Survey Results

We received 122 responses to our Student Survey! Thank you so much for being such an awesome, engaged community of people!

I wanted to take this opportunity to respond to some of the reoccurring questions, comments, etc.

• Music - Most instructors use music and some instructors do not. I leave it up to the instructors themselves to make their own playlists (although the studio has some available to use as well). They are in charge of the studio environment once their class begins. Also, I know that our music system sometimes cuts in and out and we are working to rectify this. Because our system is wireless it relies on our internet connection and as you know, this is not always perfect - we are working to find a reliable back-up.
• Bike racks - I put in a request with the City to install bike racks on October 11, 2011. I heard it can take up to a year for them actually to be installed.....
• Pricing/Student Discounts - My pricing at $15 for a drop-in, one hour, HEATED Vinyasa class is competitive with other studios and the Chicago market. As many people know and have taken advantage of, I have purposely made ways in which those on a fixed budget can fit yoga into their lives (not just students) - once a week free classes, once a month donation classes, you can share memberships and class packages and they never expire! I have also run 3 specials so far for discounts on packages and will be running another in April. Finally, I will be offering a new class package for those of you that want to make a year's commitment to yoga at a deeper discount - One Year, Unlimited at $1200.
• Unheated classes- I know it feels like summer now, but it's really not :) We will be turning the heat off for many of our classes starting in June. Stay tuned!
• Beginners/Advanced classes- I am a big believer in Mixed level classes. I think that beginners can learn so much more and see what is possible when they see more advanced students in the room and the advanced students benefit by consistently being reminded of alignment and the general basics of yoga that they can continue to build upon. That being said, I will be adding one Advanced class for seasoned practitioners to work more on advanced poses that may not be possible in a Mixed Level class - 2:00pm on Saturdays with Diana AND we will be working on a Beginner's Workshop series that we will hold a few times a year that will serve as a good starting point for a yoga practice.
• Retail- We will be getting in some more Tanya-B and Be Love clothes in the coming weeks. I am also looking into FOAT Design as another potential unique yoga clothing offering at Tula.
• Online Calendar - We are aware of the 'cutting off' of the names of classes on the calendar and we are diligently working on a fix for this. In the meantime, I will be modifying the schedule so that the number of minutes of the class is easier to see and if you have any questions, please call the studio at 773.620.9945.

One comment on the survey that actually made my heart sink a bit was that we were not a Beginner's Studio because of the 30-day "brag board" hanging in the front. The 30-day challenge was one of the most inspiring, fun things that I feel that Tula has done (so far). I know that a number of people that took part in this challenge were very new to yoga and doing this has inspired them to keep up a regular practice! One of them even went to Yoga Teacher Training because of it! So it was not meant to be a 'brag board' - it was an inspiring and motivational way to track people's attendance (that wanted to, of course). I hope that whoever wrote this comment is willing to see this other side. It will definitely be an annual tradition at Tula.

Overall, the comments and ratings were overwhelmingly high and positive and I feel we are on the right track with what you as the community wants in your local yoga studio. If you have any other thoughts, please do not hesitate to email me at maile@tulayoga.net or you can give us a review on YELP and let others know about our amazing community.

Namaste.

How Yoga has Shaped my Music: A Guest Blog Post

Greetings Tula! My name is Neil Dixon Smith, I’m a classical guitarist based here in Logan Square. I’ll be performing live music for the special Earth Hour Restorative class being taught by Kristen Folkes on March 31 at 8:30pm at Tula. Being Earth Hour, this means no electricity, so expect some beautiful candlelight to go with the soothing nylon strings and calm Latin rhythms. This is going to be a really beautiful experience for all who come out.

I am especially excited for this opportunity as yoga has had a huge impact on my development as a classical guitarist. I thought I would take this opportunity to write a little something for the Yoga Community to share a couple ways of how my yoga practice has shaped my music.

Although I have been playing guitar since I was twelve, I didn’t get into learning classical guitar technique until I was in my 30’s (I’m 43 now). Fortunately for me, I had years of yoga under my belt (with a warm shout to Ema Stefanova, a truly excellent yoga teacher based in Ann Arbor, MI, to whom I owe so much).

As I began my transition in essentially re-learning how to play from scratch, I drew considerably from the processes and wisdom I had gained from yoga. Simply put, I would not have progressed on the instrument as I did without yoga, and it greatly informs my playing each time I pick up a guitar.

So whether or not you play a musical instrument, I hope you find this interesting and perhaps inspiring some thoughts about how yoga has shaped your life outside the studio.

As I reflect on the impact of yoga on my continuing development as a guitarist, most significant, of course, is the awareness of breath. When you’re a yoga beginner, doing your first sun salutation sequences, you struggle to match the proper inhales and exhales with the appropriate movement, but over time and practice, it all becomes a flow. Over more time, on your best days, your practice will feel like it is all breath, in that magical mix of concentration and relaxation.

As a classical guitarist, I perform in all sorts of different contexts. Sometimes I’m in very public spaces, full of distraction (such as a restaurant or farmer’s market) and sometimes I’m in very intense and nerve-wracking situations (such as playing in a concert setting, or a very formal wedding ceremony). I might be asked to play for 3-4 hours, which may end up being 50-60 pieces of pretty sophisticated compositions, performed from (muscle) memory. In order to do them justice, without fatigue, and with a sincere emotional investment, I must be in top condition, unfazed by my surroundings while being aware of and playing to the moment.

