Yoga in Louisville

Before becoming one of Indiana's regional yoga champions and the third-ranked woman at the national yoga competition in New York, yogi and studio owner Ayanna Brown was out of shape and suffered from chronic asthma. One would never guess this after watching her elegantly execute Bikram Choudhury's 26 postures, but she didn't begin practicing yoga until a broken leg left her looking for a rehabilitation regimen that involved no pogo sticks. Though the extreme heat took its toll on her body and lungs during the first class, she kept at it, and has practiced six days a week ever since. Today, asthma free and leg in tact, she shares her passion for the heated yoga style with students of all experience and fitness levels in her own Southern Indiana studio.

The Gumby-like founder and executive director of YOGAmazing, Chaz, is a certified instructor with years of impressive experience under his yoga mat. From developing the globally successful YOGAmazing Video Podcast on iTunes to being recognized by Yoga Journal, Chaz incorporates his effervescent attitude and passion for life into all classes. His airy, spacious studio is geared toward students of all skill sets. The class schedule includes nighttime vinyasa-flow yoga, early morning hatha, and a special Wednesday session exclusively for Groupon passes (though your pass allows you to take any yoga class you choose). You can view the complete schedule here.

While working toward becoming certified yoga teachers, massage therapists, and personal fitness trainers, the students of Lexington Healing Arts Academy complete hundreds of hours of hands-on training. They put their fresh knowledge into action, leading classes and working with clients to promote natural healing and wellness.

In addition, the center is home to certified instructors who lead a variety of classes on body alignment, pose execution, and proper breathing. These sessions include beginner yoga, which helps to establish a basic knowledge of yoga while improving general well-being, as well as Happy & Healthy Backs, which gently builds strength and flexibility to support each body's most important spine.

Julie Keel first fell in love with yoga while practicing poses and overlooking the Pacific Ocean. This fusion of yoga and the outdoors, she felt, deepened her connection between the mindfulness of each breath and her body's movements. Since founding Rivers Edge Yoga, she has helped her clientele seek that same link through both outdoor and indoor yoga classes. With class types from Yin to Hatha, her instructors emphasize combinations of challenging poses, breathing exercises, chanting, and meditation. The studio's Yoga In The Park classes—which start in the fall—give yogis a chance to flirt with trees while in tree pose and heckle begrudged hares while in tortoise pose.