By Sharon Maynard

Posted on the windows at 409 S. Few Street, white and yellow fliers describe hatha, kundalini, and other yoga classes. A wooden door, adorned only with a black mailbox filled with free brochures of various colors, leads to the modest yoga studio called A Perfect Knot.

Inside the east side studio, instructor Kristin Sage leads ten students into a series of positions, or asanas, designed to relax muscle and mind, encourage balance, and promote flexibility.

"Asanas create strength in core areas, as well.  I consider this to be a be a primary aspect of what I try to teach with the asanas," Sage notes.

During one of the sequences of poses, pupils press their heels toward mats, lift their buttocks into the air, and, with fingers spread atop mats, extend their arms forward of shoulders. This position, known as downward facing dog, is thought to increase circulation in the brain and chest while stretching muscles in the legs. Through the sequences in the hatha class, Sage reminds students to coordinate their inhalations and exhalations with stretching, twisting or bending into poses.

"A Perfect Knot fosters a strong feeling of community.  You can sense this at all levels-- teacher to teacher, teacher to student, and between students.  While the strong community creates a cohesion in the group, it supports and fosters individual growth.  There is an absence of competition in this space.  We offer a diverse range of classes to engage individual interests, and encourage students in an exploration of various classes and teachers." Sage observes.

The certified yoga teacher continues, "I love the people, the freedom of format, and working with Carla. She is supportive of the teachers, and very reasonable to work with. I feel a strong sense of community teaching here, and enjoy watching as people dive in and become transformed by the practice.  I feel free to teach in a way that best supports my skills and inspiration.  People are open to what I have to offer, and are not just looking for a workout," Sage states.

After a class that lasts for 90 minutes, Liz Stevenson sits beneath a window with hanging plants. The UW Hospital nurse, who has practiced yoga for eight years, explains, "When I first started working in the UW hospital, I was a new nurse, and I had just gotten my license three years ago. I was stressed out, learning my new trade and learning my new location. I started coming to Kristin's class here at A Perfect Knot. Kristin didn't know this, but she actually saved me.

"A lot of my relationship with A Perfect Knot has to do with Kristin and her way. She's not preachy. She's not flighty. Her class allows people to work at different levels. You can sit in the back of the class and breathe for the entire time of the class, sitting still. She's great with that. Her pace can be really difficult or really relaxing, whichever pace you want."

A Perfect Knot's sense of community extends beyond its teachers and students. The studio's ahimsa, or practice of compassion and nonviolence, is illustrated in its relationships with other organizations.

A Perfect Knot founder and director Carla Raushenbush explains that teachers donate classes for service groups in the neighborhood, such as WI Coalition Against Sexual Assault, Wil-Mar Center, Red Caboose Daycare, O'Keefe/Marquette Public Schools and Lake Cleanup efforts. These types of donations are among the ways that teachers and students, many of whom live in the neighborhood, can give back to the greater community.

Teachers also seek to maintain affordable class fees so many in the Madison area can participate in and reap the benefits of yoga.

"We are the only studio in town to offer $10 drop-in classes (or $9 or $8 with a pass).  Among the teachers, there is a strong commitment to keep class prices at this level.  We want the classes to be accessible to people at all income levels, and many of us offer a sliding fee scale for those with limited resources.  I believe we care most about helping people create a sustainable practice, and that is reflected in what we offer in terms of price, diversity of classes, and a strong, supportive community," Sage points out. For those for whom the posted fees may be a problem, they are encouraged to talk with instructors about making arrangements, according to A Perfect Knot's website.

While other directors may consider the class fees and arrangements as "risky" or "unprofitable," A Perfect Knot was not created with profit in mind.

According to Raushenbush, A Perfect Knot began without bank loans or business plans. "I had a desire to teach and $5000 to get it started."

Thirteen years later, the studio continues to function in accordance to Raushenbush's vision.

"How this studio is set up and run is a manifestation of my yogic practice and spiritual life," Raushenbush says. "Often, under the standard business model of capitalist expansion, at a yoga studio there would be owners, employees, some level of exploitation, charging what the market would bear, marketing and a thought toward expanding or opening another "store."  I set up this place according to my standards of what is right and as one of my artistic creations that I would enjoy. I am in an amazing position to have a core group of teachers that agree with this model:  no owner making money from employee labor, no employees, individual responsibility, charging less than the market will bear and is currently charging, minimal hierarchy, and keeping the studio just the right size for truly personal, attentive service and relationships."  

Raushenbush has found this business model works just fine for the studio, with new "folks" continuing to try out and stick with A Perfect Knot. "The Knot becomes one of their homes away from home, too," she says. "I anticipate A Perfect Knot will be around for a long time. Even when I step off the grid, it has such a strong foundation, others will continue to create it beautifully."

This philosophy translates to daily operations of the Marquette neighborhood studio that are relatively stress free so that Raushenbush and teachers can focus "on the joy of teaching and practice."

For practitioners seeking to enroll in any studio, Sage and Raushenbush share their wisdom.

Sage says, "The best thing a studio can offer students is experienced, well-trained teachers who are attentive to the individual needs of participants.  The next thing is an environment that supports growth in a manner which is not competitive.  Teachers should be aware of injuries or other limitations and be able to offer modifications to support those who can not work within the full range of movement.  A studio that warms and welcomes newcomers, and gives them the space to explore various teachers and classes comfortably is also important.  Everything else is just walls, doors, and floors. The human interactions are most primary."

Raushenbush offers, "Honesty, integrity, compassion, cleanliness, physical and emotional safety in the space.  Everything falls into place when these elements are present."

Sage's history reflects how yoga, a yoga studio, and teacher may impact spirit, body, and mind. The instructor says, "I had dappled in a yoga practice at various times throughout my life, but at first it was a curiosity that did not have a firm hold.  I came to a point in my life where things became very difficult.  Among other major transitions, my sister and grandmother died within a month of each other, and I was smothering under a sensation of deep grief.  A friend suggested I go to Carla's class to help me cope.  After an hour and a half, I felt alive again.  I could feel the pulse of my blood in my finger tips, my skin was radiating, and the heaviness that had been holding me hostage had lifted.  It was all I needed. At that moment I dove into yoga, and now it is part of my daily routine.

Sage often sees people who attend class hoping to change something. "At the heart of yoga is change, and it happens in ways we are searching for, and ways that are never expected," she says. "A regular practice of yoga creates revolution in the body, in the mind, and for the spirit." 

Sharon Maynard is a Madison resident and yoga practitioner.