In a city populated with yoga studios of all kinds — offering ashtanga, hatha, Bikram, power yoga, body-shaping yoga, vinyasa, and so much more — the Mindful Body stands out as a quiet beacon of peace in the midst of an ancient practice that has become a frenzied trend. Tiny, unassuming, and occupying a corner of lower Pacific Heights, the Mindful Body is a center for health and well-being both physical and mental. In addition to a different yoga class almost hourly, seven days a week, the Mindful Body offers therapeutic massage, acupuncture, Feldenkrais, and other holistic body-healing methods. Some of San Francisco's finest instructors, like Deborah Burkman and Charu Rachlis, teach several times a week. Burkman's classes, especially, are jam-packed, and once you've experienced her method of heartfelt, powerful teaching, you'll be squeezing your mat in between those of the other devotees. Ten-dollar, drop-in "community yoga" classes at noon make lunchtime a peaceful hour, accessible to everyone.
