Yoga in Naples

Patrons plant palms and heels into the wood floors of Bija Yoga's cozy, neutral-toned studio, growing into seasoned yogis as certified instructors lead them through ancient postures. It's this sense of planting and flourishing that Jamie Shane, the owner and one of the instructors, hopes to evoke with the studio's name—the Sanskrit word for seed. She leads her classes with a similar fluidity, whether she's introducing an ever-changing variety of poses during Go Flow—a Vinyasa-style class that links breath to movement—or opening up the floor to encourage practitioners to follow their own yogic lights in Your Flow. Other classes drag yoga into the new millennium, incorporating kickboxing moves in rigorous Kick Asana classes, or robot boxing moves in Rock 'Em Sock 'Em Asana.

Before finding her calling as a yoga instructor, Sylvia taught biology, Earth science, and general science for more than 25 years. Throughout her years in the classroom, she practiced yoga as a way to calm her mind and balance her body. In 2005, she switched gears—she trained for more than 1,000 hours and earned her E-RYT 500 certification. She specializes in Kripalu-style mindfulness yoga, which emphasizes self-acceptance and consciousness of the interplay between life and yoga. Although she primarily teaches multi-level classes, some sessions, such as chair or adaptive yoga, are intentionally geared toward those with limited mobility. At the beginning of class, she occasionally reads inspirational passages or practices levitation.

When searching for a name that encompassed the principles of her studio, founder Erika Cooper turned to the five elements—earth, air, fire, water, and ether—and their relation to the five senses for inspiration. She settled on Elements Yoga, which was perfect, as the bedrock of her philosophy is to continuously learn, grow, and remain aware of the world around us. Hence, she ensures each session at Elements is a communal and multisensory experience—in addition to traditional yoga postures, she has students chant, sing, and dance in a friendly and engaging environment that encourages laughter and very slow, purposeful high-fives. Cooper also believes in the power of education, which is why many of her classes include readings and lessons on the history of yoga and Sanskrit. She extends those teachings to regular workshops, as well as to the studio’s certification program.

In an effort to give back to the community through the practice of yoga, Elements hosts weeklong donation-only classes five times a year with 80% of the proceeds passed on to local charities.

Balance Health Center takes a holistic approach to wellness by offering chemical-free body treatments and classes that promote balance within the mind and body. The center's nontraditional healing approaches include acupuncture, Ayurveda, and traditional Chinese medicine, treatments that all aim to heal the body without unnatural substances.

Spa services encompass waxing and seven-step facials, and bodies can acquire a bronze glow with the center's version of sunless tanning that relies on an organic, citrus-scented solution rather than the sun's hand-me-down rays. Relaxation's role in personal balance asserts itself in assorted scalp massages, hot-stone therapy, and aromatherapy as well as in spa massages that integrate essential oils. Helping guests to bring the center's philosophies home, Balance Health Center hosts classes and workshops on herbology, stretching, and yoga.

Due to her contagious love of yoga, Inga Balciuniene's class space has grown from a room that could only hold four guests into a studio with its own fountain, massage area, and teaching staff. Even so, the certified instructor hasn't stopped reaching out to her community. Her Hatha- and Vinyasa-style lessons cater to any age, body type, and ability, with posture adjustments for students who stretch at different paces. She also entertains children aged 3 and older with lighthearted kids' yoga sessions, which channel creativity to keep youngsters moving instead of convincing them that their mats are lava. Inga also teaches yoga principles to special needs kids and adults, including some with autism. Apart from classes, events such as Yoga and Wine Night—where libations and recipes for healthy eats are passed around—encourage visitors to socialize in the candlelit space.

Inga is far from possessive of the environment she has built, and she readily rents out the studio to other teachers. She currently shares the space with a belly-dance expert and two massage therapists.