GR Zen Buddhist Temple is a very awesome space to learn about Buddhist principles and…read morelearn/practice Zen meditation, as well as connect with others who are trying to do the same. As I'm sure you've heard before, Buddhism is much less a religion as it a philosophy or more accurately, it's a continuously ongoing practice. You don't have to identify as any kind of Buddhist to attend their services (In fact, I myself don't identify as Buddhist). The community there is very diverse in age and ethnicity, and even those that come from many other spiritual/religious backgrounds. There are a handful of different priests and priestesses who come from a variety of Zen traditions. While the temple itself is rather small in size (and most Sunday mornings, they pack a full house), it's a very relaxing and clean space for meditation and service. The ambience is calm and welcoming. And after the Sunday service and meditation, there's a tea social period (sometimes with a yummy vegetarian potluck) that I enjoy very much. There are always tons of volunteer opportunities within and outside the Temple and plenty of community engagement opportunities. I've not been attending this temple for very long, but I now try to at least make it to the Sunday morning service every week and have attended some of the other meditation lessons that they offer on other days of the week, which has proven to be very fruitful for my meditation progress. They have been a fantastic resource in that regard, but the lessons in Buddhism and engagement with serious meditation practitioners have also been extremely helpful to me. p.s. Little Buddhas are welcome too. During the 10am Sunday service, the kids are taken care of/given Buddhism lessons by one of the monks or nuns in a separate area of the Temple.

Fantastic classes and membership options! Convenient location, great studio space! So grateful to…read morefind this in Holland.

I love coming to Funky Buddha for hot yoga! The instructors are knowledgeable and lead great flows…read more Power flow, power flow with music, and slow flow classes have all been top notch. It's always the perfect blend of challenging and calming. I've only been to this location, but I can assume the experience at their other locations would be similar.

My first experience with GR Center for Mindfulness was Carol's 8-week Mindfulness-Based Stress…read moreReduction class. Because I am a yoga instructor, I felt like I already had a reasonable grasp of meditation, but I participated fully and with an open mind to see what it was like. The deeper understanding of stress and how to relate to it differently has been life-changing. The simply but effective practices are something that I can rely on in the midst of even very stressful life situations, and the quality of my life and my relationships has improved significantly thanks to what I learned. I have also taken the Self-Compassion for Beginners workshop and the Building Mindful Connection course, and I can't wait to take another class!

With mixed emotions of enthusiasm and trepidation I signed up for my first Mindfulness Based…read moreMeditation Class offered through Grand Rapids Mindfulness Center earlier this year. I attended once a week, going to both April and Carol's evening class as my schedule changed often. Both April and carol were wonderful, patient teachers of the class, helping a meditation novice like myself, grow and develop in practice. The MBSR curriculum itself is challenging yet stimulating and I can say that I've changed for the better from the homework and lessons. I feel like I do live more in the present with less anxiety, increased creativity, calmer disposition, and greater awareness of my emotions and thoughts. I would recommend a MBSR class from either Carol or April to anyone. Grand Rapids Mindfulness Center also brings in various authors and speakers on the topic of mindfulness and meditation in addition to yoga and meditation sessions for those already practicing. They are based out of Expressions of Grace Yoga Studio on Northland Drive Grand Rapids but they offer the MBSR courses throughout the city. .

Amazing candlelight yin session! I'm always intimidated by trying new yoga studios, but I'll be…read moremaking this one my home.

This one of those "If I could give more than 5 stars I would" type of reviews. After 1 class at…read moreKula I was hooked and I'll tell you why: This is truly an atmosphere dedicated to growth, acceptance, and kindness. The instructors are inviting and truly take the time to get to know you. They make you feel seen by taking the initiative to remember your name and have conversations with you not only about your practice but your life outside of yoga as well. I've taken classes with Megan, Danea, Byron, Lyric, and Chelsea and I truly look forward to seeing them when I walk in. The Vinyasa classes are my go to for a great workout. The Buti classes are fun and so unique. The candlelit classes provide such a cool atmosphere. Yoga Nidra is a truly out of body meditative experience. They also have workshops throughout the month which aren't included in a monthly membership but with the membership you do get a discount on these! I would love to try the sound bath one day but they are always booked up so quickly. Which must be an indicator that these are phenomenal. I started off with the New Student Special: 30 Days for $35 and went almost every day. This is a great deal if you want to try Kula out first. I now have the monthly membership which comes with some really cool perks like 15% off floats at phlot GR and a once a month guest pass to bring a friend for a class. Maybe one day i'll get my boyfriend to try it out! If you have questions about the membership options the website is helpful and all the instructors are super happy to answer any of those questions. I know I get nervous about going to places for the first time but those nerves were quickly settled once I entered Kula. The instructor checking you in will let you know everything you need to know before heading up. So take that leap of faith and try something new. Maybe I'll see you there. :) (Oh and no phones inside the rooms! Thank you Byron for letting me snap these quick pics for my review!)

My private breathwork session with Marnie was absolutely amazing. I did not realize how much…read moretension was locked inside of my body. Marnie helped me to calm my mind and release the negative energy. I have already scheduled my next appointment!

