The Best Yoga Class in Paris is Back!
Plus some musings on what constitutes ‘yoga’ when you don’t actually have time to ‘do yoga’
First up: Apologies for the lack of updates on the yoga scene here in Paris! Sometimes life gets in the way and one (me) has to take care of business/business before pleasure/business. The TLDR of it all:
The flu. Twice. Ugh.
Oral surgery and a recovery that was promised as painless but wasn’t
A visit to a humorless allergist (sidenote: why are allergists allergic to humor? Is it because breathing is a life-or-death thing? You’d think that would make them darkly funny!) with a beautiful waiting room where I sat watching the red dots on my forearm mutate into angry molehills of itchiness
Back-and-forths with my Mutuelle over what exactly is covered when it comes to the homeopathic
candygranules prescribed by the humorless allergistA giant graphic design project that is gratifying but also chipping away at all of my time (Need a designer with expertise in branding and publishing? Hit me up… in two months 😂)
This is where the yoga comes in, by the way. Not necessarily yoga in the shape of asana or even anything as formalized as pranayama. It’s the yoga of accepting that Life — that collection of events and relationships and things, pleasant and unpleasant — is already in motion and that my yoga practice is understanding what I need to do, that is true to me, in the midst of this movement.
Yoga is a boon, not a burden.
It’s Yoga Sutra 101, specifically pada or chapter 1.1: Atha yoga anushasanam, “and now, yoga begins.” It’s now, the yoga. It’s Krishna telling Arjuna in The Bhagavad Gita that the definition of yoga is skill in action, and that only Arjuna can fulfill his unique calling.
And also? Yoga is happening right now.
Being a modern yogi means adapting yoga’s practices to suit what you’re experiencing in this moment. As
says:“The practices themselves have no power. Their purpose is to create an opening. An invitation to access parts of yourself— dormant, forgotten, or taught out of you.”
Yoga should never be prescriptive (daily Mysore or else! Vegan or else!) and its adoption should be a boon, not a burden. You may not be bound to the forces of mythology like Arjuna, but in your story YOU get to decide what “skill in action” is for yourself.
ICYMI on Notes
Rick Rubin’s The Creative Act; a luxury wellness retreat that costs as much as my first graphic designer salary; class card deals at this new yoga studio in the 10e, a quick visit to see a Paris sculptor at work, class card deals at this chain of yoga and Pilates studios…
WHEN IN PARIS: THINGS YOU MIGHT LIKE TO DO ON A YOGA MAT
Breathe deep! This Pranayama and Yoga Nidra-focused workshop with Florence Dugowson will use the breath and guided meditation to open new pathways in your body and mind. Friday April 4th, 2025. 18h30-20h. Reserve here.
Marc Holzman has returned to town and that can only mean one thing: Guerilla Yoga is back! These donation-based, no yogi left behind, two-hour asana-meditation-yoga nidra feel-good sessions are my absolute favorite class in Paris. Saturday April 12th and 19th, 2025 at the American Church in Paris. 11h-13h. No need to reserve, just show up and throw down your mat. Good vibes guaranteed ✌️
You should definitely save your spot for this Tantra Yoga Vinyasa workshop with Rod Stryker. He is a masterful teacher and his book, The Four Desires (I wrote a little about it here) is a practice guide to using Yoga’s precepts to fashion a meaningful, mindful life. Sunday April 13th, 2025. 14h-16:30. Reserve here.
If you’re hankering for a new yoga playlist, Marine Parmentier has made her R&B Yoga sets available online. Cue them up for a home practice or your commute in the métro… And if you want to experience an actual class, albeit virtually, she’s teaching an online session every Friday at 12h30 ✨ Sign up here.