Nestled between a coffee shop and a craft beer taproom in Southeast Portland’s bustling Woodstock neighborhood, dozens of people are shuffling into the Elk Rock Yoga studio. Instructor April Fox adjusts a small, portable projector to illuminate multicolored swirls and starry lights at the front of the dimly lit room.
On this Tuesday night, more than 30 people have shown up. Space is limited. But like a game of Tetris, Fox is helping them find the perfect spot. She’s also checking on her playlist for this evening, making sure it’s queued up and ready to go.
But her playlist isn’t filled with the mantras or the ambient instrumentals you’ll typically hear during a yoga class. For the last 10 years, Fox has been teaching doom metal yoga…