Keeping with the peaceful, living-in-harmony spirit of yoga, instructors are going “green” and turning their studios into eco-friendly centers for the ancient physical and spiritual practice.

“It’s really in line with the yoga idea of doing no harm. We’re just extending that to the planet,” said Deborah Jordan, who opened Down Doggie Yoga Studio in Grass Valley at the beginning of the year.

She’s a member and one of the original founders of the Green Yoga Association, a growing movement of more than 300 yoga teachers and students who are making a conscious switch to using more sustainable products in their studios.

“We’re trying to weave that into our practice,” said Katie Carter, owner of Wild Mountain Yoga in Nevada City, who helped create a handbook to teach studios how to incorporate sustainable materials. She will attend a green yoga conference in May.
Adopting a healthy lifestyle and taking care of the earth are natural evolutions for those practicing the exercise that heals and strengthens from the inside out.

“Yoga can kind of realign your priorities in life, and you realize what’s important,” said Helen Neff, owner of Bikram Yoga in Grass Valley.

The Bikram studio features yoga workouts in a heated room. Patrons can buy organic cotton clothing, organic juices and essential oil sprays and mats woven from natural materials, rather than the usual synthetic foam.

The yoga industry is big in Nevada County because many of people who live here are holistic-minded, Neff said.

Green yoga studios are at the cutting edge of the business, but yoga itself no longer appeals just to the alternative community. Health clubs and Sierra College regularly offer classes.

The South Yuba Club, a gym on Searls Avenue in Nevada City, offers yoga along with weight lifting and exercise equipment.

Jordan helped Nevada Union’s varsity baseball team train with sport stretches and body/mind conditioning. Athletes said they slept better and were less sore after a game.

“People are realizing health is critical to their quality of life,” Neff said.

Green space

When Jordan began to invest money to remodel the former Grass Valley cyber cafe into a yoga studio, she decided to use sustainable materials whenever possible. She had taught classes at Wild Mountain Yoga Center for years before opening her own.
Jordan turned a rough building with exposed wires and an industrial feel into a soft, soothing space using naturally derived materials.

Local clay with lime and sand created the earthen plaster for the walls — with added mica for sparkle. Non-toxic paint in green hues was applied over the plaster. Natural sunlight drenches the sustainably grown bamboo flooring through skylights, and fans with wooden blades carved into the shape of leaves circulates air in the room.

The props used at Down Doggie are made out of natural or recycled materials from the jute and natural rubber mats, cork blocks and blankets made out of recycled plastic bottles.

“It’s really great to see the changes,” Jordan said.

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To contact Staff Writer Laura Brown, e-mail laurab@theunion.com or call 477-4231.