BUCKTOWN — For yoga instructor Piper Parker, being at the helm of what she calls a "100 percent local and 100 percent awesome" new venture — a studio in an old Jiffy Lube called Zen Yoga Garage — is "really a dream come true."
A hot dream at that, with some yoga classes held in temperatures that top 100 degrees.
Parker met her business partner Bill Senne when, in 2010, she became the manager of an outpost of the Denver-based CorePower Yoga chain in a strip mall at 1704 N. Milwaukee Ave. The mall is owned by Senne, founder of the Bucktown firm Property Consultants.
"Bill Senne and I connected when I was managing [CorePower]. He was my landlord and regular student. It was cool to watch him fall in love with yoga as I did so many years ago!" Parker said in an email.
Parker said the build-out of the former Jiffy Lube space at 1845 N. Milwaukee Ave. is "coming together quickly" and the studio hopes to open the second week of July, with a grand opening celebration party at the end of July.
According to its website, Zen Yoga "will offer an intense yoga-based class in a heated environment, which allows for detoxification, cleansing, and an even more powerful workout than one can get in a non-heated environment."
The heated classes include heated Vinyasa yoga, which Parker described as "warm, but not too hot, 85-90 degrees" and Hatha, which ranges "between 99-103 degrees."
Zen Yoga will also offer non-heated yoga classes for adults and children, along with early morning boot camp 5:45 a.m. Monday-Friday, Parker said.
Other classes include yoga with weights, yoga barre and Vinadalini yoga, which Parker described as "a mix of Kundalini and Vinyasa.'
"We will have classes all day until candlelight yoga at 8:30 p.m. We also have two kids classes on the schedule, which I'm really excited about!" Parker wrote.
For a full price list and to stay in the loop on updates, visit Zen Yoga Garage's website.
