SIUSLAW NEWS ❚ SATURDAY, OCTOBER 31, 2015
Breaking a sweat with hot yoga
Instructors promote a non-judgmental, non-competitive environment for exercising
B Y J ACK D AVIS
According to Fleenor, the
basic benefits of hot yoga are
reducing stress, increasing
health and mental acuity and
promoting a sense of joy and
happiness.
“Yoga is not a spiritual or
religious practice. It is a way of
helping enhance the quality of
your life,” he said.
All the yoga and hot yoga
classes at Studio Florence are
lead by Fleenor and Allyson
Byrd, both certified hot yoga
instructors.
Fleenor has taken more than
700 hours of hot yoga instruc-
tion, traveling to Costa Rica and
Thailand for certifications.
“I have received as many hot
yoga certifications as are avail-
able right now,” he said.
“About a year ago, Allyson
took a 16-day 200-hour certifi-
cation program in Santa
Barbara at the White Lotus
Yoga Foundation to study
Hatha Yoga,” Fleenor said. “In
the primary yoga tree, Hot Yoga
is underneath Hatha Yoga.”
Fleenor explained that in tra-
ditional yoga practice there are
approximately 98 positions.
The hot yoga classes Fleenor
and Byrd teach generally prac-
tice 26 of those positions.
He described the hot yoga
classes as a non-judgmental,
non-competitive environment.
“In hot yoga, we try and
maintain the same sequence
each session so that people are
able to perfect their practice,”
Siuslaw News
Imagine practicing yoga out-
doors in the Mojave Dessert in
July. The temperature is push-
ing 100 degrees and the humid-
ity is hovering around 30-40
percent. That’s the hot yoga
environment
at
Studio
Florence, the only hot yoga stu-
dio in town.
Co-owners Bill Fleenor and
Tina Alto opened the Florence
Studio in February, along with
their Hybrid Real Estate office.
“When I was Lane County
commissioner in 2008 I was
under a lot of stress,” Fleenor
said. “One day I was walking
down Olive Street in Eugene
and noticed the Bikram Yoga
College of India. I happened in
as asked what was going on.
They said, ‘We do hot yoga.’ I
said, ‘That’s interesting, what’s
hot yoga?’ They took me on a
tour.”
The next day, Fleenor went
back for a class.
“I fell in love with the
process,” he said. “I had a very
difficult time at first. I wanted
to leave the studio. It was
incredibly hot, but I stayed.”
Not only did Fleenor stay in
the class, he was hooked on hot
yoga.
“I became more confident in
myself during the next few
practices,” he said. “Over the
last eight years I have continued
to practice hot yoga.”
Yoga Flow.
A variety of music is played,
from meditative to some more
progressive music, depending
on the intensity of the class.
Since opening in February,
Fleenor estimates more than
100 people have come in to
experience hot yoga.
One of the first couples to try
hot yoga at Studio Florence was
elementary principal Mike
Harklerode and his wife Nikki.
“I started doing yoga with
my wife,” Harklerode said.
“She is an occupational thera-
pist with PeaceHealth Peace
Harbor and she thought it
would be good for joint pain
JACK DAVIS/SIUSLAW NEWS
and stress relief. We have been
Yoga instructor Allyson Byrd, far right, helps practitioners going almost every week since
warm up during the beginning of a 90-minute hot yoga class February and we have been
at Studio Florence. Hot yoga is practiced in a room heated having a great time. It’s hot
to 100 degrees, with humidity kept below 40 percent.
work and hard work, but well
worth it.”
Studio Florence and Hybrid
he said.
cent to the yoga room. Men and
Unlike regular yoga classes, women’s restrooms are nearby. Real Estate are located at 1845
in addition to the heat, hot yoga
The studio has recently Highway 126, at the corner of
is practiced in front of mirrors. installed a tanning bed, for the Quince Street.
For more information, call
All the yoga classes are held in purpose of increasing vitamin D
a private 21-by-16-foot room absorption,
according
to 541-902-3082 or email manag-
er @studioflorence.com.
with floor-to-ceiling mirrors on Fleenor.
