Jason Sharp rocks the crystal bowls (image via naada.ca)

As I was putting on my boots and getting ready to leave Naada Yoga, I overheard a conversation in the vestibule between a guy who was in the class with me and a new person who had just arrived for the next class. She confessed that this was her first time at Naada, to which he replied, “You’re going to love it. This is some of the best yoga in Montreal.”

‘Best’ is highly subjective, and difficult to quantify. But definitely the Saturday afternoon Naada Live classes are among the most original and beautiful yoga experiences in the city. The “live” here refers to not only the yoga, lead with precision, grace and skill by studio co-founder Elizabeth Emberly, but to the accompanying music. This particular Saturday featured Jason Sharp (the other co-founder of Naada) on crystal bowl and harmonium, and another musician on tabla.

Now I know that tabla/harmonium music, crystal bowls and yoga could conjure up images of whacked out hippies, but I assure you this is not the final effect at Naada. The overall aesthetic – refined, minimalist – and lack of patchouli leave no space for yoga stereotypes. The practice itself is an intense flowing asana series set to music, which is not background noise or ambiance, but an intrinsic part of the whole experience. While Elizabeth calls out the postures, the pulsation of the harmonium set the pace for the breath. The music and the verbal instructions are constant reminders to come back to the breath, no matter how challenging the series got. Continue Reading

Image from the Equilibrium website.

The next stop on my Passport to Prana journey is the appropriately named Equilibrium studio, conveniently located above a health food store just a couple of blocks from my house. Formerly known as the Yoga & Meditation Institute, the studio offers a diverse range of classes. It’s rooted in Kundalini Yoga, as taught by Yogi Bhajan (of the 3HO foundation ~ and the guy who inspired Yogi Teas), but also offered are Kripalu, Vinyasa, Pilates, Prenatal, Kids Yoga, Yin/Restorative classes, along with Kundalini Teacher Training. There’s also a massotherapy clinic with massage, reiki, and shiatsu.

Equilibrium is a beautiful studio overlooking St Laurent Blvd, with three large practice rooms, lots of space to hang coats and store baggage, and a welcoming front desk. There’s even a cozy juice bar (Le Jubar, with vegan and gluten free cuisine) and sitting area. The whole space feels very cared for and purposeful.

Since the studio is one of the few places in Montreal that offers Yogi Bhajan’s Kundalini Yoga, I decided to jump right into a class with Shabad Saroop Singh Khalsa, co-founder and director of the centre. He’s been teaching for 30 years, and the Equilibrium website describes him as having a “warmth, humanity, wisdom and a sense of humour.” All of these qualities came through in his teaching. He wore the traditional all-white clothing and turban, sat on a white skin rug and had a full grey beard. Next to his seat was a big gong, which he banged during the final meditation, sending awesome vibrations through the whole room. Continue Reading

When I first heard about Passport to Prana, I was skeptical. 30 yoga classes, for $30, at some of the best studios in Montreal? There has to be a catch. But there isn’t! The initiative, which was conceived by Toronto-based yoga teacher YuMee Chung in 2005, is available in Toronto, Ottawa, Vancouver and, now, Montreal (San Francisco, while not a Canadian city, was also recently added to the roster).

So how does it work? You get this little plastic card with a bar code, you activate the card on the Passport to Prana website, and you are enabled to attend one class at each of the participating yoga studios. There’s even a handy online tracking system, so you can keep note of which studios you’ve attended.

With my little passport in hand, I decided to start in my neighbourhood, Mile End, and work my way out. First up: an intermediate hatha yoga class at the Sivananda Yoga Vedanta Center Montreal. This is just a 3-minute walk from my house, and I pass it almost every day. This centre has historical significance, as it was the first yoga centre founded by Swami Vishnudevananda after he was instructed by his guru, the famous Swami Sivananda of Rishikesh, to bring the yoga teachings to the west in 1950s. He opened this centre in 1959, then went on to open the Sivananda Ashram Yoga Camp in Val Morin, an hour north of Montreal, which operates as the Sivananda world headquarters. Continue Reading