S/PARK Studio creates running and exercise lesson programs with a focus on “active beauty.” It’s an exercise studio packed with qualities unique to S/PARK, which is at the forefront of beauty as Shiseido’s research center. This article takes a peek into one of the programs, “Vinyasa Flow Yoga.”


“Vinyasa” is a Sanskrit word which means “move with breathing.” In this class, while harmonizing movements and breathing based on the Sun Salutation, a basic yoga pose, you will direct your attention to all parts of the body. The yoga instructor in charge is Ms. Iku Takamatsu.


In the first half of the class, she strikes poses in rhythm, and moves all parts of the body while stretching comfortably. “There are no rules that you must do a pose in a certain way, or that it’s not perfect unless you twist your legs or arms to a certain degree. Every person has their own body structure and food preferences, so it is natural that each person has a different level of joint flexibility or movement range”, says Ms. Takamatsu.


When the body is all warmed up and the class proceeds to the second half, Ms. Takamatsu introduces slightly more challenging poses. When students experience a pose called the “Matrix”, which is the most difficult one that day, many tend to fall down on their mats one after another saying, “This is impossible!” Still, all the students are supported by Ms. Takamatsu and, in the end, everyone is able to complete the pose. As the lesson comes to an end, students feel a shared sense of unity – despair when they see Ms. Takamatsu’s model pose of the “Matrix,” followed by a sense of achievement after they get it, all in a friendly atmosphere.


“Although this class is called Vinyasa Flow Yoga, I decide the details of the lesson after I see all the students who come to the class that day. Today, there were many men, so I focused on relieving muscles around the hip joints. In terms of flexibility, men are less flexible than women. In addition, I thought a feeling of achievement would motivate the men more, so I made them try the “Matrix,” says Ms. Takamatsu. She told us that the plan was to loosen up the body in the first half of the class, and then turn on everybody’s “motivation switch” by challenging them to do a pose that might have looked difficult in the second half of the class.


If you only do slow movements in the morning, it is said that parasympathetic nerves become dominant, making you drowsy. “In this class, we try to make the sympathetic nerves, which is called our “motivation switch,” more dominant. When you exercise in the morning, the rest of the day feels completely different. I want people to do yoga more casually and continuously, just as you brush your teeth or wash your face. My goal is to make this class become like the famous Radio Exercise – a Japanese morning exercise,” says Ms. Takamatsu.

After the class, fresh drinks made in S/PARK Cafe are served to the participants, and they are off to their next appointment with a drink in their hands and a smile on their face.


The “Vinyasa Flow Yoga” class is held every Wednesday morning (as of August 2019). Why don’t you move your body on Hump Day to make the rest of the week even more productive?