Virginia Commonwealth University employee by day, yoga instructor by night, Valerie Jeremijenko had an idea, the seeds of which were planted some 20 years ago in Thailand when she used a book to teach herself
yoga. With an enormous amount of passion and dedication, Australian-born Valerie opened Yama Yoga Studios at the European Fitness Centre in January this year, offering ‘a peaceful, stress-free environment and knowledgeable yoga instruction to help the community become happier and healthier through the regular practice of yoga’ – so says the company website.

Those who know what the European Fitness Centre once was will be shocked and impressed to see what it has become. The main entrance to Yama Yoga Studios is by the pool, and the previously smoke- filled bar is now an airy reception area where people walk around barefoot and talk in whispers. The adjacent room which was a dance area in its former life is now the main studio where workshops and classes are held for up to around 45 people, and there is also a smaller studio at the back.

We are sitting in the new Garvey’s restaurant, the glass building next to the pool which, as recommended by Valerie, is in the process of changing its menu to reflect the healthier food desires of the yoga students who like to hang out there with a green tea or carrot juice. ‘It is nice for the students to have somewhere to come after class to have a drink and something to eat, whilst at the same time getting to know each other better – it’s a nice way for them to meet other people,’ Valerie tells us, underlining how important her students and their interests are to her.

Yama Yoga Studios offers a variety of classes which draw from a number of traditional forms, but the focus here is on yoga in the Astanga Vinyasa tradition, a very physical form, which builds strength, stamina, flexibility and improves cardiovascular fitness. ‘Astanga yoga’, Valerie tells us, ‘translates literally as eight limbs and is one of the oldest practised forms.’ She also tells us that it is an extremely powerful flowing form of yoga where everything is linked to your breathing.

‘There are three waves of yoga,’ Valerie – who has also written a book about yoga – goes on to explain as she tucks her shoeless feet underneath her. ‘It all started in the 18th century when the rest of the world began to recognise the Eastern ways of yoga. Then, in the late 1960s there was the hippy movement which we are all familiar with – this was the era of using yoga as a practice for the mind. In the late 1980s, yoga, whilst keeping the same focus on the mind, also started to take on more of a physical vein to suit our modern ways of life and living. This is what we know as modern yoga.’

We are reliably informed that slender celebrities Madonna and Gwyneth Paltrow use this particular form of yoga to keep their red-carpet bodies trim and in shape – an impressive endorsement. Another fan of Astanga is Sting – take that as you will, bearing in mind that he and his wife also introduced us to certain tantric activities.

A wide range of 60 to 120 minute classes are offered by Yama Yoga for all skill levels, including a special class aimed at children aged between four and eight. ‘Mummy and Me’ classes are also on offer for those who need to squeeze in their spiritual healing between naps and bottle-feeding. In addition to yoga, the studio offers salsa and tango classes, and all students are able to use the European Fitness Cantre’s facilities, including the pool and gym.

Keen to share her love of yoga, twice a week Valerie teaches students to become yoga teachers themselves. She is proud, understandably so, that a majority of her eight Yama Yoga Studios teachers are actually former students. During a break in the conversation, she points at a well-dressed, middle-aged man sitting on an adjacent table reading a newspaper and says, ‘He is training to be a yoga teacher.’ He then says that he is looking forward to her class, but apologises that he will have to dash straight afterwards to make a dinner reservation across town at one of West Bay’s five-star hotels – will that be a carrot juice to go, then?

Workshops are held regularly at the studios, with Valerie drawing on her own contacts to bring in international practitioners to host them. From March 4-9, Julie Martin will be dropping by to give an introduction to Vinyasa Flow Yoga. Valerie concludes by saying that, ‘Everyone here has another job, we are doing this because we are passionate about it.’ That’s obvious; what’s also apparent is that yoga’s new address in Doha is one we will definitely have programmed into our GPS systems from now on.

Yama Yoga Studios (458 2466; www.yamayogastudios.com) is located just off Salwa Road. Heading towards the industrial area, after the Aziziya roundabout, turn right at Ponderosa, then take the first left and turn right at the T junction. The entrance to the European Fitness Centre is through an open gate on the left. Classes are QR50 per session, or QR450 for a 10 session pass, valid for a month. Members of the European Fitness Centre get 25 per cent off.