by Areta Kohout
Living in Chicago’s North Shore, I am both grateful and at times overwhelmed with the choices when selecting a studio or fitness gym/center that offers yoga classes. Some of us are deeply rooted to one yoga studio while others enjoy trying new places and new teachers. Fitness clubs and centers have realized the yoga craze and have worked very hard to expand their studio space and teacher expertise in an effort to stay competitive in Chicago’s yoga world.
Though I’m typically a studio yogi, I was excited and curious to branch out and try yoga at a fitness center. I chose the Lake Forest Health & Fitness Center (LFH&FC) for two reasons: it’s close in proximity to me and yet a total unknown in what they offer in terms of yoga.
The center is a medically-based wellness facility on the campus of Northwestern Lake Forest Hospital. The Mind/Body Studio offers a variety of yoga classes: beginner vinyasa flow, hatha, restorative, total body, mindful flow, gentle, flow to basic yoga. Their schedule offers over 20 classes per week in addition to yoga classes for seniors and now Yoga for Kids. New members receive a full medical fitness assessment upon joining the center.
Recently the center expanded its yoga services by offering private-personalized practice, which is open to non-members. Private sessions are offered on a one-on-one basis or in groups of two to four individuals. Customized yoga sessions allow specialized instruction for individuals with special needs, therapeutic needs, injuries, seniors, or for those who feel the need to “mix it up.” LFH&FC’s yoga instructors all bring a unique and specialized concentration to their instruction. Each has furthered his or her depth of teaching yoga through additional studies and certifications, including therapeutic alignment, senior adaptive yoga, stress reduction, trauma sensitivity, cancer recovery, physical limitations, emotional blockage and PTSD.
I took advantage of a few one-day passes and opted for the classes offered in the Mind/Body Studio. The one-day passes allowed access to the entire center, including the expansive locker rooms. I snagged a spot on the floor among other regulars who were talking about their latest experience at an arm balance class over the weekend. The class itself was a gentle flow, and the instructor gently slipped in and out of routine cues, guiding us through our poses while encouraging our practice.
The Mind/Body Studio is on the smaller side of a typical studio and is equipped with bars and a mirror for other fitness classes listed on their schedule, but mats and all the props necessary are available and the room is warm and inviting.
Yoga at a fitness-based club can be just as rewarding to the mind, spirit and body as a yoga studio. In addition, at some gyms you may receive all the benefits of a fully loaded workout gym, a café, fitness shop, initial medical assessment and locker room amenities. Plus you can relax in the hot tub or take a refreshing swim in the pool after class.
Pictured: Fiona Ricci-McCarthy has been teaching Yoga at Lake Forest Health & Fitness Center since 2009. Ricci-McCarthy is certified in therapeutic yoga for seniors and cancer survivors through Duke University’s Integrative Medicine program.
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