I took a wonderful Hatha Vinyasa class with Lara this morning at Ardha Yoga Estudio.
I booked the class in advance on the app "SigueFit" (add $ first in order to select a class) & arrived at the studio early prepared with a translated synopsis of my situation:
"I don't speak Spanish. I don't have a yoga mat. I practice yoga every day at home in the United States, so I can just watch the instructor. I need to rent a mat. If this is not okay, I understand & will leave. Thank you so much."
The employee at the front desk was so nice & patient with me. She explained the layout of the studio & allowed me to rent a mat for $1000.00 (approximately $1 USD). There were lockers, showers, & a water refill station. The studio itself was spacious, well lit, & inviting.
There were floor to ceiling mirrors on 3 out of 4 of the walls! This was a new experience for me, & I learned that I really liked it. Seeing my reflection allowed me to make minor adjustments to my movement & form.
Lara was a great instructor. Since I understood less than 1% of what she was saying, I relied on visual clues & tone to follow the class. Her visual cues were so helpful & I learned the cadence of the class quickly through her tone. The class was slow paced (much slower than I'm accustomed to) but in this situation, it was perfect for me.
The temperature of the studio was very comfortable - not too hot & not too cold. There were ceiling fans that provided a slight breeze. I saw on their website that Ardha mostly offers heated Bikram yoga classes, but the Hatha class was not heated.
Finally, I noticed that the students were of all age groups & all levels of flexibility/experience, which I see as a major green flag. That says to me that not only is everyone welcomed, the environment is conducive to growing, learning, & personalized practice.
Thank you Ardha & thank you Lara! If I'm ever in Buenos Aires again, I'll be sure to visit. read more