Atawhai Yoga Body Yoga Mind is a small yoga studio on Brooklands Road in Atawhai, Nelson, and its name means kindness in te reo Māori. The studio is set beside a native garden, and the owner, Cynthia Pratt, has designed it to be kind to body, mind and soul. Its website lists yoga classes, private events and workshops, and rock painting. Her restorative classes combine core exercises, flexibility work and aromatherapy, with a short reflection on kindness and compassion at the start and end. Sign-up is by email for class invitations.
Customers describe the classes as relaxed and well paced, with clear instruction and a setting that feels like a retreat. One student has practised with Cynthia twice a week for two years. Another family had private classes at her home studio over a rainy New Year break, and found her kind, warm and easy to fit in at short notice. Reviewers mention her experience, the tailored classes and the vinyasa flow, and say she is good at reminding people to go at their own pace. Nelson's Atawhai suburb is a quiet place to find a studio like this.