meditation for longer periods of time.
Devi Yoga offers a well-rounded list of classes. Many feature the Vinyasa style of yoga, in which one pose flows into another, in almost a dance-like fashion. There are several other recognized yoga disciplines: Iyengar, Anusara, Jivamukti and Yin.
Classes are scheduled during the day and evening. Often there are weekend workshops with noted teachers. Ms. Nguyen says she looks for teachers (all of whom have 200 hour certifications) who are a “good match of style, energy and personality.”
One of her goals is to offer more classes for children, so that they can “start on the path of mindful fitness that can become an integral part of their lives.”
In these challenging times, she says, “Yoga offers an inner space to reflect and, from that, to renew.”
“Devi” is the Sanskrit word for goddess, and usually refers to the female aspects of the divine, i.e., warmth, sensitivity and nurturing. Many of her clients confirm that is just what they find there.
For more information about Devi Yoga, go to www.devi-yoga.com.
About the author: Sheryl Nonnenberg, who has practiced at the Devi Yoga studio since its inception, is a long-time yoga practitioner, an art researcher and writer, and a resident of Menlo Park.
