Yoga, for me, is synonymous with muddling. Every class I take, I spend the hour not so much enjoying the real benefits as trying to look like I know what the heck I'm doing.
What I need is remedial help, someone to slow it down and work one-on-one to address issues of flexibility, strength and stability specific to my body. Then maybe I'd be prepared to join the yoga masses. What I need, come to think of it, is a few more sessions with Colette Barry, owner of Healthy Fit Studio in Westlake. One round of her "Tough Men, Tough Yoga" program wasn't enough, even if it did expose just about all my physical flaws. The differences between Barry's place and a typical yoga studio are many. For one, you're never going to hear her utter the words "chi" or "chakra." Foremost, though, is that Barry, daughter of a chiropractor, is less interested in transcending gravity than using it to her advantage. In other words, she uses body weight as a force for stretching. Also, unlike so many of her peers, Barry is not averse to machines and draws liberally from principles of Pilates. She also incorporates walls into her routines, using vertical surfaces for stability and resistance.