In my recent stay in Chiang Mai, a highlight was time spent at Satva Yoga. I had been to Satva years before in the old location and I wanted to reconnect again in their new space. It is still located in the Santitham area, which is the neighborhood I like to call home when I stay in Chiang Mai. It is a mainly Thai area but there is a good mix of foreigners as well. Even though I know the area quite well, Satva was a little challenge to find but it is on google maps. I will give you a hint, if you find Cafe Mouthfeel you are very warm. Once you arrive, it is a very welcoming atmosphere with the students being Western, Korean, Japanese and of course Thai to name a few. The covered yoga area is open air in the garden and was perfect temperature-wise when I was there in December/January. The floor is covered with thick rubber mats and a big plus here is no need to bring your own mat. Yoga fun is 10:00-12:00 everyday except Sunday (though while I was there the space was even open on Sunday for students to practice on their own).
The yoga style is a unique blend with shades of Iyengar , Hatha, etc. There are more props available at Satva then I have ever seen anywhere and you learn how to make the most of them all. The bamboo wall is a wonderfully versatile apparatus that allows you to safely get into and hold poses well., really focusing on the target areas There are yoga harnesses and fabric hammocks to hang from which I found ideal for decompressing the spine. My favourite with this one was the upside-down “bat” pose. Other props we used included balance balls, foam rollers, chairs, sand bags and the list goes on. With some good guidance I also had one of the best back-bending sessions ever . The reason I know it was great, besides seeing I was bending well, was the next day, instead of my back feeling a little tweaked ( which I often feel after plenty of back-bending) , my back felt great and I was surprised to find my abs and quads felt like they had a serious workout.
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| Aerial yoga with Eri |
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| The wonder wall of bamboo |
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| The restorative “bat” pose. Photos by Nit |
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| The balance ball looks easy….. it’s not! |
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| Foam roller is great for self masssage and added stretch. |
Thai massage training, which is quite complimentary to this yoga, is also available here . The instructor was formerly a full time masseuse with an astounding 10,000 + hours of massage experience. As well, if you are interested in purchasing yoga props or Thai massage mats they can hook you up and can also help with shipping (online soon @ http://www.yogachiangmaithailand.com/ ).
There you have it, Satva Yoga is a great place for restorative yoga and to meet interesting people. Well worth the effort to find it next time you are in Chiang Mai.
