Sarah and Charleston Power Yoga on YouTube

Thank you for voting Charleston Power Yoga Reader's Choice in the Charleston Home Magazine Best Dressed Window Contest! Check out other winners and stop by to see our award winning window for yourself. While there, why not come in a Sweat out some of your holiday cheer in one of our amazing Power Yoga Classes! Theres still time to get back to your mat in 2009!

www.charlestonpoweryoga.com

Must have OMcandy Jewelry and the NEW line of 'Liquid Flow' Tanks!!
written by: Sarah Finn

Here I am wearing one of my favorite pairs of Ashley Reid's OmCandy hoops with gold bird shaped beads hanging down. I wear these (and all my omcandy) when I teach and when I dress up- they flow well with an active hip lifestyle. These pieces are so cool and look earthy yet funky and fun! Ashley's parent company Clewis Reid is an eco-friendly take on fashion - www.clewisreid.com. All her pieces have gold filled clasps, are long lasting, and easy to wear with all your fav pieces. Get yours today!
I have decided to blend my two loves: yoga and comfortable effective fashion into one great line of shirts called "Liquid Flow". The shirt itself will be the soft alternative apparel burnout material we all know and love and the sayings will be consistent with what you are hearing on your mat and what you want to continue to flow with on the street! They will have sayings like: shift happens, grace. , centered, and more!! We look forward to introducing the line early December. Call now to reserve yours as first batch is a small order!!

Yummy new shower products!

Charleston Power Yoga now features all natural shower essentials from Paul Mitchell! The Lavender Mint moisturizing shampoo, conditioner and body wash is just the treat you deserve after a hot sweaty power class! Lavender relieves anxiety and eases tension, while Mint revitalizes the spirit with a fresh outlook. Put the two together and you've got the perfect combo to rescue you from stressful days and frenzied schedules. The rich moisturizing ingredients replenish hydration and and calm dry, stressed out skin and hair. All Paul Mitchell products are made from pure natural ingredients, tested by hairdressers, never on animals! As if you needed another reason to practice at CPY, we make sure your yoga experience is special and we pay attention to the little details, because you deserve only the best! Hope to see you on the mat soon~ http://www.charlestonpoweryoga.com/

Why I am addicted to lululemon.....

Hi, my name is Beth, and I am a lululemon addict. I simply can not get enough! From Groove Pants to Shape Jackets, Scoop Neck Tanks to Crops, Bags, Hats, Pocket Puffys, you name it... I LOVE lululemon!! It all began at my first major teacher training with Baron Baptiste. After a grueling 3 hour practice, I was a sopping mess, my cotton crops and tank were clinging to me, drenched with sweat, practically falling off. But somehow, the majority of the room still looked put together in their super cute yoga gear. How could this be? Then I noticed thier gear all had the same omega-like symbol, where did they get these magic clothes?? In asking around I learned this ultra exclusive line based out of Canada, could only be bought in lululemon stores, the closest to me being 800 miles away. I was determined to get my hands on some of these fantastic clothes! Thanks to some friends on the West Coast, I blindly bought my first lulu crops and tank. From the moment I put them on, I was hooked. The first thing I loved was how small they made my butt look!! Amazing! And the luon fabric really hugs your body with no visible lumps and bumps. Then I practiced in them and thought I must be dreaming! The pants don't ride down (no more worries about your crack showing in down dog!) and the tanks don't ride up exposing your belly, but the best is they wick all the moisture off your body so you aren't a sopping mess after a heated class! You can actually stop in Whole Foods on the way home with out looking like you peed your pants:) Very important to a girl who spends 99% of her time in yoga gear. The colors are bright and fresh, the designs flattering, even a little sexy, they make you feel like a million bucks! Most pants are reversible (2 for the price of 1!) and every piece I have ever owned is still in prime condition, no shrinking, no fading, no pilling! lululemon is an investment in your health, one you will not regret. You will WANT to go workout just to wear these clothes! You will love the 4 way stretch, moisture wicking, flat seamed, super cute line. And, lets be honest, pants that make your booty look this great? They are worth every single penny!! Come see why I love lululemon and start your addiction today at Charleston Power Yoga! New lulu just dropped, and it won't last long.
http://www.charlestonpoweryoga.com/

Looks whos using a Jade Mat!

