This month marks the ten-year anniversary of Soaring Spirit Yoga Studio. I feel an overwhelming sense of gratitude as I reflect on the studio and the community we’ve built here, which has become my life’s work. Whether you’ve been a part of Soaring Spirit since day one or are new to class, you are appreciated and valued. There have been many beautiful moments that have taken place at our studio over the past decade, making it difficult to narrow down my favorites. However, here are just a few of the milestones I think about most often:

We were the first studio in Prince William County to offer yoga teacher training

So far, we’ve completed four cycles of teacher training. It’s a joy to start new teachers on a journey that’s meant so much to me. Some of our most beloved teachers have come directly from our Soaring Spirit teacher training program, which makes it even more special. This includes Candy, Steph, Mandy, Michelle, Debbie, Tracey, Marianne, and Anna.

We’ve added a massage and reiki treatment room for private appointments

We’re thrilled to offer reiki classes at Soaring Spirit and have a designated space for private appointments. We love introducing our students to this ancient Japanese form of healing. Reiki is a form of energy work, where a practitioner uses a healing touch to promote relaxation and pain reduction. I have found reiki very beneficial in my own healing and growth as a studio owner and enjoy seeing the benefits it offers others.

We’ve completed a significant expansion

If you’ve been with Soaring Spirit from the beginning, you know that we look quite different now than when we first opened our doors! Thanks to the dedication and growth of our Soaring Spirit community, we’ve doubled in size and are now located directly above our original studio. We’ve undergone some other aesthetic improvements as well, as shown in the photos below.

We’ve grown our Yoga For Veterans and Yoga for Recovery programs

We’re proud to be able to support our community members with these two important programs. Both are 100% donation-based, and enable veterans and cancer survivors in our community to attend for free. Those in attendance can also choose to make a donation in honor of a friend or loved one. Our hope is to provide healing through yoga.

Mike, a veteran and program participant, says, “Yoga has greatly helped me with my anger issues and how I deal with them. One of the key components I experience with incorporating yoga into my life is that I am able to pause, calm my mind and react/act in a more rational way, providing a much better result.” We look forward to continuing to offer Yoga For Veterans and Yoga For Recovery in the future.

We now offer products to support and enhance your yoga and Ayurvedic practices

I enjoy hand-crafting malas, which are designed for use as you do your japa mantra during meditation . You’ll see them available for purchase at the studio. Some of our best sellers include our garnet and fancy jasper malas. You’ll also find a variety of other items on-hand to enhance your practice, such as Banyan’s Ayurvedic products to promote healing and healthy living.

While we feel grateful for all that Soaring Spirit has become over the past decade, we have plenty of items left to accomplish. Here are some of the things we’re most looking forward to in the years to come:

The start of our community potluck and movie nights: We’re thrilled to launch a quarterly, free way for residents to get together, relax, and learn a bit more about health and wellness. The inaugural event will take place on May 10th at 8:15pm. We’re excited to show the film “Heal!” and hope you can join us!

Participating in the Discover Occoquan celebration: As part of the Discover Occoquan celebration happening May 18th, we will be offering free community yoga classes, as well as Basic Woodburning Skills and Make an Essential Oil Diffusing Bracelet classes.

Continuing to educate aspiring yoga teachers: Training the next generation of yoga teachers is of the utmost importance to us, and we can’t wait to kick off another round of Teacher Training in September.

As we continue to grow and develop, my goal is to continue to remain aligned with our mission of providing yoga for all in this community. Yoga has played a pivotal, healing role in my life. I used yoga to recover from spine surgery nearly three years ago and my practice has allowed me to become physically stronger than I ever could have anticipated. I’ve also used yoga for emotional healing, relying heavily on my practice following my divorce.

My hope is that you’ll find similar healing benefits and a sense of community here at Soaring Spirit. It’s my goal to create a space that will support my students over the course of their lifetime. Our practice changes just as our bodies do, and the best thing we can do for ourselves is to accept these changes with fluidity and grace. We look forward to seeing you in class soon.