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Blog post by Red Flower

Upon first meeting iris, her innate warmth and passion for life was instantly felt. it seems a natural fit to convene within the calming interior of the red flower boutique, since she's been making regular pilgrimages to the store from her home in scarsdale, ny for years now. as the owner of be true yoga studio, a mother and writer, she's carved out a beautiful life for herself, and brings a sense of creativity to the everyday.

i sat down with iris to listen and mostly learn from her wealth of life experiences -from realizing what being a "yogi" really means, and the importance of embracing the messiness of life.

red flower: you first discovered yoga through a friend 12 years ago, what made you pursue it further?

iris cohen: for one, it was much more challenging then i thought it would be. at the time i was a runner and a dancer, but it really wasn't about the physical aspect, it was about the spiritual. i was so calm afterwards, even though the postures were challenging. it was like a sanctuary, a place for me to find peace. i had three young kids and it really taught me patience. how can you say no to that?

red flower: you formerly worked as a business journalist for ad age and ad week, what lessons from your previous career have you carried over into your new role as a yoga teacher?

iris: i find that yoga is very creative, and as a journalist i covered creative industries like advertising and the magazine industry. i found i could bring that same joy for creativity to the yoga business. you think there's a certain type who's a yogi, or a certain type who's really driven in business, but in the end we're all the same. what i found when opening the yoga studio -- it forced me to use another side of my brain. and that is yoga, being aware and mindful, they interrelate.

red flower: what is the greatest challenge you've ever faced, personally and professionally?

iris: definitely raising children. i always thought it was going to be some kind of creative, career mission, but the mission of raising a conscious, aware, and loving human being is the most creative work you can do and the most important work.

red flower: in a time of resolutions for the new year, what's a bad habit you ready to give up?

iris: i study something called the "handel method", and instead of resolutions, we call them promises -- that we make to ourselves. one of my promises, that has always been a challenge, is to be on-time. it's recognizing whether these things just hurt yourself or someone else also. when i came to realize that it's disrespectful to the other person to be late and keep them waiting, then I thought, that's the reason i have to keep this promise.

red flower: your job is to teach and guide others, who teaches you?

iris: back again to my family, i learn from my parents, my children, my husband, and in the yoga world, i learn from my teacher, elena brower of vira yoga. i still write, so i still read a lot, i'm constantly learning from whatever books come my way.

red flower: any good recommendations?

iris: anything by joan didion still. i also just read katie roiphe's book, "in praise of messy lives," and it was very intriguing to me, because as a yogi , you're pretty disciplined and trying to keep things clean. she was positing, what's wrong with some wine and sleeping in, and being a little bit more messy? she spent a lot of time talking about joan didion, as one of the people who inspired her. most writers still look to joan didion as that person who got them started, motivated and inspired them, and i definitely was, as i was starting out in my writing career. another person i read a lot, who i actually do retreats with, is dani shapiro. she's a memoirist and we do writing and yoga retreats together.

red flower: your yoga studio is an interesting space and eco-friendly business, what does sustainability mean to you?

iris: surrounding yourself with beauty and the things that are closest to nature, whether it's what we ingest or what we're surrounded with -- that's what i wanted to recreate. just like when you walk into red flower, you get this beautiful sensory feeling and it's uplifting.

red flower: your studio features a lot of local artists and music plays a role in your classes as well- as a lover of music and the arts, what's a recent favorite discovery of yours?

iris: i've been playing chris martin's acoustic sets from the 12-12-12 sandy relief concert and that's gone over really big. and my favorite film of the year, "searching for sugar man", featured the musician rodriguez and a 30 year-old song has been getting a lot of airplay in my studio. in terms of artists, we try to support those who are local and we sell directly in the studio.

red flower: you seek to foster a community at your yoga space; do you also consider red flower a community, and are you part of it?

