For anyone stressing over maxed-out credit cards and drained checking accounts, yoga is a great way to improve physical and emotional balance. (Shrinks have been known to prescribe it to treat anxiety and depression.) But now that the practice has turned trendy, it can be a pricey indulgence. Just one group class of breathing and stretching typically costs about $15, and a monthly pass at any yoga studio runs into the triple digits. However, we've discovered plenty of local yoga havens that offer incentives to get skeptics and misers to give the mat science a try. If you're willing to dabble in different styles and studios, this list will help you strike a pose with little money down.

700 Northwest Argosy Parkway, Riverside, 816-587-9642, arcyoga.com

The first class is free.

Boulevard Yoga

215 Southwest Boulevard,

816-889-9642, boulevardyoga.com

The first class is free; two weeks of unlimited classes cost $25.

Gardens of Delight Yoga and Wellness

164 South Main, No. 413, Parkville,

816-308-5450

The first class is free.

KC Fitness Link

3909 Main, Kansas City, Missouri,

816-256-4443, kcfitnesslink.com.

One free week of unlimited classes. KC Fitness Link also offers free yoga, breathing and meditation classes to people with high blood pressure or cardiovascular conditions who can provide proof of their conditions. Also, free classes at 9 a.m. and 11 a.m. on January 26 (Yoga Day USA).

New Day Yoga

15238 Broadmoor, Overland Park,

913-897-9642, newdayyogastudio.com

One free week of unlimited classes.

The Yoga Studio of Johnson County

7785 Quivira, Lenexa, 913-492-9598, ttheyogastudio.com

A free class every Sunday from 12:30 to 1:30 p.m.

Yoga Gallery

5615 Johnson Drive, Mission,

913-432-5568, yogallery.com

A free class at 3 p.m. on the first Saturday of every month; a free yoga breath class every Tuesday at 8:30 a.m. New students can purchase a three-class package for $22.

Darling Yoga

11711 College Boulevard, Overland Park, 913-498-1144, darlingyoga.com

Two weeks of unlimited classes for $20.

Kansas City Bikram Yoga

910 West 39th Street, Kansas City, Missouri, 816-931-9642,

kansascitybikramyoga.com

One month of unlimited classes for $29.

Kansas Siddhi Yoga

1717 Wyandotte, Kansas City, Missouri; 1120 Main, Blue Springs;

866-222-9555, moyoga.com

During January, 20 percent off all multiclass cards.

Maya Yoga

215 West 18th Street, Suite 250, Kansas City, Missouri, 816-679-1053, mayayoga.com

Two weeks of unlimited classes for $25.

Inspire Yoga

4515 West 90th Street, Prairie Village, 913-385-9033, inspireyoga.com

One week of unlimited classes for $15.

BEAUTY BARGAINS

By JEN CHEN

Forget the Flowbee — cheap personal grooming doesn't have to involve self-operated suck-and-cut devices. I confirmed this on a tour of salon-training schools, where student work equals low prices.

Knowing that cosmetology trainees are supervised by instructors, I set out on a quest to beautify myself for less.

First, I headed to the Cutting Edge Hairstyling Academy for an $8 manicure and an $18 pedicure. Located at 75th Street and Quivira (913-962-0076) in Shawnee, the salon had tan walls and cherry-wood-colored stations. Soft rock played over the loudspeakers. Cutting Edge doesn't accept reservations, but the wait was only about 25 minutes on a Saturday afternoon. The manicure was very basic — no heated hand pads or UV light boxes here — but included a quick soak in a bowl of warm, soapy water as well as a hand-and-forearm massage. The salon offers only 26 nail colors, though, ranging from a prison-jumpsuit orange to a watery pale blue. Some colors were too thick; the student tried to thin out the purple I wanted with some acetone before declaring it unusable. She recommended that clients bring their own nail polish. I ended up with dark-red fingernails that had a metallic gleam — a color that would look mighty fine on a Cadillac DeVille. My pedicure, meanwhile, was half-off because the spa chair wasn't working properly. The entire proc­ess took about two and a half hours.

I was a little more leery about getting my hair cut. For that, I made an appointment at the Independence College of Cosmetology (815 West 23rd Street, 816-252-4247), which charges $5.50 for a shampoo and cut. The school's salon was utilitarian; rows of mirrored stations were arranged under harsh fluorescent lights. When I arrived on a Thursday morning, elderly women with tightly curled hair were packed into the waiting room. The students looked a bit more hip; a few had red or pink streaks in their hair. My stylist had dyed black hair with blond and blue streaks. Following my directions, she carefully cut off about an inch and left me with jagged layers. Her supervisor then came over to help her with my bangs and to even things up a bit. From the side, my hair now resembled a comma.

Finally, I went for a massage. Getting an appointment over winter break was a bit tricky. The High-Tech Institute, near Ward Parkway Shopping Center at 9001 State Line Road (866-296-2110), was booked until late April. The $24 massages at Heritage College (1200 East 104th Street, Suite 300, 816-942-5474) sounded appealing, but my appointment was canceled due to bad weather, and I couldn't get into the Massage Therapy Training Institute (9140 Ward Parkway, Suite 100, 816-361-7733) until after my deadline.