It will go down in history books that 2020 – 2022 was an up and down journey for everyone as a collective whole ~ and we are continuing on this ride! We have heard so many stories of hardship and loss, and also of revelations and of having more time to look inward. When you look back on the last couple years, what felt difficult for you? And also, what did you learn about yourself that you may not have had time to learn otherwise? Did you notice fears arise? What were the positive insights? We also had time to inquire into these questions ourselves!
As you know, we have recently changed our name from Sacred Arts to Studio Nine. You can check out our Facebook page for the meaning behind our new name, and we now are feeling so grounded and settled with our decision to move towards this change. Sacred Arts certainly served its time and purpose and was known for its Kundalini yoga trainings, registered sessions and healthy food. The pandemic shifted and changed our whole dynamic, and the café was not able to be sustained financially, team members had to move and shift according to their needs, and now we are a much smaller team of co-owners and teachers, feeling deeply humbled by the whole experience.
Our intentions have been steady over the past two years: to be there for the community during these shifting and changing times. We’ll continue serving in ways that we can and we would love to also focus on more community outreach. Last March and April we offered chair yoga classes at Centra Cam for people with physical and mental disabilities. We are hoping to continue again in the fall as the experience was so enriching for them, and especially for us as teachers. We offered an intro class to high school kids in New Norway, and are open to offering these classes in other rural schools. This summer we will be holding yoga classes in the park again (like in 2020) with the Camrose Public Library’s Book Bike nearby for the kids. These are ways that we can serve, bringing the practice of yoga out into the community to help people find more space between breaths, a bit more joy in their hearts, and a more meaningful connection with themselves and others.
Yoga retreats are being considered in our intentions, as well as offering workshops and class offerings to help people connect back to their somatic selves and learn regulation tools during times of stress or in healing from past trauma. Some of our classes will be shifting as well and we’re excited to announce a new Morning Yin class which we’ll be running over the summer, Wednesday mornings at 7:45am – 8:45am. These classes are taking into consideration the hotter days of summer, and having an early morning practice that is cooling and gentle to help counterbalance the inner fire and heat of the summer season, keeping you in tune with the elements! We also intend to keep building our online video library which is an invaluable resource for those wanting to practice on their own schedule.
You may have noticed the For Sale sign in our building window. Yes, it’s true. And the building is but a physical structure – we are grateful to have our strong online presence and our live online classes. The building will sell eventually, and we can perhaps lease the studio back, or find another space. We have faith that things will work out, and new opportunities will present themselves! And until they do, it’s business as usual and we will make the most of our studio while we have it – so don’t feel shy, come on by! We love teaching our classes and sharing the space with you!
We are humbled and inspired, and so incredibly grateful for those who have continued to practice with us over the past two years (and prior)! Studio Nine is a culmination of those efforts and is a completely new entity, reshaped by hard times, resulting in a new form. We’d love for you to explore this journey with us… the journey of self, the journey of a community.
Leah Marie Serna, RYT 500, is a devoted yoga practitioner, meditator, and co-owner / yoga instructor at Studio Nine. She teaches the Tuesday and Thursday noon Flow classes, Wednesday Kundalini as well as the Thursday morning Foundations class. She also serves as the yoga studio manager.