I have returned to my old Yoga studio in the Ossington area during my sublet. But I didn't want to make several cross-town trips on Sunday since I was going to an Easter BBQ later on. So I looked for a studio in the East-End to practice.
The owner of Chi Junky has been in the news over the last 2 years. She was one of the business owners local media has interviewed numerous times about the impact of the various shutdowns and government aid packages. From her social media posts, I knew not only of her frustration and anxiety, but she has accumulated a lot of debt trying to keep the studio running. I'm not business-savvy so I've often wondered about the game plan? Because even if things get back to normal eventually, how many years will it take to pay down that debt?
When I got to the studio, I can understand her stubbornness. It was one of the largest, most beautiful Yoga space I've been to in the city. It would be tough to close something she obviously worked so hard on. As for the class, it was hard-paced with loud energetic music. I enjoyed it for myself but it was hard watching people practicing with poor alignment. But in this environment, I don't know how a typical attendee could learn the proper techniques. This isn't a criticism of this class. I've encountered similar things at a venerable school. Even in an advanced class at my old studio, some yogis capable of crazy postures (to the average person) still have alignment issues. Also, one can get carried away in the moment and do too much. I wasn't immune to it at this class either.
Leslieville is the most gentrified neighbourhood in the East so I wasn't surprised to see many fancy businesses and restaurants on my walk to the studio. But some of its working-class roots were still visible. So after my class, I noted that one side of the street had a line-up for fresh pastry and coffee from Bonjour Brioche. Meanwhile, people were waiting on the other side to get take-away lunch from Fontbonne Ministries.
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