iris: yes, absolutely. i felt connected to it immediately. i wouldn't say i'm a big cosmetic/beauty buff at all, but i felt this strong connection. i met yael and we both come from a middle-eastern background, so i was drawn to that whole earthy quality to it [red flower]. when i first started using the candles in my studio, i had a lot of comments and it would bring people in, so it became a little community. that's how we started selling the candles, and the french lavender scent became associated with the studio.

red flower: what's your favorite red flower product for winter that you would recommend?

iris: i love the cardamom amber oil in the hammam line. it's so warming, i'm wearing it today actually. it keeps you warm in the winter.

red flower: what are you most looking forward to in 2013, any goals?

iris: right now we're doing a cleanse and a detox at the studio.i like it because it kick starts the year and brings the whole community together, to make promises and reboot. it's always very inspiring, and even life changing for some people. again it's about what you're bringing in: the foods you ingest, and through yoga ' the thoughts that you think to yourself. i'm just trying to bring healing to more people.

be true yoga opens in scarsdale

By The New York Patch

June 7th, 2010. By Courtney McCabe .

Scarsdale welcomes a new eco friendly yoga studio. Last Tuesday, Be True Yoga opened its doors to the Scarsdale community. Where once was a vascular surgery office resided,  now completely eco-friendly haven for Scarsdale's yoga enthusiasts has moved in.

It was 12 years ago that Iris Cohen, owner and instructor of Be True Yoga, began what she calls a "life long journey" with the practice of yoga. It started with taking yoga classes on the advice of a friend while in Sag Harbor, Long Island, where she spends summers. Yoga provided her with a release from the stress of raising three children and working as a business journalist.

However, after living in Scarsdale for 12 years, Cohen was weary of the tiresome commute to and from Long Island and decided to start teaching yoga herself.

She began first by teaching a small but loyal group of locals in a converted room in her home. For four years, her practice continued as such, until she began to crave something more. While spending summers in Sag Harbor, Cohen found that the accessibility of the town, and its central role in the lives of the residents contributed to the overall ambiance of the town itself.

There was a strong sense of community that connected both residents and merchants alike, an element that was decidedly missing from her Scarsdale home. While she had lived in the area for over a decade, she barely spent any time in town, mainly because it didn't provide any activities that suited her interests. It was with this in mind that she sought to create a studio that would act as this central, connecting force among community members.

Located in Harwood Court, Be True Yoga is dedicated to being an eco-conscious space. From its foundation of bamboo and cork flooring and toxin-free paint,  to the reclaimed pine wood used to create all of the woodwork, this studio is any yoga enthusiast's dream. As an added bonus feature, all the props are also created out of organic material. A wide open, free-flowing space, it provides a both a spiritually and aesthetically pleasing experience. Nestled in the corner of the third floor of 14 Harwood Court, the unobtrusive space blends in well with the classic vibe of Scarsdale Village.

In addition to offering yoga classes Monday through Friday, Be True is also seeking other ways in which to reach out to the community. The studio features various pieces of artwork by local artists, which currently include Janice Lipman and Joan Busing. This is an effort to extend the notion of community beyond the scope of simple yoga and reflects Cohen's personal desire to foster community and provide a gathering place where people can connect over shared interests.

For those considering trying yoga for the first time as well as those who are more experienced, Cohen says, "Yoga is personal, everyone should enter with an open mind and seek to refine and build their skills, the [Be True] yoga community is a very open and receptive one and all skill levels are welcome."

In addition to offering yoga classes Monday through Friday, Be True is also seeking other ways in which to reach out to the community. The studio features various pieces of artwork by local artists, which currently include Janice Lipman and Joan Busing. This is an effort to extend the notion of community beyond the scope of simple yoga and reflects Cohen's personal desire to foster community and provide a gathering place where people can connect over shared interests.

For those considering trying yoga for the first time as well as those who are more experienced, Cohen says, "Yoga is personal, everyone should enter with an open mind and seek to refine and build their skills, the [Be True] yoga community is a very open and receptive one and all skill levels are welcome."