Saint John FAQ

For an indepth look at Punk Rock Yoga, read the mission statement

When and where are classes held?

Please see the class schedule for times and locations.

What do I need to do for class?

Please print and sign the waiver form and bring it with you to class on your first day. If you are younger than 18, please have a parent or guardian sign it.

Do I have to be in perfect health?

Who defined what "perfect" means? Everyone has different strengths and challenges, so everyone can find their own personal challenges within yoga. If you can breathe, you can do yoga. (This is paraphrased from an ancient African proverb: "If you can talk, you can sign. If you can walk, you can dance.")

What should I wear?

Comfortable stretchy clothing such as t-shirts/tank tops and shorts/bike shorts work the best. Belts, zippers and other clothing constraints make some poses unnecessarily painful, so try to leave those at home. It’s simple: stretch good, binding bad. On the flip side, extremely loose clothing moves in unintended ways, and can be distracting when we invert ourselves. If you do wear things three sizes larger than your own, make sure you have on something underneath.

What should I bring?

We will do some poses on the floor, so please bring either a mat, or an old beach or bath towel. You may want to bring two, so that you can use it as extra cushion for your head during our final relaxation or as a strap when you cannot reach your foot in some poses. Sticky mats are helpful, but not required. Please contact the instructor saintjohn@punkrockyoga.com to see if rental mats will be available.

What should I eat/drink before class?

Remember the adage about waiting 30 minutes after eating before going swimming, the same applies to yoga. A snack (bagel, fruit, granola bar) is fine 30 minutes before class; a heavy meal right before class is not such a good idea. If you can, bring a water bottle with you to class and try to drink a glass or two of water within 2 hours before class so your muscles are hydrated. Some yoga poses help stimulate the organs that flush toxins out of your system (we’ll learn some good detox poses) so after class you should rehydrate to help flush the waste.

Will I be sore?

After class you will probably feel a combination of tired and invigorated. Some muscles may be fatigued. Yoga poses strengthen and stretch the body and have many corrective benefits. They are particularly useful to help balance some of the repetitive and unnatural things we do to our bodies while working/studying/etc. The important thing is to come back and try it again.

What is yoga?

Yoga is an ancient practice from Vedic culture in India. It is the union between body and spirit. There are eight branches to yoga as a whole. We will practice the branch of the asanas (or the poses) The purpose of the poses is to quiet the mind (which spends all day chattering) by activating the body (which spends all day resting). Yoga is a moving mediation. Also, yoga is a process, not a destination. Even when people have "mastered" a pose, they can find new ways to challenge themselves by adding a variation or changing their focus. The goal of yoga is not to put your foot over your head or behind your ear or anywhere else. The goal is to challenge yourself, take a risk and deepen your connection to yourself. For more on the Punk Rock Yoga philosophy, please read our mission statement.

What style of yoga is Punk Rock Yoga?

Punk Rock Yoga encompasses many styles. Mainly teachers use the vinyasa style, which is a flow-style hatha yoga. Hatha simply means sun and moon and hatha yoga seeks to bring into balance aggressive (sun) and receptive (moon) energy. We also have offered mindfulness based stress reduction, guided meditation, chakra (energy center) balancing, and lots more styles.

Is it just yoga to punk music?

Absolutely not. Punk Rock Yoga is not yoga fusion or yoga to punk music. We take a punk rock approach to yoga. We strip away some of the pomp and circumstance creeping its way into yoga today and distorting it.

Yoga is the ultimate DIY, every principle in yoga says - discover it yourself, interpret it yourself, try it yourself, rely on yourself, and learn from yourself. All you need for yoga is you (not a designer yoga mat bag). We present yoga in the raw, without the quick-fix cure-all hype and without all the gloss of shiny yoga toys. We believe "anyone can do yoga" and we welcome people of all degrees of joint flexibility and waist measurement.

In our yoga classes, we create an atmosphere lets you focus on your own physical and mental development, and not look in the mirror comparing yourself to others. In class, we present yogic philosophy as ideas to kick around, experiment with, and interpret. We allow space for individual interpretation of the teachings, no matter how radical.

We include music in all our classes because it draws us into the moment, right here, right now. Music also subdues the sounds of sirens, car horns, and other urban chaos. We view the yoga postures as an art form and when we feature live musicians, we create a powerful dance together in real-time. We use a variety of music because we challenge our students to open their minds to all kinds of music and the emotions and ideas they evoke.

Who started this crazy thing?

Kimberlee Jensen Stedl created this crazy class in July 2003.

Is this for beginners?

We offer a variety of class levels, but all classes welcome beginners Please refer to the schedule to see what class best suits your needs, or you can ask the instructor ahead of time.

Can children attend?

Sometimes we offer special classes for kids, please check the schedule to see if we are doing a special class for kids. There generally are no day care facilities at any of the Punk Rock Yoga locations, and none of the facilities are "child-proofed." Because our classes are affordable, we do not have a budget to hire a child care provider to watch young children during the class. Please contact the instructor saintjohn@punkrockyoga.com before attending to see the age restrictions for the particular class.

Do I have to be a Hindu?

No, even though many Hindus practice yoga, so do Buddhists, Christians and even atheists.

Will I have to learn Sanskrit?

The original Vedic texts that documented the practice of yoga were written in Sanskrit, but we will use the English translations for simplicity. We will add some Sanskrit in pieces, so it's easy to digest.

How does Punk Rock Yoga contribute to the community?

Since 2004, Punk Rock Yoga donated more than $2000 in services and goods to non-profit organizations such as The American Lung Association, Central Youth & Family Services, Denise Louie Education Center, Home Alive, NW Women's Law Center, Orion Center, Peace for the Streets, The Vera Project, and Youth Care. We contribute to the best of our ability to our community.