20th Street's Mars Complex has been the location for a lot of recent development, with restaurants, bars, yogurt shops, and now Sacramento's newest yoga studio, Asha Yoga.

Asha Yoga is owned and operated by Cori Martinez and Maureen Guildersleeve, two relatively newcomers to the area and longtime yoga practitioners who say they plan to make Asha Yoga into a public space and center for community, not just a yoga studio.

Before moving to Sacramento three years ago, Martinez lived in Hawaii, where she established and taught at her first yoga studio, Yoga Centered. She says that she saw the space Asha Yoga now occupies four months ago, shortly before meeting her business partner Guildersleeve, and immediately began preparing to open the studio. "It's easier to go faster when you've done it before, and you know all the steps," says Martinez about the speed with which Asha has been established.

Not just a studio, Asha is also a boutique store carrying a variety of clothes and yoga accessories, all of which are produced in "environmentally and socially conscious" fashions. Martinez jokes that the boutique is a way to "justify" keeping the space open all day, allowing for people to wander in and out and chat with the teachers or other students.

"We're pretty confident that we're creating something here that people want to be a part of,” Martinez says. “Even if you're not coming to yoga you can stop in and remind yourself about your yoga practice, ask questions, look around."

The space, designed by architect Catherine Reon of CRCW studio, was designed to create a sense of tranquility and richness through the use of materials like raw pine and dark bamboo. Much of the original concrete has been left in its natural state, and large lanterns illuminate the studio. The result is welcoming, grounding, and light.

Martinez says that Asha's motto, "Ancient wisdom, modern practice," is emblematic of the "blending" of knowledge and practices from classical yoga with the realities of modern life. "Most of us can't spend 10 hours a day meditating in a cave."

The classes offered at Asha are geared toward all skill levels, but are designed to be accessible to newcomers. The classes are divided between dynamic, balanced, and mellow yogi, names that are designed to be descriptive without using Sanskrit words that might discourage beginners.

Despite having opened only three weeks ago, classes at Asha are already attracting students, with most class sizes falling between five and 20 people. Martinez attributes the quick growth to a combination of extensive word-of-mouth advertising and the publicity generated by hosting several Second Saturday open houses in the months before the studio's official opening.

Martinez says that Asha will continue to host Second Saturday events, as part of their efforts to be a visible part of the Sacramento community.

Readers interested in class schedules and other information about Asha Yoga can visit ashayoga.com to learn more. Asha Yoga is located at 1050 20th Street, suite #110.