Yogasmith

Specialties

Yogasmith is a community built, series based yoga space located in Seattle’s historic Georgetown neighborhood. Our mission is to create an environment that is so supportive and life enriching that even after the final om, you won’t want to leave. Classes are taught in classic Hatha style. Each practice includes meditation, breathwork, yogic philosophy, and postures. Classes are challenging, but accessible to all levels of ability.

Yogasmith’s manifesto is «Forging better human beings for a better planet.»

To «forge» is to heat something to a great temperature in order to re-​shape it. This is what we do in all of our hard work on our mats. We challenge our minds and our bodies in ways that generate huge amounts of friction between our ideas of what we can and cannot do, between what we believe and what we have been taught to believe. This friction creates great inner heat, and it is through this heat that we re-​shape who we are, individually, and collectively.

History

Established in 2012.

Yogasmith, actually began as Yoga Shack back in 2006. Joel Benjamin, Yogasmith owner and director began his teaching career out of a small, converted carriage house in his side yard. The Yoga Shack could hold six students per class, and over the course of six years the Shack’s Sangha outgrew its cozy practice space. Joel had wanted to keep yoga in Georgetown, but he also wanted to find a space that was as special and unique as the Shack. So when the loft above Jule’s Maes Saloon became available in June of 2012, he knew the time had come to expand.

The entire buildout of «the Smith» was done by the yogis who had been practicing at «the Shack» all those years. Literally every nailed hammered and paint brush stroked was done by a member of the existing Sangha. And because of this the space feels like home. Whenever someone new climbs the Smith’s long flight of stairs and enters the practice space for the first time, the first thing they always say is the Smith’s got soul! And it does.

Meet the Business Owner

Joel B.

Business Owner

Joel Benjamin, Yogasmith director and his partner, Brad Chase have lived in Seattle for over 20 years. Joel has been practicing yoga since 2000. He received teacher trainings from Theresa Elliot and Kathryn Payne in 2003, and Max Strom in 2008. Joel sees yoga as the most ancient self-​help system on the planet. Of the many health benefits yoga provides, Joel’s inspiration to teach arises from yoga’s most important end product; better human beings.