Meet Armando Luna Of Trifusion, Bayview's First Yoga Studio

Meet Armando Luna Of Trifusion, Bayview's First Yoga StudioTrifusion Yoga is the first yoga studio in the Bayview District. (Photo:  Meaghan Mitchell/Hoodline)
Meaghan M. Mitchell
Published on March 11, 2016

When it comes to investing in the Bayview community, the common thread amongst business owners is that they're working hard to fill a cultural void. Master Yogi Armando Luna of Trifusion Yoga is another such passionate individual who's channeling his energies towards making a positive change in the community. 

As a seasoned professional yoga instructor and resident of Bayview for over 16 years, Luna set his sights on bridging the health and wellness gap of the community by facilitating yoga classes in multiple venues around the neighborhood, including the Bayview Opera House and YMCA. When the opportunity to have his own yoga studio arose, he jumped on the Bayview business bandwagon, and has been operating his own studio—the first in the neighborhood, and featuring the largest yoga wall in the city—for the past year.

We met with Luna recently to talk about the impact that Trifusion Yoga has made in the neighborhood.

Armando Luna of Trifusion Yoga. (Photo: Meaghan M. Mitchell/Hoodline)

What inspired you to open a yoga studio in the Bayview District?

When I finished my yoga training certification, my instructor  said to me "Go somewhere you are needed" and Bayview did not have a yoga studio. Half of the community didn't even know what yoga was. Someone told me about the Bayview Opera House so I went and knocked on the door. Barbara Ockel, the Executive Director, greeted me and I said to her "Can I talk to you about doing yoga here?" She said, "great. Yes. Let's do this." So I started teaching adult classes on a donation basis. People that couldn't really afford the classes at the time would bring fruit from their backyards, some people who raised chickens brought eggs, and others just brought whatever they could. 

Youth class at Trifusion Yoga/Facebook

You seem to be pretty popular with children in the community. How did you go about getting the youth to do yoga?

One day, an adult student asked if I could start teaching classes in schools. I never even thought about teaching kids yoga. So all these children from different schools and organizations in the community, like Charles Drew Elementary, Carver, YMCA and Joe Lee Rec Center, started taking my classes. And you don't know what's going on in their lives—if their parents split up or what's happening in their home environment, but when they would go to school after taking my class, their teachers noticed a positive shift in their behavior and it surprised them how passionate the youth became about yoga. 

But it took them a while to get there. They really didn't participate that much at first. These kids are bouncing off the walls and their energy is all over the place, but I taught them how ground themselves through mediation. The method I used at first is called Shavasana, where they lay down flat, close their eyes and and I guide them through it with music. I also teach them basic yoga poses and how to chant in Sanskrit. All of this builds their self esteem. Each class that I teach from preschool to high school, a student comes up and teaches the class a pose.  Once they see their peers do it, they get really excited, and raise their hands. They love the attention.

Seniors using the yoga wall. (Photo: Trifusion Yoga/ Facebook)

I teach a free senior class on Mondays and Thursdays. It's mainly women that attend and a lot of them have never done yoga before in their lives. When I ask them why they continue to come back, they tell me it's because they don't feel old anymore. They can move their hips easier and they are sleeping better. I do Vinyasa flow and Candlelight flow. I focus on restorative yoga, which gets into the tissue and joints. One woman told me that it brought her blood pressure down. What I also like is watching them form a bond—a sisterhood. They help each other with poses.

You seem to be very inclusive in terms of how you structure your classes. What other groups do you cater to?

I have a parent/toddler class. The toddlers come in to the class and do 1-2 poses. In the back of the studio, there's a toddler room where they can go work on art or reading while the parents take the class. At the end of class, the kids come out and they lie next to or on top of their parents for Shavasana. It helps the mother form a better bond with her child.  Some of the moms tell me that their kids get excited when it's time to come to class—they say "It's yoga time!" It's pretty adorable. A lot of them also like to help put the mats up after class.

Parents and Toddlers Yoga Class. (Photo: Trifusion/Facebook)

Did you find it challenging to introduce yoga to a place that's never had it before? Did you receive any backlash?

When I decided to open this studio here, I told some people about it and they were like "Why the Bayview? You're going to have to walk around with a machine gun on your back!" No. It's nothing like that. Not at all ... You know, it's like I said before, my instructor told me to go where I was needed. Yoga is appreciated here in the Bayview. Not just with the students that consistently come to class, but the people that stand around on the streets. They show me respect. I've invited them in to take the class. A lot of them come in, some participate, some just stand there. Some of them cry. "I just feel so calm," they tell me.

Armando Luna demonstrating a pose on the yoga wall. (Photo: Meaghan M. Mitchell/Hoodline)

Interesting. Why do you think people cry?

People cry because they carry a lot of emotions that they haven't been able to release. Emotions they didn't realize they have. Your body is like a suitcase full of them. You can tell where a person carries their emotions based on their body language. When you do the twist and turns that yoga requires, you are going deep into your soul and sometimes that can be overwhelming for people. It's a good thing.  I just tell people to let those emotions out. Don't try to figure it out, just release it. 

Trifusion Yoga is located at 4734 Third St. at Oakdale and offers two weeks of classes at an introductory rate of $30. For more information and a schedule of classes, visit their website