That's right! Baron Baptiste practices on Jade, and now you can get yours at Charleston Power Yoga on King St! We are delighted to offer the Jade Harmony Yoga mats in both the 1/8" thick and 3/8" thick sizes, and lots of great colors. These eco friendly mats are made with natural rubber, a renewal resource, with no PVC or ozone depleting substances, AND they are made in the USA! As if that wasn't enough, Jade, in conjunction with Trees for the Future, plants one tree for every mat sold! So you can do something great for your yoga practice and the environment! Jade mats make excellent Christmas gifts for that yogi in your life! Give the gift of health to you or someone you love!

www.charlestonpoweryoga.com

On October 15th Charleston Power Yoga participated in the Upper King St. design walk! We had a great turnout of people who came out and bought some of our awesome retail (lululemon, alternative apparel, jade yoga mats, and more), learned about power yoga, and snacked on WONDERFUL food provided to us by Wild Flour Pastry (63 Spring St.- Charleston, SC). We also had some of our wonderful yoginis doing window yoga! Check out Megan Fischer and stop by one of our classes to learn how to do these poses and MUCH, MUCH, MORE!!! ~Nama'~

Teacher Training in Park City, Utah with Baron Baptiste!!! What an amazing journey of surrender, strength, sweat, and flexibility in mind, body, and soul. Allison Zimmerman, Angela Finley, and myself (Sarah Finn) all had the pleasure of traveling up to beautiful Park City, Utah last week to move and shake things up with Baron and his team of wonderful assistants. The City is so beautiful , earthy, and coooool! Baron kept things heated and fun... we learned how to "stay liquid" while still be rooted and grounded in our space. The biggest take-away for me was about surrender... after the 12th full wheel and 157th time jumping into handstands it finally hit me.. "stop trying to guess whats coming next and control things... ride this wave... be here now.. and surrender into the energy that is! Its not a "work-out" but a "work-in"... I had more energetic shifts in my body in this one weekend then I have had in the past year...no joke! AMAZING!". Allison says her "intention is to inspire the students to come to class and find true health and sense of wholeness. And my biggest take away is "if you can, you MUST!" and "If not now, when? If not you, who?" And the frog kicks for Handstand!! Loved them!! =)"!!! Angela really resonated with all the inspiring talk of breath and letting go... she too loved all the challenging 3 hour practices and the sweat and flow that came with them! For MORE come check out our classes at CPY... sure to inspire and lift you up and out of your comfort zone and into a place where energetic shifts happen organically! See ya on the mat!

Charleston Power Yoga is proud to annouce we are now a Baptiste Affiliate Studio, one of only 40 worldwide!! Affiliate Studios are studios that have a primary offering of Baptiste Power Vinyasa Yoga taught by teachers trained by Baron Baptiste. The studios have an on-going relationship with the Baptiste Power Yoga Institute to maintain the quality, standards and effectiveness of the Baptiste Power Vinyasa Yoga practices and principles.

Come check out one of our 23 heated power classses, or our 2 unheated power 1 classes this week!! As always, first class is free for locals and we have great rates for students!

Where Flow Junkies Come to Sweat!!

www.charlestonpoweryoga.com

Wide Open and ready to Make you Sweat!

Charleston Power Yoga is WIDE OPEN on Upper King St and ready to make you SWEAT with amazing powerful vinyasa classes! Come in and see what all of the hype is about, first class is FREE with local id. And if powering up your practice isnt enough to get you through the door, the chilled lavender towels in savasana are a don't miss. Come a few minutes early to check out fresh new gear from Spiritual Gangster and lululemon athletica, or just stop in to shop, retail hours are 11-5 Mon-fri and 11-4 on Saturdays. CPY is heating up the Charleston Yoga scene.... be there NOW!

You've Come a Long Way Baby....

Heres a sneak peek inside Charleston Power Yoga, we've come a LONG way in the past 2 months. If you could have seen the dirt floors and plaster peeling walls, you would truly be amazed! Thank you Richie, Brian and the whole Buxton Construction crew, John Frick, Andy from Charleston Paint Co, Suzanne Allen of Wallcandy, Mr Finn, James Caldwell (my love) and everyone who pitched in and gave CPY life. We can't wait to have you come and sweat it out with us and infuse this amazing space with your energy and love.

Great Article in June 30th Post and Courier

Teachers bounce back after store closing
With support and persistence, studio set to open this week in Charleston
By David Quick (Contact)
The Post and Courier
Tuesday, June 30, 2009
Times were so uncertain for yoga teachers Beth Thomas and Sarah Finn that they applied for jobs out of desperation.
Thomas, who has a history degree, sought one at a local museum, one where she'd wear period costumes. And Finn was going to answer phones at an orthodontist's office.

