Posted: Thu, 3 Nov 2011 08:00 PM - 13,032 Readers
By: Amy Gabriel
Clayton Aynesworth's yoga studio is nestled among the trees above his
boat dock on Lake Austin, with views of the lake and of nearby Mayfield
Park.
photography by Mark Matson
Instead of vying to book studio space around town, Clayton Aynesworth, a yoga instructor, rolls out a yoga-meets-welcome mat at his private studio built atop the boat dock in his backyard.
He and his girlfriend, who live in side-by-side houses on Lake Austin, embarked on a series of improvements four years ago, which included building Aynesworth's dream yoga studio.
"Since I teach almost daily, we decided having a beautiful space to practice out of would be ideal," said Aynesworth.
The couple enlisted the help of builder Edward Gordon to help with the design and construction.
"We had a vision that developed out of a two year running dialogue," said Aynesworth. "Gordon grew up here in Austin using the lake as a child. He built his version of a dream boathouse for us."
With a plan to showcase the view of Lake Austin and Mayfield Park located across the water, they decided to position the studio 9 feet above the dock, making it a modernized version of a tree house among the towering cypress, redbud and oak trees.
To organically blend with the backdrop, they used Spanish cedar for the exterior walls of the 900-square-foot structure, and chose a variety of woods for the interior elements: mahogany for the walls, Douglas fir for the trusses and ipe for the flooring.
To achieve a simple but inviting environment for his practice, the yogi, who has been teaching Iyengar yoga since 1993, surrounded himself with elements that inspired him most, like the 2-foot-by-2-foot white-painted aluminum sign that spells "dream." Aynesworth says it reminds him of his mantra to "dream big, dream large."
Aynesworth has covered the floor with eclectic oversized rugs picked up on his travels abroad and has created a nook of personal collectibles like chimes from Indonesia, a petrified nautilus and a bell to ring to signify the beginning and end of each yoga session.
"I have chosen the props according to functionality, as well as aesthetic harmony," said Aynesworth. "I change the space up quite a bit depending on the season."
Wanting the option to omit or receive heat and light, Aynesworth installed a red fan spanning 8 feet at the room's 14-foot apex, as well as a smattering of stained-glass windows in the upper portion of the space, the random pattern suggested by the couple's 17-year-old son, Max, who was inspired by family-favored New York artist Spencer Finch. Aynesworth selected brown velvet curtains for the windows on every wall of the room.
"Austin summers are hot and bright. The curtains are simple and cool down the room to give it a cozy feeling."
As teaching and practice aids for himself and visiting students, Aynesworth stocked the studio accoutrements ranging from a swing harness for stretching to mats, blocks and blankets.
Also a massage therapist, Aynesworth set up a massage chair and table, and even has a human skeleton model to help explain issues to clients.
The private studio space took about two years, one to conceptualize and another to build, and in terms of budget, the couple set one, but exceeded it.
"It was a little bit more than we wanted to spend, but we like the finished product, so, I guess it was worth it," he said.
Aynesworth is now a full-fledged advocate of creating a personal space for his lifelong yoga journey.
"Creating a sacred space dedicated to your practice is one of the essential first steps towards having a real practice," he said. "Taking classes out and about in the world is good, but it is not enough to develop a personal relationship with a yogic practice. This space has been a good way to bring it all home."
