New yoga studio explores eclectic expressions

IAN PUGH
Posted 5/17/17

The Chi Hive Studio has moved from The Narrowsburg Union to Main Street. There are still a few renovations to be done, and the signs still need to go up, but while the workspace is itself a work in …

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New yoga studio explores eclectic expressions

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The Chi Hive Studio has moved from The Narrowsburg Union to Main Street. There are still a few renovations to be done, and the signs still need to go up, but while the workspace is itself a work in progress, the studio has already established itself as a center for mindfulness, creative expression and spiritual exploration.

The name of the studio is more than just a memorable pun. The full name is “The Chi Hive Studio for Yoga, Healing Exploration and the Expressive Arts,” and each word has special significance to owner and teacher Susan Mendoza. In consideration of the word “hive,” Mendoza thinks of her studio as “a place where different modalities come together under one roof, to share and collaborate—as teachers, but also as practitioners, and also for people who just want to just come in and experience different types of art forms that they’ve never had an opportunity to experience before.”

Indeed, while the studio is still in preparations for a grand opening, it currently offers a wide variety of activities for kids and adults, including multiple disciplines of yoga, Pilates, music therapy and theatre and improv workshops. The Chi Hive has also paired with the Catskill Dance Company to provide dance classes for ballet, modern, contemporary and jazz. Among the dance instructors is Isabel Braverman, longtime writer for The River Reporter.

Music is a particularly important component of the studio’s mission statement, and Mendoza has partnered with Stephen Faubel of Songbird Studios to provide music lessons for individuals and groups, geared toward all ages and abilities. Other musicians, like Shawn Caden, are present to complement yoga classes with instruments such as the sitar and the mandolin. 

The location provides ample opportunity to cull from its rich history and natural surroundings. “It’s amazing to be so close to the river, and I know that the river has been a source of healing for a lot of people,” Mendoza says. “Certainly a source for a lot of play and exploration, so we like to tie that into the things that we’re doing.” This will be the primary focus of the RiverKids Summer Camp in July, which will integrate the life around the river into a children’s curriculum of dance, yoga and art.

The studio is now open for business at 22 Main St., but the grand opening, featuring parties, performances and condensed classes for kids and adults, will take place on July 1. For more information, call 718/314-0161 or visit the Facebook page at https://tinyurl.com/l9q3zqo.

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