Sun salutations to Vancouver's top yoga options

by Amanda Siebert on September 30th, 2015 at 9:15 AM

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Rocking a tank that reads “Life is rad,” Shannon Cluff makes it instantly apparent that she isn’t your average yoga instructor. She’s mentored more than 300 yoga teachers since 2006, and her passion extends beyond leading classes and into the art of educating future instructors. Rad, indeed.

Prior to becoming part of Karma Teachers’ teacher-training faculty, Cluff was the owner and director of Kitsilano’s Sanga Yoga Studio—a quaint, warm studio with a real community vibe—for eight years. While attending one of her classes back in 2012, I was amazed by Cluff’s ability to instantly diagnose stiff joints or tired limbs and offer healing through appropriate postures. Talk about a yogi’s intuition.

Now that she’s sold her studio, she runs Lead With Love, a group mentorship program for students pursuing their 200-hour teacher-training certification. Cluff’s favourite style of yoga to practise and teach is Vinyasa Flow, but she has taught everything from Ashtanga to Yin, as well as a few varieties of meditation.

When your job is helping people put their minds and bodies at ease, it’s important to be in the know about the city’s best options for mats, clothing, locations, post-yoga snacks, and more. With that, here are Cluff’s Vancouver yoga bests.

Best place to do outdoor yoga

“I dig a good rooftop yoga class. There is something so uplifting about being elevated above the business of the city, looking out at the mountains in standing poses and seeing open sky in Savasana.”

Best music for doing yoga

“Classical piano music for Hatha classes; ambient electronica for Vinyasa classes, like Shlomo, Slackwax, or Husky Rescue—and when there is strength or core work to do on my own, I like a little hip-hop, like Drake or A$AP Rocky, but there’s too many curse words to play this in public classes.”

Best yoga pants

Chikum Advanced Athletic Wear & Care
1021 East Cordova Street

“My favourite pair of yoga pants comes from a little Canadian, Vancouver-based company called Chikum. I love all of their stuff.”

Favourite yoga shirt

“Locomotive Clothing Company. I love how their shirts feel when I move. My fave is this ‘Life is rad’ tank.”

Best yoga mat

“I am digging this thin little blue travel mat that my friend Tiana gave me; it’s from Lululemon. While most people are going towards thicker mats, I like the thin ones.”

Weirdest place you’ve ever done yoga

“On several occasions I have been asked to demonstrate yoga in storefront windows—always fun and super weird.”

Best yoga bag

“Yoga teacher Chris Duggan makes these amazing handcrafted yoga bags that are the best and most beautiful designs I have ever seen.”

Best aromatherapy oil

“I’m a bit addicted to Saje right now because they have so many high-quality essential-oil options and their packaging makes them really easy for travel. Their Yoga Transition Mist is a game-changer after any sweat-fest workout.”

Studio with the best light

Stretch
180 East Pender Street

“Stretch Vancouver for sure. One whole wall is floor-to-ceiling windows with these lovely little lace curtains to soften the light. So pretty.”

Best advice you’ve ever gotten during a yoga class

“About 12 years ago, an incredible yoga teacher named Michael Whitfield whispered in my ear in a standing pose during a particularly challenging day, ‘You don’t have to try so hard.’ It changed everything.”