Sharing Yoga with Excelsior

“A lot of people just need to relax,” said Patricia Sletten.

Sletten is the studio manager of in Excelsior. Lisa Bergly owns it. Both women are yoga teachers and see many benefits to yoga—one being relaxation.

“It’s a place to come and be restored,” Bergly said about her business.

They purposely designed the interior space to be both beautiful and natural, and Sletten pointed out the wooden beams, bamboo flooring and even nearby Lake Minnetonka. They wanted a warm environment, and according to Bergly, people comment on the peace they feel upon entering the business.

“It’s like a home away from home,” Sletten said.

The two women began planning the center in April 2010. Opening day was Nov. 1, 2010. Bergly’s decision to start her business in Excelsior had more to do with how close she lives and her fondness for the city than any type of formal study, Sletten explained. Bergly wanted to serve the community through yoga.

“Our focus is on providing the highest quality yoga, meditation and wellness to the community,” Sletten said.

Bergly and Sletten described their business as unlike other yoga studios. They and the other teachers at the studio teach yoga so people of all abilities can learn. Since starting their business, over 90 percent of the students have been beginners. During classes they make sure to provide clear instructions to students and to incorporate a range of yoga practices, including meditation, breathing exercises and chanting.

Another distinction the women mentioned was the individual attention they give to students. With smaller class sizes, teachers are more easily able to help students practice yoga well. For students that means injuries, illness or other issues are not an obstacle to being a part of a class.

“We have students who are recovering from cancer or other illnesses,” Bergly noted.

Many weekends Bergly and Sletten serve the community by hosting workshops at their business that focus on topics in yoga and wellness. The workshop leaders are usually specially trained in the topic. Bergly also leads Dharma talks about how yoga principles can help someone lead a balanced life.

While mornings at the yoga studio are typically very busy, Bergly admitted that they have had difficulty gaining students in their evening classes.

“Most people expect Excelsior to be closed,” she said about the evening hours.

Still, they have students who have attended classes for a year. Bergly highlighted those students as having a sense of ownership for the studio. They feel comfortable sharing their comments and suggestions with Bergly and Sletten.

Starting in February 2012, Bergly and Sletten plan to hold a four-month training course for yoga teacher certification. Sletten explained that the training will be different from other certification trainings because the 200 hours of training will be an immersion experience. Each weekend during those four months, students will be living and breathing yoga. For Bergly and Sletten, yoga is a lifestyle that they want to share with others.