Two yoga instructors who have been conducting free classes outdoors plan to continue their generosity when they move inside next month — at least initially.
Bonnee Gregg and Krista VandenBrink plan to open Breathing Room Yoga Studio & Café on Sept. 12. To be located in the 32nd Street Crossing building at 4758 32nd St., it will offer a variety of classes — from beginners’ sessions to advanced instruction.
And, said Gregg, attendees will pay no fee during the first week.
“It’s going to be like a yoga smorgasbord, so people can sample our classes and see what they like.”
Operating from Monday to Saturday, Breathing Room will begin weekdays with Sunrise Salutations from 6 to 7 a.m., and conclude most evenings with a class from 7:30 to 9 p.m. Options in between will include core stabilizing and strengthening, Hatha and Ashtanga yoga, men’s yoga, acro-yoga, candlelight yoga, healing yoga, yoga for backs, prenatal yoga, Zumba, and mother-and-baby classes.
Gregg stressed that the studio will be family friendly, with children’s programming to be offered concurrent with adult classes in a separate room.
“Those kids will either be immersed in art, or yoga or movement like dance.”
In addition to change rooms with showers, Breathing Room will boast a café operated in partnership with Big Bend Market. Salads, smoothies and other snacks will be available, as well as coffee drinks.
Gregg became involved in yoga about a dozen years ago to support her mother, who was taking part in a yoga cancer study.
“Then I continued on and on with it,” said Gregg, who studied yoga in India. After moving to Red Deer from Calgary in 2009, she started a free Yoga in the Park program.
“I was fresh from India, wanting to teach yoga,” she explained.
“I just started hanging up posters and then one person showed up one day, and then a couple weeks later 40 people showed up. Then word spread and now we’re averaging about 100 people per class.”
It was at Yoga in the Park that Gregg met VandenBrink. The two women became friends, with VandenBrink also obtaining certification in India and joining Gregg in her dream of starting a studio.
In addition to Breathing Room, other tenants at 32nd Street Crossing will include a family medical clinic, a dental clinic and a pharmacy.
hrichards@www.reddeeradvocate.com