Colleen Boyd isnât interested in yoga for the perfect body â sheâs on a quest to let the world know there is yoga practice that can be tailored to suit every body.
âWe started out as a spin-off of a hot yoga studio, but now, seven years later, we offer everything from restorative yoga to hot yoga and power flow. âOur emphasis is to have students come in and find a way they can move their body,â Boyd said. âI want the people who think theyâre not flexible or young or strong to know they can come here, be comfortable and move their body in the way that suits them.â
Boyd came to this mission as a result of her own yoga practice. âWe have this story in our culture that we must âmove it or lose itâ and I believe in that,â she said. âThis became very clear when I did yoga classes in some retirement communities. The people who were most consistent in coming were in their 90s, but in hearing their stories, I learned they had all been dancers or athletes in their youth and they just keep on moving their bodies whatever their age.â Movement, she believes, is the secret to longevity.
At the same time, Boyd was concerned about other prevailing messages people receive through the media that discourage many from healthy body movement. âWe hear that if weâre not âkilling itâ itâs not going to do it. You see it in these ads that show people who are sweating profusely, almost in pain,â she said. âThatâs good for some people but not for the majority of our population.â
Perfection, in Boydâs world, is not the ideal, yet another realization she came to out of her own pursuit of yoga. âI realized I was trying to achieve this perfect body and posture,â she said. âIt wasnât realistic.â
Instead, she has built Downtown Desert Yoga to be a haven for students of any level. Classes run from 8:30 in the morning into the evening and offer a variety of choices for beginners to experienced students. âOur instructors have advanced training to help students move in a way that is natural to their body,â she said. âWe do not expect their posture or their body to look like the person next to them.â
Boyd and her staff are passionate about bringing the benefits of yoga to the mainstream community, in an approachable way. âEveryone moves differently,â she said. âWhat weâre trying to achieve is to help our students challenge their physical bodies without impeding their breath. That is the foundation of our practice here.â
Itâs a formula that works. Since opening the studio seven years ago, Boydâs clientele has grown to more than one thousand students, many of whom have been coming since the studio opened. While clients come from all over Las Cruces, the studio also strives to serve the downtown business community. âWe offer lunchtime yoga classes on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays,â she said. âWeâre also adding a midday meditation class which includes a brown bag lunch.â
Downtown Desert Yoga has its roots in the downtown area partly as a result of Boydâs commitment to the urban part of the city. âMy background is in architecture and construction,â she said, âso when we moved back to Las Cruces from San Francisco 15 years ago, I wanted to be part of the downtown revitalization that was going on.â
Most recently, Boyd joined forces with Jamie Sells of Painted Skies Health Coaching for a grand re-opening in conjunction with the Las Cruces Green Chamber. Health was the message of the day. âItâs a fitting collaboration between our businesses,â Boyd said, âWe shared a ribbon cutting and a day of free yoga for everyone and free health evaluations by Jamie, followed by music, food and fire dancers.â
Boyd has created a full schedule of yoga classes to appeal to students at all levels, but she wants people to start where theyâre most comfortable. âWe all live such incredibly busy lives,â she said. âIf you can only do yoga once a week, I still highly recommend it. The combination of movement with relaxation is a powerful destressor.â
For class descriptions, schedule, pass options, directions, and more visit www.downtowndesertyoga.com
We offer everything from Hot Yoga to Restorative and everything in between, including but not limited to Vinyasa Flow, Gentle Hatha, Yin Yoga, Meditation, and Power Flow Classes.
Most of our classes are all-levels. For a complete description visit our website - http://downtowndesertyoga.com/class-schedule/