What is the first thing any of us do when we become flustered, frustrated or freaked out while performing a task? We lose control of our breath. Unwittingly holding it in for long stretches, or just breathing erratically, furthering a downward spiral that can lead to out of control movements, negative self-talk and just plain wearing yourself out.

Whether I’m learning a particularly difficult passage in a composition, or warming up for a performance, I start with my focusing on my breath. Before I begin to a play set in front of any audience, I have a few set pieces of music that I always begin with, which like a sun salutation I know how to breathe through though years of conditioning. This practiced, ritualistic awareness helps center my attention, quiet any internal dialog, as well channel the resources to my hand muscles to maximize the effectiveness of my technique. That is, I play a whole lot better. And when I do begin to feel as though I’ve momentarily lost control, or have become distracted, my first thought is always to get back to prana, and soon enough I’m back on my best.

The second sphere of influence I’ll mention is in the process of improvement itself. Learning classical guitar technique is a marvelous course in the engineering of the human body. To be able to play the most amount of notes possible (ie, all the notes the composer wants you to play), with the greatest range of dynamics, at the greatest level of comfort, there exists a centuries-honed method of playing. It involves the striving for perfect posturing to maximize efficiency, engaging only the muscles necessary to get the job done, while relaxing all muscles not engaged in the task…sound familiar?

And like a 2 minute hand stand, it’s there for you to do, too – with the right effort, of course. Slow, daily, incremental, maddening, magnificent progress. Over months, and over years. There are simple exercises you begin with, which then evolve to become the foundations towards longer sequences of musical events (hand and finger postures and motions), and ultimately to elaborate physical routines known as “songs”. The process of reaching this stage automatically opens the doors to new paths and new possibilities.

Because of yoga, I knew that the rewards of practice are sometimes slow to the point of imperceptibility. But it is the power of teaching, and the knowledge that these are indeed time-tested traditions, that keep you ever going forward. There is that moment that comes when after months of trying to play a particularly tough passage, suddenly I’m doing it. It is its own reward, and a guarantee that that next difficult passage will be slightly easier to get.

When it comes down to it, I love yoga because it always about improving. When I would visit my guitar mentor every other week, he would always ask in his broken English, “what progress do you have for me today?”. And to me, yoga is forever a lesson in how to keep getting better at the things we do.

You can learn more about me on my website:

http://neildixonsmith.com

Create your Own Path

Lately, I have been considering going through yoga teacher training. The dilemma here is the fact that I already own a studio, so I don't want to give my money to another studio to train me. I've gotten many suggestions from going on a out of town retreat to bringing in some master instructors, not associated with a specific studio, to train me.

The other obvious option here is to start up my own training program at Tula. I am in the unique position where I don't have to interview/audition for a job when I'm done with training, therefore I can more easily seek my own path in learning how to teach yoga. This is liberating and at the same time, a bit scary. Why am I so scared to do something different? Because in America, it is ingrained in us from an early age that we should attend 'prestigious' schools, learn from master teachers, hold certifications, obtain the right credentials, build beautiful resumes and look good on paper. In addition to this, in the yoga industry, there is a big emphasis placed on lineage. If there are no formal standards or checklist of things that I need to learn, how can I effectively learn to teach? If I learn to teach yoga from my favorite teachers/friends, am I then destined to not be a very good teacher? If I don't seek certifications, credentials or a stamp of approval from the Yoga Alliance or other governing yoga association, will I ever be taken seriously?

I would argue that I am just as able to become a great teacher. Some of the world's greatest teachers, and other professionals (chefs, artists, musicians, athletes, etc) were self-taught, dropped out of formal schools and created their own path to their life's purpose, paved purely with passion, hard-work, drive and talent. I would even go so far as to say that they may be better at what they do than their more formally trained counterparts because they created their own path - they had to seek out their own inspiration, draw upon their own experiences, answer their own questions. They may be better at keeping an open mind to differing viewpoints and theories. They may be better at blending different techniques to come up with their own unique ideas. In the book, Yoga Beyond Belief, Ganga White writes "We cannot learn to fly by following the tracks left by birds in the sand. We must find our own wings and soar."

Even strongly believing all of these things, I am still scared. I am scared of people asking "who are you?" or "what do you know?". But I know this is just my lizard brain talking and it's slowly getting quieter......

Please share with me how you have created your own path to something you wanted. What were the pros/cons of doing this?

30 Days of Yoga

Thirty days ago today, we gave people a challenge. Do yoga for everyday for 30 consecutive days at Tula and you will receive your next 30 days for free. Quite a few of our monthly members signed up. We also had a few new people sign up and some instructors. We started with 25 challengers.

The first few weeks, I heard things like "30 days is so long" and "how will ever do this". We sent them a few motivational emails and had a few drawings for prizes along the way - just to keep their spirits up! What I found amazing, was the passion and commitment people came into class with everyday. They were genuinely excited about placing their star sticker for the day on the chart. People integrated a trip to the studio into their everyday routines - really powerful stuff. These people saw each other everyday, they connected, made friends on the mat. There were a few days along the way that were tough for people - soreness, sickness, snowstorms and life got in the way of their daily trek to the studio, but even the people that missed a day or so picked right up where they left off - determined to see it through. I think that we still are not sure what can motivate people, but when everything falls into place in just the right way and you see with your own eyes that determination and force of that inner drive, it is truly phenomenal. In the greater scheme of things, this was just 30 days of yoga, but in a small way it shows me that anything is possible.

