Front Street in downtown Issaquah buzzes with activity throughout the day.
In the middle of this busy thoroughfare sits Hot Yoga of Issaquah, a sanctuary of relaxation, spiritual healing and rejuvenation.
Owner Carina Ostebovik opened her studio in 2003, after eight stressful years at Microsoft.
“Yoga changed my life,” Ostebovik said. “It started as a physical activity, but it eventually became a way of life for me.”
Carina’s yoga background encompasses 14 years of practice and instruction.
Her studies took her to various parts of the world, including the University of São Paulo in Brazil and the Nosara Yoga Institute in Costa Rica.
Ostebovik practices a unique combination of yoga and bodywork called “Pranassage.”
This personalized approach allows both the new and the experienced yoga student to work with gravity to flow into poses with minimal effort.
“Think of the receiver as a marionette,” Ostebovik said. “As the practitioner directs the receiver’s body into a series of movements, the receiver begins to witness forgotten possibilities of motion that provide balance and relief throughout the body.”
When asked about what drove her to take up and promote Pranassage, Ostebovik said, “I see it as a way of getting back in touch with the wisdom of the body. Pranassage induces a natural purification process, enabling us to become more efficient in synthesizing and storing vital energy, or Prana.”
Pranassage works for yoga beginners, who quickly get acclimated to the various poses with minimal physical effort on their part, and advanced yoga students who may have plateaued and are ready to advance to the next level.
“It is mentally relaxing,” Ostebovik said. “Stress is created from being disconnected from nature, other people, and ourselves. Pranassage gives us a sense of connectedness by bringing the body in tune with the earth.”
Hot Yoga of Issaquah is located at 485 N. Front St., Suite D-2.
For more information, visit their website at www.hotyogaofissaquah.com.
John Zielonka is a freelance writer based in Sammamish.
