goddess pose; How does a yoga instructor in the Hamptons balance fashion and function.

Byline: Bess Rattray

Who has fewer work clothes to worry about than a yoga instructor? (Maybe an exotic dancer? Or a body double?) "My favorite work outfit is short shorts and a little tank," says Colleen Saidman with a good-natured chuckle. "I encourage my students to show as much skin as possible, too, so that I can see what's going on with the body-where there's hyperextension, where the knees aren't lifting. Skin tells so much."

Saidman is a onetime model who studied healing arts in the far reaches of East Asia and who worked with Mother Teresa in India before opening Yoga Shanti with her business partner, Jessica Bellofatto, five years ago. Almost instantly, the little studio in Sag Harbor became the Hamptons' most popular yoga spot. During summer months, reservations are "absolutely essential," and Shanti students often find themselves mat-to-mat and toe-to-nose with Russell Simmons or Serena Williams.

"I like to wear skirts so I can slip my shorts on and off underneath without having to wait for a changing room," Saidman says when asked what drew her to the bronze ...