If you feel like you have never 'fit into' the traditional yoga or exercise world, or if you are larger, less flexible, in chronic pain, fighting disease or depression, we can help!

Or, if you have been fit most of your life but are now in your Silver or golden years and need to learn how to keep moving safely and age with joy, beauty, and ease, then we are the online Studio for you!   
       

At AGW (A Gentle Way), we do not believe that one style of yoga or one way of teaching an asana (yoga pose) fits all. 

Our classes are physically doable and highly effective. They are small, friendly, and customized based on who attends. We teach based on the needs of our students—not just asana routines. We want to get to know you. All AGW-certified teachers are known for customizing classes for the students who practice with them regularly. They do more than just show up and teach yoga routines. They want to get to know YOU and customize their classes for YOU.

We focus on safer, slower-moving classes and specialize in softer, stress-reducing therapeutic asanas and healing techniques with a deep-breath focus. This helps balance the entire central nervous system, bringing improved health and well-being to your body and mind, which will greatly enhance your life experience. 

Our Founder, Lanita Varshell, is a large-body woman known for her unique ability to deconstruct or modify yoga asanas to fit your body's ability and current needs. AGW has been teaching Somatic, Gentle-Soft Yoga, and Trauma - Body Sensitive Yoga since 1996. Lanita began teaching yoga full-time in 1996. She was one of the first plus-size teachers in the United States. 

She first advertised only to those like her, with weight and chronic pain challenges. She began teaching in Retail Clothing Stores, Diet Centers, Gyms, and Karate Studios. She brought students into yoga who had never dreamed they could practice yoga or had lost all hope of ever becoming healthy or pain-free. Even fit, experienced yoga students loved her gentle, joyful approach to exercise and her physical focus on the back, hips, and joints. Soon, she developed a faithful clientele of over 100 East County San Diego students. Certified yoga teachers began asking her to teach modifications for plus-size students and sending students to her whom they could not help or simply did not want to work with.

"A Gentle Way Yoga Center" in La Mesa, California, opened its doors in 2000, adding more classes and different teachers and styles so students could have a well-rounded yoga practice. Since then, we have offered a sanctuary for people from all walks of life to practice safe, personalized yoga. 

Our physical Studio closed in 2020 due to COVID-19. 

We now teach weekly classes LIVE on Zoom and mentor students and yoga teachers in person and on Zoom.

We also teach monthly in-person classes, teacher training in San Diego County, and yearly yoga retreats.

Lanita will also happily travel to your Studio to help train your teachers to bring in and safely work with bigger, slower, older, and limited body populations.