What a great addition to Eastown!…read more It's been hard for me to find a masseuse that has a calm and soothing energy, listens to and anticipates your needs, doesn't chat a bunch and really knows their stuff ..that's Cassandra at SOHAI. The staff here are really friendly and it's not pretentious. They have other healing offerings like Acupuncture and (clothing optional) Yoga too. Prevention is better than cure and I recommend spending your hard earned money on healing/alternative medicine than a hefty bill at the hospital fixing problems you may've been able to prevent with good diet, exercise and regular healing arts therapy. I have trouble spots on my neck and shoulders as well as anxiety and stress, Cassandra's integrated massage style works perfect for "thumbing out" my tight muscle knots and kinks and relaxing me. A must do treat for yourself and they always have great deals and best prices in town!

Great people. Very caring and knowledgeable. Had heard good things from friends. They take care of…read moreeverything. Paperwork and mailing. Doctor was very helpful with suggestions. Will visit again. geable, and caring.

While I can't speak to the yoga sessions, this studio space proved to be an absolutely lovely space…read moreto my first day-long silent meditation retreat. Tucked back off Northland drive, the entire back wall of the studio has large, wall to wall, windows with a scenic view of the lake. Even with the cold weather, we cracked one of the windows and had the sounds of birds chirping and wind blowing as our backdrop. Expressions of Grace has one of the largest yoga/meditation shops I've seen in the area with a wide selection of books, DVD's, and gifts for both kids and adults. The studio is dedicated to bringing in superior speakers and teachers to learn. They appear to partner with other wellness centers to create a spirit of community and in rich participants commitment to holistic health and wellness.

This is a super nice yoga studio with very professional, welcoming/personable yoga teachers and…read morestaff. I only did their new student deal that's 2 weeks of unlimited yoga for $20 and attended about 12 or so intermediate and upper level classes within that period and I was super impressed with all aspects of their operation. Their sister yoga studio, Cascade Yoga Studio, is similarly professional operation. Both of these studios more or less swap teachers and regular clientele and when you sign up with one studio, you also get access to all the classes and facilities of the other, which is a super great value, to say the least. I generally preferred the setting of EoG over CYS, as the yoga space at EoG (tucked away behind Northland Drive) has a very large window wall overlooking Versluis Lake, an artificial/manmade lake, but nonetheless, a very gorgeous scene, teeming with lush flora and wildlife (you can hear the birds and other lovely sounds of nature when the windows are open in the summer). Their bookstore is quite impressive, with a pretty broad selection, containing all of the most important self-help books of the new age genre, as well as the classics of Eastern religion and philosophy, and some modern takes on Buddhism, yoga, etc... and even a decent selection of children's books. They also have a lot of other nice, but expensive nick-nacky things for sale. CYS in Cascade is in the basement level of a physical therapy/rehabilitation complex, so it is similarly "tucked away," but of course, being in a basement, there are no open windows to the natural world like at EoG. In fact, it feels a bit 'cloistered' (for lack of a better word) and the practice space itself is utterly soundless, which all has its own charm and advantage for doing yoga, but me being mildly claustrophobic, I felt somewhat trapped or 'locked up' when practicing there. With that aside, EoG/CYS is doing a very stellar job overall. Between the two studios, they have regular classes of all levels everyday throughout the week. Some of their classes were more full than others, but each and every class I've attended thus far has been challenging and fruitful and every teacher I've had has been on point, professional, and personally engaging. I'm still in the process of browsing around at all the different yoga studios in town in order to find the best fit before i start shelling out any big bucks for a serious membership, but this place is definitely still in the running, and I'm certainly apt to return for some drop-ins or some of the special classes they host. Good stuff.

Pricy but great community classes…read more Funky Buddha has become a staple yoga studio in west Michigan and this downtown location is no exception. While I haven't been to the other Funky Buddha locations recently, I can say this spot is fantastic. Instructors are knowledgeable, helpful and friendly and the space is always clean. One big down side to this downtown location is that they do not validate parking, which is disappointing especially because the theatre and hot dog place validate it. So unless you find street parking or live in walking distance that is an expense for you need to account for. Prices are a also bit high, but honestly it's on trend with other workout studio pricing. Unlimited memberships are only worth if if you plan to go to yoga at least once a day, but it does allow you to go to any of their locations. Regular drop ins are around $30, and that is pricy. BUUUT they do have $5 community classes every Tuesday and Thursday evening. That's definitely worth it and it's when I recommend going. Overall 4/5 stars. And if you haven't already, take advantage of their community classes.

The newest Funky Buddha location downtown in the Studio Park complex is open! My boyfriend and I…read moredid a morning class and really enjoyed the new facility. They have showers (three in the women's restroom and one in the men's restroom) and a dry bar with multiple hair dryers to dry your hair. The studio itself is a bit on the smaller size (holds about 45 people) compared to the Eastown studio. The ceiling is cool with the sound absorbing tiles in the shape of their diamond logo. They offer morning, afternoon, and evening classes, which makes it great for people looking for a workout before work, on a lunch break, or right after work before heading home. There is parking available in the Studio Park lot - currently it's $2 per half hour. No validated parking. The class we took was set to music, which I really like. They're still waiting on some cubbies to be installed but the lobby area is pretty open with room to store coats, shoes, and bags. I don't think I will make this my go-to studio but I do like the option of having a shower or rinse off after class, and since it's in the heart of downtown it's easily accessible for me from my home and office. Drop ins are normally $20 per class but during the week of Jan 5-15 they're only $10!