Ashtanga Yoga in Chicago's River North Neighborhood

From its entrance on LaSalle street,Yoga Now's River North studio doesn't look like much more than an unassuming low-rise office building with a bike rack in front. But when students walk through the building's small and nondescript lobby and ride the elevator to the second floor, they'll find an eco-friendly space.

The main style of yoga taught at Yoga Now River North is a dynamic, flowing yoga where movement is coordinated to breath (vinyasa). Many of the classes focus on ashtanga yoga's primary series or the first half of the primary series series through navasana ("boat pose"). Both of these are a vigorous workout not suited for people who are new to exercise. For beginning studients, the studio offers a Yoga Basics class or level 1-2 classes that can be quite a vigorous workout for students new to yoga and exercise.

Almost all the instructors at Yoga Now take classes there, and many spend part of their time teaching at other locations such as Chicago's tony East Bank Club. In an all-levels or level 2-3 class, expect to find that at least some of the students are yoga teachers or teacher trainees. In many all-levels classes, it's not unusual to find many advanced students who can hold headstands for several minutes, put their legs behind their heads, or do dropbacks on their own.

Don't let this put you off. They'll treat you well even if you can't do a headstand. And the classes are not filled only with 20-somethings. Many of the teachers and students are middle-aged but don't look it, and some students are (very athletic) retirees.

In almost all the led classes, instructors recognize the variation in students' abilities and describe, and encourage, modifications to more advanced poses. They also encourage students to pay attention to how they feel and take rest if they need it. The all-levels half primary series classes, and the level 2-3 classes focusing on the full primary series will be the same poses every time, repeated in the exact same order. These classes are based on the primary series in the ashtanga yoga system. Many students spend years mastering the ashtanga yoga primary series. One morning a week, the studio's owner leads a second-series class focusing on ashtanga yoga's intermediate series.

Yoga Now's River North location offers all-levels Mysore-style classes six mornings a week, except on Moon Days. In these, students work independently, and silently, on the primary (or more advanced) series in the the ashtanga yoga system. The studio's owner, Amy Beth Treciokas, is one of the few instructors in the United States that K. Pattabhi Jois has authorized to teach ashtanga yoga. Amy Beth Treciokas has spent, in total, over 2 years studying in Mysore, India.

The instructors at Yoga Now's River North location take their yoga practice very seriously. Many of the instructors have spent at least a few months (and some many more than that) studying yoga in India, often with K. Pattabhi Jois. Many of Yoga Now's instructors are interested in living a yogic lifestyle, practicing ahimsa (not harming others) and following a vegetarian or vegan diet. Yoga is treated as more than just exercise, but they won't pressure you to become a vegan.

The evening and weekend classes include more level 1-2 options for casual, beginning, and intermediate students, as well as some classes for more advanced students. The Yoga Basics classes are populated with beginning students new to yoga, students who prefer a less vigorous class, more advanced students recovering from illnesses or injuries, and students who want a review of basic instructions and alignment.

Yoga Now's River North studio design features bamboo floors (a renewable material), earthen sculptures, recycled doors, and energy-efficient appliances in its kitchen. The walls are insulated with recycled denim jeans. The main space consists a flexible studio that is usually divided into one large and one small studio for classes, massage rooms, showers, two bathrooms, and a reception area. In the reception area, a heated bench is a popular sitting spot. The studio is decorated with cob (clay, sand, and straw) sculptures that include a Mayan pyramid, a heated and lighted bench, trees, and an "Om" symbol. There are also potted plants, candles, and images of K. Pattabhi Jois.

In addition to classes, Yoga Now's River North studio offers frequent weekend workshops and special events, such as Kirtan and ecstatic dance.

Yoga Now's River North location is at 742 N. Lasalle in Chicago, IL.