Thirty days ago, I wasn't sure if anyone would complete the challenge. Today I am so proud to say that 12 people have. Tomorrow, I will be putting up a new attendance chart with hopes that this is only the first leg of their life-long journey with yoga.

Challengers- please comment on this post and let me know how this experience was for you!

Heat

I've been getting a lot of comments and questions about the 'heated' Vinyasa classes that we offer at Tula lately. I am discovering that their are a lot of people that are afraid of the heat. I've heard "I hate getting hot/sweaty", "the heat makes me sick", "what's with the heat?", etc. On the other hand, I also get people that make comments about our studio not being hot enough. They want to come out of class soaked by sweat and are disappointed when they are not. I want this post to explain why I chose for my studio to offer heated classes and also explain what kind of 'heat' you will experience at Tula, so that you are not afraid to check it out.

Why did I chose to do mostly 'Heated' Vinyasa?

It's pretty simple - it's what I prefer. I started doing yoga in a hot room and when I would take classes in a 'cold' room, they just were not the same to me. I love the warmth and the way that the heat warms and loosens your muscles. I love the feeling of being just a bit sweaty so that you feel like you are detoxifying. In the winter, it is wonderful reprieve from the cold outside!

The Heat at Tula

I have taken Bikram yoga classes and can tell you the heat at Tula is nowhere near this. Bikram yoga studios are set at 105 degrees, but with many bodies crowded into a room, is is not uncommon for the temperature to push 110. This makes me feel sick. In my opinion, you are not suppose to feel sick after yoga.

I have taken many other Hot yoga classes around town as well. Some were still too hot for me. I don't like it when I am so hot and sweaty that I am concentrating more on trying not to slip on my mat than on the actual pose. It makes me tense, stressed and distracted. Again, not what I think yoga should do to you. I don't want there to be pools of sweat around my mat and sweat being flung in my direction by the person next to me. Yuck.

At Tula, I try to have a good, moderate heat. The temp is usually set to 92 degrees in our heated classes. Depending on the number of people in the room, the temperature may rise by a few degrees, but because of the large size of our studio (about 1500 sq. ft. with 17' ceilings), it may also feel slightly cooler than this. We also always have our ceiling fans on low because it helps to blow the heat down to the floor. So you may feel a bit of a breeze from time to time. I believe that this is just the right amount of heat. It's not suffocating and it's only 'sweaty' if you are vigorously moving and/or enjoying an especially challenging yoga class. It does what I want it to do, warm your muscles, relax you and allows you to enjoy your practice. I purposely chose to label the classes at Tula as 'heated' rather than 'hot' because I believe this more accurately describes the temperature in our studio.

The bottom line is, try the heated classes at Tula because it may be different than what you think!

What does non-intimidating mean?

I had an instructor ask me the other day if I thought she was intimidating and it struck me that people may have different ideas about what intimidation means. I thought that I would express to you what it means to me and why I strive for Tula to always be approachable, welcoming and non-intimidating.

Let's start with the Dictionary definition of intimidate - To make timid or fearful.

As a yoga student in Chicago long before I was a studio owner, I had many wonderful experiences with yoga studios and instructors. With these wonderful experiences, I also had some not so great experiences. Looking as to why these experiences were not so great, I realized that most often it had little to do with the actual yoga instruction. It had to do mostly with the energy of the environment and a lot of the peripherals outside of the yoga class itself. To me, these are the things that would make a studio either intimidating/fearful or non-intimidating/welcoming to me.

No Rules, just Yoga. While I understand the intention is good, I find a lot of rules and regulations to be somewhat stressful. I have been to classes and studios where they have so many rules about 'proper' yoga etiquette that you are so focused on conforming and trying not to break the 'rules' that you can lose sight of the full yoga experience - letting go. At Tula, you may notice a lack of many of the typical rules and regulations. No complicated forms to sign, no posted rules about turning cell phones off, taking shoes off, no talking, etc. You can share, transfer and never fear that your class packs will expire - you paid for them, you should be able to do what you want with them. And what happens when you strip away these rules? Mass chaos? No, you get people that are genuinely respectful to each other, the space and the practice.

Slowing down. The irony is not lost on me that many people around the city 'rush' to relax at their yoga classes. At Tula, you can be late to class. We won't lock the door on you. You are welcome any time.

Being welcomed. I have been to studios where even if you are a new person, no one even shows you where the bathroom is. No one asks your name. You are basically left to your own devices. We will always show you where things are and make sure you are comfortable.

English, please. This is a tough one because I appreciate the Sanskrit names of poses. There is a calming, relaxing resonance to me just hearing someone say Chanturanga Dandasana. However, when I was a beginner, I would hear these names and frantically look around the room and try to figure out what exactly to do with my body. Instructors at Tula are advised to help beginners, say the English names of poses (in addition to the Sanskrit name) and make sure that you are able to at least attempt a pose with all the information required to do so.

