The first strictly pay-what-you-can yoga studio opened this month in northeast Minneapolis.
Owner Flor Trevino said the studio, which she believes is the only one of its kind, is her way of paying it forward. "I started learning yoga at a pay-what-you-can studio and the concept stuck with me," she said. Yoga Sol studio, built on the philosophy of karma yoga or selfless service, is a trend that started on the coasts and is now landing here.
Most yoga classes in the Twin Cities charge $15 to $20 an hour, but pay-what-you-can studios generally ask for a suggested donation instead. Trevino requests $10 to cover the space rental, lights and instructor's time, but the donation box is anonymous and no one keeps track. "There are times when a person can't afford anything and another time when they can give $20," she said. "We want them to have a choice."
Free or donation classes aren't new to the Twin Cities -- many studios have a free day or a single pay-what-you-can session weekly or monthly. For example, Yogastudio in Plymouth offers several each week, Luminous Yoga offers $5 classes on Tuesdays at 6:30 p.m. near Thomas Beach at Lake Calhoun, and Lululemon in St. Louis Park has free classes on Sundays.
Trevino's Yoga Sol (www.yoga-sol.com) is at 21 NE. 5th St.
