Sacred Space

Sept. 27, 2006

The name Sacred Space Yoga pretty much says it all.
Neely Neu just opened her own yoga studio because cafeterias and living rooms just didn’t have the “sacred” quality she felt her yoga classes deserved.
“I’ve been teaching yoga for five years, up to 10 classes a week, and more often than not, I was teaching in a makeshift space—a library, a school cafeteria, a fitness center, someone’s living room, places that have no sacredness to them at all,” said Neu, who has a Princess Grace kind of beauty and was voted favorite yoga instructor for the Grand Traverse area in Northern Express’ readers poll this year.
“I wanted a place where I could feel safe to close each yoga class with an ‘om’ chant in a circle. It’s a great way to end one-and-a-half hours of bodywork. It just opens up the energy in your body. But I didn’t feel comfortable doing that in the classes I taught for the hospital. So I wanted to focus my energies and create a sacred space to teach and to share with others.”

EIGHTH STREET LOCATION
Her new studio on East Eighth Street in Traverse City is quiet and painted in soft shades of terracotta and mint green with grass paper on the walls. Yoga-ites can check out their poses in huge gilt-framed mirrors.
Before its incarnation as a yoga studio, the building spent previous lives as Windborne Photography, Bob’s Furnace Service, and as a mistreated apartment complex. Neu delicately explained that it required a lot of vision to see its potential as a “sacred space.”
Neu learned that the rental home was going up for commercial use in July. She talked to the landlord, put together a business plan and met with a retired businessman from SCORE, who told her that the business plan was great.
“He was surprised by how thorough I was, which surprised me since I’m not a numbers person,” she said. “… I feel blessed by a great spot, great parking and a really terrific landlord.”
Neu, her landlord, a few friends, and her husband Jim (owner of Computer Haus) completely refurbished the build-ing—inside and out—in a remarkable five weeks. It’s particularly remarkable considering she had her two young children in tow. Sacred Space opened its doors in early September with an ambitious class schedule, a dozen instructors and massage therapist Jill Worden sharing the space.

THE CLASSES
Sacred Space Yoga offers traditional yoga classes along with yoga classes with a twist—yoga with weights, yin/yang yoga, women’s moon cycle yoga, and yoga-pilates (extremely popular). Depending on demand, somatic movement therapy might be offered—a yoga-like movement that retrains the brain to lengthen muscle movement, and Thai yoga bodywork, in which a partner gently pushes pressure points and eases you more deeply into postures. “It’s all really fun and exciting stuff!” Neu said.
Neu said that yoga appeals to her spiritually and physically. Yoga was originally founded on a religious practice; there are eight limbs of yoga, some of which are purely devotional.
“But westernized yoga is mostly physical, about breathing and the release of muscles. Stacking the bones for proper alignment allows for the lengthening of muscles, and the release of tension from the body.
“It’s very centering and grounding. Even when you don’t visibly see the results of your practice, they are there, working at a cellular level. The thing that appeals to me the most is that there is an underlying gentleness and respect for the body. Even when you want to do more vigorous styles of yoga that we teach at the studio—ashtanga or vinyasa –there is still that element of gentleness.
“It depends on the teacher, as to how much of the class has a spiritual quality—perhaps spiritual is not the best word, but some teach from a purely physical standpoint, while others integrate spirituality in the sense that they like to remind students that we can bring ourselves into the present moment by focusing on breath in order to experience the fullest essence of each moment and all the universe has to offer.”

ALL RELIGIONS
At the end of each class, Neu said she likes to share a passage from the book, “Pocketful of Miracles,” by Joan BorysenKo, which spans all religions, or from the “Tao Te Ching.” Reflecting her deep interest in spirituality, Neu offers a “meditative movement” class on Wednesday nights, a class similar in concept to one created by dancer Gabriel Roth.
“In a low-lit room, you pick your spot, keep your eyes closed and let your body explore the music. You don’t watch anyone else; it’s only about you. There is first a flowing type of music, flowing movement, then a staccato movement, and then you move into chaos, and then back to flow. The music and the movement allow your emotions to surface and to flow out of the body.”
The class ends with a meditation and then a few moments to talk about the experience. This class is free, as is the Bhakti class on the first Sunday of each month, Neu’s spiritual donation of sorts.
“This class explores a type of prayer through movement, a way of connecting spiritually through movement… I think so often that emotions get stuck in the body and only so much can be done through talk. Integrating talk therapy in conjunction with movement sometimes allows for a total body release.”
Neely also offers a variety of classes for the community of women: “I am excited about bringing the class, yoga for fertility, to our space. There is such an epidemic of infertility in our society today, and stress can be a huge contributor. The class will help women to let go, release stress, and rekindle a sense of appreciation for their bodies. We also offer yoga for moms, mom and baby yoga, and prenatal yoga.”
Parting words?
“Keep smiling and keep doing yoga!”