Yoga Center of Collinsville – More Really Is Better

One of the beautiful things about yoga is the opportunity to have your own personal, non-judgmental, always evolving practice. It’s all about you. Perhaps you’re interested in energy movement? Is power and strength training more appealing? Maybe it’s the gentle opening of joints, lengthening of muscles and enhanced flexibility that’s more valuable to your fitness regime? Yoga has it all. And more than ever, it has it all under one space here in Collinsville.    

“We expanded our space at Yoga Center of Collinsville,” says co-owner Shawn Cole, “because we wanted to offer more styles of yoga to this community and to the Farmington Valley.” 

Cole did expand YCC to a third space, on the second floor of 10 Front St., but he also reworked the class schedule. The entry way of the two original, first floor yoga spaces tended to get crowded with people and buzz, as some classes finished and others began. So, Cole retooled the schedule to create some time between classes for transition between students.

About Town spoke to Cole and Julie Miller, YCC’s Certified Anusara Yoga Instructor, on a cloudy Sunday afternoon; with the first Collinsville Farmers Market of the season just outside YCC’s first-floor picture windows, and as a group of yoga students worked their craft in its new second floor space. As we began, Cole made an observation. “Sundays are a great place to be in Collinsville.”

AT: Yoga Center of Collinsville is an established entity in town. Why offer these new classes?  

SC: The Yoga Center of Collinsville has been heavily focused on offering students the gentle, Kripalu style of yoga, with a few advanced options. We wanted to offer more choices; some of the other types of yoga that we’re seeing in the market. For example, Anusara Yoga is growing in popularity, so we wanted to offer that to our students and to others in the Farmington Valley community.

AT: The three rooms where yoga is taught have Sanskrit names: Shanty, Prana, Soma. What do they mean?

SC: The Sanskrit words stand for different things that yoga brings to those who practice it in their lives. Shanti means Peace: this is our largest room on the first floor. It offers a carpeted floor which some students prefer. Prana means Energy: this is our smallest room, again on the first level. It has hardwood floors. Soma means Sweetness in Life: this is our new, 2^nd floor space which has pine wood floors and a great view of Sweetheart Mountain.      

AT: And, you now offer Yoga Teacher Training. That’s different. 

SC: While we do offer several programming options for students who want to teach yoga to others, YCC’s teacher-training programming also welcomes students who want to deepen their own personal practice.  I’m going to defer to Julie who teaches the Yoga Immersion, for her instructor’s perspective.

JM: The immersions that I offer at YCC are for students who want to deepen their understanding of yoga: the philosophy, the technique, history of yoga, anatomy, therapeutic, and more.   Some students who take the immersions want to teach, and then go on to the teacher training, which is truly about learning how to teach what they learned in the immersion.   Other students who take the immersions are not interested in teaching and want to learn more about yoga.

AT: Tell me about Anusara Yoga. How is it different from what’s been offered before at YCC?

JM: Anusara Yoga is steeped in Tantric philosophy, which is about the intrinsic goodness in life, and in us, for us to learn about ourselves, to feel better about all aspects of who we are and revel in the diversity in life.  This philosophy is incorporated into every class.

In addition, there are Universal Principles of Alignment which align the body, physically to keep it safe from injury, or heal injuries, and energetically to align our hearts with nature. Through the alignment people feel better inside and out, and students can bring what they learn to other classes as well.

And last, the Anusara community (kula) is inclusive, life affirming, and supportive.  It is through the connection with others and the diversity that each individual brings that we experience the beauty in life and in each other.

AT: That sounds like a nice compliment for what Yoga Center of Collinsville is known for.

JM: The culture and spirit at YCC is so loving, welcoming and now very diverse in its offerings.  In bringing a variety of styles of yoga, including Anusara to YCC, students have choices and it is beneficial to them.  There is so much to learn; each teacher is unique and has a lot to offer. Anusara will bring more depth to the wealth of offerings that are already at YCC. 

Here’s the Deal

Yoga Center of Collinsville, 10 Front St, Collinsville; 860-693-YOGA (9642): www.YogaCenterCollinsville.com: info@yogacentercollinsville.com.