Bay Meadows

Life is often hectic. For those looking for a little balance in their lives, Nandi Yoga in San Mateo is the perfect solution. Located in a tranquil space in the heart of San Mateo, Nandi Yoga offers an earth-friendly environment where people of all ages and abilities practice yoga while being supported by nurturing, experienced teachers and fellow practitioners.

Philosophy. Ahimsa, a Sanskrit term meaning non-violence, is their studio’s guiding principle for the way they treat themselves, each other and the world. Whether you are new to yoga or have an advanced practice, Nandi Yoga offers a wide range of daily classes in diverse styles for adults, children, and families. At Nandi Yoga, they offer more than a studio, they offer a welcoming setting for all to join a community.

Space. Nandi, known in Hindu mythology as Shiva’s gatekeeper and transport, is a white bull who guards many Hindu temples and is the studio’s namesake, as it is believed that you can only ride him if you have overcome your desires through the mastery of yoga, and his favorite food is green grass.

Nandi Yoga offers three yoga practice rooms in a newly-renovated 4,000-square-foot space, with the largest being over 1,200 square feet. The facility also has two large bathrooms with showers and changing areas.  Every inch of their studio reflects the connections they feel to their practice, to the planet and to their community.

Workshops. Nandi Yoga offers a variety of numerous weekly classes as well as workshops for students at all levels, allowing them to explore the many aspects of yoga in more depth, including sessions with senior teachers and trainings for current or aspiring yoga teachers. You can learn more about upcoming workshops here.

We were fortunate enough to catch up with Instructor and Owner, Wendy Klein, who shared some insight into her life and passion.

1. What do you feel makes Nandi Yoga stand out?

Our mission is threefold: tread lightly on the earth, make yoga accessible to as many people as possible and work with our community.

1) We are one of the greenest yoga studios in the country: we were certified just as we opened our doors back in 2008 due to our roof top solar panels, green materials throughout the studio (cork, bamboo, recycled partitions), eco-toilets and faucets, bike racks, selling only green products in our retail space, etc.

2) We offer yoga for people of all ages and abilities (babies, kids, prenatal, families, beginners to highly advanced etc).

3)  We support our local communities, including the Art of Yoga (which helps bring yoga to incarcerated youth), Yoga for Veterans, and various local schools.

2. What are 3 trends you see in the world of Yoga right now?

1) It continues to expand into the mainstream – twenty years ago, it was taught mostly in a few yoga centers and church basements to a limited number of enthusiasts and spiritual seekers – now there are thousands of places people can go in the U.S. to practice.

2) People can practice it anywhere – there are numerous websites that allow students to take a class (paid and free) no matter where they are in the world as long as they have internet access.

3) More and more people are meditating.  The focus of yoga over the past 20 years has centered on poses which were traditionally created to prepare the body for meditation.  Now people are meditating even if they don’t practice asana.

3.  ______________ is the new black.

Compassion is the new black. We can and should all learn how to live together and seek to make all beings in the world be happy and free. 

4. Three things you’ll find in my yoga bag:

I really don’t have one since I own a studio.  But if I were to have one: really great yoga mat (I prefer Jade), water in a reusable water bottle, and my Nandi key tag so I could check in electronically for class.

5. Favorite pose:

I LOVE Pinchu Mayurasana (feathered peacock pose otherwise known as forearm stand).

So head down to Nandi Yoga and experience all they have to offer at their convenient location in the heart of San Mateo.

Namaste.

An ideally located community, Bay Meadows is only 10 minutes from Palo Alto, 20 minutes from San Francisco, and has 3 airports (SFO, OAK, SJC) within 30 miles. Bay Meadows is also located on Caltrain, which makes travel and commutes that much easier. Talk about convenient! Bay Meadows is the centralized place to reduce commutes, meet friends and play. Looking for ideas of where to ride? Check out our bike map here.