Coconut Elephant Yoga is new on the scene, but the instructors are well qualified and have great…read moreexperience. Classes currently include Beginner, Vinyasa, Yin, Hatha, Flow, and Vinyasa/Pilates. The space is comfortable, with a beautiful original mural as a focal point on one wall. The studio offers the usual bolsters, blocks, straps, blankets, and loaner mats. The studio is quiet (no normal street noise can be heard, although the very occasional fire truck may go by) and the music that accompanies the lessons is in the background but all around you, thanks to the great sound system.
Co-owner Kellee is a gem of a yoga instructor -- challenging yet caring, focused yet nurturing. She has taught in several other studios (I have taken lessons from her for four years or so) as well as yoga classes in corporate settings.
Kellee customizes her lessons to fit the students' abilities and needs. Alternative versions of postures and poses are introduced as the session progresses to aid those who may have difficulty with the "right" way to achieve the position. She keeps your mind on controlled breathing, focused attention, and peace in the knowledge that you are perfect in the moment, even if you cannot sustain a balance pose as long as everyone else. By the time the class is over, your mind is refreshed, your body renewed, and for the moment peace is restored in a tumultuous world.
I have taken classes in other studios from other instructors, and while each teacher brings something that I can learn and take to heart, I have found no classes to compare with those I have shared with Kellee. Not only are they great yoga -- flexibility, strength, balance, mind, body spirit -- they are also a great workout. That's why I drive 30 minutes each way for her classes, and have done so for years as she has taught in other studios. Now that she is part of a partnership in her own space, I know that I have a yoga home. May you find yours as well.
