Studio at Zen
707 R. Jackson Blvd.
Panama City Beach,  Fl  32407

Style of Yoga Offered:

Class(es) I Took:

• Hatha
• Vinyasa
• Basic/Beginner
• Mediation
• Ebb & Flow (gentle)
• Vinyasa Jam (advanced level)
• Rockin’ Vinyasa (faster paces intermediate level)

Instructor:

• Judy Christian

Price:

• $10 drop-in

The Studio at Zen is located on the grounds of The Zen Garden Market and Lotus Cafe. The Merchants at Zen Gardens are a collection of 4 businesses working together to foster health, beauty and happiness. It was like hitting the jackpot when I came across this place…I could take a yoga class, grab a late breakfast and pick up a few specialty items all at the same place.

The grounds did not disappoint. Zen Gardens is extremely…well, zen. It really does feel like your stepping into a sacred space. The gardens are beautiful (they grow and sell plants) and the buildings are inviting. There are water features, lounging areas and it just feels so inviting. The yoga studio is a re-purposed screened garden room and is one of my favorite spaces (so far).

The studio is carpeted and, at the time of my visit, mats were provided. There were also plenty of props available, from blankets to bolsters.

I took a Vinyasa class led by Judy. The combination of the open-air space, tranquil gardens and spa music made it a wonderful class. Judy was an impeccable instructor…keeping the class flowing and engaging. It will remain a favorite

After such a great class I did decided to treat myself to a snack from the Cafe. They have a great selection of organic foods (some vegan, some not) to enjoy onsite or take home with you. I ordered a “cheez” ball and
sliced apples and was sadly disappointed. For the price it was such a small portion…maybe a 1/4 cup of seed “cheez” and a few slices of red delicious apple (one of my least favorite apples and not usually a type offered at fairly upscale organic places). And, since I got it to go (I wanted to share it with Clark), it was placed in a Styrofoam to-go container. Call me crazy, but for an organic, Zen place that even serves sustainable wines I was kinda shocked. I ended up emailing the owners about this but have never heard back.

I’ve recently found out that control of the studio has gone back to the owners of the Zen Garden Market. It looks like none of the old teachers are there anymore however, there is still a functioning studio. It’s now called Zen Garden Yoga. They offer a variety of classes 6 days a week. If I were in the area I’d definitely go back…

To find classes by the former owner of The Studio at Zen check out this Facebook page.

Yoga Elements
108 Carillon Market St.
Ste 1
Panama City Beach, FL 32413

Styles of Yoga Offered:

• Beginner/Renew
• Ashtanga (Primary Series)
• Kripalu
• Restorative
• Core
• Vinyasa Flow
• Yin Yang
• SUP
• Aerial

Class(es) I Took:

• Kripalu

Instructor:

• Dawn Brooker

Price:

• $15 drop in for regular mat classes
• $20 drop in for aerial
• $35 drop in for SUP (includes board rental)

Although our visit in Panama City was unseasonably cold it was still beautiful. We stayed at St. Andrews State Park and had a fantastic view of the bay. A short bicycle ride away, bundled up against the crisp morning air, and I had parts of the beach all to myself. This is where I practiced yoga most during our stay…but I also managed to make two forays into Panama City Beach proper to take two very different yoga classes. The first was at Yoga Elements.

Practicing some handstand variations on the secluded beach.

Yoga Elements is situated inside the Carillon Resort at Carillon Beach, a very posh community on the outskirts of town. Their website describes it like this:

Carillon Beach Resort Community was designed to provide a luxurious modern retreat with the entire creature comforts one would expect in an exclusive resort community. CARILLON is a true haven for the discerning short-term traveler or second home weekly experiences. It is truly a special safe environment for those who make Carillon their home away from home.

It reminded me of some of the upscale ski resorts we’ve been to…like Squaw Valley. Once you enter the grounds everything you could need is within the “compound”; restaurants, yoga studios, retail shops, art galleries, wine bars, tennis courts, condos. And, of course, a private (gorgeous) beach and (man-made) lake. It’s really stunning, especially with the gas lights flickering throughout the resort.

