Something for everyone: Brake opens Black Lotus Yoga & Healing Space

Dec. 8—Ericka Brake first became acquainted with the world of yoga during her time at Owensboro Community & Technical College.

"I was in college and I was extremely stressed out, like most college students," Brake, 31, laughed, "and I was suffering from a lot of anxiety and migraines, and so I enrolled into a yoga class."

While Brake wasn't certain if yoga was for her, she kept going back and "fell in love with it."

Fast forward, Brake received her 500-hour registered yoga instructor certification and has been teaching yoga for almost 10 years.

And over the weekend, she opened her own studio — Black Lotus Yoga & Healing Space — at 920 Frederica St., Suite 1040.

Before then, Brake was managing a studio right before the start of the coronavirus pandemic.

The studio closed and offered virtual classes, before Brake "bounced around" to different places before deciding to venture into her own entity.

"I was still looking for that home space that I had at the studio that I was at previously," she said. "This has kind of been like an on-and-off dream for a really long time. I kept talking myself out of it ... and then this year, I realized that this was just the perfect time."

Brake has been pleased with the reception the studio has received so far.

"It's been amazing," she said Wednesday. "This class today is packed. Our class last night was sold out."

Her hope is to break the stigma that some may have about the discipline.

"Yoga has this persona of being kind of intimidating, especially for people who have never done it before," she said. "What I want people to know about Black Lotus is that this is an extremely inclusive community, so I want people to come in and feel as comfortable as possible."

Brake and instructor Ash Jochum teach a number of sessions at the studio, which includes a beginner class led by Jochum, Slow Flow yoga and Heated Vinyasa yoga — both taught by Brake.

The classes are also offered as a virtual option via Google Meet.

One of the key takeaways from yoga, Brake said, is "calming the nervous system."

"Your nervous system is connected to everything," she said. "Us as humans, we're really living in a time where we're in fight and flight constantly. We're constantly going, and stressed; and having to move to the next thing, hit that next deadline. What yoga does is that it gets you into your body so you can reset your nervous system and go from way high up on 10 down to ground zero."

Brake said all of the classes offered are "for anybody" and looks for the space to go beyond the physical poses.

"You could be a beginner and never (have done) it a day in your life, and you can come in and take a class," she said. "...I want to invite people to come in, try to get yoga practice; but the real magic behind it is just the community that's built here — people that want to support you during your journey and want to cheer you on during that journey."

Signs up and availability for classes can be found at signup.com/go/qnkrJyU.

For more information about Black Lotus Yoga & Healing Space, visit facebook.com/ErickaRobertsYoga or contact Brake at e.yogaandwellness@gmail.com.