Partner Studio Spotlight: Yoga at Change

While most studios are for-profit entities, Yoga at Change is a not-for-profit organization. Like Yoga Bear, this means that they are tax-exempt, and revenue earned goes back into programs. Founded nine years ago by a handful of yoga teachers, Yoga at Change offers a variety of classes to students in San Mateo.

In efforts to make yoga and meditation accessible to everyone, the studio offers free daily meditation classes and free weekly workshops on health, healing, and movement. Regular classes-- including gentle, vigorous, and restorative yoga-- are $16 for drop in, or as low as $7 for students on scholarships. Classes are small (16 students max), so instruction is catered to the level of students.

Yoga at Change is community focused. In addition to being a partner studio of Yoga Bear, they have partnered with the Art of Yoga organization, which teachers yoga to incarcerated youth. Executive Director Shikha Prasad was drawn to this supportive community. "We offer yoga to everybody, not just those who can afford it. I felt like the studio was a modest, communal, comfortable space with students from all walks of life."

The current economy presents problems for both yoga studios and yoga students. To make sure more people are still able to practice, Yoga at Change is trying to build more awareness of the free classes they offer. "People need yoga now more than ever," says Shikha, "We want them to know they should and can still practice. We will continue to offer free classes and plan on expanding programs to include more music and philsophy classes as well. No matter what happens, we're looking to bounce with change."