Advanced Yogis are welcome too. Some people may think of places as intimidating if there are many fit, flexible yogis doing handstands and complicated backbends in class. To me, this is not intimidating, this is inspiring. There is a saying in yoga that you need to be happy with where you are- today. I love the idea of mixed level classes because people can learn from each other. So, at Tula, you may find a class full of fit bendable yogis or a class full of stiff beginners - just be happy with where you are and imagine the possibilities.

Have a sense of humor. This is a big one. I love teachers that take yoga seriously, but not themselves. We should be able to laugh at ourselves. Yoga is fun and sometimes funny. At Tula, don't be surprised if there is a lot of laughing in class.

To sum it up - I wanted my yoga to come with a sense of belonging, community, so that's the studio I aimed to build. I'm sure there are many people out there that just want a workout and go about their busy lives. I want a long savasana, I want to be asked how I am feeling, I want to be introduced to my neighbor next to me on the mat. I want to be greeted at the door by a warm welcoming face. I want to know that if I don't know what I'm doing, that's okay, I'm still welcome. I want to connect and grow in my practice with others. And that's what non-intimidating means to me- what does it mean to you?

Yin Yoga

In December, we are adding a few more Yin Yoga classes. In this guest blog post, I have asked our 2 Yin Yoga instructors, Lisa Schaefer and Nathan Paulus, to share their view on what Yin means to each of them. Enjoy and come join a class soon!

Lisa Schaefer

Yin is still pretty undiscovered in Chicago and I would love to help spread the word about this wonderful style of yoga. Yin was founded over thirty years ago by Paulie Zink, who is also a Master in the martial art of Kung Fu. He studied the natural movement of animals for many years and combined it with the five elements (earth, metal, water, wood and fire) into what is now called Yin yoga. Yin's focus is on strengthening the bones and the surrounding connective tissues. If practiced on a regular basis, the body becomes more flexible and eases into postures.

I was lucky enough to be involved in one of his recent workshops here in Chicago and learned so much from the Father of Yin Yoga. I am a big believer in making a style your own and teaching to the beat of your own drum. Paulie laid a great foundation for me in order to teach his style of yoga to my students. Most people think that Yin is holding postures for 3 to 5 minutes, and while this is true to certain practitioners and instructors, it is not my style. I have adapted to more of a fluid motion in my practice, so that there is a flow from one posture to the next. I feel that it is important to stretch the body, but also allow the body to adjust/adapt to a specific posture. Each person's ability to execute a particular posture varies from one person to the next. One student might be able to hold a posture for five minutes, while another may only be able to hold it for thirty seconds. Yin is an ever-changing practice. With daily practice you will feel your body become more natural in its flow during your Yin sequence. This is the beauty of building your own daily regimen. I hope to challenge, educate and bring enjoyment into each class that I teach. It is my goal to bring a fresh and new perspective of Yin with each student that takes a class for the first time or even someone that is a regular practitioner of it.

Lisa's classes will be offered at 7 am on Wednesdays and 9:15 am on Sundays beginning in December.

Nathan Paulus

A Yin practice places more emphasis on internal observation and awareness with more passivity both physically and mentally. There are fewer standing postures and poses that require a greater output of energy; instead, the body becomes attenuated to the effects of gravity and how to minimize resistance. Both dynamic and static movements are still employed, but the quality of both movement and stillness is one of effortlessness. Yin classes provide an easy route to release base line nervous tension that accumulates with daily stressors, they are also wonderful for learning about asymmetrical and paradoxical muscle/energy patterns present in the body. Typically, a yin class will leave the practitioner with a relaxed, calm and easy going state of being; which in my mind, is a wonderful way to employ one’s self in the external world.

Nathan’s class will be offered on Mondays at 7 am beginning in December.

The Resistance

I recently read the book The War of Art by Steven Pressfield. In it, he talks a lot about The Resistance within us all to really do our ART. We want to write a novel, but we never find the time. We want to improve our health, get in shape, but we don't exercise or eat right. We want to read more books, but we watch more TV instead. We make excuses, we look for deterrents, we get side-tracked from our goals. We want to quit our jobs, but we feel like we can't. We start to listen to the naysayers that tell us that we can't do it. We all have this internal voice that fights us every step of the way. The closer you get to actually doing what you want to do, the harder the Resistance fights. The Resistance is logical and rational too. What are you crazy? you think you can run a marathon and you have cancer? Very logical indeed. You think that you can work 50 hours a week and write a novel? Very rational.

In order to open this studio, I fought The Resistance every step of the way. The voice in my head (and a few voices outside my head) told me I was crazy, didn't know what I was doing, wasn't good enough, not smart enough, too introverted, and all around unworthy of being a studio owner. I looked for excuses as to why I shouldn't do it. It's a bad economy. No one wants to do yoga anymore, they go to gyms. There is too much competition. There are too many risks. Every day there was a set-back. I had to be somewhat irrational, illogical. Proceed even when I saw stop signs. I had to step outside my comfort zone. After seven weeks of being open, I still fight The Resistance everyday. It never stops. I worry, I get anxious, I get disappointed when I have an empty class. Everyday I second-guess myself. But I believe in this studio and what it will bring to people's lives. I am the most happy I have been in my life.

My husband told me the other day that my studio probably brings out this Resistance in a lot of people. There are people every week that come in and say that they have always wanted to do yoga, but there wasn't anything close by. Now there is. The Resistance has to work even harder to get you not to come in.

