We’re so excited to have our owner, Svitlana, as the very first blog feature.
Why the blog?
“I’ve wanted to start a blog for a while because there are so many of our students whose lives have been transformed through yoga. They’re meaningful and motivational stories that I think the whole world needs to know about.”
When and how did yoga become a part of your life?
“I started yoga when I was transitioning from an overseas job and returned back to Canada. I made the decision throughout that year that yoga was going to be my life not just as a practitioner, but I wanted to create a community. Once I decided that, a studio was open within two months.
We opened three days after 9/11 which was quite an auspicious and necessary time for the community to have a yoga studio.
As a business owner, I was concerned about the economic crash and people not being in the mood to do anything after 9/11 but it was the exact opposite.
“People were looking for community, looking for a space to perhaps grieve and that’s how we started. Our studio started out of a tragedy and brought us closer together because of it.”
For the first ten years, Breathe was located in Bloor West Village.
“We quickly outgrew the space but had nowhere to move to. We had a lot of dedicated students who put up with things like having to wait in the stairwell before classes. We didn’t have anything. The reception was in the studio. The change room was about the size of 1/4 of the size of our current change room. It always amazed me.”
Construction before our Junction location opening.
Now, Breathe welcomes 2018 and it’s 6th year in the Junction: a spacious centre that houses a newly expanded treatment room, sauna and two state-of-the-art practice rooms.
“My wish has always been for Breathe to be a place where students are introduced to yoga in a meaningful way with the best teachers that I can provide to the students so they can truly experience what yoga is and what it can do on a physical, spiritual and mental health level. Providing yoga as close as possible to what my definition of what yoga is with the teachers we have available has always been my goal.
I’m incredibly grateful for the community we’ve created here. I feel incredibly fortunate to have the staff that helps me run Breathe every day. And of course, I’m grateful for the student body for trusting us with their yoga practice and I hope that yoga brings all the benefits that it has brought to my life to everyone.”
Bookmark us and get ready for more stories from Svitlana, our staff, teachers, and students.
