When you take your first class at Anasa Yoga, it becomes pretty clear that there’s much more to this yoga studio than learning downward dog and dragonfly, among other common yoga poses. It’s about building a community.
Located in Oakland, California, Anasa Yoga is “the only green certified yoga studio in Alameda Country,” according to its website. In efforts to prevent waste and conserve energy and water, the 2,450-square-feet studio features LED lighting, formaldehyde-free furnishings, as well as low VOC paints.
What’s even cooler is the fact that the “Anasa” in Anasa Yoga has a triple meaning. Anasa means “indestructible” in Sanskrit, the primary sacred language of Hinduism. And get this: Anasa, when spelled backwards is “Asana,” which means “seat” or “pose” in the Sanskrit language. Anasa also means “a place of comfort and joy” in the Swahili language, and that’s exactly the feeling the co-founders had in mind.
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Without further ado, meet Jean Marie and Katrina Lashea, the ladies behind Anasa Yoga. Together, they’ve been practicing yoga for 20+ years.
“We [opened] the studio three years ago, and our main mission was to improve the health and well-being of our students and empower them to live life more fully,” says Anasa Yoga co-founder Katrina Lashea. “We wanted to offer a variety of classes for both new and experienced practitioners in an environment that would be welcoming and inclusive.”
By now, many of us have heard of the many health benefits associated with yoga: better posture, healthier bones, muscles, and joints, increased flexibility, strength, balance, and endurance, reduced risk of high blood pressure, cardiovascular disease, diabetes, depression, stress, and obesity – the list goes on. To receive these benefits, aim to practice at least twice a week.
For Katrina, it was a back injury she suffered while attending college that first introduced her to yoga. Around this time, Katrina was also diagnosed with post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and had to be placed on disability. It wasn’t until then that she finally came to realize the power of this ancient practice that’s been a healing force for so many.
“I had never heard of [PTSD] before, and I thought I was the only one with it,” Katrina explains. “Yoga really helped me manage the symptoms that came along with it. [Yoga] was really a lifesaver for me. In terms of my mental, emotional and spiritual health, it really just helped me to remain positive.”
Still hesitant about trying yoga? “What I hear most often is, ‘I’m not flexible so I can’t do yoga.’ Throw that out, forget about that, [yoga] is too valuable of a practice,” Katrina advises. “I think the media has given the impression that you have to be hyperflexible to do yoga and it’s just not true. It’s created a barrier that has prevented people from trying yoga.”
Instead, Katrina recommends that first-timers try seeking out an instructor, who has the depth of knowledge to be able to modify the poses for their bodies and has a similar body type even. A few other things to keep in mind? Avoid eating for at least two hours before class begins, bring your own personal mat, towel, and refillable water bottle, and wear loose-fitting clothing. Last but certainly not least, prepare to be barefoot.
“People have to realize that it is a practice and consistency is the most important thing, whether you do five or 10 minutes a day,” Katrina says. “It’s not like ‘Oh, I can go to class once a month.’ It’s better to practice daily for 10 minutes than going to a class once a week.”
“There’s new science coming out about the impact of yoga and the way it’s enhancing our brains and our wisdom and our compassion and our ability to learn new things,” she adds. “People used to think that the brain declined at a certain age, but they’re finding that through these practices, you can really enhance the quality of your life.”
