Yoga in South Miami

Dharma Studio co-owner Loree Shrager discovered the healing power of yoga after suffering from severe scoliosis and back pain. Through gentle stretching and gradual strengthening, she was able to carve out periods of relief in her life. Today, she uses her PhD in clinical psychology, her work as a therapist, and her experiences as a mother to inform her teaching. The other half of the Dharma Studio foundation, Natalie Morales, emphasizes self-discovery during her classes, which range from lighthearted Funyasa to challenging yet deeply relaxing Yoga Nidra sessions. Together, the duo promotes a family and community vibe—their children's program was featured on Univision's Primer Impacto, and their studio’s walls display the work of local artists.

To make guests comfortable, Shrager and Morales have compiled a team of compassionate instructors and imbued the studio with a warm ambiance devoid of air horns. The Miami New Times said that the "quaint one-room studio exudes peace, from walls accented with paintings of Buddha to soothing, lingering aromas of incense," and even named it the Best Place to Meet Single Women in 2010. The studio may have earned the title thanks to events such as a Saturday-night Dharma After Dark class, during which live musicians serenade students with guitars, violins, and melodic crystal bowls.

The thermostat at Awaken Yoga pumps out the heat, sending out waves of warmth to melt tension and toxins. In the balmy climate, Awaken Yoga instructors lead classes designed to burn fat, dilate capillaries, boost metabolism, and soothe muscular tension for a greater range of motion. They introduce fundamental flows in warm yoga and a challenging blend of sun salutations and choreography during hot Vinyasa classes, as well as lead a slew of other sessions designed for everyone from beginners to seasoned yogis. Early-morning Rise & Flow classes get students geared up for daily activities such as lifting boxes, sitting at a desk, or filling in for a Picasso sculpture at the local museum.

Bikram Yoga Delray Beach's instructors coach students of all skill levels through a sequence of physically demanding yoga poses that can improve stamina and promote healthy organ function. Yogis lead each session from atop a small raised platform at the front of the mirror-lined room, where they motivate students with encouraging words and choreographed cheers. Each 90-minute class, like a fire-eaters' convention, meets in an intensely heated space and consists of two calming breathing exercises and 26 postures. Students transition between standing bends, seated stretches, and reclining naps during each session, methodically working muscle groups across the entire body while flooding cells with torrents of freshly oxygenated blood. While pupils stretch and bend, instructors carefully monitor each student's form while doling out a steady stream of verbal instructions and experimental knock-knock jokes.