Namaste! Yoga studios in the area are holding some new exciting classes and events this and next month to help kick start the new year. Beginners and experienced folks of all ages and genders are welcome and student discounts are available. See the list below.

Dhyana Yoga (3945 Chestnut Street)

Pranayama :: Breathing techniques for yoga & for having more energy – Sat, Jan. 21, 12:30-2 p.m. – Taught by John Vitarelli. If you are ready to incorporate proper breathing into your practice and your life, then this class is for you. John will demystify the secrets of pranayama for you, answer all questions, and provide resources for your continued study. Light asana included, so bring your mat, and a notebook if you like. Contribution is $10 and pre-registration is required by email.

Master practice classes – Tuesdays Jan. 24 &31, Feb. 7 & 21, March 13 & 27, 6-8 p.m. – Taught by Simon Park. Each week a different focus in practice will be explored. Simon’s unique style of teaching inspires practitioners of all levels of experience to expand their perception of what is possible on and off the mat. Contribution: $108 for all six, or drop in per class for $20. To register email: dhyana.staff@gmail.com.

Brock + Krista Cahill return! :: 3 Gravity Cowboy Events – Feb 3 – 6:30-8:30, Feb. 4 & 5 – 12-3 p.m. – The LIFT OFF! event is on Friday, Feb 3: Many points of interest will be crossed, including the grand handstand, oceans of navasana, mountainous arm balancing postures, and rivers of vinyasa. BUOYANCY CONTROL is on Saturday, Feb. 4: Arm balances, inversions, core, core, core…and a little laughter too. The ONE GIANT LEAP event is on Sunday, Feb. 5: This workshop will investigate the jumps, including jump throughs and jump backs, jumps to handstand, jumps into arm balances, jumps into standing poses and more. Contribution: Feb. 3 – $20 by Jan. 27, $25 after; Feb. 4&5 – $35 by Jan. 27, $40 after. To register email: dhyana.staff@gmail.com.

Studio 34 (4522 Baltimore Ave):

Align and Flow – Tuesdays 7 a.m. – This class is a great way to start your day and your yoga practice. It focuses on the basic alignment principles that provide a strong foundation to any pose, then allows you to play and explore within the pose. The class is open to all levels. Contribution: $10 per class. For more information go here.

Hoop Dance Series – begin Feb. 21 – Work your core, pick up new dance moves, and have a blast with this low impact, hugely popular workout. You will not only be able to hula hoop, but will learn all kinds of fun tricks and ways to move. This is a 6-week class series. Contribution: $60 (6-week series) with advanced registration, $70 day of first class. To register go here.

Kids Classes – begin Jan. 23 – Kids are invited to explore breathing exercises, games, poses and relaxation in this fun-filled class. This is an excellent outlet for energy and a positive place to learn and communicate with other children. Runs through February 27. Drop-ins are welcome. Contribution: $55 with pre-registration, $60 at first class. To register go here.

Tai Chi Series – Wednesdays 7:30 p.m. – This class introduces the student to the “internal” martial art. Both a physical exercise and a moving meditation, it provides benefits to heart, joints, muscle and mind. Contribution: $10 per class. For more information go here.

University City Arts League (4226 Spruce Street)

Iynegar-Based Yoga 1 –  Wednesdays 8-9:30 p.m. –  Develop strength, flexibility & balance. Learn to work more intelligently with your body. Iyengar approach emphasizes correct body alignment with lots of hands-on, individual attention. Concentration is on standing postures, with some work in seated postures, breathing & inverted postures. All ages & fitness levels welcome.

Iynegar-Based Yoga 2 – Wednesdays 6:30-8 p.m. – Level II is for continuing students & people with prior yoga experience.

Both classes are taught by Pat Albright. For more information and to register go here or call 215-382-7811.

Wake Up Yoga (4916 Baltimore Ave):

Once-a-month Women’s Wellness class –  Saturday, Feb. 11, 8:00-9:30 p.m. –  Taught by Biz Magarity. The class is comprised of active and restorative yoga asana designed to support women’s health. This class is designed for women who experience pelvic and lower abdominal issues, such as chronic pain and infertility. Next class is on Contribution: $14 drop in/$10 student rate or one class on your Wake Up Yoga class card. For more information please visit this page.

Eight-week Brand New Beginners series  – begins Thursday, Jan. 19, 7:45-9:15 p.m. – Taught by Monica Kriso. Contribution is $108 and pre-registration is required. Please call the studio at 215-235-1228 or register online.

If you have been thinking of joining YMCA but couldn’t afford their joining fees, here’s a great opportunity for you. The YMCA West Philadelphia branch (5120 Chestnut Street) is offering 50% off their joiner fee this month. This means that joining fees through January 31 are:

– For an individual ages 18 and older – $37.50 (regular fee is $75)
– For a family of two adults and children – $56 (regular fee is $112)
– For a family with a single parent – $47 (regular fee is $94).

