Classes individualized at Solar 7 Yoga

A new yoga studio has opened in Spokane Valley and instructors promise not to put clients into a pretzel stretch.

“Yoga doesn’t have to be intimidating,” says Solar 7 Yoga owner and longtime yoga enthusiast Jessica Titchenal. “A lot of people think yoga is twisting and turning their bodies like a pretzel. Yoga is about breathing and becoming aware of your body.”

And yoga can give people the tools to relax and recognize when their bodies feel good, as well as help people recognize aches and pains before they become a problem, she says.

Titchenal, 29, opened her 1,500-square-foot studio Aug. 30 in a new complex just off Sullivan Road on East Valleyway Avenue. Solar 7 Yoga is her first business venture although she’s been teaching classes across the Valley at various health clubs for the past four years. The Spokane Valley native has been practicing yoga since she was in high school and said she decided to open her business because this part of the Inland Northwest needed a stand-alone studio.

“I wanted the freedom to teach the kind of yoga I enjoy,” she says. “Yoga in health clubs is more about fitness. Here I can teach without the fear of wondering, ‘Did I make them sweat hard enough?’ ”

While classes to do just that are available at Solar 7 Yoga for the advanced client who desires a more intense yoga workout, so are other classes designed for the beginner and those with limited mobility or those needing exercises to help with aches and pains. A no-charge class called Serene Yoga is offered weekly to those whose lives are affected by cancer, be it a patient, care giver, or family member.

“I like to individualize it,” says Titchenal, who recently received certification from the National Yoga Alliance after completing a 200-hour training course. “Ten people in a class will look different from each other in their poses – and you learn not to worry about what others are doing.”

Classes are led by Titchenal and two other instuctors. They currently are scheduled Monday through Saturday, with some starting at 5:30 a.m. and others as late as 6:45 p.m. The schedule is available at the studio and online.

Cost for an hourlong class is $13 and drop-ins are welcome. Discount programs are available including monthly memberships that start at $85 for individuals and offer unlimited class participation.