I will continue everyday to fight my Resistance. Fight yours too. I promise you, it's worth it.

In Defense of Yoga Instructors

So, I don't normally do this, but I am going to vent a little bit about something that has been bothering me for awhile.

I've been hearing rumors that other studios that have run Groupons or other 'special deals' then dock the pay of the instructors that are teaching to these deal-buying students. For example, some studios pay instructors a per-head fee - let's say $5.00. If an instructor has a class of 10 people, then they earn $50 for that class. Sounds fair, right? Well, if the studio decides to run a Groupon or other promotion, they then tell the instructors that anyone that comes into their class to redeem a Groupon will only earn them $1.00. Does the instructor then teach to this student less? Does the instructor skip on teaching more advanced poses because this particular student is only worth a dollar? No, they are expected to (and should) give them the same level of service as the person that is worth $5.00.

What I think the studio is failing to understand is that the value that the instructors give to the students does not change with what the student is paying the studio. The instructor most likely has gone through extensive (and expensive) training. To cut the instructors' pay because the studio decided to charge their students less, in my opinion, is just plain disrespectful to what they do and it undervalues their expertise as yoga instructors.

This frustrates me to no end. Please, yoga instructors, don't put up with this.

What's your opinion on this? Am I the only one that thinks this should not be tolerated?

(p.s. Just so you know, Tula pays their instructors a fair and agreed upon wage ALWAYS, even when no one attends their class, even when there are studio specials or promotional deals, even on students who enter the class for free. I value the service that my instructors give to my students and I compensate them accordingly.)

Yoga in NYC

Oct. 18th was my 37th birthday.... sigh.

To celebrate, my husband and I took a short trip to NYC. I love NYC. I decided that while we were there, we would check out a couple of NY yoga studios. I decided to go to 2 completely different places - The Dharma Center and Strala. Here's my thoughts on both experiences:

The Dharma Center

Yoga Master, Dharma Mittra, has been teaching yoga in New York since 1967. A pioneer of yoga today. Andrew and I signed up for a "Meditation and Self-Awareness" class with him. I was nervous and I had no idea what to expect. When we entered, the desk person said but 2 words to us - "names please". We entered the space into a small lounge area where a few students were relaxing. Everyone was silent. We had no idea where to put our stuff or where the studio was. We just waited. A few minutes later, yogis started to come out of the studio and we entered. Everyone was grabbing blankets, so we did the same. The mood was calm, relaxed, and reverent. Dharma took a chair in the front of us. He spoke about awareness of the 'self' - the self being the collective 'self'. He spoke about having compassion for others and about getting in touch with others on a mental level. We did lots of chanting, a few breathing exercises and a lot of listening to Dharma. While he tried to keep the mood light by occasionally making jokes, the class was very, very serious. There were people in the class that sat in lotus with their eyes closed the entire time. Overall, it was a great experience, but a bit intimidating for me. Next time, I'll definitely come back to experience an asana class with him.

Strala

The next day, we woke up bright and early to make an 8:00 am STRONG class

with Tara Stiles (aka "the Yoga Rebel") at Strala. Tara got in the elevator with us on the way up to the studio. She smiled brightly and complimented my WhetherBag yoga bag! As we entered the space, the desk person warmly greeted us and Tara asked where we from. She was extremely warm and welcoming. We chatted for a bit about Chicago (she's from Joilet) and Tula. When she found out it was my birthday, she gave me a big hug. The studio was a large open space with white walls and large windows in the front. Tara docked her iPod and we began. The class was challenging. We did a ton of standing poses and inversions. She did not utter one Sanskrit word - everything was English, which I found to be interesting. Throughout class, I could hear her giggling with students. The vibe was light-hearted and fun. The class wasn't heated, but by the end I was drenched in sweat. As we left, she gave me another hug and said she couldn't wait to come and practice at Tula!

So what did I take away from these 2 very different experiences?

The Dharma center was very 'yogic'- from the silence of the students to the smell of incense, the beaded curtains to the old red carpet in the studio. There was a air of reverence and sacredness (is that a word?). Dharma honors and embodies the yoga tradition throughout his space. Our chanting contained all Sanskrit words. While do love being in this type of environment, it is really hard for me to connect to it. It is so far outside my day to day life in the modern world (not to mention all the chanting in a foreign language). Although what he said (in English) I completely found meaningful, true and applicable to modern life.

On the other hand, I felt completely comfortable in Strala. I knew what was expected of me and I connected to Tara and the people around me quite easily. There was a sense of humor about things that I love so much. No one was afraid to laugh, smile, and chat with their neighbor. BUT there was a little something missing - the yoga-ish part of the practice. I think it was mainly because there was no chanting, no Sanskrit, no Namaste. We could have been practicing any number of different group exercises - not just yoga.

So all of this leads me to ask - what makes yoga, yoga? I don't really have a good answer for this, do you?

