Sara Turk, owner of Cherry Blossom Yoga, described the first Ashtanga yoga class she took in 2004 as a transformative experience in which the sky looked bluer, the breeze felt cooler and food tasted crisper. Now, Turk said she wants to help other people have similar experiences.

Turk said Ashtanga is a form of yoga that synchronizes movement and breathing. While it is the style she said she feels the greatest connection with, her studio also offers other styles.

Turk opened Cherry Blossom Yoga with her sister in March 2010 after Turk became disenchanted working toward a doctorate in physiology.

“We wanted to open the studio as more of a 10-year plan,” Turk said. “But toward the end of my degree, we decided to move the plan up, because I was ready to get out of science.”

The studio is open seven days a week, with four or five classes offered each day. Turk said she tries to keep the class sizes small so the instructors can provide each student with personal attention. Students are encouraged to sign up in advance, but drop-ins are welcome.

The studio has a boutique that offers yoga apparel and accessories, as well as a small tea room with pillows and a bookcase. The studio also includes a massage room, and massages are offered once a week.

Turk said that while yoga can be a great physical workout, she hopes her students’ lives off the mat improve because of their time at the studio.    

“I think if your yoga practice isn’t serving your off-the-mat life—your personal relationships—then it is not serving you,” Turk said.

Cherry Blossom Yoga

16650 Champion Forest Drive, Spring
281-257-4245
www.cherryblossomyoga.com
Hours: Mon.-Fri. 9:15 a.m.-1:15 p.m., 5:30-7:15 p.m.; Sat. 8:45 a.m.-12:15 p.m.; Sun. 9:45 a.m.-2:30 p.m.