Route One is the one stop place to get everything a UMD student needs, and now a new store front has popped up to cater to Yogis. Numi Yoga studio is located right across from Landmark and its storefront is a beautiful addition to the CP scene. When I heard we were going to get a studio here I was extremely excited. As a yogi I missed having a studio to go to where I could set intentions for the week and find some much needed meditation. As of Saturday, November 5 Numi is open for business! I attended my first class at Numi the Sunday morning after they opened and I wanted to share my experience and first impressions.
The studio offers a wide variety of classes from Hot Vinyassa to Yoga for Athletes, and everything in-between. The class I attended was at 10am Sunday morning and it was a Fusion Flow class, which combines breath-based movements with alignment cues and longer holds. What does all of that mean? Basically this class is what you think of when you think of basic yoga. It wasn’t too difficult and the flow was slow; it’s definitely a class for anyone who wants to dip their toes in the water and try yoga.
Immediately when I walked into Numi the ladies at the front desk were excited and extremely friendly. I got to meet the owner Kelsey Starr and one of the teachers Jocelyn Moulden; both had a very calming presence about them. The studio itself is beautifully done in a pale baby blue color, with exposed stone. Not only does the space function as a one-room studio, it also had a small boutique. The boutique carries some cute leggings, Numi spirit wear and yoga accessories. As luck had it, I was the only student to show up for the morning class so I got to have an awesome one on one class! I will say that I definitely got my moneys worth seeing as I basically paid $18 for a private class. However, the price for one class is a little steep for me under normal circumstances. My only complaint is that for a college town $18 per class can get pricey, especially since there is the competition of free classes at Ritchie and Eppely. There are class packages that customers can buy which do save money. As with any kind of workout class I recommend trying it out before you buy a package for multiple classes. I definitely understand the pricing because it is a new business and Numi has to make profit to take off. But hopefully the price of single classes lowers once the studio gains momentum.
As for the class itself, the instructor Jocelyn was very knowledgeable and taught with ease. I love when a yoga instructor has a soft calm voice and Jocelyn definitely gives off that vibe. As I said, fusion yoga is a laidback more easy going class. The poses were traditional ones such as warrior one, revolved triangle and tree pose (to name a few). I enjoyed the longer holds and easy transitions, especially for a Sunday morning. Jocelyn is great at engaging the class by speaking directly to students. Sometimes she even had us interact with our neighbor such as having Kelsey and I high-five during tree pose. She made me feel very comfortable about accepting my body’s limits and offering variations in certain poses to increase difficulty.
After final shavasana I felt relaxed and loose, which is how a good yoga class should leave you! I definitely enjoyed my experience at Numi and I felt very welcomed like I wanted to come back again. My favorite yoga class is Hot Vinyassa, so I’m excited to go and try that class at Numi. For those who are interested in finding a studio to call home, or just try some interesting classes, check out their website http://www.numiyoga.com/#intro and follow them on Instagram @numiyogaCP for updates! I recommend going to Numi’s Happy Hour Fusion Flow for $8 on Fridays to try the studio out. They are also having a Grand Opening on November 20 with an open house from 12-2pm and a $10 class at 2pm. Namaste!