
Appalachian Alternatives
Join me at...
Simply Power Yoga
Beginning January 5, 2025 -- I am thrilled to announce I will be teaching Restorative Yoga with Yoga Nidra on Sunday evenings from 6 PM- 7:15 PM... and Yin Yoga on Thursday nights from 7 PM- 8 PM at Simply Power Yoga Altoona.
Click the box below to check out the studio, founder's philosophy, and principles of practice. Be sure to click on the "Altoona" location, create your student profile, and register for classes!
Simply Power Yoga offers both a HOT studio and a COOL studio to accommodate a wide range of offerings from Hot Power Flow to Restorative and Yin Yoga, as well as sister practices such as Pilates and Bar. The encompassing goal of SPY is for each student to meet oneself inside one's own practice, and discover the "power" within oneself, however one shows up on one's mat.
Which is a shared personal philosophy of mine, known well by any student who has attended my classes over the years. I am honored to join the SPY team and continue my own yoga journey.
Simply Power Yoga Altoona
3118 Pleasant Valley Blvd
Altoona PA 16602
814-201-2179
Yoga with Gretchen

Gretchen “Suurata” Swank ERYT200 / RYT500, is a Yoga Alliance Registered Yoga Teacher. She completed her RYT200 level certification at Yoga in State College Studio with Doug Hayward in 2010 and she went on to complete her 500 level certification at the Asheville Yoga Center in Asheville, North Carolina with some of the most well-known and respected teachers in various areas of expertise, such as Anatomy, Ayurveda, Meditation & Psychology, the Energy Body, Sanskrit, Yin Yoga, Prenatal Yoga, and Children’s Yoga to name just a few. In 2010, upon completion of her 200-hour teacher training, Gretchen entered into partnership with Doug Hayward and became part-owner of Yoga In State College Studio where she continued to study and teach for nearly ten years. During that time, Gretchen gravitated toward a preference of practicing and teaching Yin Yoga, the deep, “quiet practice,” to balance her otherwise active lifestyle and stay healthy. Gretchen opened her own studio, Suurata Reiki and Yoga Studio, in the quaint Village of Boalsburg in April 2021. Outside of her pursuits to assist others in their effort to quiet their minds and heal, Gretchen enjoys backpacking and her time in nature as a Wilderness Survival Instructor. Gretchen has committed her life to helping others become their best self, and her Yoga classes take you on an individual journey to where you need to go to reach your personal goals.
Yin Yoga is slow paced, with long holds. Incorporating principles of traditional Chinese medicine with yoga asana, Yin Yoga softens and stretches the fascia and soft tissue around joints, to create space, improve flexibility and mobility, reduce inflammation and pain, as well as quiet the mind. Yin Yoga is often associated with the cycles of the moon; hence, invoking a “cooling,” calming sensation through one’s body and mind. Yin Yoga is the perfect practice for those with an active lifestyle who are looking for injury prevention and longevity in their chosen activities.
Restorative Yoga is the intentional practice of relaxation through yoga asana, achieved by the use of props, such as blankets, blocks, and bolsters to fully support the body's shape and position in passive postures. Restorative Yoga reduces stress by reducing cortisol level in the body, which shifts the nervous system from "survival mode" to "relax and restore." This reduction of cortisol levels allows the body to begin to heal, it is also linked to weight management (specifically related to the abdominal region), and a shift in awareness from hyper-vigilance to inner reflection. Other benefits will follow, such as pain relief, improved digestion, and elevated mood.
Yoga Nidra is "the sleep of the yogis." Yoga Nidra is a guided meditation designed to take the practitioner through all levels of consciousness, physical, emotional, and spiritual, into a deep state of awareness. While hovering between the states of sleep and awake, the practitioner explores a deep level of consciousness to work toward a greater goal (Sankalpa) for oneself, a loved one, or humanity in general. Consistent practice of Yoga Nidra brings heightened awareness of oneself, and one's ability to affect change in one's own life. It is an empowering practice that can help one overcome mental blockages and personal obstacles.