Here are the websites to the studios, so the next time you are in NYC, check them out!

http://stralayoga.com/

http://www.dharmayogacenter.com/

Contridictions and the Power of Diversity

Over the course of this week, as we at Tula settled into our routines, I've gotten a chance to sit down with many of my instructors and talk about yoga - philosophy, schools of thought, teaching styles. What I discovered is a whole lot of contradictions and diversity. One instructor informed me that she does not believe in using props ('props cause injuries', was her statement). Another instructor informed me that we need more props as they were essential to her class. I asked the instructors for recommendations of studios to visit while in NY next week - I got lists of studios that ranged from extremely traditional (Dharma Mittra) to the extremely non-traditional (Tara Stiles). I even got a recommendation to go to a certain instructor and then a recommendation to specifically stay away from that particular instructor! I received differing philosophies and thoughts about how to handle student 'assists', whether or not to teach headstands, and what was the 'right' balance of western, fast-paced, aerobic-type yoga and the more slower-paced, meditative forms of yoga.

I got to thinking about all these seemingly striking contradictions in these instructors that all work at Tula. How can I have such differing perspectives and styles while still trying to build the 'Tula' brand and identity? Why would you come to my studio when you have no idea what you are going to get?

The answer that I came up with is that this is exactly why you should come and practice at Tula. There is strength and power in diversity and differing opinions. At the core of it, yoga is yoga is yoga. Whether you are practicing in a rural part of India on a mountaintop or in your Manhattan apartment in your designer jeans. Everyone is different - personalities, beliefs and body-types, shouldn't your yoga studio match this reality? Is yoga really one size & style fits all? I don't think so.

I truly believe that yoga is for everyone. Come in and find your yoga, your voice, your opinion. Take classes from each of our amazing instructors and find out what you like, what you don't like. If you are like me, you will probably like bits and pieces of each or the style and pace that you crave will change with your mood or the season.What better way to do that than by offering a wide range of diversity in instructors?

Eventually Tula will evolve into what this great community wants it to be, but for now I will continue to seek out diversity and contradictions so that you can make that choice for yourself.

Inspiration in the Mountains

First, I want to thank all my wonderful instructors, family and early supporters that came out to the Tula Grand Opening on Friday. It was completely mind-blowing to see people in my space - doing yoga! What an awesome community of people we already have.

It's going to be a great first week,

Maile

The following is a guest blog post by our instructor and assistant manager, Adrienne Nothnagel.

Last week I attended the Baron Baptiste Immersion workshop at the Yoga Journal Conference in Estes Park. I consider Baron Baptiste to be a founding father of the Power Yoga style, so practicing with him four hours a day, I hoped to gain some of his fatherly yogic wisdom to bring into my own practice and teaching.

He emphasized simple phrases: “Bring love to your love of the practice.” “Stand in your Power. Have power in your Power.” “Make it interesting.” Honestly, he sounded kinda like a stoner at first. But as the week progressed, we went a bit deeper into these simple phrases. His practice combines rigorous asana with a playful tone. As we held poses for what felt like forever, Baron engaged in a philosophical conversation with us. He questioned us on our purpose, our habitual thoughts, drew metaphors to the stability of our poses to the stability of our lives, and pointedly asked us what we will “let go of” that is holding us back in our practice (and in life).

I learned that the “Power” in Power Yoga is not force or struggle at all. Power, in this context, is actually a radical acceptance of where we are in the current moment. With this acceptance we can proactively change our lives, perceptions of self, and our relationships. It is seeing yourself as a block of clay, rather than a solid rock. We no longer say: “This is just the way I am/my body is,” and instead we say: “I seem to be this way today/lately/subconsciously.” Understanding ourselves in the current moment gives us a way to grow honestly. We let go of who we were and who we think we are, and instead we just... are. When we embrace who we are right now, we have Power.

Compassion and love were also emphasized in his classes and breakout sessions. We would meditate for an hour, then we were challenged to stare directly into the eyes of a stranger next to us and discuss what came up in meditation. Following this, we were asked just to look into each others’ eyes and not say a thing - just holding eye contact.

So many emotions come up during this exercise! I immediately became aware of a natural fear/resistance to connect with others that we all have. This fear is mostly subconscious, hidden in places that are tough to access, and it is incredibly difficult to articulate why we all have an urge to hide. The overarching lesson is simply that we often see ourselves as completely separate and different from others. But at the root of our being, we are all the same. When you strip away the superficial things (image, materials, individualized experiences), we all seek love, fulfillment, and life. You can see this when you look into some one’s eyes. The more we pull away from looking into the eyes of the people around us, the less likely we are going to be compassionate to that person and the less likely we are to see ourselves within the other person.

After this contemplation on individual-to-individual connection, we logically progressed to the concept of community. One of my partners, Ruby, struggled to hold eye contact. When my eyes persisted, hers began to tear up; I gave a smile for reassurance, and the tears subsided. I knew it was hard for both of us to stare so intently at each other. When it was all done, she offered a profound comment: “Community creates itself. Many people will be in one place at the same time in so many situations. The quality of that community is based entirely on how you react to it.”

Now back in Chicago, we had our Grand Opening last night for Tula. Around forty people came together in the same place and opened themselves up to meeting and socializing with others. I taught the grand opening yoga to a room full of awesomely inspiring, attentive, willing-to-connect individuals. In this new space I am excited to empower our students to grow and “bring love to their love of the practice.” We want people to see this not only as a breath of peace after a long week, but also a place where they can count on awesome people to be here. The community is ready for your power, your passion, and your engagement.

