Harmony Yoga Studio offers a huge variety of classes to keep members balanced
By Patricia Nugent
From a corner sculpture to a soaring wall painting, tucked back on a shelf, and perched on a coffee table, peaceful representations of Buddha look calmly down on all the poses at Harmony Yoga Studios in downtown Willoughby.
Housed within a beautifully renovated historic building just steps off Erie Street, the expansive space includes a Radiant Studio for hot yoga, and a Zen Studio for relaxation yoga, along with an ample lounge space and an inviting shopping area filled with clothing, yoga mats, candles, jewelry, books, metaphysical stones and home decor. (Perfect for holiday gifting or hostess gifts for the yogi in your life.)
The modern urban décor of cushioned hardwood flooring, black exposed ceilings and white brick walls works well with the cushy white sofas where people gravitate before or after class.
Natalie’s Journey Back to Home
Willoughby native Natalie Lorber’s journey with yoga began after high school, when she had moved out to Colorado to snowboard. She picked up yoga from her roommate and loved it so much that she decided to ditch her snowboard and become an instructor.
“Once starting yoga, I went from being overweight to putting myself in a good place, physically, mentally and spiritually. I didn’t want to miss a day,” recalls Natalie, who has taught all over this country, the Caribbean and Mexico.
After moving back home over a decade ago, there weren’t many yoga studios around Lake County, so she decided to open one herself. “I wanted others to be able to encounter the same kind of awakening as I did,” she says. “Most yoga studios have a reputation for specializing in a certain style of yoga. I wanted to open one that offered all kinds for all levels of people, with instructors who have differing backgrounds, from teaching hot power yoga to relaxing restorative, ashtanga, hatha, vinyasa and basic candlelight, as well as kids’ yoga.”
Now married to a fellow Willoughby South HS grad, and mom to two beautiful children, Natalie leads 10-15 classes a week of the total 80 classes offered here, from 5 a.m. to 9 p.m.
“We put on monthly workshops, offer private and semi-private sessions, host parties at the studio and visit companies for on-site classes,” she says.
Harmony was the first studio in Lake County to install overhead radiant heating for hot yoga, and it makes a big difference versus forced air. The experience feels like the sun beaming down on you on a summer day.
Natalie was kind enough to invite me to a hot power yoga class before our interview for this story. It was my first, and I was blown away by its transformative effect. Though I’ve practiced yoga for 25-plus years, when the temperature hit 92, and I overcame the slightly uncomfortable feeling of “wow, it’s getting really hot in here,” I felt like I was much more flexible within the poses.
And there was sweat, so much sweat. But according to Natalie, that’s another part of the allure of hot yoga. The more you sweat, the more toxins you release for a better detox, which improves your overall well-being.
When the doors opened after our final namaste bow and the cool air hit me, I felt utterly revitalized.
Practice Not Being Perfect
If you ask the students and teachers what they like best about the studio, the word “community” comes up a lot.
Says 60-something Carol H., who has taken classes here for 10 years, “There is an extensive variety of classes. I try to take four to seven per week and enjoy everything from gentle flow to hot power. There are also many educational workshops that I’ve taken. They provide opportunities to learn and grow.”
Her favorite pose is a half moon, “because it took me a while to master it, and balancing on one arm and one leg feels wonderful.”
Kaylin L. bought the beginner’s 30 days of unlimited classes for $30 deal and was hooked, so she prepared a presentation for her parents about why they should buy her a membership for Christmas. That was last year; the presentation worked, and they bought her the membership. Since then, the vivacious high school junior has also been working at the front desk and plans to become a yoga instructor and eventually teach here.
Her favorite pose is any kind of headstand, “because there are so many things you can do while in a headstand, do the splits with your legs, whatever suits you that day.”
Harmony Yoga Studios is located at 38108 Third Street in downtown Willoughby. There is an adjacent parking lot. Single class rates and monthly memberships are available. Call 440-946-9642 or visit HarmonyYogaStudios.com. Check out the schedule of workshops, and details on the Costa Rica Yoga Retreat set for February 2020.