On June 17th, 2023, I taught the first class at Home Studio Yoga in San Anselmo. I barely slept the night before because I could not tell if I was nervous or excited. Probably both. I remember standing in the room before anyone arrived, wondering if people would even show up. Do people know we are here. Is this actually happening?
But you came... and so many of you have become familiar faces, friends, family. I remember lying there during Savasana at the end of this first class thinking, this is the first of many. This is the first class that will change how I have been living my life. That sounds kinda bigbut it really felt like that. I knew something was changing, I just did not know how, and I was equal parts terrified and thrilled.
Three years and over 3,000 classes later, it has honestly been the hardest and best thing I have ever done. Sometimes in the same week.
For those who do not know us yet: Home Studio Yoga is at 135 Tunstead Ave in San Anselmo. We are non-heated, non-competitive, and open to all ages and all levels. We have couches, tea, and a community that genuinely cares about each other. That is the short version. Here is the longer one.
Most people see running a yoga studio as something zen. And I get it, because when you walk into the space, that is exactly how it is supposed to feel. Calm, warm, unhurried.
But behind that feeling there is a lot happening. There is payroll and scheduling and maintenance and emails and marketing and things breaking and decisions that need to be made constantly. I sometimes joke that I must have had a moment of insanity when I decided to open this studio with a 6 month old and a 2.5 year old. I genuinely thought it would create more freedom for myself and my family. The opposite has been true. The brick-and-mortar business and constant to do's have pinned me down more than I ever have been in life.
But I also would not trade it.
The love you put into something like this gets reflected back to you on a scale I really did not anticipate. It is more than I ever bargained for.
A big part of this job is getting to know people. Not just their name and what class they like, but their lives. Their day to day. What they are going through. And when someone stops coming without saying anything, I genuinely worry about them. Are they OK. Did something happen. I miss them. Because over time you build this relationship, this consistent check in, and they become part of your day to day in a way that is hard to explain until you experience it.
And it is not just me or the teachers who notice. Months after someone has been gone, members will still ask: have you heard from so and so? That still gets me every time.
I knew community was important when I opened this studio. It is literally why I built it. But the power of it has surprised me.
I get to witness the good in people's hearts every single day. I have seen people become real friends here. And I have also seen something that might be even more interesting, people who are not necessarily friends outside of the studio, but who show up for each other when it matters. Need a ride? Check. Need a babysitter? Check. Need help with an administrative task you have been putting off? Check. People genuinely offer their time, knowledge and a listening ear without being asked.
I did not expect that part of this job. But it might be my favorite part.
This one has been on my mind a lot lately. AI is growing in every part of business, including ours. And what I keep coming back to is that actually being a human has become such an asset.
We call people personally. We send out hand-written postcards. We also make mistakes and have good days and bad days. All very human things. And I see those traits becoming more and more important, not less, because people are craving real connection. People can tell when something is real and when it is not.
I am not against technology at all. But I do think there is something about being in a room together that we should not let go of too easily. And I think a yoga studio is a pretty good place to protect that.
Most of you know I use the first few minutes of my classes to do a little talk and lately I've been talking more about wise speech. It is something that comes from Buddhist teachings and it is something I have been sitting with a lot personally.
Wise speech also includes wise silence. In the way we speak to others, about others, and in our own minds. And what I keep noticing in this community is how much people naturally practice that here. There is a lot of love and compassion in the room. And with that comes this quiet practice of kindness through speech, action and silence.
I am not sure most people come to yoga thinking about how they talk to themselves. But over time something starts to shift. I see it happen.
I have been thinking a lot about how we create more depth in this community here in San Anselmo. What offerings are going to support us having fun, softening, healing, feeling connected.
We are leaning more into somatic and embodied work. We have a new class called Embodiment that is really about dropping into who we are in our bodies, not just our minds. I am in conversations with facilitators about somatic arts and embodied women's circles. We are co-sponsoring Gary, one of our Sunday Live Music musicians, who is putting on a performance in the Redwoods in Fairfax. We have a Nia FUNdamentals workshop coming up. And we will keep offering song circles and sound healings because those have become such a meaningful part of what we do.
A lot of this will start to trickle out over the summer.
I opened this studio because I was a new mom in a pandemic, craving community, and a space kind of fell into my lap. I did not have a business plan. I had a gut feeling and honestly a deep personal need for this space to exist.
Three years later, I am running 20 plus classes a week with a team of teachers I am proud of, in a room that actually feels like home.
Thank you for being part of this. Seriously.
I have no idea what the next three years look like but I am here for it.
With love,
Martine
Where is Home Studio Yoga?
We are at 135 Tunstead Ave in San Anselmo, California, right in the heart of Marin County. Street parking is easy and there is a lot right next door.
What kind of yoga classes do you offer in San Anselmo?
We offer everything from powerful flow to Mindful Flow, Restorative yoga, Yoga Nidra, and Welcome Back to Yoga for beginners. We also have kids yoga, sound healings, breathwork and community events. You can see our full schedule at homestudio.yoga/our-schedule.
Is Home Studio Yoga good for beginners?
Very much so. We welcome all levels and all ages. Several of our classes are specifically designed for people who are brand new or coming back after a long break. Nobody will make you feel behind here.
