Throughout the years we have had the privilege of working with hundreds of yoga studios that have helped shape our business and become a part of our story. We want to give back to the yoga community and open up the floor for studios to share their stories with us. To do this we’re launching a new Yoga Studio Spotlight blog. We will select a yoga studio we have worked with and invite the owners to share their story. If you’re interested in having your studio featured please email evelyn@HeatingGreen.com
This week we are honored and privileged to present Malora L Lager, owner at Let it Be Yoga in Albuquerque, New Mexico.
- Tell us a little about your background in yoga. When did you start and how did you progress to where you are now?I started yoga 23 years ago when I was pregnant with my second child. I had not heard of yoga (23 years ago it was not that popular) and found a pregnancy and yoga book the library. With blessings from my midwife, I started a yoga practice that has never stopped. After practicing and studying for ten years, I got my first certification to teach.
- What inspired you to start a yoga studio? I’ve been teaching all over Albuquerque for the last 13 years, and I continued to notice the westside of Albuquerque did not have much yoga at all while the rest of the city had plenty. As a west-sider, I wanted to bring yoga to a more convenient location for those of us that live here.
- What do you think makes for a good yoga session? A good yoga session consists of: – A lot of focus on the breath – The right amount of energy – not too slow for potentially falling asleep, not too fast for potentially getting lost, feel – good with enough challenge but not overdone. Just right. (like Goldilocks) – Options for modifications. Options for challenging yourself at your highest level. – Good Music. Easy on the ears. – Letting go of all baggage and having a happy heart. – Staying on time.
- Your studio obviously offers hot yoga. What are some of the benefits to practicing yoga in a hot environment? The benefits of doing Hot Yoga at Let it Be Yoga are the muscles are warmer therefore more pliable, the sweat helps eliminate toxins from the body and is good for the skin by detoxifying the pores (love that yoga glow),the raised temperature in the room will assist in improving T-cell function and functioning of the immune system, and similar to sitting in a sauna, the heat helps to increase pulse rate and metabolism, allowing blood vessels to become more flexible increasing blood flow to the limbs.
- What advice would you give to perspective students who are on the fence about trying yoga or making the switch to hot yoga? I would advise someone to come try yoga for free. At Let it Be Yoga, the first class is free. Come do yoga to de-stress, take time to breath and focus on yourself, all while getting stronger and more flexible. Feels good not to be wrapped up so tight.
- What are some characteristics you look for in a studio?I look for cleanliness in a yoga studio – wood floor preferred (Let it Be Yoga has a wood floor). I also look for a studio with real teachers that are not uppity and that care about me and my yoga practice. In hot studios, I look for heat monitoring systems. A hot yoga practice can lead to a hot core which can lead to light headedness, nausea/vomiting, even heat stroke. Let it Be Yoga is equipped with a Heat Index Monitor. This thermometer calculates the amount of humidity and the heat together for safe practice.
- How did you go about planning and designing your space? The planning and designing of the space were done so that the hot room/studio could be the biggest area used. The studio was completely renovated. The materials from the renovation were refurbished, resourced, or recycled.
- What were some of the biggest challenges you faced with your studio? How did you overcome them? Some of the biggest challenges of opening a studio have been to get the word out. Social media, signs and other marketing methods are currently being put into place to help get the word out.
- If you had to do everything again would you make any changes?If I had to do it all over again, I would buy my heaters from Heating Green. They are programmed to come on and go off when I need them to. They warm up the space to the temperature I want them to be.
- What has been the most rewarding part about the experience? The most rewarding part of all of this is when someone lets me know how good they feel. Many people have shared the benefits of yoga in their own neighborhood allows them to do it more often, which leads to feeling good.
- Looking ahead, what are some of the goals you have for your studio?Looking ahead, some goals are bringing in more educational workshops in on health and wellness and sustainability.
- Is there anything else you would like to share regarding yoga, your studio or Heating Green? We have yoga fish at Let it Be Yoga. Blueberry and Strawberry – very zen beta fish.