- Adrienne Nothnagel

Tula's Grand Opening and Membership Special

First, I want to say that I am eternally grateful for my friends, family and neighbors for welcoming and supporting my business venture. My love of Logan Square and my love of yoga have converged and are finally making Tula Yoga Studio a reality!

We have an exciting month ahead of us. On Friday, September 30th at 7pm, we will have our Grand Opening celebration and Open House. You can see all the details and RSVP on our Facebook page; I hope you can make it.

To celebrate our opening, we're also running a limited special: 30 of our 120 monthly membership spots are available at a reduced rate of $99/month. The offer is open to anyone who would like to purchase a membership prior to our doors opening on September 30th, and will be limited to the first 30 people who sign up. There are currently 28 spots left! If you're interested, you can purchase a membership here.

In addition to receiving unlimited yoga, you have my promise that I will continue to value and reward those of you that are the first to join Tula. I'm planning some exciting workshops that members will have discounted access to, as well as some other surprises and benefits for being part of our new community.

Lastly, our website has been updated with our opening schedule, and all the bios of our awesome instructors. We'll be opening with 41 classes per week, more than 20 instructors, and class times that will fit into any schedule. Check out all the latest info at tulayoga.net.

Thanks again for your support and I hope to see all of you on the mat soon!

Why I Won't do a Groupon

Often when I tell people that I am opening a new business, they ask if I will do a Groupon to up sales or to market it. I did think about it and I think there may be lots of advantages to doing one. First, it would be marketing, getting the name of the studio out there in a way that may otherwise be too expensive to do. Secondly, Groupons often bring a rush of people to the door. If you are lucky, you may be able to turn some of these deal-seekers into regular customers.

The more that I thought about it and the more that I heard about the experience from either customers of establishments that have run Groupons or from the business owners themselves, I find there are often more disadvantages to doing them than advantages. First, they literally take half your money (based on the discount price that you are already doing). So for example, if my monthly memberships are $129 and I wanted to run a Groupon for 50% off, then my offer would be $64.50 a month. Now if I told Groupon to take 500 of these, I would potentially make $32,500 - but once Groupon takes their cut - I would get $16,250. Now this may sound like alot, and it is, but if you take into account that without the Groupon running, if I was to land 500 members to the studio, I would get $64,500, the $16,250 doesn't sound so good! Now you could make the argument that I wouldn't be able to land 500 customers without the advertising reach of Groupon and you may be right, but in order to make the $16,500 that I would get from a Groupon, I would need to land only 125 customers! If I was to slowly earn the business of 125 people, I would not only grow my business, but I be more likely to gain 125 loyal, repeat customers and not just one time deal-seekers.

Many establishments that have run these Groupon deals, cannot handle the influx of people that come through their doors. I have heard many times that the companies' current customers are the ones that pay for this. The current customers are suddenly crowded out, often told that they need to make advance reservations to insure their spots to get serviced, etc. Regular customers often no longer get the quality of customer service they got before just because the company is trying to keep up with the Groupon-ers. This is a shame. I always thought that it was weird that companies tend to reward only new customers and not their current customers (the ones, by the way, that are keeping them in business). I understand wanting new customers, but I will never try to gain new customers at the expense or inconvenience of my regulars.

Now I know that the economy is tough and that everyone is looking for deals (myself included) and that's why I will give free class cards to those that are truly interested in checking out the studio, and to my instructors and my employees to give to friends and family. I will also regularly run specials and referral deals. I truly feel that the best way to not only earn customers, but to keep customers is through word of mouth and to connect with people outside of just a flashy advertisement. Now this may mean that I gain customers more slowly, but the customers that I gain will be the customers that I keep and that's all that matters.

Tula's New Assistants

I'd like to introduce you to my 2 new Assistant Managers - Lisa Schaefer and Adrienne Nothnagel!

When I placed an ad in Craigslist for an assistant Manager for the studio, the response was literally overwhelming. Everyone who applied were brimming with enthusiasm for the studio, for yoga and for life! It was near impossible to get through the applicants, but I did my best and chose 2 outstanding women to help me run the studio. Here is a bit more about them -

Lisa Schaefer - Lisa's childhood years were spent immersed in ballet and dance. While living overseas in Sydney, Australia in 2005, she discovered yoga for the first time. Since then, she's been a practitioner of Iyengar, Hatha, Vinyasa and most recently discovered her love of Yin yoga. She is currently working on her yoga teaching certification and plans to bring her Yin knowledge to Tula once she is certified. In the meantime, you'll find her assisting with running the studio. Lisa also spends her time running her eco-friendly handbag line, whetherbags.com, which you'll find inside Tula's boutique.

Adrienne Nothnagel- Adrienne is an activist, a poet, and a businesswoman. Born and raised in a small Indiana town, she longs to climb trees barefoot and find a deep connection with everyday life. She attended her first yoga class in 2007, seeking an exercise more organic than elliptical machines and weight lifting. However, she was skeptical that yoga was an “exercise.” Adrienne discovered that yoga is not only an incredibly demanding physical workout, but it can also serve as a conduit for personal and spiritual growth. Based on her own experience, she believes that yoga has the power to transform the mind and body in unexpected, yet positive and beautiful, ways. Adrienne is fascinated with yoga and is excited to share the philosophy and practice of yoga with her students. She fosters a class that is a balance of creativity and insight, and creates a challenging and restorative practice. In addition to helping to run Tula, Adrienne will also be teaching classes five days a week!

