Sitting in a small lounge that looks out through huge glass walls into an ornate courtyard with a large fountain, it's hard not to be impressed with the pure aesthetics of what has become a well polished gem within the heart of the Fourth Avenue shopping district.
The structure and space that now houses Anjali, 330 E. 7th St., has been a Fourth Avenue fixture for many years. In the mid 1980s it was the original Ortspace and was used to promote various community events including political fundraisers, dance classes, performances, and massage school graduations.
When the Orts group moved out it became the Zenith Center and continued in this tradition under new ownership. But because it was as much a funky living space as it was a community center, the words that probably best described the Zenith may well have been "unrealized potential." Now that the space has been completely renovated in a way that perhaps only owners Janice Herradora and Jason Aberbach could ever have imagined, the word unrealized has been replaced by unlimited.
"Our intention was to create a holistic center where people could really take care of themselves-this as opposed to just offering a space to rent," said Herradora in a recent interview.
None of this happened overnight, of course. Herradora, who supervises Anjali's day to day operations, explained that "It was a huge undertaking, five or six years in the making. Aside from that however, our biggest challenge was in trying to convey our vision to everyone we worked with."
And what a vision it has become. While the main 2000 square foot studio is somewhat reminiscent of its former self, the new floors, fixtures, reception area and former living space represent a transformation that goes far beyond mere construction, new furnishings and floors.
Inside, Anjali is dominated by two separate studios, primarily used for a regular schedule of yoga classes, dance classes, workshops and also as a performance space for rent. It's taken some time, but Anjali now offers 15 yoga classes a week along with regular African Dance classes and workshops and occasional kirtan (celebratory chanting).
Yoga, dance and kirtan however are only a part of the greater vision. "For many years we've been involved with the live (raw) food movement," said Herradora. As such, she and Aberbach have always had plans to open a raw foods restaurant. And indeed the space for it has been well defined and is clearly visible through more glass walls within the courtyard. "We're taking the restaurant slow due to the financial situation. But we're still holding the vision of a healthy vegan cafe. While we still want it to be live, we're open to whatever it will be."
Anjali is also referred to as a spa. With three treatment rooms available, they are hoping to offer a variety of healing modalities including massage therapy, shiatsu, acupuncture, thai yoga/massage and ayurvedic work. While much of Anjali's physical transformation has been striking and is hard to miss, it's the ever expanding work that's going on within, where the real changes are taking place.
For information on yoga classes offered at Anjali, please visit
www.AnjaliYoga.com or call 623-0913.
The structure and space that now houses Anjali, 330 E. 7th St., has been a Fourth Avenue fixture for many years. In the mid 1980s it was the original Ortspace and was used to promote various community events including political fundraisers, dance classes, performances, and massage school graduations.
When the Orts group moved out it became the Zenith Center and continued in this tradition under new ownership. But because it was as much a funky living space as it was a community center, the words that probably best described the Zenith may well have been "unrealized potential." Now that the space has been completely renovated in a way that perhaps only owners Janice Herradora and Jason Aberbach could ever have imagined, the word unrealized has been replaced by unlimited.
"Our intention was to create a holistic center where people could really take care of themselves-this as opposed to just offering a space to rent," said Herradora in a recent interview.
None of this happened overnight, of course. Herradora, who supervises Anjali's day to day operations, explained that "It was a huge undertaking, five or six years in the making. Aside from that however, our biggest challenge was in trying to convey our vision to everyone we worked with."
And what a vision it has become. While the main 2000 square foot studio is somewhat reminiscent of its former self, the new floors, fixtures, reception area and former living space represent a transformation that goes far beyond mere construction, new furnishings and floors.
Inside, Anjali is dominated by two separate studios, primarily used for a regular schedule of yoga classes, dance classes, workshops and also as a performance space for rent. It's taken some time, but Anjali now offers 15 yoga classes a week along with regular African Dance classes and workshops and occasional kirtan (celebratory chanting).
Yoga, dance and kirtan however are only a part of the greater vision. "For many years we've been involved with the live (raw) food movement," said Herradora. As such, she and Aberbach have always had plans to open a raw foods restaurant. And indeed the space for it has been well defined and is clearly visible through more glass walls within the courtyard. "We're taking the restaurant slow due to the financial situation. But we're still holding the vision of a healthy vegan cafe. While we still want it to be live, we're open to whatever it will be."
Anjali is also referred to as a spa. With three treatment rooms available, they are hoping to offer a variety of healing modalities including massage therapy, shiatsu, acupuncture, thai yoga/massage and ayurvedic work. While much of Anjali's physical transformation has been striking and is hard to miss, it's the ever expanding work that's going on within, where the real changes are taking place.
For information on yoga classes offered at Anjali, please visit
www.AnjaliYoga.com or call 623-0913.