I took a Kripalu class that started at 4pm…so it was already getting to be sunset. That meant I was unable to get any good photos of the area (but you can check out their website to see just how pretty it is). The studio itself was also dark…partly because the huge windows, which overlooked the lake they use for their SUP (Stand Up Paddleboard) classes, were now only reflecting the dark skies and partly due to the mood lighting (a very calming effect in the room). But this also interfered with my ability to get any usable interior shots of the studio. Poop.

Yea…you might want to just check out the website to see what the studio looks like…

The dark wood floors and galvanized metal accent wall, combined with strings of white lights throughout the space, really set this studio apart from most that I’ve seen (so far). It was industrial yet welcoming. The actual floor space for class seemed quite small. There were only 3 students (including myself) and the instructor so it didn’t feel crowded but I imagine it can get a little tricky with larger classes. The hardware for the aerial classes hang overhead, but well out of the way for regular floor classes.

Dawn, our teacher, was wonderful at giving cues and demonstrating poses and she walked around and made alignment corrections. As I stated in another Rambling Yogi post I feel that corrections (or at least acknowledgement from the instructor that you’re doing things right) are vital when taking studio classes…it’s part of the reason students pay for classes. Dawn was interactive with all 3 students dividing her time amongst all of us. The class flowed seamlessly and was quite satisfactory.

If I were to return I would probably go back to try one of the aerial or SUP classes rather than a traditional yoga class. I had intended to take one of those while we were in the area but our timing was off (no SUP due to the cold and the aerial classes didn’t work with the dates I had available). It seemed to be nicely priced for such a posh area. If you attend an earlier class strolling around the grounds would be a nice added benefit.

Here’s a bonus photo…proof that yoga isn’t about being perfect. I set my timer and captured this face plant. Thankfully, I wasn’t injured and ended up laughing uncontrollably for a few minutes. Also, there was no one else around, whew.

The ever graceful Rambling Yogi…

Scenes from the road: Only in Bum-fark-nowhere rural Florida can you find the secret to life.

We try to travel somewhat unscripted because spontaneity is where we find the most joy and freedom (sometimes we refer to this as “getting lost” or, to put a positive spin on it, the “accidental adventure”). But a few times a year we end up with some kind of opportunity to meet up with friends or family which helps dictate whether we travel north, south, east or west. We had a date with Clark’s daughter and her wife in New Orleans for Mardi Gras so we decided to skirt along the panhandle of Florida on our way west.

Scenes from the road: A necessary stop along Highway 98.

Between this post and this one by Technomadia as well as this one from Nealys On Wheels we were torn between staying at St. Andrews State Park and Grayton Beach State Park. I messaged Cherie (of Technomadia) to ask her opinion on which park was better and her response was perfect…why not split our time and stay at both? And that’s exactly what we did.

We had some nice views of the Gulf of Mexico on the drive over.

When we arrived at St. Andrews the sun was setting and the temperature was plummeting and, truth be told, I wasn’t so sure it deserved the “top 12 13 camping spots” title that Technomadia gave it…after all it’s practically in Panama City (seriously, you can sometimes hear the train and see traffic from your campsite)…but when I woke up to the sunrise over the bay I understood.

Every morning I got up early and rode my bike to where the bay meets the gulf and did a little yoga as the sun came up…

I found shells washed up on the shore on sand not yet touched by any other human (that day)…

And every evening I went to the beach and watched the sun set…

We saw some cool wildlife including deer where you’d least expect them…

Deer tracks on the beach.

Unfortunately (or fortunately, depending on how you look at at), it was way too cold for alligator sightings.

Heron.

But the icing on the cake was meeting both Jennifer and Deas Nealy of Nealys on Wheels and Betsy and Nancy of RV-a-GoGo who drove up from Grayton Beach to meet us for the very first time (in person…we’d stalked each others blogs). How awesome is that?!

Dusty’s Oyster Bar in Panama City Beach.

Although it was unseasonably cold (remember the Polar Vortex last winter?) St. Andrews State Park was definitely worth visiting. Personally, I would recommend grabbing a water front site (next time I would try to get spot 118 or 120) but they are all really pretty nice. There’s a 2 mile paved road perfect for biking but I found the beach to be a nice early morning ride (no people!). You’ll also find a nature trail and, during summer months, kayak rentals and snorkeling. In the spring and summer the park offers boat shuttles to nearby Shell Island. For those who like touristy things like cheesy restaurants and t-shirt shopping, well, that’s just right a short drive down the road.

Staying true to our team even in Florida.