I took my first yoga class over 20 years ago, and felt right at home. I liked how I felt both physically and emotionally. That same day, I bought a 10-class pass for that studio, sure that Yoga would become a big part of my life… and I never set foot in that studio again.
Why, you may ask? I think I am not alone when I say that we often run from things that are good for us. That may be due to self-doubt or lack of self-esteem (I don’t deserve to feel good; who am I to want more in my life?). Of course, we may not be aware of the reasons, so the excuses work well: too busy, too tired, too much on my plate. I had every excuse and justification in the book.
A couple of years later, I found Kripalu (a Yoga and Wellness center in Lenox, MA). I went for a weekend of Yoga and fell in love again. I remember when I got back, my boyfriend at the time said “you should do yoga all the time, you look so happy”. But it still took me a few more years to commit. I guess I wasn’t quite ready to let go of my old ways and be kinder to myself. I chose to hold on to my old habits for a little longer – the comfort zone that’s not comfortable at all, but it sure was familiar…
I’ve always tried to do some kind of physical activity: jogging, lifting weights, dancing… and at some point, around 2007, I decided to make yoga my sole physical practice, and joined a local yoga studio.
At the time, I was practicing about 4 times a week. The teaching staff at that studio was stellar and I loved many of the classes.
Needless to say, in no time yoga became a lot more to me than exercise. Slowly, I started getting answers to very old questions. I got more comfortable with my own body and with my feelings. I learned to breathe. The constant need for conflict and distraction slowly dissipated. I created space within myself. A great bonus were the friendships I made at that studio – knowing that I would see friendly faces any time I went to class was an extra incentive for me to take classes regularly.
That was when I realized I could do for others what those lovely teachers were doing for me. I realized I had a story to tell and I wanted to inspire people to be their best selves.
I became a certified yoga teacher in 2008, and started teaching in February of 2009. For about 2 years, I taught as many classes as I could, on top of a full time corporate job and a 2 ½ hour daily commute. There’s something very empowering about teaching yoga: to witness the transformation in people, to see them making an effort to overcome obstacles and to see their lovely faces week after week – all these filled me with energy.
In 2017, after a short hiatus, I started teaching again and was presented with the opportunity to buy a studio. I brushed off that idea, but it kept boomeranging right back. The space was absolutely gorgeous, lots of windows, plenty of light and so much potential. I remember sitting in the room before starting my classes and seeing all the possibilities of how beautiful that space could become with some effort (by “some”, read A LOT! The space required complete renovations: walls, floors, ceiling – nothing was left untouched).
In July of that year, I signed the lease to the space that’s now Studio 108. My goal was to create a community of people who would come together to improve their lives in whatever ways they envisioned. I wanted to share with as many people as possible the gifts I had received.
With much effort and dedication from myself and my teachers, our community has been steadily growing ever since. We are proud to welcome people from all walks of life, and offer classes for all levels, all ages.
If you just want to relax and breathe, we have classes for you. If you want to move and break a sweat, we got that covered too. Want something in between? Yep, we got you.
In March of 2020, due to the pandemic, we moved our classes to be 100% virtual, via zoom. That has allowed us to keep offering our services to an even greater number of people, now that we don’t have the location limitations.
In this time of physical distancing, our zoom classes offer our members an opportunity to connect, socialize and stay sane, keeping at least one area of their lives as close to normal as possible. You can join us from wherever you are, as long as you have internet connection and a device to stream from. And no commute needed!
If you want to carve time for yourself and your well-being, we are here for you! We’re offering a Mother’s Day Sale: 9 classes for $90, valid through May 10th. You can purchase this special package for yourself or the moms in your life. All classes must be used within 30 days. Package must be activated by May 11th. Click here to purchase.
Studio 108 will continue to grow and evolve to better serve you and better support the needs of our community.
