Yoga Scene in Houston, TX
I am officially coming up on two month into my big move. In some ways it feels like I’ve been absent from CA much longer than 2 months. Sometimes, that absent creeps in when I look out into a sea of students and don’t recognize a familiar face. Or when I’m chanting our class mantra and my voice sings out solo.
In other ways, it feels like I’ve been in Houston for a long time. Things feel slower paced here which is what my soul has been craving for a long time. Although the drivers out here are BRUTAL, there’s also a lack of urgency — which has been a wonderful change of pace. I don’t have everything figured out yet, and I’m still settling in. Still taking the wrong exit from time to time and still getting used to how many yoga studio are heated. But at the same time, I do genuinely feel happier here. There’s a LOT about CA that I miss dearly. But grief and joy can co-exist.
So, let’s talk about the yoga scene in Houston, TX. Because it’s DIFFERENT.
Coastal yoga has a little bit of a stronger connection to the roots of yoga. Spirituality is a little heavier on the coast. The mind-body connection takes a seat at the forefront. In Houston, it’s a little different.
There ARE studios that have the mind-body-spirit connection and really drive it into the forefront of their mission. Those places are few and far between. Most studios and places of practice are fitness-forward. Meaning it’s all about glutes, abs, and breaking a sweat. Playlists are consumed with Kacey Musgrave songs, pop, lo-fi beats, ect. There are constant comments about “you’ll be glad you came to class when bikini season rolls around” and ect. Most of the time it’s lighthearted comments and I think everyone here is use to the culture of the yoga scene here.
For me, it has been a little jarring. I feel an internal conflict rising. Do I succumb to the mainstream culture in order to book more teaching jobs, ect. Or do I stay true to who I have grown to become as a teacher and use my teachings to influence the few who are craving a deeper awareness of spirituality on the mat? The answer is obvious, of course. But in a place where yoga isn’t as saturated, I find myself battling that internal dialogue.
Every studio is also HEAVILY heated. A handful have heated and non heated classes. The majority are all heated and almost 0 restore or yin classes. And like I said, there are some studios that do offer a gentle, more relaxed approach, to certain classes but they are few and far between. Oddly enough thought, Houston is FULL of soundbaths. There’s a studio 4 minutes from my apartment that is strictly a soundbath studio. So what I have been doing the last two months?
Stumbling into hot vinyasa after hot vinyasa after hot vinyasa class 😬 😅 And then trying to counter that with 2-3 soundbaths a week. It has taken some getting used to.
Moving here, I knew I would be starting at the bottom of the ladder again in my yoga career. And that was a war I battled within myself for many months before making the decision to actually move. In my 12 years in CA, I had built myself a solid, beautifully rewarding yoga career. And I know I can do it here too but it has been a humblilng experience. It’s tought being the the “new kid” trying to break into the scene when everyone already has their routines and cliques. Needless to say, it has been a slow process. I’ve been subbing a bunch of classes at a couple of studios but I can see and feel more stability on the horizon.
Lokah Samastah Sukhino Bhavantu 🤍
-Chas