The Cupertino Courier

Community

Yoga instructor teaches the hottest new thing

By Erin Hussey

When Cindy Ya was working in the corporate world, she felt as if her entire life consisted of waking up, going to work, working out, going to bed and then doing it all over again.

Then she found yoga.

"I really liked it and decided to stop working," she says. Ya took a leave of absence, and when she received her yoga teaching certification, she told her company she wouldn't be returning.

Close to a year ago, Ya opened her own studio, Yoga @ Cindy's in Sunnyvale. She now loves her job.

"It was hard for me in the beginning to step away from Bikram," says Ya, who did most of her training in that particular style of yoga. "But now that I have, I feel so much better. I can give my students something that is mine rather than teaching a series that is from someone else."

Bikram yoga comprises 26 poses, performed twice during a 90-minute class that takes place in a heated room. During Bikram, the studio thermostat reads close to 110 degrees Fahrenheit.

This style of yoga, which was named after its founder, Bikram Choundhury, was introduced to the United States in the early '70s. Today there are more than 1,200 Bikram studios in America.

"The Bikram postures are great, but I think there are other postures that you can add to it to make the series better," says Ya.

While Ya does incorporate a handful of Bikram postures into her classes, she also draws inspiration from those done in Vinyasa.

Vinyasa, which means breath-synchronized movement, tends to be a more vigorous style based on the performance of poses called Sun Salutations and the Virabhadrasana, or warrior series.

"It takes a little bit more upper body strength," says Ya. "In Bikram you just get to stand or lay so it's harder for some people, but anyone can do it."

In addition to her posture modifications, Ya also chooses to heat her studio at a lower temperature.

"A heat element in any yoga practice can be beneficial," says Ya. "It helps warm up your muscles a little bit faster and increases the amount you are going to sweat so you can detoxify your body."

Ya says she keeps her thermostat around 90 to 100 degrees Fahrenheit, making the temperature in the room mirror that of her students' bodies.

"In the beginning it can be a bit stifling because you are not used to it, but after while, you adjust and it becomes comfortable."

While most students say they enjoy the heat, 66-year-old Rudy Silva, who started practicing at Yoga @ Cindy's a few weeks ago, says it is still somewhat of a challenge for him.

"The first day I felt like I was in a torture chamber and wanted the session to end," he recalls. "Three weeks later, it still takes me one day to recover from the soreness, but I keep up the sessions because this yoga detoxifies you and strengthens your joints, especially your spinal cord, which is the center of your life's strength."

Like Silva, many of Ya's students are motivated by the physical benefits of yoga.

"Although spirituality was not my motive in starting yoga, I do find that I am more aware of my body and thoughts," says Angela Van Bijlevelt, who started going to Yoga @ Cindy's for its full-body workout.

Ya notes that while relaxing is not one of the first reasons most people start yoga, it is one of the biggest benefits.

"Yoga is mentally relaxing and allows you to let go of some stress," she says.

Seeing the positive changes in her students, whether they are physical, spiritual or mental, is one of the reasons she is so passionate about her work.

"When I see them feel less stressed or they lose weight or they meet whatever goal they have, I feel like I have helped, even if it is in just a small portion of their lives," says Ya. "That's what I love about this."

For more information about Yoga @ Cindy's call 408.730.YOGA.