A Downtown Oasis

John Sedlar

A class at Yoga Circle Downtown

By Dale Youngman

Yoga Circle celebrates 10 years of life!

As the Yoga Circle Downtown is about to celebrate 10 years on 4th and Main, I paid a visit (my first of many) to the lovely and inviting studio behind Pete’s Cafe. Already my favorite corner in all of downtown, I now have a new reason to head there – largely due to the enthusiastic and dedicated founder, Knekoh Fruge.

Practicing yoga for almost 30 years, the lively actor/dancer/instructor first encountered yoga disguised as “Movement for the Theater” while a student at LSU. When she moved west, she wound up teaching fellow actors her warm-up routines, and realized that she had unknowingly become a yoga teacher. When she could not find classes that moved her spirit ( or her body) as those early ones did, she opened a studio in a large loft space at 1st and Vignes, in 1999. Two years later, she was approached by the visionary folks at Gilmore & Asocc. with an offer to move her classes to the Old Bank. Thrilled to be in the heart of downtown, she soon filled the bank with locals, occasionally having to relocate her sessions to the Continental, or the Old Bank DVD space, depending upon the filming schedule that often takes over that corner. She grew with the neighborhood, and eventually opened in her current high-ceilinged and spacious location in 2003.

The centerpiece of the warm and inviting studio is a large support pillar that has been turned into a majestic piece of visionary art. Created by painter Jean Lee, it illustrates the 7 main Chakras of the body. These energy points along the spine correspond to a specific area of the body and it’s function, and are each represented by a different color and symbol. This ideology is beautifully translated to a colorful work of art that travels up and around the large square pillar, culminating in a painted lotus blossom on the ceiling, thus making a center jewel out of a unattractive obstruction.

Knekoh’s style of yoga is a hybrid and eclectic blend of various Hatha types, including Sivananda, Iyengar, Ashtanga, and Kundalini. (If you’re a regular practitioner, this is very meaningful. To me, it sounds exotic and slightly intimidating, although there are classes for novices through expert levels.) Her class description of postures that “stretch, tone, and strengthen the entire body, as well as internal organs, glands and nerves” sound like preventative medicine, and a necessary addition to anyone’s fitness regimen. Her signature flow-based style is restorative, meant to energize, invigorate and heal the body. Meditation plays a role as well, with breathing techniques and exercises to rejuvenate both mind and body, while aligning one’s Chakras and reducing stress. Judging from her extremely fit physique at 47, (which I am ready to sell my soul to achieve, or at least commit to her for 3 days a week,) I’d say her classes are akin to the proverbial “Fountain of Youth”. I have no doubt about her claim that Yoga will bring your being into peak physical and mental condition.

All teachers at Yoga Circle Downtown have been invited and trained by Knekoh in this unique and eclectic style. She privately trains each instructor one-on-one, insuring a cohesive flow from class to class. She is passionate about providing quality instruction, insisting that yoga is for the masses, and she strives to keep it accessible to all.

Yoga Circle Downtown is located at 400 S. Main Street, Lobby Level. Classes are held 3-4 times a day, 7 days a week, including mornings, lunch–hour specials, and evenings. For a complete class schedule, description and rates, please visit yogacircledowntown.com See you there!

 

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