Yoga and tea sessions added at Daily Projects Coffee Bar
You might catch a glimpse of some downward dogs as you're grabbing your lattes and pastries at a new coffee shop along the Randall Road corridor.
Daily Projects Coffee Bar opened this summer along Randall Road in Algonquin.
With outlets at nearly every seat in the shop, you'll find the usual remote workers, social media updaters and coffee sippers inside the business at 124 S. Randall Road.
But now on Monday evenings, you'll also find people doing yoga and sipping tea.
While it might not be something you usually spot inside of a coffee shop, the relaxing vibe goes well with Daily Projects, which has plenty of room for laptops and locust poses.
Yoga instructor Katie O'Shaughnessy came up with the idea on a visit to the coffee shop this summer.
“It was pretty spontaneous,” she said. “I just walked in to get some coffee, looked around and realized they had a lot of open space. I asked for the manager and the barista grabbed (him). Before I'd even finished my sentence, his eyes lit up.”
O'Shaughnessy said yoga and coffee shop drinks are two of her favorite things, so the idea flowed naturally. So far, she said, it's been a great combination.
After the yoga class, many of the attendees can be found sipping tea.
“To get the most out of either of them, you really have to bring awareness to all of your senses,” she said. “After the class we gather around the large table, which is perfect for fostering a community, and the baristas bring out tea for us to sample.
“Marrying the benefits of yoga and tea is a great way to enhance your health,” she added.
Everyone is invited to attend the Yoga Mondays, which take place from 6 to 7:15 p.m. at the shop. She said it is a beginning class, but she makes modifications depending upon experience levels.
All she asks is people to “bring an interest in cultivating openness in your mind, body and heart, and most importantly a desire to breathe, move and have a good time.”
The cost of the session and tea is $12, and O'Shaughnessy asks everyone to bring a mat and props, as well as extras for newbies since there are none on hand in the shop.
The sessions are in the evening, and a great way to decompress after a long day, she added.
She says she starts her sessions by trying to make everyone aware of the “now” and having them leave everything that's happened during the day outside the door so they can fully focus on the experience.
“Every class is different, so it's hard to say exactly what happens, but no matter what we're doing, we're working on body awareness and how certain poses feel,” she said. “This keeps everyone safe and gives them a little more knowledge of their bodies. We end in savasana, or corpse pose, which helps release any leftover tension and seals in the practice so we can take the benefits of yoga off the mat and into the rest of the day.”
For information on the Yoga Mondays, you can email her at ktoceansea@gmail.com, find her on Facebook at Katie O. Yoga & Health Coaching, or visit katieoyoga.com.
To reach Daily Projects call (224) 209-8636.
• Amy Williams' column covers all the news of business along the Randall Road corridor from Batavia to Crystal Lake. Contact her at randallbiz@comcast.net or (847) 894-5036.