By Cari Barcas
There are so many wonderful studios that make up our vibrant yoga community in Chicago, so we are spotlighting other important staples of the yoga community on our Facebook page and website with our STUDIO-YOU-SHOULD-KNOW feature.
STUDIO: Grateful Yoga of Evanston
OWNERS: Lela and Nick Beem
WEBSITE: http://www.gratefulyoga.com/
HISTORY:
- 2005—Began operating as Grateful Yoga through the Heartwood Center for Body Mind Spirit at 1599 Maple Avenue in Evanston, where they held classes for five years.
- 2005-2010—Lela and Nick taught at various studios around the North Shore including White Iris Yoga, North Shore Yoga, Niyama Yoga, Generations and Avani Yoga.
- 2009-2012—Grateful Yoga partnered with the Rice Child + Family Center of Evanston, a residential home for high-needs children in foster care. Lela and Nick helped staff the program with yoga teachers and raise money for yoga and gardening.
- 2010—Lela and Nick moved all of their classes from other studios, including Heartwood, to Grateful Yoga’s current location at 1108 Davis Street in Evanston.
- 2013—With seven teachers on staff, Grateful Yoga currently offers a range of classes from Basic and Intermediate Hatha Yoga to specialized classes such as Yoga for Slow Living, Yoga for Emotional Balance, and Prenatal and Postnatal Yoga.
What is your favorite memory from running your yoga studio?
“I brought my nine of my 8-to-10-year-old students from the Rice Center on a field trip to the studio. They adored being able to use all our props and put their legs up the wall. They had never been in a yoga studio before – we always practiced at the center where they lived. Their behavior was top-notch and they were totally still during relaxation – and talked about the experience for weeks afterwards.”
—Lela Beem
How many classes on your original schedule each week? Two: one called Yoga for Meditators that Lela and Nick co-led and another called Kripalu Yoga and Meditation.
How many classes do you offer per week now? Fifteen group classes, plus workshops.
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