Great Escape: Take Advantage of Lakewood's Many Yoga Studios

With Northeast Ohio's frigid wind in your face, the most obvious great escape, at this point, may be a nonstop flight south of the equator.

Not so fast.  

There is warmth, relaxation, and comfort to be found in the snowy, gray streets of Lakewood, and it's on the yoga mat. 

Yoga means union — between ourselves and the world around us. Yoga offers time for introspection and reflection, a chance to quiet your mind and focus inward.

Forget about the chores, the 30 inches of snow on your sidewalk, the job, the relationships, the future and the past (and parental responsibilities for a moment).  When you're on the yoga mat, focusing on your breath and the postures, you can be in the moment.  Being in the present moment is the greatest escape, a place you can go anytime.  

And that moment doesn't have a price tag.

Lakewood has a few fantastic yoga studios, each with a wide offering of classes, 7 days a week. And they're all right around the corner.

Find schedule, locations, class offerings, pricing online:

• Westside Yoga Studio
• Yoga West Studio (offers classes at its Madison Avenue studio and two other community locations)
• Puma Yoga

Most classes cost between $9 and $15 for drop-in (per class rates are lower when you buy a package; Puma and Westside both offer weekly community classes at a discounted rate).

Simple preparation for yoga: leave self-judgement and comparisons at the door, drink water, be patient with yourself and adhere to your limits.  

Bon voyage!