Yoga in Kennesaw

Pierce Yoga offers a range of yoga courses, but is particularly well-known for its popular pre- and post-natal yoga courses, which help baby-laden women adapt to the tidal wave of hormones and progress through each stage of their pregnancy by improving their breathing, flexibility, endurance, and mental focus. The benefits of yoga can continue after your offspring joins the world with Pierce's mother/baby yoga, where mothers can strengthen their emotional bond with infants 7–12 months old. The class will also gently stimulate baby’s mind and body before it has a chance to discover reality TV and Cheetos. For the unimpregnated and impregnable, Pierce also offers classes from beginning techniques to intermediate, along with more specialized sessions such as yoga with free weights and the Pranayama course, which focuses on breathing.

At Agni Power Yoga, instructors test the physical limits of experienced practitioners and beginners alike. During classes, teachers weave postures and breathing exercises into a seamless yet rigorous practice. According to the website, students should "expect to sweat."

Sacred Garden Yoga founder Cindy Olah discovered a love for nature growing up in Peru. She’s fused that passion with yoga instruction by leading retreats in the mountains of North Georgia, North Carolina, and back home in Peru. Whether outdoors or within her pastel-green workout studio, Cindy and fellow instructors lead non-competitive sessions that foster lifelong friendships. Their group, private, and prenatal sessions emphasize proper body alignment and breath work. Students can also discover healing with reiki and reflexology treatments and workshops on subjects such as meditation and painless band-aid removal.

Perhaps his degree in physics from Georgia Tech or his longtime stint as a partner in an engineering firm prepped Jeff Sousa to understand the improbable poses that yoga demands. Before starting Ember Hot Yoga, he knew that he wanted to take possession of his own physical health, and so he left his engineering days behind and became a full-time yoga teacher. He opened Ember Hot Yoga as a venue for others to discover their own passion for yoga.

Now, 16 other passionate yoga teachers—including former basketball players and professional cyclists—aid Jeff in teaching 16 unique yoga classes. Along with the hot-yoga courses, including Vinyasa, the team leads diverse groups through sessions intended for pregnant mothers, children, and practitioners intent on mediation. This panoply of offerings recently won the Woodstock-Towne Lake Patch Readers' Choice Award for Best Gym. The 4,400-square-foot studio features four distinct areas, including a hardwood hot-yoga studio, locker rooms with onsite showers, and a boutique full of yoga equipment and apparel.

At any given time of the day, Japan House may be experiencing a tranquil stillness as students quietly cycle through poses, or combat as students kick, punch, and strike padded opponents. A cultural, fitness, and wellness center, Japan House offers yoga, qigong, and Tai Chi classes that provide a physical, mental, and spiritual workout that’s also low impact, quiet, and relaxing. On the other hand, Kempo karate and jujutsu give workouts an extra punch–literally. The classes teach students offensive and defensive striking methods and takedowns to use as self-defense against bullies, attackers, and low-flying pigeons. Aikido, a non-violent form of self-defense, teaches students to use the attacker’s own force to throw them off balance and prevent an attack.