__________
two walls. The classes are
In addition to the 90-minute
small, averaging six or seven regular and hot yoga classes
Follow Jack on Twitter
practitioners each.
taught by Byrd, Fleenor
“Unlike some yoga where instructs a more intense one- @SNews_Jack. Email him at
you meditate with your eyes hour hot yoga class called Hot jack@thesiuslawnews.com.
closed, in hot yoga, your eyes
are wide open, because you are
trying to maintain mindful-
ness,” Fleenor said.
There is a separate, private
women’s changing room adja-
JACK DAVIS/SIUSLAW NEWS
Siuslaw Outreach Services (SOS) Executive Director
David Wiegan (left) emcees the burning of the nonprof-
it’s building mortgage as SOS board members and sup-
porters celebrate with chilled apple cider.
SOS
PacificSource Medicare
is your plan for more coverage
and no deductibles.
from 1A
SOS has also helped more
than 150 domestic violence sur-
vivors in the past 12 months.
According to Wiegan,
domestic violence does not
just happen to the underprivi-
leged.
“Domestic violence affects
all levels of society,” he said.
Wiegan continued, “Just in
the past few weeks, we have
Medicare Free Medicare Seminar
Advantage Thursday, November 12, 2 p.m.
Florence Events Center
Plans 715 Quince Street, Florence
starting
541-393-2810 | 800-735-2900 (TTY)
at $39 ZZZ0HGLFDUH3DFLÀF6RXUFHFRP
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Plans is an HMO/PPO plan with a Medicare contract. Enrollment in PacificSource Medicare depends on contract renewal. A salesperson will
be present with information and applications. You must continue to pay your Medicare Part B premium. Limitations, copays and restrictions
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WORD
ON THE
STREET
that this is a really good
barometer or sign of develop-
ment, building activity and
sales — and the recession
HAVE A QUESTION WE SHOULD ASK?
E MAIL : E DITOR @T HE S IUSLAW N EWS . COM
What’s your favorite part of Halloween?
“My favorite part of Halloween is the
candy.”
—E VAN , FOURTH GRADE ,
S IUSLAW E LEMENTARY S CHOOL
“The candy. I’m going down to Old Town
to trick or treat.”
—J AZLYN , THIRD GRADE ,
S IUSLAW E LEMENTARY S CHOOL
“Spending time with my family, getting
all dressed up and, yes, the candy.”
—P AIGE , THIRD GRADE ,
S IUSLAW E LEMENTARY S CHOOL
DISCLAIMER: The opinions expressed above are solely those of the contributors and do not necessarily reflect those of the Siuslaw News or its advertisers.
O WNER T ERMS
S HELTER C OVE V IEW H OME
seen more people in difficult
circumstances. Many have
had hours cut back or are laid
off this time of year. The
onset of the cold winter
months is our busiest season.
December is our busiest
month and Christmas Eve was
our busiest day last year.”
__________
Follow Jack on Twitter
@SNews_Jack. Email him at
jack@thesiuslawnews.com.
finally coming to an end in
Florence.”
Ahdab’s report indicated
that the rise was “not an anom-
aly,” but a new phase in the
market.
“The current expansion
phase is surprising in its
strength,” he said.
“In other words, now is a
good
time
to
sell,”
FarleyCampbell said.
City councilors brought up
additional issues, such as
ensuring that housing is
affordable for families hoping
to buy first homes.
Mayor Joe Henry said,
“Now would be a good time
for us to encourage somebody
to build some affordable hous-
ing in Florence.”
Reynolds agreed and said,
“With (the council’s) support
and direction, I know Wendy
has been trying to help people
make some connections with
property owners and develop-
ers from outside the area.”
According
to
FarleyCampbell, this year’s
new construction of single-
family homes has already
exceeded last year’s number.
__________
Follow Chantelle on Twitter
@SNews_Chantelle. Email her at
cmeyer@thesiuslawnews.com.
Visit us on
the web
Coast Real Estate
100 Hwy. 101, Florence, OR 97439
CB#10862 MLS#15266131
$590,000
Cell: 541-999-7317
diana@cbcoast.com
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