Shake it Off at Inner Light Yoga in Nashville, TN

It's estimated that 100 people move to Nashville, Tennessee each day. Every weekend, there’s another young couple or bachelorette party checking in to the area on my social feed. The city is so popular, even their yoga studios have waitlists! My husband and I visited Nashville this past weekend, and I made it a point to preregister for a class (because I’m me). 

If you’re visiting Music City and feeling inspired by creative expression, then you’ll have to make some time for a Vivid Flow class at Inner Light Yoga. It’s part vinyasa yoga, part freeform dance, and it’s an experience. 

On Sunday morning, we used Nashville’s bike share service and rode to the 12 South district. I grabbed a green smoothie from BOX and then headed next door to Inner Light Yoga (ILY). You know I snapped a quick photo of the 'Grammable studio before it started filling up.

Studio owners Lee and Emmy Singer practiced music-based vinyasa on the west coast and brought the infectious style back home with them to Nashville. What exactly is music-based vinyasa? According to ILY, “It's about getting onto your mat, outside of your head, and connecting to the beat to discover what truly moves you.” 

Here’s how it went: The instructor led the class through a sequence of postures. After a couple of cycles, she turned the music up. We continued to flow at our own pace, with our own rhythms and improvisations, allowing the movement to be organic. I really enjoyed this style. It’s the freedom to choose that keeps me coming back to my yoga mat. I appreciated the opportunity to edit the sequence or add in counter poses. With that said, I’d recommend some yoga experience or opt for the Vivid 101 Flow class. 

The classes at ILY are often themed around an artist or genre. That day’s playlist included “Bey and Tay” (Beyoncé and Taylor Swift, duh). 

Practicing yoga in new places requires an open mind. You have to leave any expectations of what yoga is or should be at the door. Acknowledging and trying derivative styles is in itself yoga practice. This struck me as we were doing air squats to Taylor Swift’s “Shake It Off.” I really felt like I could let go that morning on my mat. It was totally unexpected. It made me smile. 

The instructor confirmed these thoughts as we were coming down: today you danced with a stranger and maybe you even sang out loud when you otherwise wouldn’t. 
​
 Here’s a little more about Inner Light Yoga: 

• Style: The class can be described as a power vinyasa flow with aerobic influences and music to encourage natural movement and dance. 
  
• Heat: The studio is warmed to about 75 degrees.
• Rentals/Amenities: Inner Light Yoga offers a complimentary water bottle to all new students, and mats and towels are always complimentary. The studio has restrooms, showers, and lockers. 
• The space: The studio space is AMAZING. It’s a non-toxic, chemical free space in what must be a newer building. The décor is modern and industrial, if a bit minimalist. Now that I think about it, the only props in the room were blocks. Everything was black and white (though the energy was anything but) and very clean.