A new Yoga studio opened in Riverbank at Vena’s Secrets Wellness and Skin Care Studio, 3220 Santa Fe, Suite A with classes at 7 a.m. and 7 p.m. that are geared toward a more focused personal experience, according to Yoga professional Karissa Anderson. Classes in Riverbank are by appointment only.
“This is the only yoga studio in Riverbank,” stated Vena Pearson Hudgins, owner of Vena’s Secret. “We are so happy to have her here.”
Active as Yoga Therapy is being offered at Vena’s where yoga enthusiasts can learn Ashtanga and Vinyasa style yoga.
“It’s a pretty active heat building practice,” stated Anderson. “I have been practicing for about six years and I did a world travel tour a year before last to Thailand.”
Ashtanga yoga flow builds strength within the mind and body and Vinyasa yoga is more of an athletic fitness style of continuous movement.
With a love for yoga, Anderson made her way back to Thailand to do a three week teacher training. She spent five months traveling to Australia, New Zealand, and Bali where she began teaching and assisting in classes.
“I did private one on ones in all those locations,” said Anderson of classes overseas. “I have only been back under two weeks now. So starting up here is a very active class which is a specific series but I branch off and I kind of marry it with a bunch of different types of yoga as well.”
Anderson started getting into yoga when she was 18 and took two classes a week at a gym that launched her into Bikram yoga. After doing an intensive yoga stint every day for three months she went to several different studios.
“I became kind of a yoga brat,” added Anderson. “I wouldn’t take it with any classes. I would just go to the sauna in my gym and do my own practice.”
This led her to the idea of doing one on one classes with others and with her educational background, she found she could combine yoga with acupressure, and relaxation savasana to make it a therapeutic workout.
Anderson lives in Oakdale and will be hosting three outdoor yoga classes at River Avenue Park every Sunday in Oakdale for $10 each.
The love for yoga has taken Anderson all over the world and she is sharing her skills with yogis in Riverbank and Oakdale.
“I wanted to go somewhere where everybody involved in that training had to work pretty hard to get there,” expressed Anderson. “And they were as in love with yoga as I was.”
For more information on classes and availability visit www.facebook.com/activeasyoga or call 707-293-8023.
