FAQ

Yoga 101 

We LOVE sharing the gift of yoga! New students are always welcome in our classes. Although we appreciate pre-registration, we always welcome drop-ins for all classes. We welcome you our spacious studio and we have plenty of mats and props for you to borrow. You need no previous knowledge of yoga, nor do you need any specific equipment. Just wear comfortable clothes and walk in our doors, then allow our talented instructors to guide you!

If you are new to Northern Life Yoga, please arrive 10-15 minutes early so you can register and the instructor can help get you set up with mats and props. If you are a current student, arriving 5-10 minutes early allows you time to find parking, settle in, and start your practice in the best possible way. That said, we know life happens - so if you arrive late, just wait in the lobby until meditation is complete to avoid disrupting others in their practice.

Yoga meets you where you are – your practice is individual to you, so you are free to modify according to how your body feels each time you come to the mat. You know your body best - take the guidance from our instructors and adapt your practice for what you need each time you set foot on your mat.

Learn more in our FAQs and studio policies below!

Join us at Northern Life Yoga Studio in Michigan

Frequently Asked Questions

  • You do not need to be flexible to practice yoga. In fact, yoga is designed to help you increase your flexibility over time! By practicing yoga regularly, poses will become easier and more accessible as your body becomes stronger and more limber.

  • Yoga is a lifelong practice and you can begin at any age. There are many reasons that people are drawn to yoga, including relaxation. The ages of our practitioners range from 25-80 and above! Practicing yoga regularly is a great way to tend to an aging body, keeping your body strong and agile, maintaining mobility, and decreasing aches and pains.

  • Yoga is a deeply personal practice that we get to explore together in community. Instructors often encourage students to keep their focus on their own mats, to turn their attention inward, and remember that we are all in different places in our personal practices. Yoga is not a competitive sport, and instructors actively discourage comparison, to help create a space where you feel comfortable exploring your own practice and accepting where you are each day.

  • Yoga is growing in popularity with men – even here in Sault Ste. Marie. Men of all ages are committed to practicing yoga regularly since it complements other fitness routines like running and weight lifting. Candlelight yoga can be a great date night for couples. Many of our classes are 30-40% male, so you won’t be the only one!

  • If you’re new to yoga, be sure to choose a class that is beginner friendly, often labeled as “level 1” or “gentle.”
    It’s best to start in a gentle yoga class that moves at a slower pace, allowing you more time to adapt to the poses as well as learn how instructors cue body alignment.
    Instead of choosing by the schedule, be sure to choose your class by the description that best fits your needs.

Policies

  • While pre-registration on the fitDEGREE app is encouraged, no advanced signup is necessary for classes. Mats and props are always available to borrow. Kindly spray your mat after each use so it will be fresh for the next practitioner.

    Beginners are always welcome - please come as you are and take note of the type of class to ensure it best suits your needs.

  • Memberships will be set on autopay and charged to the card on file each month. Please choose a membership based on your availability. Memberships cannot be cancelled or placed on hold during their duration.

    Memberships are valid for one individual and cannot be shared.
    With the exception of the Dual Membership, intended for two members of the same household.

  • Class pass expiration dates are firm.

    We do not give refunds or allow carryover for unused classes.

    Class passes cannot be shared.

  • The instructors of Northern Life Yoga are committed to offering yoga classes year round. We value the presence of our yoga community, so please support our classes with regular attendance as we cannot afford to maintain our beautiful space as a seasonal business.

    To provide flexibility in your yoga practice, all of our classes are designed so you can drop in as your schedule allows...yet we hope to see your beautiful presence on the mat often so that you can experience the true benefits of a consistent practice.

  • We try our best to hold classes on a regular schedule year round.  However, when inclement weather would endanger our instructors or students to travel to the studio, we may cancel class on rare occasions. In the event of cancelled classes, it is noted on our northernlifeyoga.com schedule, fitDEGREE app and NLY Facebook page. If you provide a mobile number on your fitDEGREE account, we also notify regular class attendees of specific classes via text message.

  • We do not have an age limit for youth who wish to take our classes with an accompanying adult. We trust parents/guardians will know the best age for youth to handle a class. We simply request that youth yogis who attend our classes stay on their mat during class and respect the quiet practice so other students are not disturbed. On occasion, we offer Kids Yoga classes for specific age ranges.

  • For safety reasons, we do not allow children to be unsupervised in our balcony at any time. Aside from Yoga Teacher Trainees completing required observations, we do not allow anyone to sit in the balcony during classes since noise carries easily and it interferes with an instructor’s ability to create a safe space for students.