Studios Coming and Going

The past few months have seen many milestones, comings and goings of yoga studios in Montreal.

In December, Shanti Yoga celebrated its first anniversary. Set up by Cathy Cozens, the studio offers Anusara-inspired yoga in a bright, conveniently located on Montreal West's main commercial street, overlooking the Montreal West train station. Cathy has taught and supported yoga and meditation in our region since the 1980s.

Classic Yoga moved from its location on Cote des Neiges (north of Sherbrooke) to merge with the Studio Yoga Pilates at Ste Catherine and Wood. The yoga room is complemented by a fully equipped Pilates studio sharing the same well-appointed premises.

Breathe opened its doors in November, in the St. Henri district. This is a large space with a substantial yoga program, frequent classes and a range including Hot Yoga, Anusara Yoga, Yin Yoga, Restorative Yoga, Flow and Kundalini Yoga. Teachers include Ingrid Steimer, Nigel Wolf, Barrie Risman, Eva Ifrah, Isabelle Gingras, Kate Little and Kimiko Fujimoto. A launch party in November with demonstrations attracted some 150 people.

In September, the opening of United Yoga On Ste Catherine West near Bleury makes a 2-block segment of Ste Catherine into a main nexus of yoga in the downtown core, along with the Joy of Yoga Kripalu studio and Ashtanga Yoga Montreal. United Yoga partners include prolific teacher trainer Hart Lazer, Len Blum and Donna Read, teachers who have trained with Hart. Its describes its mission as:

combining the most beneficial elements of Ashtanga Yoga, with the brilliant constructions, strategies, and healing techniques of Iyengar Yoga in the spirit of uniting these two great branches in the tree of yoga.

Another axis of yoga in downtown Montreal is along St. Laurent Blvd, which notably includes the Sivananda studio, Studios Lyne St Roch, Studio Bliss, and Moksha Yoga. Another, the Institut de Yoga et de Méditation has just completed its move one block north along St. Laurent from Mont-Royal to Villeneuve. The Institut maintains its extensive Kundalini program, Kripalu classes with Marie-Daphné Roy and Ashtanga with Lawrence Lefcourt.