When Gina Wasserlein received a Bryan Kest yoga video from a friend, she had no idea it would change her life. After practicing its routines for several months, she felt tall, light, and happy, like a balloon giraffe filled with laughing gas. Drawing upon experience from the worlds of fitness and grade-school teaching, she founded Downtown Yoga Studio to help fellow yogis unlock the joy and wisdom that lie within. Knowledge gleaned from her teaching staff and mentors such as Jonny Kest has shaped her class lineup, which explores yogic traditions such as Ashtanga and Kundalini. Filled with basic poses and breathing exercises, beginners’ classes build enough strength, flexibility, and focus to dance Swan Lake in cast-iron chainmail. Advanced practitioners can challenge their minds and bodies during hot power yoga classes, whose elevated temperatures promote deep stretches and toxin release.
