Green Lavender

It’s unfortunate that they will be closing as of Thursday this week. It was my first time here with Daniela H who had a ten class pass she needed to use up before it can be used no longer.
I can’t believe I actually got here on time at 9:30am for a yoga class, but it was an excellent start to the morning.
I’m usually used to Hot yoga classes, with actual bathroom, showers and changerooms, so it was a bit of a surprise to find the changeroom just a few curtains in a bigger entry way.
The class was Power Vinyasa Flow, and I was surprised because it was the most relaxing and non-​intense Vinyasa I’ve ever been to. There were only a few flows and mostly held positions and stretching, moving with breath of course. It surprises me that in the hot rooms, we have some flow classes that work you so much, and in a non-​hot environment it’s completely different.
It was a great start to the morning, and I’m sad to see them go. But I think, because of this, I may start doing more non-​hot yoga classes.

A thoroughly lovely shop. The proprietors have thoughtfully filled it with eco-​friendly, holistic bath/​body products, natural care supplies for mom’s and babies, yoga mats, yoga bags, kleen kanteen’s, reuseable jute shopping bags and purses, and yoga clothing.
I could not resist buying a huge $ 30 locally-​made candle incased in a hand-​made gray clay rock. It has all the colours of a secret cove with a turquoise waters rubbing against a warm beach in paradise and smells of rosemary and essential oils. The container can be reused as a plant pot too.
The lady behind the counter was friendly, answered my questions and helped me try out meditation pillows without even a speck of that lofty yoga attitude that you sometime’s find in Toronto’s yoga establishments. Upon purchase I was given a coupon for a free yoga class that takes place through a door in the back of the shop. I found the prices on their natural goods to be comparable or better than what I’ve seen elsewhere in the Junction and around Toronto.
The store had a light and airy feeling, is completely down to earth, cruelty-​free and environmentally conscious. It is dangerously close to becoming my go-​to shop for uplifting gifts for myself and very special others!

It’s a cozy small studio on The Junction. And it has That Junction Look.
I had a great monday morning class with Joanna. Monday mornings suck, and it’s hard to believe you’ll end up this class doing a headstand — but she makes it so fluid, it happens (well, at least against the wall…)
The studio has a full-​featured eco store — hard to leave with your hands empty, I was strong! — and it’s website is BEAUTIFUL and COMPLETE — amazing thing when it comes to yoga studios. What comes next? iCal export? I wouldn’t be surprised.
But, nothing is ever, ever perfect, even Green Lavender:
The classroom has no windows. It’s claustrophobic. There was an annoying fan blowing all class long, and this, combined with the absence of windows, made the studio terribly uncomfortable. Please girls do yourself a favour and install air conditioning and GIANT WINDOWS.
I want to see OH THE GREAT OUTDOOORS.
But if you don’t care about windows & fans, try Joanna’s class. She’s great.

I took a Power Vinyasa Flow class here on a cold thursday evening, and I thoroughly enjoyed it.
Green Lavender is a shiny new yoga studio/​green home & beauty supply store located in the Junction. The two owners have been featured in a few local papers, can’t remember where, and when you enter the studio you can’t help but feel that they’ll soon be a strong fixture in the neighbourhood.
The night I chose to visit was in the midst of a terrible snow storm, and I went in expecting to be the only one, but surprisingly there were 4 other determined yogis. Two of the four seemed to be regulars, making the studio seemed more like a community meeting place, a nice achievement for a yoga studio.
The instructor, Sandy had a kind of quiet strength (no doubt, acquired from years of practice) that I hope to achieve someday through my own practice.
The classes offered here are of a diverse assortment, ranging from Guided meditation, to Pre-​natal, to yoga for strength and toning.
Although I didn’t have the chance to peruse the eco store on this visit, I scanned their wide selection (it also looked quite diverse), and I will definitely come back and take a greater look when the weather gets better.