Within the heart of downtown Long Beach, Yoga 108 offers a hideaway where strong Vinyasa (flow) yoga and Bhakti (devotion) yoga collide. Co-owners Molly Madhuri Davidson and Theresa Devi are both Bhakti yoga teachers. Theresa says they wanted to “be able to talk about Bhakti and kick people’s butts at the same time.”
About Yoga 108
The studio opened in mid-May and is currently offering seven daily classes of varying levels of Vinyasa. One room holds the non-heated classes while a second, slightly larger room contains infrared panels overhead, providing a cozy 90-degree temperature for yogis who enjoy a good sweat. Infrared heat warms your body without heating the air in the room, so you can still breathe easily.
“You still get to have a strong practice, and feel safe while you’re doing it.” -Theresa Devi
“You still get to have a strong practice,” Theresa says, “and feel safe while you’re doing it.” Their class schedules all levels classes as well as level one or level 2/3 options. The $10 lunch flow is just under an hour, perfect for a midday yoga break. In coming months, the schedule will expand to 16 classes per day and include other styles of yoga like yin and restorative as well as special events including workshops and kirtan (call-and-response devotional chanting).
Molly and Theresa hoped to lend a temple vibe to their space with little touches like arched doorways and elegantly painted walls inside the studios. Beyond the physical atmosphere, they present a genuine love for the devotional side of yoga through their teachings and their own personal practices. Both co-owners are committed to a two-hour daily practice of japa meditation, in which they repeat a mantra 108 times with the use of mala beads. In many traditions, 108 is a spiritual number, and the name Yoga 108 alludes to the spiritual depth of the teachings you’re likely to encounter in this studio.
Yoga 108
242 E 3rd St.
Long Beach, CA 90802
562-980-0444
yoga108studio.com
Alisha Maxine is a yoga teacher, climber, world traveler, and handstand enthusiast.