If getting fit is on your list of New Year's resolutions, you've probably been shopping around for exercise studios, martial arts classes or gym memberships. Those in the Crestview area looking for a place to practice yoga are in luck — Modo Yoga has opened a new studio in the Midtown Commons on North Lamar Boulevard.
The Austin spot marks the 64th studio for this international, eco-friendly yoga chain. Modo Yoga emphasizes sustainable practice for both your body and the studio space, with each location incorporating green energy options and other environmentally conscious additions.
The Crestview area was the perfect spot to help encourage these initiatives. "The studio is walking distance to the apartments above, the [MetroRail] and bus stops that are a part of the Capital Metro and The University of Texas at Austin bus transportation system," studio director Meghan McCracken tells CultureMap. "To help encourage a green lifestyle, Modo Austin offers its students alternative transportation rewards [including] a punch-card system by which carpooling, walking, biking, or taking public transit to the studio will earn free classes and merchandise."
Inside the studio, there are fixtures like cork floors, LED lights and radiant heating panels which help heat the practice rooms. "The studio space is heated using radiant heating panels rather than a more traditional heating A/C vent, which blows hot air into a room," says McCracken. "Our approach to heating the rooms is much more hypoallergenic. The result is a clean, quiet and even heating system for our Modo series of hot yoga.""
The idea of hot yoga might sound ridiculous to those of us who deal with summers in Austin, but it's more than just creating a balmy atmosphere to lose weight. In hot yoga, the studio space is heated to above normal temperatures, encouraging your body to engage completely with the yoga practice. The addition of heat (and sweat) can provide a more intense workout and help your body flush out more toxins.
If you're interested in giving Modo Yoga a try, your first month of practice will cost $40 and includes unlimited classes so you can discover which practices work best. After that, Modo offers a variety of different passes including monthly unlimited subscriptions and roommate specials. The studio also hosts regular "Karma" classes, which cost $5 and the proceeds of which go to a local charity.
Modo Yoga celebrated its grand opening on Saturday, January 3, but the studio is extending the offer of free classes until Wednesday, January 7. To sign up or learn more about Modo's yoga practice, check out the website.
The Modo Yoga Austin location is in a retail space at Midtown Commons in Crestview.
