As someone who is always looking for new, fun ways to stay fit, when Tracy Cooper Ramos from the Bristol Yoga Studio (BYS) reached out to speak with me for the Explore Bristol Blog I jumped at the chance. As I walked into their studio on State Street (it’s a little tricky to find, so click here for an easy-to-use map of their lovely location!), I immediately felt the peace and serenity of the space. Located in an old bowling alley turned yoga studio, the Bristol Yoga Studio has been a fixture in the Bristol community since they opened their doors in July of 2007. Before their opening, there was no yoga offering in the town of Bristol, so Tracy told me how her business was born to fill the unmet need within the community.
Tracy and her friend Christine had been teaching yoga for some time when they decided to open their own studio. In a completely unconventional manner, they were able to open their doors a short 30 days after they came up with the idea and the Bristol Yoga Studio was born. In the years since opening, Bristol Yoga Studio has moved from their original location on Wood Street over to State Street, Christine has stepped down and Tracy has become the sole owner, and the studio has grown exponentially in student size, the amount of teachers, and class offerings. From a natural, organic beginning, the Bristol Yoga Studio has grown into what it is today primarily due to the wonderful student support it has received throughout the years.
The Bristol Yoga Studio’s philosophy is “your yoga, your practice.”
Tracy’s goal in opening the studio was to provide yoga for the whole Bristol community and to help people find how yoga can best serve and support their life. Yoga is not only a form of fitness, it is a form of relaxation and a way to find your inner peace. Tracy wants her students to use yoga to help them achieve whatever goals they have. There are many different strains of yoga; at the Bristol Yoga Studio they practice Hatha yoga. Hatha means the sun and the moon, which represents the wide range of yoga styles within this type of yoga. The Bristol Yoga Studio works to stay true to the ancient practice of Hatha yoga, but with a modern application that will help their students in their current lives.
“Let yoga be the thing that helps you”
One of the greatest benefits the Bristol Yoga Studio offers is a sense of community. By taking a class not only do you gain the benefit of being active and finding peace, but you also join a community of fellow yoga students who are friendly, focused, and fun! It is a wonderful place to make friends and find your peace and happiness. The Bristol Yoga Studio is also an active member in the greater Bristol community. They teach many outdoor yoga classes throughout at the town called ‘yoga around town’ at places such as Blithewold Mansion, Gardens and Abortetum, Mt Hope Farm, and Linden Place. They also host community classes, which allow for newly trained teachers to get some experience under their belts while providing free classes to members of the community.
Looking to the future of the Bristol Yoga Studio, Tracy told me how she’s really looking to increase the depth of the study of yoga. She wants to incorporate more yoga philosophy training into the practice of yoga at the studio. Tracy also hopes to continue to help in the teaching and training of new yoga instructors and support the yogi community as much as she can.
The Bristol Yoga Studio currently has about 10 teachers who hold classes on a regular basis with offerings for beginner students all the way through advanced students. Each teacher is unique in their teaching style and class offerings and brings their own yoga experiences and personal flavor to the class they are teaching. BYS has an extensive class schedule that can be viewed here with offerings for all levels of yoga students from beginner to advanced, including specialty classes such as prenatal yoga. The drop-in rate is $15 per class, with discounts available for students and seniors. There’s also various levels of monthly class cards that you can purchase. If you’re interested in fitness, community, and finding your inner peace, I would highly recommend a visit to the Bristol Yoga Studio!
Sincerely,
Kelly Sobolewski
Roger Williams University ’16
Explore Bristol Communications Intern
Bristol Yoga Studio Contact
(401) 216-YOGA or bristolyogastudio@gmail.com
*All photos credited to Bristol Yoga Studio
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