…have yoga mat will travel

Body and Soul Yoga – A Salon for the Healing Arts

Downtown Santa Cruz

Just a stone’s throw from the Pacific Ocean, the perfect temperature reads 72 and breezy. Old hippies, new hippies and a beautiful kaleidoscope of a most diverse group were hangin’ at the colorful outdoor downtown cafes, wired coffee houses and mega-metaphysical book stores. The stunning tree lined, city center walking streets that lead to the sea are home to flip-flops and lap-tops. Casual and free, the YoYo’s love the loads of super-cheap healthy restaurants, tattoo parlors, unique boutiques and famous California surf shops that give this free spirited beach town its unique charm.

Body and Soul Yoga

Finding our fortune on a hidden back street, we entered the rumored, oldest building in Santa Cruz, holding its century and ½ history under its “seen everything” roof. After the legendary “Wanderlust” crowds of the past weekend, the YoYo’s were eager to enjoy a personal practice in the intimate space of Body and Soul Yoga- A Salon for the Healing Arts. As we entered the western façade of this super-cool “movie set” antique building, we breathed in the creative imagination of owner Susan Merritt, who transformed this space into a soothing, light-filled, super-comfortable studio.

Jim Gallas

Immediately feeling the much anticipated individual love and attention from our guiding light, Jim Gallas, in his simply titled class…Yoga 1-3, this “all heart”, super-friendly, wealth of information, generous teacher gave unsurpassed skilled adjustments. Cleverly, with the joyful energy of Dustin Hoffman in “Meet the Falkers”, Jim partnered the yogis as he carefully taught his superb secrets of fine-tuning a fellow yogi to help them feel asana more deeply. Light-hearted and casual, Jim continued to share years of his vast and varied experience with this familiar group of committed yogis…and tonight, with the YoYo’s, who were lucky enough to be part of this Santa Cruz yoga family.