Paris Yoga Tour

In Paris the concept of "well-being"is usually associated with a good bottle of wine. But that doesn't stop its inhabitants from flocking to yoga classes.

By Margie Rynn

In Paris the concept of "well-being"is usually associated with a good bottle of wine. But that doesn't stop its inhabitants from flocking to yoga classes. The Parisian Yellow Pages lists some 80 teachers and centers offering classes in all manner of styles and approaches, so the traveling yogi need not worry about finding a place to unwind after a long day at the Louvre. Some studios even offer classes in English. "In the United States, many people take yoga to become strong and get in shape,"says Claire Bornstain Petit, secretary general of the Fédération Inter-Enseignements de Hatha Yoga, an association of yoga teachers.

"Here in France, it is mostly for stress reduction and relaxation." That said, Power Yoga practitioners need not throw in the sticky mat when visiting the City of Lights. Ashtanga Yoga has arrived in Paris in the person of Caroline Boulinguez, who teaches in a studio within shouting distance of the Place de la Bastille. Boulinguez agrees that French people do not share the American passion for physical exertion. "It takes a lot of courage for a French person to take Ashtanga,"she admits. "Their bodies are not prepared. I am sure that it will catch on, but it will take longer here than in the U.S."

Boulinguez has been teaching in Paris for eight years, and breaking ground is hard work. But there are signs that the Ashtanga message is being heard. Boulinguez has recently been interviewed by magazines such as Elle, Marie Claire, and Madame Figaro, who are clamoring over the yoga of Sting, Madonna, and other famous "bouddhistomaniaques"—Parisian slang for a lover of all things Buddhist.

For those still in the throws of jet lag, a kinder, gentler yoga workout is available at the Association Viniyoga Ile de France. Tucked into a lofty building around the corner from the Palais Royal, the organization offers a range of classes in this traditional, low-key style. "The idea is to adapt yoga to each person's abilities,"says Bernadette Pajot, president of the association.

"You cannot ask a Western person who spends all day in a chair to have hips as flexible as someone from India."The small, four-person classes are particularly well-suited to people with injuries or specific needs. Each teacher organizes classes independently, and since classes are small, it's essential to call ahead. There are a few English-speaking teachers at the Viniyoga center. One of them, Evelyn Figueroa, will schedule a special class for you and your yoga troupe if you're traveling in a group.

If the grandeur of the Arc de Triomphe has left you saturated with a feeling of Napoleonic excess, a good dose of Iyengar might be just the thing to straighten yourself out. The Centre de Yoga Iyengar de Paris is located just a few blocks away from the monument in a beautiful Belle Epoque building on the swanky Avenue Victor Hugo. Founded in 1980 by Faeq Biria, the center was the first Iyengar school in the nation. "It was a desert,"says his wife Corine, who codirects and teaches at the center. "There has been a lot of development since then. There are now 100 certified Iyengar teachers in France."

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