SML Biz I Heart: the Yoga Shop

Yoga Shop owner Lorène Deschenaux wearing a Hanuman wrap-top at the door of her boutique

It’s always a delight to find that something you desire, but which seems out of reach, turns out to be available right on your doorstep.

Last October when visiting my hometown of Montreal, my sister Pamela introduced me to the Canadian yoga clothing brand Lolë; it was love at first sight of their beautifully tailored garments in a wide range of styles, in colorful, easy-to-care-for materials. Great for wearing in a yoga class, but also for everyday and evening wear…and their gorgeous bright yellow, puffy hooded parka (called the “Elena” for goodness sake!) had me at hello.

Of course, once I left terra montreala for Switzerland I pretty much thought, “that’s that”. Until Pamela, social media whiz that she is, came up with Lolë Switzerland’s Facebook page based in Zurich, and one “Comment” later I’d found the answer to my style-hungry prayers right in the heart of Geneva courtesy of a delightful boutique located near Plainpalais called the Yoga Shop.

It’s fully stocked with everything you might want and need to practice yoga, from high-quality clothing for women (including, yippee!, Lolë) and men (and delightful yogi t-shirts for tots) to bolsters, mats, blocks, straps ‘n belts, blankets as well as books, DVDs, and some very hip  jewellery. It’s a bright, colorful and inviting space that is the dreamchild of yoga teacher and homeopathic adviser Lorène Deschenaux, clearly the source of the calm, healthy ambience the shop exudes.

The bright, welcoming interior of the Yoga Shop, located not far from Plainpalais

Lorène opened the Yoga Shop in 2011 after finding her inspiration on a trip to the US. “As a yoga teacher people were always asking me where they could get a yoga mat so I was aware of the need existing in Geneva (for yoga merchandise). And then during a trip to Los Angeles I fell in love with a little yoga shop there and thought, this is so cool: it was obvious to me that the same could only work back here,” Lorène tells me.

She was keen to import the same “occidental approach” to yoga, one that allows you “to be beautiful, to enjoy yourself, and to stop feeling guilty about taking care of yourself and buying yourself clothes.

“Taking care of your body doesn’t mean that you’re superficial or obsessed with the physical. It’s about taking care of yourself on the outside and on the inside. An important concept in the shop is to allow yourself to be feminine, to be comfortable, to be bio (organic), and to respect the people who work on the clothes. The basic philosophy for me is that the clothes (sold here) are ethically produced, meaning no children work on their production, only adults who are respected and well paid.”

Natural fibres feature in most brands sold at the Yoga Shop, which include: (clockwise from top left): Hanuman, Choclo, Tonic Canada, Yoginità, Asquith London, natural born Yogi, and (center) Lolë

Lorène offers a carefully thought-through range of well-crafted garments that suits a variety of tastes, needs and budgets, so together with all-natural clothing made with 100% cotton, organic cotton, modal, bamboo, and beech cellulose, you’ll also find synthetics (best for Bikram yoga).

The clothes allow wearers to “bring yoga out of the mat”, a philosophy Lorène learned early in her yoga teacher training, which means bringing the vision and values discovered through yoga into every moment of your life regardless of where you are or what you’re doing, whether that’s executing a sun salutation, lounging at home, or meeting friends for drinks.

So it’s important to her that the clothing she sells can be worn without sacrificing comfort, movement or wellbeing. (Some pieces that caught my eye are so elegant you could easily wear them for a chic evening out, so clearly, beauty and design is not sacrificed on the altar of functionality).

The Yoga Shop goes beyond just stocking yoga merchandise, however. It’s also a resource center for people who want to learn more about the philosophy and practice of the discipline in its various forms. “I wanted to have a place where people could come if they had any questions about yoga classes, clothes, meditation, and workshops: I also like to do a lot of workshops so I go everywhere and check them out so that I can pass on information as clearly as possible. So my shop is like a meeting point for people who are curious about yoga, what it is and where to go, and they are reassured by what they find here.”