Westport Warms up to Kaia Yoga

Westport's newest yoga studio, Kaia Yoga, opened Friday on Post Road East.

Though it's still in the final phases of completion, it is Westport's first full-spectrum yoga studio. With 10,000 feet of space, the facility will be the largest in the state and one of the biggest on the East Coast, according to its owners Stan Woodman and Gina Norman, who have expanded their Greenwich facility to Westport.

Kaia – which means "pure" and is named after the owners' daughter — boasts a full range of offerings. The four yoga studios are just the beginning. The two upstairs studios open into one large space, with room for 90 students and even a live band, which the owners plan to offer frequently on Friday evenings.

On the lower level, one studio is a hot room, with a heated floor and a sock vent that increases the temperature along the ceiling, pumping the room up to a toasty 110 degrees. The fourth studio is all about the rope wall. Here, Iyengar students use the suspended ropes to hang and stretch their way into advanced positions. The rope wall, which requires heavily-reinforced support beams, will be the only one of its kind in Fairfield county.

There's more than just yoga at Kaia. The center will also house a range of therapists offering massage, reflexology, chiropractic, midwifery and acupuncture as well as old-fashioned talk therapy. Childcare – a rarity at yoga studios — is available for kids 18 months and older. Upstairs, is a juice bar and organic café which will feature smoothies, wraps, yogurt, granola and fresh salads. The juice bar and café will open later in June and offer local, produce and all organic ingredients, naturally.

Owners Stan Woodman and Gina Norman had been looking to expand their studios, Greenwich Yoga and Greenwich East, when this location behind Crate and Barrel and across from Fitness Factory fell into their laps. The building owner put out a request for proposals among yoga studios, and liked their business model the best. The space was formerly occupied by The New Learning Center and needed a thorough redesign. Woodman and Norman spent $500,000 renovating the space, adding touches like bamboo floors, newspaper wall insulation, VOC-free paint and cabinetry made following sustainable forestry guidelines. Even the plastic forks, cups and lids used in the café will be bio-degradable and leftover food will be composted.

"We've had hundreds of people come in who are so excited that we're here," said Woodman. "They live around the corner, but they've been driving to Greenwich or Stamford or Norwalk for their classes." On Friday, 54 of them showed up to celebrate the opening night, enjoying a complimentary vinyasa class led by Laurie Jordan, jazz music by Janu and a reception afterwards. Some partook in the hummus and beet juice after class while others went for the wine. It was a Friday night, after all.

"People in Westport practice yoga," said Woodman, an Ashtanga instructor and 19-year yoga veteran. "Yoga is growing here. We hope Kaia will help put a stamp on Westport."

Kaia will be rolling out classes gradually as they ramp up over the next few weeks. For an up-to-date schedule and more information, check their website.

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Kaia Yoga

1200 Post Road East

www.kaiayoga.com

203/532-0660

Introductory rate for first-time visitors: $30 for 30 days of unlimited yoga.

Monthly membership: $108.

Childcare: $10 for 2 hours.