I started going to Lance's Saturday morning "Stretch!" class when it was still called "Prelude to Pretzel" at the urging of a friend almost 6 months ago. At first, I was embarrassed and scared because at that point I couldn't even touch my toes, and apparently had weird flexibility-related self-esteem issues. However, in a matter of weeks, with Lance's training and the support of the happy community in his class, I could massage the back of my head with the soles of my feet in a deep backbend (think about that for a second). Incredible progress!
Lance is a patient teacher who challenges you to go beyond your comfort point, in a safe but effective way. Class focuses on building flexibility through passive and active stretching, and Lance pushes on your body. There are sometimes inversions. His class alternates each week, focusing on legs (straddles, splits, etc.) and back (backbends), and each class ends with 15 minutes to a half hour of conditioning, focused mostly on increasing strength. At the end of class, there is one last excruciating pointe stretch (foot stretch) which simply has to be experienced.
I like the class because it's a nice way to start my Saturday, I've met a ton of really chill people, and above all, I've definitely learned more about my body and really gotten a lot more flexible. It's a chill atmosphere, which is nice because often people are hungover or complaining about the pain. It's run on a donation basis, and I pay anywhere between $5 and $15, depending on what I have in my wallet. Walk-ins ok.
I would definitely recommend Lance's class. I haven't tried his massage but if it's anything like his stretching class, I might have to make a booking! !! ! read more