Happy One Year Hart Yoga, Brunswick, Maine

Hart Yoga in Brunswick is now one year old! I've been meaning to practice there for a long while, and I finally made it happen! Vicki Hart, the owner, was planning and designing the studio while she was teaching at Maine Bikram Yoga where I frequently practice.  She's a Bikram certified instructor who did her training with Bikram when they were on location in Hawaii in the spring of 2007. Vicki says Bikram Yoga practice changed her life in ways she never expected and that with 6 months she knew she wanted to teach and share the practice with as many people as possible.

Hart is a hot yoga studio primarily, and offers a variety of classes including hot vinyasa and yin yoga as well. The studio can accommodate up to 35, though you'll often find about 10 people in class at a time. Several who frequent the studio work in the health field including massage therapists, nurses, doctors and chiropractors. You'll also find stay at home moms, self-employed, and the occasional fishermen from the Rockland to Harpswell area in any given class. 5:30 and 7 pm classes provide time for those with traditional working hours. Vicki has had students as young as ten (with their Moms) and as old as 70. Her own parents are 61 & 65 and they practice twice a week. Though the majority, as in most yoga studios,  are women average ages 25-45, there were three men of about 9 of us in the Thursday 5:30 pm class I attended. There were also college students. There was no one type of person in this class. The studio is comfortable and welcoming for all!

The studio itself is really nice! I loved it the instant I walked in. There are custom oak sconces that complement the trees outside the back windows. The lighting seemed perfect, with natural light filtering in as well. The colors are calming, greens and blues, and the floor is a very special feature.  It's called PEM Yoga flooring and is a virgin PVC designed especially for hot yoga. It breathes and does not hold sweat or water and therefore bacteria and mold are no problem even with the heat. It's also as skid resistant as most sneakers. I wish I could describe it to you better, but it looks sort of like ropey woven plastic. I found it excellent to practice on. It feels good on the soles and neither my feet nor my mat slipped during class. I would like to have this in my basement at home!

There are also curtained changing rooms, two bathrooms and a shower. In the changing area everyone was friendly and I talked with two girls who praised the studio and said they enjoy the yin yang class and instructor as well as the Bikram class we took, taught by Vicki who is due with her first child in May! Gentle Yoga and Yoga for Kids are also starting soon at Hart Yoga.

Hart is on Facebook at this link.

Now that I've been there once, I'm really looking forward to practicing at Hart again. I had a great class there even though I was tired going in. I found the studio to be very relaxing and the atmosphere to be both beautiful and welcoming. These photos were taken in class that day.

" Photography by Eric Schnare, you can see more of his work at http:// ericschnare.com 

My plan is same time next week and I'm going to try to make it like once or twice a month. It's kind of nice to get out of routine sometimes. Check out the studio on Stanwood Street off Pleasant in Brunswick.

Vicki Hart, the owner, teaches many of the classes.