emblemparade.com

Moksha

Originally published on LiveJournal, 8.5.08

(This article is part of a series of reviews I call Taste of Chicago Yoga

Today’s dive into the river of grace took me to Moksha Yoga, their Riverwest studio (they have another one in Boystown). Overall, it was really good, and I can see myself going there again. I took a level 2-3 vinyasa class, and got a good workout. I do wish they had warned in advance that it’s heated vinyasa — I’m looking at the online info right now, and still can’t find any mention of the heat. The studio was not quite as furnace-y as that at Om on the Range, but still there were a lot of glistening, dripping bodies. Had I brought a bigger towel, I would have been more comfortable; my tiny one was totally soaked within minutes, leaving me with nothing with which to mop up my mat.

Moksha is a very respected studio in Chicago, and draws some excellent teachers. It also features classes in a very wide range of styles, probably in order to accommodate the whims and preferences of the good teachers they hire, including some copyrighted styles: Jivamukti, Forrest, Universal and Anusara. The respect allows Moksha to charge a bit more than other Chicago studios: $17 for a drop in, if you can believe it. They do, however, offer nice student discounts.

I wasn’t too thrilled about the ginormous size of the studio. It’s one of those spaces where you have to squint in order to make out what’s happening on the other side. The size makes it almost impossible to devote personal attention to students. And the studio was pretty full — Moksha must be rolling in those yogic dollars. Nevertheless, the teacher, Lindsey Levin, managed to travel around, making confident corrections and alignments. With a swift, sure hand, she perfectly aligned my hips and back for my pyramid pose. Unfortunately, she had to continue her rounds through the cosmos, making it impossible for her to return to my wee corner in the same class. In comparison, consider that at my home-base, Bloom Yoga, I’ve often been in classes with as few as three students. You learn a lot that way.

That said, there’s something fun and inspiring about doing yoga together with so many people. There’s a wide range of levels, but everybody works hard, sweats it out, and does their thing. Not the best place to learn the basics, but a good place to push yourself higher.