Larchmont’s Center for Yoga is celebrating two years back in business with local ownership after the studio was closed during the pandemic. A group of dedicated students and community-minded residents re-opened the studio in August of 2021 when it was not at all clear that such a venture would work while masking was still required by public health officials.
“This place was rebirthed by the community and has been driven and held by the community,” studio manager Heather Zimmerman told the Buzz. “There’s so much heart in it, everybody is committed to building something we have never had before.”
Zimmerman, also a yoga instructor, has been managing the studio for the past year. She came to the Center for Yoga with nearly a decade of experience teaching and managing.
“This is not a corporation, we get to make the rules, we get to try new things, like offering more community events that are not just yoga, but have the spirit of yoga in the events,” said Zimmerman.
“I find it deeply moving and exciting to see the studio flourishing now at our two-year anniversary,” Windsor Square resident Diana Buckhantz, one of the owners told the Buzz.
“The studio has been a very personal space for me as I have practiced in that space for about 26 years,” added Buckhantz. “It was yoga and the studio that helped me through some very difficult life moments. Now there are others who tell me how much the studio means to them and helps them.”
Buckhantz shared the story of a tearful student who explained how the studio offered respite from caring for her 91-year-old Mother had recently had a heart attack.
“Our student had run over to take a class as a moment of self-care before she went back to resume her vigil in the hospital,” explained Buckhantz. “It is so meaningful to me that the community has embraced the studio and our amazing teachers and that it can also be a place of comfort and refuge when needed.”
Zimmerman is committed to creating a space of well-being for the community at large with their LGBTQ-plus wellness platform and monthly wellness events. Art classes, gratitude writing classes, and Ayurvedic wellness courses are examples of the types of holistic programming filling out the studio’s busy schedule. They were open during the tropical storm! And, for those who prefer, they offer a robust streaming platform featuring teachers from all over the world including an extensive range of classes for yoga teachers.
“I am so proud of what we have accomplished together over the past two years at Center For Yoga,” owner Randy Paskal told the Buzz. “We have built a strong community of like-minded individuals who are dedicated to living a healthy and balanced life. We have enjoyed traveling this journey together, and we have seen firsthand how yoga can help people achieve a state of physical, mental, and emotional balance.”
“The Larchmont community is the perfect area for the Center for Yoga, as it is a place where people value health and wellness. We are grateful to be a part of this community and to be able to share the benefits of yoga with so many people,” said Paskal.
Zimmerman said they are trying to help striking writers and actors with special discounts and complimentary months for those who are members.
The mainstay of the studio’s support is the 400 members whose monthly membership dues support the studio. Most of the members live in the neighborhood, but the studio welcomes anyone who wants to come to class and grab coffee on Larchmont. Zimmerman would love to see that number grow to 500.
Membership is $170 per month and includes access to classes, and discount access to Noorb, the studio’s in-house spa on the third floor offering gentle skin treatments and facials with a holistic approach. There’s a wide range of pricing packages on their website.
“Our new student one-week pass is the best way to try to studio,” said Zimmerman. “For those who are new to Yoga, I recommend checking in with our front desk staff so they can curate a schedule for you based on your likes and health issues.”
The Center for Yoga team is planning an anniversary celebration on Friday evening, August 25th, with a community potluck and comedy show. The potluck will have a raffle, and auction with a portion of the proceeds benefiting Yoga Gives Back. Click here for details.
Zimmerman hopes people will stop in and check out the studio.
“Even though we have been here for so long, so many people don’t know about us,” said Zimmerman.
