If you’re ever walking past Distrito, glance up through the glass windows. There you will find a fleet of yogis, decked out in Lululemon and lycra, flipping their dogs. Sound like an alternate universe? It almost is.
Walking into the second-floor studio of Dhyana Yoga, both experienced yogis and beginners alike slip off their shoes, adding them to the pile of sneakers and Uggs lining the entrance. Inside, cozy couches and candles create a spa-like atmosphere, but trust us, the yoga you are about to experience is in no way similar to conking out on the massage table.
In the Saturday Vinyasa class — one of the almost 50 classes held at the West Philly location — the lesson started out easy. We leisurely flowed through the standard yoga poses while the instructor circled the room, helping make adjustments here and there. But the calm before the storm was just that: the class soon cartwheeled into more advanced poses, ranging from the back-bending wheel to inverted headstands. Within 20 minutes, we were working up a sweat as our instructor helped us “work out the toxins” with full-body twists and cleansing poses.
With the cold weather coming and the impending stress of finals, Dhyana offers an hour-and-a-half escape for the aspiring yogi who wants to discover West Philly’s very own Vinyasa oasis.
