Spiritual healing

Dr. Nanette Mitchell, who works in internal medicine at Memorial Prompt Care in Huntington Beach, has recently been urging her patients to go to another care center down the block.

One for spiritual healing.

Mitchell has taken classes at Seventh Chakra Yoga, a new studio in a crowded strip mall at 19171 Magnolia St., since it opened in May.

She’s encouraged her patients to do the same to alleviate anxiety and stress, and at least one, she said, has taken her advice.

“We’re seeing a lot of stress and anxiety with the economy,” said Mitchell, a Huntington Beach resident. “So I encourage a lot of people to do yoga. It’s more effective than drugs.”

Seventh Chakra Yoga, which will have its grand opening Saturday, teaches the art of Kundalini yoga. The technique, known as “the yoga of awareness,” involves a complex series of movements and breath exercises intended to center the mind and body.

During the seven-and-a-half-hour opening, visitors can take a free class, meet the instructors, participate in a workshop and eat complimentary food.

Founder Priya Jain, a certified public accountant, opened the studio after earning her teacher certification at Yoga West in Los Angeles. Jain, who grew up in India and came to the United States 11 years ago, assembled a staff of nine instructors, including several of her classmates from Yoga West.

Opening her own studio, she said, became a consuming passion.

“It got to the point where I could not even bring myself to apply anywhere,” said Jain, who lives in Cerritos. “All I wanted to do was open a yoga studio.”

Seventh Chakra Yoga is every day and offers classes to children and adults, with group and private sessions available. The instructor sits cross-legged on a stage at the head of the room and leads participants through mantras, stretches and other exercises – an oasis of calm between Orange Coast Driving School and Fitzgeralds Pub.

Instructor Neena Rao said she and her colleagues aimed to help people keep that serenity outside the incense-scented doors.

“Basically, you don’t react to things,” she said. “You know how to react in any situation.”

What: Grand opening for Seventh Chakra Yoga

Where: 19171 Magnolia St., Suite 14, Huntington Beach

When: 10 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Saturday

Contact: (714) 965-7770 or https://www.seventhchakrayoga.com.