Their professional lives had kind of turned on a dime, in the wrong way.
Last December, they had given up a fair share of yoga classes at local gyms and studios to take a chance at opening a Lululemon Athletica store in Charleston. The hip, Vancouver-based label of active wear seemed to be a perfect fit.
While the line is sold at other locations in town, the company had plans to open 37 new stores across North America and were testing certain markets.
Thomas, 37, and Finn, 27, opened a small, temporary store called a Lululemonade Stand and quickly drew a following — helped, to a degree, by offering free yoga classes every week. After thinking they'd take their Christmas-New Year's run into the spring, Lululemon informed them that the store was closing.
Lululemon offered them a transfer, but, like so many in their situation, Thomas and Finn wanted to stay in Charleston.
Buoyed by the support of students and customers, who launched a "Save Charleston Lululemon" Facebook campaign, Thomas and Finn floated the idea of opening their own power yoga studio.
"In the back of our minds, we've always wanted to open a studio," says Thomas. "We decided, 'We should do it now.' "
Finn adds that they had the benefit of a "buzz" created by the Lululemon store.
With their training in the style of athletic, vigorous "vinyasa" yoga, they had a special niche, especially since they wanted to be on the Charleston peninsula. They chose a site on Upper King Street two doors away from O'Malley's Irish Pub and named it Charleston Power Yoga. (http://www.charlestonpoweryoga.com/.)
While they planned to open in June, they now expect to open this week. A grand opening will be held once the fall semester begins.
"We're really gearing it toward downtown," Thomas says in reference to college students, "Type A professionals" and the active set. "We didn't have to install showers but decided to (do so) because if we really want people to come to yoga on their lunch break or after work before going out, we needed to be able to get them cleaned up and out the door."
Thomas and Finn will offer special rates not only to college students, but to other yoga teachers. They will carry on the Lululemon tradition of free weekly yoga classes, to be held on Fridays.
"We're trying to make it as accessible as possible," says Thomas

Opening late June....

Charleston Power Yoga is almost ready to make you sweat! Our build out is nearing the end, and we wanted to share with you some of our progress... Just a few short weeks ago we started with a dirt floor and plywood front. Now we have a beautiful storefront, two bathrooms and showers, a detoxing heating system, and we are ready to paint! Andy from Charleston Paint Company on Upper King street recommended an Eco Friendly paint and our amazing cork floors will be the icing on the cake. As we put the finishing touches on our studio, we wanted to let you know we will have a full service boutique that will be open for your shopping pleasure Monday- Friday 11-5 and Saturday 11-4. We've got your booties covered with hip styles from lululemon athletica, Spiritual Gangster, OmMade, Om Candy Jewelry and Yogitoes. Sign up for our newsletter online to be the first to know about our opening date and upcoming workshops! Get 20% off packages when purchased online before we open!! But hurry this offer is over once our doors open!! www.charlestonpoweryoga.com

Yoga on the Roof w/CPY

Can't wait to get your Asana on with Beth and Sarah? Wait no longer...we are taking Charleston Power Yoga to the beach until we open!! For the month of May join us for FREE classes on Sullivan's Island every Tuesday and Thursday at 8:30 am and Wednesdays at 5:30pm. Email info@charlestonpoweryoga.com for more details. Imagine a roof top deck, breeze on your face, sun on your back and birds chirping.... an amazing way to start the day and reconnect to your POWER!! See ya on the roof~ Beth and Sarah www.charlestonpoweryoga.com

Never say never......

If you had asked me five years ago if I would ever take a class with Baron Baptiste, I would have said Never! Who wants to sweat like that and do all of those vinyasas?? Yet here I am, the only certified Baptiste instructor in SC. If you had asked me last year if I ever wanted to own a studio I would have said Never! Who needs that responsibility, risk and headache? Yet here I am, opening a power yoga studio in downtown Charleston. I guess what they say is true, Never say Never!

When I look back on the path my life has taken these past 10 years, with all the ups and downs, stops and starts, it has all led me here, to this space, where I am about to embark on the scariest, most exciting, insane yet oddly sane thing I have ever done. Its as if every decision I made, even the most ludicrous ones, every person I have met, even those who knocked me down, every job I had and even lost, was all necessary to bring me here. And I could not be more blessed!!

Even though I didn't realize until recently Charleston Power Yoga was my dream, everything has been falling into place to show me that this is where I am meant to be, and this is my path. Isn't it ironic the things that break our heart the most when they don't work out are often the best things that have ever happened to us because they open doors that we would have never seen. I guess its true that its never to late to be the person we might have been.

Thank you Charleston yogis for allowing me to teach these past three years and making such a huge impact on my life, and letting me know that this new studio is possible. And thank lululemon addicts for bringing Sarah and I together to form this dream team and for letting us know that you love us and will support us wherever we are. We are so grateful and can't wait to share our vision with you!

Join us on Facebook and check out our website www.charlestonpoweryoga.com to sign up for our email list so we can keep you updated on the amazing adventure of opening a studio! We will be posting on the blog weekly to give you the latest updates, pictures, and the trials and tribulations of becoming studio owners:) Get ready Charleston! The yoga scene is about to get hotter!!

xoxo Beth

Hola my sweet friends and yogis!!
I am so happy to announce the opening of Charleston Power Yoga! It is a dream come true and I can't wait to share the love with y'all as we create community and flow for all in downtown Charleston! Yoga has been a constant in my life... something that has challenged me daily and made me face my self at the worst of times and the best, carried me through happiness, sadness, relationships, jobs, and yet through all of it kept my attention the whole way... kept me focused, humbled, with ego in check!! ... quite an amazing physical and life practice I should say :) I can't wait to see all of you on the mat again real soon- so please stay tuned for updates as we open and where we will be movin' and groovin' until then!
~Om Shanthi ... Namaste'~
Sarah