For information on the programs at YMCA-West Philly visit their home page. To join, stop by the Y or call: 215-476-2700.

The American Volkssport Association (AVA), a national walking club, has created a new self-guided walk in the University City area. The walk route includes the Drexel, Penn and USP campuses, Clark Park, and Woodland Cemetery.

The word Volkssport is German for “a sport for the people” and Germany is where the Volkssport walking clubs were started. The local chapter of the club is the Liberty Bell Wanderers and they sponsor walks in Philadelphia and the surrounding suburbs. The walks are intended to encourage fitness while enjoying a walk created by locals to highlight interesting local sites.

The club holds two kinds of walks. The first type is the Year Round Event (YRE) like the one created for University City. The second type is a one time event walk where club members get together to walk a special route on a specific day. Most walks are 10 kilometers or 5 kilometers and designed to show scenic and historic locations and other interesting sites.

The walk is free but if you become a club member you are requested to pay $3 for the walk. Club members receive books that are stamped after each walk and prizes, usually a pin or patch, when a member reaches a walking milestone like 50 walks or 100 kilometers walked.

If you want to try the University City walk, here’s what you need to do. Visit the Cosi Restaurant at 30th Street Station and ask for the Walk Box. The box will provide you with walking directions. Please be sure to sign in so that the Liberty Bell Wanderers know how many people have participated. Some more information on the walk is available here.

For more information on the AVA or to become a member, please visit AVA.org.

Redcap’s Corner, the venerable gaming shop at 4040 Locust St., is pulling up stakes later this week and moving to Lancaster Avenue.

The shop, which along with Locust Moon Comics occupied a good-sized chunk of the orange, 20,000-square-foot warehouse building that formerly housed Strikes Bowling Lounge (and an original Urban Outfitters), will reopen at a storefront at 3617 Lancaster Ave. in late January. Locust Moon vacated the building earlier this year and will open a new storefront location at 34 S. 40th Street early next year.

For Redcap’s Corner, the move means more retail and gaming space. The move also puts them much closer to Drexel University students, who owners Benn Roe and Adam Friedman say make up a sizable chunk of their student clientele.

The warehouse at 4040 Locust is undergoing extensive remodeling. A branch of Keswick Cycle opened in the building over the summer and at least one restaurant and office space is also planned for the location.

The Porch, a recently opened public space near the 30th Street Station, already has a busy schedule of music, entertainment and recreational events until the end of this year. French swing accordion music by Dallas Vietty is at lunchtime on Tuesdays. There’s a Farmer’s Market on Wednesdays and traditional and original Eastern European and Balkan music by West Philadelphia Orchestra on Thursdays.

Apart from music, West Philly residents and visitors are invited to participate in fitness sessions organized by Drexel University’s Recreational Athletics staff. On Fridays, Nov. 18 and Dec. 16, from 12:30 – 1:30 p.m. there will be a lunchtime boot camp featuring an intense 60-minute session of cardio, strength and agility drills. On Dec. 2 and 9 don’t miss cardio kickboxing workouts accompanied by high energy music (think about going back to work re-energized after those).

What about kids? There is something for them to do too. The Give and Take Jugglers and their Little Circus are there on Fridays from 4 – 6 p.m.

Finally, this Saturday, Nov. 19 don’t miss the Fall Festival from 11:00 a.m. – 1 p.m. There will be live music by West Philly’s Citywide Specials, a cooking demonstration and honey, food and apple cider tasting with Milk & Honey, Urban Apiaries, The Restaurant School and Bartram’s Garden, street puppetry from Geppetta, circus performances, and a homespun merry-go-round. The first 100 people will get free S’More’s kits! For more information go here.

The Wake Up Yoga studio in West Philly (4916 Baltimore Ave.) is bringing back its Mommy & Me class beginning Wednesday, Nov. 2. This is a yoga class for new mothers who are welcome to bring their babies as they rebuild their strength and stamina. Mommy & Me includes some poses that can be practiced with the baby. The class will be taught by instructor Felicia Graham and will be offered on Wednesdays, 11:15 a.m. – 12:45 p.m.. Each class is $16 and you don’t have to register. Just drop in and enjoy. If you have questions please contact the studio at 215-235-1228.

From November 10 until December 23 there will be an opportunity for beginners to learn some yoga basics, as the studio is offering a six-week Brand New Beginners series. The series consists of eight classes with the focus on breath and movement. This series will be taught by Monica Kriso and meet on Thursday evenings, 7:45 p.m. – 9:15 p.m. (no meeting on Thanksgiving). The cost for the series is $81 and pre-registration is required. To learn more about it and to register please go here.