Every Thursday, from 12:30-1:30, I take a yoga class at the Pacific Asia Museum, a place with a fascinating history. I like the class for many reasons, not least of which is the walk through the serene courtyard, with its Koi pond and stone lions. At the far end of the courtyard I ascend the stairs and enter a treetop room with huge windows and a high ceiling, where for one hour I practice gentle yoga with a small, quiet group.
At the Pacific Asia, which is a museum of culture and not a yoga studio, instructor Jill Zepezauer teaches a gentle, accessible form of Hatha yoga. Her style is perfect for beginners and older people (I'll acquiesce to being an older person when I'm ninety), and for folks like me making a comeback from an injury. If you're looking for power yoga, well no, not here. Jill's instructions are detailed and soft-spoken but don't be lulled; you don't want to miss the little jokes she tosses in now and then. "Okay, raise your arm," she sing-songs. "It doesn't matter which one. No, not that one."
The price is amazing. I won't even tell you, just look at the first link above. The only place you can get a cheaper yoga class around here is the South Pasadena Senior Center. And that's a decent class. It's just crowded.
I hope the Pacific Asia class will never be crowded. But best kept secrets can only be kept for so long.
Update: I found a free yoga class in Pasadena. It's every Sunday morning at Lululemon. They suggest you arrive early. I haven't tried it but it sounds like fun.
