Most people come to Florence for the classic tourist sites and the culinary offerings; who doesn’t dream of visiting Italy without enjoying its fine food? Yet, when we travel, we sometimes crave some downtime, especially when journeying across multiple countries and continents. Some days, you just desire a morning at the spa, a manicure, or to find your Namaste moment with yoga in Florence.
In recent years, Florence has seen several new yoga studios opening, offering a variety of practice styles in several intriguing locations, the most recent being Yoga Garage in San Lorenzo. Run by a couple, Tess Obermeier and Guido Baligioni, their passion for yoga is ever present during every class. Warm and effervescent, their energy comes across in their teaching.
Having met in Florence through mutual friends, they later found themselves teaching courses at the same studios in the city and discovered they had a standard view on a method for teaching and philosophy. So when, by chance, they stumbled upon the availability of a space just minutes from the Duomo, they opened Yoga Garage in 2016.
Yoga in Florence in a historic setting
Tess has been practising yoga since she was 15, taking her first Vinyasa class in her hometown of Chicago. Since, she has studied under numerous teachers and styles including Bikram, Ashtanga, Hatha, and Yin. Moving to Florence in the summer of 2012 as a student, she soon found the city had captured her heart like many before her. Then she met Guido, a born and raised Florentine who has always been attracted to the “oriental way” of seeing the world, practising yoga for the past 16 years, exploring Iyengar and Ashtanga plus martial arts simultaneously.
They tell me part of the reason they work so well together is their differing characters and cultures, which balance each other out. As for the name, Yoga Garage, “We thought that it is simple and catchy, and it is the same in English and Italian!” Classes are based on solid Ashtanga foundations (the sun salutations) with Vinyasa sequences, changing a little every class, so they are ideal for those wanting a little challenge whilst retaining a holistic tone to their practice.
With four classes per weekday (two per day on weekends) taught in English and Italian, they are accessible to everyone, both local city dwellers and travellers. Plus, with monthly Yogaaperitivo (evening class followed by food and wine), summer retreats in Chianti, and certified teacher-training courses, these two are very busy yogis.
Photo credit: Francesco Sammicheli / Rene Choi
