With three beautiful Denver yoga studios conveniently located throughout the Mile High City's sprawling metro area, Kindness Yoga offers Denver's best yoga deals—with one week of FREE YOGA for Denver residents and unlimited yoga for $99/month thereafter. Our Cherry Creek yoga studio is located in the heart of the upscale Cherry Creek North retail district, just steps away from the city's most tempting shopping and dining options. Our South Broadway studio serves the South Denver metro area with the city's only combined yoga studio and artisan coffee bar, Corvus Coffee. Our Capitol Hill studio provides donation-based classes in a central Denver location, as well as delicious discounts on healthy, home-crafted meals and coffee from City O'City restaurant, just downstairs from the practice room. We invite you to join us as we practice Kindness, both on and off the mat, every single day.
Welcome to Kindness Yoga! We’re so happy you’re interested in practicing with us. In fact, if you’re a Denver local, we invite you to practice with us absolutely FREE for your first week. Attend as many classes as you wish, and ask as many questions as you like. And, speaking of questions, here are a few of the most common we hear from our new students. If there’s anything we haven’t answered here, please don’t hesitate to ask! You can reach us by email, phone (303-316-8265) or in person at either one of our studios.
In the ancient Sanskrit language, the word yoga means union—and for thousands of years, this incredible practice has celebrated the connection between mind, body and spirit. Yoga is a kind of “moving meditation” designed to help us use our breath to quiet our minds, open our bodies and nourish our spirits. And, though each has a different purpose, all yoga postures help us to identify constrictions in our bodies so that we may begin the wonderful, totally transformative process of opening.
Throughout the thousands of years that people have been practicing yoga, the basic postures haven’t changed much; the downward dogs in our practice rooms look very much like the grainy images in yoga history books. But thanks to the legacy of insightful instructors from Kansas to Calcutta, the sequences—the order in which we do the poses—have been modified and refined to address specific needs. For the modern yogi, this is excellent news. Whether you’re a beginner or a badass…an executive or an ex-ballerina…focused or a bit flighty…there’s a yoga practice for you.
Even if you think you’re physically prepared for a more advanced class, we recommend beginning your practice with the basics. Foundational courses like our Beginners Vinyasa or KINDA-Hot series will give you the opportunity to learn essential postures, common sequences and proper alignment in an environment of friendly support.
But, remember, yoga is both an opportunity to connect with others AND an intensely personal pursuit. Once you have an understanding of yoga fundamentals, we encourage you to experiment with different instructors and classes! We hope you’ll find a few that speak to you.
Physically, a regular yoga practice is one of the best things you can do for your body. It stimulates muscles, nerves and organs in ways that many other forms of exercise cannot—releasing tightness, reducing strain, improving circulation, strengthening the immune system and supporting healthy digestion. And don’t be fooled by the hushed voices and (occasionally) soft music in the studio—yoga can provide a deceptively intense workout, with serious strengthening and fat-burning power.
But yoga is more than a great workout. It can also have a profound effect on your emotional state, improving concentration, increasing confidence and helping to quiet a busy mind. And for stress-related symptoms such as insomnia, fatigue, anxiety and depression—there’s simply nothing better you can do.
Every body is different—some people are born flexible, and some of us have to work at it. Fortunately for the less-bendy types, yoga is one of the safest, most effective ways to coax tightness out of the body. Whether you’re a long-distance runner with tight hamstrings and quads, a desk jockey with tight shoulders or an ex-gymnast for whom limberness is a lifelong pursuit, a regular yoga practice will help you explore the spaces in your body and strive toward the ideal balance of strength and flexibility.
Wear comfortable, breathable clothing with some stretch in the fabric. You don’t need yoga-specific workout clothing, but fabric with moisture-wicking properties may be helpful. Some classes may include the option of inversions, so if you’re wearing a loose shirt or shorts, consider your undergarments…or be prepared to have others do so. It’s best not to eat for at least an hour before class. Bring water and a hand towel, as you are likely to work up a sweat; yoga mat towels are not required, but can also be helpful as you and your mat start to “glow.” If you don’t own a yoga mat, you may rent or purchase one at the studio.
Like any class, your first yoga class will be the combined experience of several factors: where you are physically and emotionally at that moment, your instructor, and the unique community of students. Yoga is organic, so try to remember that your practice will be a gradual, ongoing exploration, and every day…every pose…will be different. One day you may experience a sweet physical opening; on another, a profound emotional awakening.
If you go slowly and listen to your body, you will eventually learn when you’re pushing yourself too hard, and when it’s time to challenge yourself. Above all, the most important thing to remember is to keep coming back to your breath. During unfamiliar or challenging situations, breathing deeply keeps us present in the moment—which is at the very heart of what yoga is all about.
