Best Yoga Studio

Namaspa winning the best yoga studio in Central Oregon shouldn’t be surprising for people who’ve been keeping track — it’s the fourth year in a row it’s won the award. Suzie Newcome started the business in 2007 with a goal to bring the tools of yoga and mindfulness to Central Oregon.

The classes at Namaspa range from the physically demanding power vinyasa in a 90-degree room to yin yoga, a form of yoga that takes place entirely on the floor.

“It’s like if you think of the yin and the yang symbol. So the vinyasa power flow would be more like a yang class, it’s heated, it’s like the sun, and then the yin, and like the moon, just totally not doing any activity. And it’s generally helping not just the muscles, but also the connective tissue in the body,” Newcome said.

Namaspa teaches everyday yoga students but has also graduated more than 250 teachers in its yoga teacher training program. Its nonprofit arm, the Namaspa Foundation, takes yoga classes to recovery centers, jails and prisons.

“We take yoga out of the studio to people who also need those tools for mindfulness, but may not know about it or be able to have access,” Newcome said.

Bend’s not necessarily lacking in opportunities for yoga, and when asked what sets Namaspa apart, Newcome said it’s the community.

“I do think that there’s just fabulous studios in Bend, and I’m proud to be part of this community. I think what sets us apart is the breadth of our community. That may be a virtue of the fact that we’ve been around a long time, that we just really emphasize community and connection and making it accessible to everyone,” Newcome said.

FIRST PLACE: Namaspa Yoga