Why the Logo Color Change

Well, my fabulous Interior Designer, Michele Ritchie of Borganna, Inc. Designs and I were trying to come up with a color palette for the studio. I showed her a picture of this plate because I thought that the colors were really warm, yet modern and somewhat urban. So that's it! In order to make things a bit cohesive and streamlined, I decided to change my logo colors to match. I loved the purple, pink and grey in the original logo, but I wanted it to be a bit 'stronger'. I showed the plate to the Graphic Designer and my new colors were decided. Let me know what you think!

Tula's Main Focus will not be Yoga

What? Who ever heard of a yoga studio that doesn't focus on yoga? Well, Tula is that studio and I'll tell you why.

I'll be the first to tell you that I don't know that much about the history and traditions of yoga. I have never been to India, studied with gurus or even know of many yoga 'masters'. I do know that I love yoga and what it has brought to my life. I believe that yoga goes much further than just the asanas (poses) and physical exercise. It is a way to find balance, connect with others and bring a sense of calm to our often hectic, impersonal and stressful lives. I love the feeling of calm you get during savasana (the final resting pose) and what I like to call getting 'yoga-stoned'. After leaving my mat, I take this sense of calm into my life. I have much more patience with my children. Stressful things or events can more easily be put into perspective and brushed off. The world just seems like a calmer and kinder place. Many will say that yoga has a spiritual aspect for them. For me, it is much simpler than trying to connect with a higher power or finding life's meaning. It is a way to balance out my life, connect with others, breathe and to focus on myself.

Yoga has been around for thousands of years, there are so many different versions and styles of yoga, it's mind-boggling! Practices in the US differ from other countries. Practice can differ just based on an instructor's personality! Tula will focus on the benefits of yoga that go beyond just the poses. And through this focus, I believe that you will find that you will advance your actual yoga practice much quicker than with just focusing on getting the poses 'right'.

Don't get me wrong. I will hire amazing, high quality instructors that will help you to learn proper alignment and breathing techniques, but we will also be offering a bit more. The 'bit more' will be the studio's main focus.

Tula will focus on having fun (because I believe that if you don't think it's fun, you won't do it). Tula will routinely combine yoga with music, food, and other fun things to liven up a practice. Tula will focus on connecting people with each other (otherwise you would be doing yoga at home on a DVD). Tula will focus on creating an environment where everyone feels welcome and no one is ever intimidated or left out. Tula will never take ourselves or our practice too seriously. Tula will always have a sense of humor. Tula will embrace the wobbly tree pose, the inflexible backbends, the modified side-plank poses. Tula will focus on eliminating the fear that grips us all when we are in these poses of not being good enough, of not belonging, of not being strong enough or not flexible enough. Often, it is when this fear subsides, when we feel calm, when we are among friends and when we smile and laugh at ourselves, that we find we can do these poses quite easily and that's when you begin to truly advance your practice.

I know that my decision on not to focus on the yoga is probably not the easiest route to take with the studio. I could just focus on yoga, how to properly do yoga poses and shuffle people in and out of the doors. But I want to do a little bit more. I want people to truly find the benefits of yoga beyond the physical exercise. Even if it is only in our little Logan Square neighborhood.

The Meaning of Tula

When I was trying to come up with a name for the studio, I immediately started thinking about Balance. Yoga had been the 'balance' in my life for a few years. I was a stay at home mom that needed an outlet to make sure that I was taking care of myself and getting out of the house every once in a while - and going to practice Yoga provided that for me. So I looked up the Sanskrit word for balance and it's Tula. As I read further about Tula, it also refers to the astrological sign of a Libra - which I am! Perfect!

The tagline "find your balance" came out of the hope that the studio provides that much needed balance for others - whether that be home and work balance, stress relief, or becoming a healthier, more centered, person.

And what about those swirls in the logo? The graphic designer that made it told me it was a representation of a Celtic Triple Spiral that means, among other things, 'rebirth'. Again, perfect! Tula yoga was born out of a desire to re-enter the workforce in a much more rewarding career with more flexibility and have a more direct impact on people's lives - a rebirth.

And the colors? Well, those will be changing to match my decor inside the studio. The short story is that I really like purple and grey and mauve seemed to go well with both. As I have proceeded down the path to getting the studio opened, I'm sure many things will change and evolve, but for now I think I'm off to a good start.

The lease is signed!

I'm thrilled I can finally announce today that the lease for Tula Yoga Studio has been signed! I'll be posting a lot more information about the space and details on the opening in the days and weeks to come.

But for now, I wanted to take a moment to share some of the key highlights.

Location Location Location

The space is located just off Milwaukee Ave, right across the street from Revolution Brewing. We're steps away from the California blue line stop, and just around the corner from the California/Milwaukee intersection.

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About the space

The entire space is just over 2200 square feet. The studio will be about 1600 sf, we'll have a retail section in the front, and then there's an office, closets, bathrooms, and all those good things.

The space has high ceilings, an open airy feel, and will look and feel very modern.

Opening Information

We'll be starting to get the space ready immediately, and we're targeting to open in very early September.

I'll continue to post updates on our progress, and I am so excited to opening this studio in Logan Square - the neighborhood I love, and have lived in for almost six years.

Thanks to everyone for your words of encouragement and support!