Seeking Solace is the best yoga studio I have found in Kansas City, or maybe anywhere, actually…read more The main instructor, Colleen, is also its owner and founder. She is remarkable, and her teaching has benefitted me tremendously. I am sleeping better and have more energy, strength, and flexibility. When I arrived, my yoga experience was quite basic. I had very little flexibility. She is a patient teacher, and she guided me and the other students through the challenges of certain postures. My practice improved greatly thanks to her. She is very observant, and also extremely intuitive. She offers modified poses for newbies like me, or advanced variations, for those who have a stronger practice.
The practice has a spiritual side, too, and Colleen is an excellent guide here, also. While calling the poses by their Sanskrit names, she offers a focus on the breath, encouraging students to get out of their heads when they practice. Classes end on the chant of Om (peace), and in poses, sometimes mantras are given, such as "I am peace." Another favorite of mine is the So Hum meditation. I love the spiritual side, and I feel that students who don't get this are really missing something key.
The setting at Seeking Solace is so wonderful, too, and the first thing you notice when entering the studio is what a special place it is. People have posted photos, but they don't do justice to the place. It is at once grounding and energizing, clean and harmonious. You feel good when you enter, and it also feels like a sacred space, a safe haven away from the hustle and bustle of the world. The room offers a view of a peaceful rock garden where there are flowers, and when I was there, in the Fall, a couple of pumpkins.
Colleen's knowledge extends also to nutrition and anatomy. During class, as poses are being done, she offers information about the way the joints, muscles, and ligaments all come together. She also points out when doing certain poses can help in our daily lives, and can even help people to avoid surgeries later.
In contrast, I had previously practiced at studios with rooms heated to 95 degrees, where it was all about how much you can sweat and how to show off your moves. Here, it's quite the opposite. Seeking Solace is about finding lasting benefit, with a top-notch teacher, in a friendly group of yogis. I highly recommend Seeking Solace.