Good vibrations: VibeFlow Yoga to open at One Paseo

Billy Borja is hoping to shake things up in the yoga world with his new fitness studio concept VibeFlow Yoga in One Paseo. Borja’s creation, “where tradition meets technology,” pairs yoga practice with a proprietary studio floor that incorporates Whole Body Vibration Technology, challenging yogis with vertical vibrations as they move through a yoga practice.

Targeting a June 24 opening, VibeFlow will be offering free yoga classes the next three Saturdays—May 25, June 1 and June 8 at 9 a.m. in front of Salt & Straw at One Paseo.

“We want the community to know who we are and what we do,” Borja said of the yoga practice which also involves the use of headsets to provide a unique audio immersion.

Borja believes that yoga is the perfect complement to any fitness regimen. The benefits of yoga with whole body vibration technology include increased balance and coordination, increased mental clarity and awareness, increased strength and flexibility, reduced joint and back pain and reduced cortisol, the stress hormone. VibeFlow will also help the body do more work in less time: “It causes the body’s muscles to fire 40 times greater than traditional yoga,” Borja said.

The studio will offer three levels of classes for beginners, intermediate and advanced yoga practitioners.

Borja, a San Diego native, has been in the fitness industry for over 30 years. He became involved with Orangetheory Fitness in 2013 when there was just one studio in California at the time and now owns three Orangetheory franchises with locations in La Jolla, Mission Valley and UTC.

“When I saw Orangetheory, I knew it was the cutting edge and would revolutionize group fitness. I knew that the training program would benefit people and change people’s lives,” Borja said. “VibeFlow Yoga has that same feel, that’s what gets me so excited. It’s not just a pet project for me, it gives me the ability to have a positive impact on people’s lives physiologically, anatomically and mentally.”

Two years ago one of Borja’s friends introduced him to the technology of the vibrating plate. With some research he learned about the multiple benefits it had for the body and its use in rehabilitation, sports performance, anti-aging and injury prevention.

“It hit me, it clicked,” Borja said of the idea to pair the technology with the traditional practice of yoga. “No one is doing this and I’ve got to do this.”

He began developing the concept for VibeFlow by setting up a small concept studio in La Jolla for research and development. For about six months, he tested the concept at the invite-only studio with business leaders and entrepreneurs, yoga instructors and educators.The use of the noise-cancelling headsets evolved out of necessity but created an added benefit.

“With the vibrating plate, I had to come up with a way to cancel out the noise of the plate,” Borja said.

As a result the headsets have worked to create a more fully immersive, totally different yoga class experience—the headsets allow yogis to clearly hear the music and the instructor’s voice as well as block out any distractions. The headsets are cushioned for comfort and will stay put in motion—they withstood the tests of downward dogs and headstands

.“The response was overwhelmingly positive,” Borja said of his concept studio classes. Those who participated experienced the benefits to the body, bones and mind, and even the advanced yogis were challenged in some of the poses, proclaiming that the vibrations were a “game changer” in their practice.

The studio’s look is designed to be the “spa of yoga studios” with a high-end look. The vibrating plates will be recessed into the floors of the two-room studio and individual stations will be set up giving each participant plenty of space to move. The vibrations are vertical, not oscillating, with vibrations starting at 20 hertz and progressing up as high as 60 hertz. The vibration level can be customized for each person.

Borja said one wall in the studio will be dedicated to “The Vibe Life” showing photos of how people can take what they get from the yoga class and carry it with them in their everyday life, whatever that may look like.

Borja has big plans for VibeFlow—the One Paseo will be the flagship location and he plans to expand throughout San Diego and Los Angeles by the end of the year.

“If I can impact one person’s life in a positive way, I can impact families and communities…That is my passion,” Borja said. “One of the greatest feelings I believe you can experience is helping another human achieve something positive for their health and wellness. VibeFlow gives me the platform to reach more people.”

Once open, VibeFlow will offer two weeks of trial classes. Founders rates are available for a limited time. People may sign up for a reservation at the founders rate and should they choose to join after the trial weeks, the lower founders rate will be locked in for the length of their membership. To learn more, visit vibeflowyoga.com or follow them on Facebook @vibeflowyoga