Business Profile: The YogaScape, Carmel
DAVID PROPPER PHOTO
Yoga can be for anyone, even if they might be a tad out of shape or not the most flexible. That’s the message new owner of The YogaScape in Carmel Heather Reiners wants to convey to the community interested in practicing yoga, the Hindu spiritual and ascetic discipline.
“You can do yoga no matter who you are, what your ability is, you can be disabled, you can have injuries, you can be a senior citizen and do yoga,” Reiners said. “So for me it’s really about making it accessible to everyone and demythifying that kind of idea that you need to be thin and young.”
Offering daily yoga classes at every level, private sessions, workshops, and other special events, The YogaScape is aiming to be a sacred place for clients looking to improve their mental and physical state. Reiners wants to create a space that’s welcoming, where different walks of life are accepted.
When the previous owner sent a mass email out informing yoga goers she was moving on and the studio was set to close, Reiners made the quick decision–about ten days–to buy it from her. Though the northern-Westchester resident was never at the studio, she didn’t want a void to be felt in the yoga community.
“It’s been a dream to own by own studio for awhile,” Reiners said.
While the studio did shut its doors for about a month so renovations could be made, a grand reopening took place on July 12. People who regularly attend the same location under the past owner were happy to see The YogaScape continue in the heart of Carmel.
A main difference is the old studio was more of a co-op arrangement, where the owner would rent out the space to different instructors to teach classes. Now, somebody with a fresh perspective like Reiners is visible at the studio managing and directing to make the studio feel more like a unified vision.
Reiners hired past teachers from the studio for familiarity, but noted many regular yoga goers have been welcoming to Reiners, who is a new face.
Calling herself a “hippie at heart,” Reiners started practicing yoga when she was teenager. Then since 2007 when she was a senior in high school, Reiners was working for studios, doing behind the scenes work like managing different locations and doing website design. Finally, about a year ago, she started teaching after getting her certification at Omega Institute in Rhinebeck.
Reiners, who describes herself as a go-getter, is also balancing a full-time job at a non-profit on top of her new endeavor.
“I’ve always wanted to do this,” Reiners said. “And I’ve always been very dedicated to yoga, dedicated to succeeding as a business owner. It’s what I enjoy doing”
The YogaScape is located at 64 Gleneida Avenue in Carmel and its phone number is 845-225-9642.
