Local Zen: Trying yoga classes at local studios to find the best class in KC

After feeling stuck in a yoga routine after 3 years of the same classes, I decided it was finally time to branch out and try new studios. I tried three different local Kansas City yoga studios within 3 miles of my house, and chose their 6pm class.

Yoga Soul KC – Soul Fire Vinyasa – Monday, 6 p.m.

It was a beautiful, sunny, 60-degree day and I was headed to a yoga class. Could it get any better?

Yes it can.

I was immediately greeted by the smoky scent of burning palo santo — wood from a tree that supposedly clears negativity —and an equally warm and welcoming teacher greeting us with a smile on her face. The space was well, simply simple with white walls and hardwood floors creating a relaxing and distraction-free experience.

I was one of only five people in the class, a stark contrast to the 20-30-person classes at popular, bigger studios like PowerLife. There were no mirrors, just a huge floor-to-ceiling window facing the sunset, which made for a very meditative and calming atmosphere.

We started off with a seated meditation and contemplation about the meaning of time. It soon escalated into a unique and challenging flow, featuring arm balances and deep stretches. I was humbled seeing the person to the left of me doing handstands with ease and a 60-year-old woman doing the splits to the right — typically I’m one of the most experienced yogis in other classes, but I felt like a beginner this time, walking away with the important lesson that there’s always room to improve. Although every muscle in my body was on fire by the end of the class, I had accomplished poses I never thought I could.

This class was definitely not beginner-friendly, but with a good amount of experience and the drive to test your skills and learn something new, I can’t recommend this class enough. It will be a new regular for me.

Yoga Patch – Mixed Level Yoga – Wednesday, 6 p.m.

I wasn’t in a very zen mood speeding down Ward Parkway in the rain trying to make my 6 p.m. yoga class, but as soon as I walked into Yoga Patch, my mood did a 180º.

The seemingly-unassuming brown brick building was like a whole new world as soon as I stepped in the door. There were plants hanging every which way and trinkets and tapestries in every corner. They even had live birds. I’m used to seeing a decorative plant or two, but this was completely different.

I was led into a very quiet and dimly-lit yoga studio with hardwood floors and a huge mirror. Unlike Yoga Soul, this studio was the opposite of minimalist, with fairy lights, murals, tapestries and more. I was engulfed in the smell of incense and a warm but comfortable temperature. I felt like I could fall asleep from the sheer zen-ness of the room — a little zen is good for everyone.

The class itself was pretty conventional, hence the name mix-level yoga. I felt like I got a really good stretch and worked on some more advanced moves such as crow and splits. The instructor constantly gave physical assists and motivated us to go farther into poses. I was so relaxed during savasana (final meditation pose) that I almost fell asleep.

After class, we saw two other rooms — one with a tree mural and one with aerial silks hanging from the ceiling. In the main lobby, there was a coffee shop that had so many plants it was practically a jungle.

I left feeling content and relaxed, ready to go crawl into bed. Due to the frequency and range of classes they offer, I will most definitely become a regular. Maybe next time I’ll even try aerial silks.

Yoga Kula KC – Hatha Flow, Thursday, 6:30 pm
“The reward of suffering is experience.”

I like to believe that I have a very open mind when it comes to yoga. As a certified instructor, I’m always looking to learn ways to give a student the best possible experience. Yoga Kula definitely taught me how not to teach.

The stale brick building on Troost and 63rd immediately had me turning up my nose at the pungent chemical dentist office smell on the first floor, as the yoga studio was in the basement of a medical building. As I walked down the stairs to the basement, I was greeted not by a warm and welcoming yoga teacher, but by freezing cold stone floors on my feet. The room was massive and could easily hold 40-50 people, but I was one of only four in the class.

I guess I didn’t get the bring-a-sweatshirt memo, because I was freezing my rear off in my sports bra. As hard as I tried to relax into my child’s pose, I was startled by the loud rumbling of the busy street above us. On the bright side, the space itself was decorated in tapestries and trinkets, and definitely felt like a yoga studio, and they offered free coffee, water and chocolate.

The class itself did not improve the situation. The instructor didn’t have any plan and it was pretty obvious that this was one of her first times ever teaching, not that she’s to blame for that. She didn’t offer many cues or assists, and would move into poses without saying their names, which confused me. She made us stay in downward dog for what seemed like half the class, which if you do yoga, you know that it’s not a particularly comfortable pose.

The music was so quiet that it sounded like radio static. Honestly, I was just ready to leave as soon as I got there. But at the same time, her voice was so relaxing it made me sleepy, and if I had a blanket, I would have snoozed out right there.

If anything, it taught me a lot about how to teach a good class. There is definitely a lot of potential for that studio, and if the teacher was more experienced and the class was heated, I would have no problem with Yoga Kula. But after that, I will not be returning anytime soon.