“It’s been slow, steady growth. I think we’re hitting a critical mass point now where we have our name out enough and people are taking interest and being recommended to do yoga by a doctor and therapist for their wellness and mental health,” Smiddy said. “And then also reminding people or letting people experience it so that they realize it’s not that difficult.”
Sunflower Yoga offers classes for all ability levels, including a chair yoga class that people can pay for through donations as they are able, Smiddy said.
“A lot of people are on Medicare; a lot of times that’s the people who need that kind of movement,” Smiddy said.
Casey Moorman, who teaches lunchtime flows and the chair yoga class, said it’s great for people with limited mobility due to age or injury.
Other classes include Yin Yoga, Gentle Flow/Slow Flow, Hatha Yoga, Vinyasa Yoga, Power Flow, Pilates Stretch and Restore, Shakti Naam Yoga, Muskigarten and Power Barre.
Credit: Jessica Orozco
Credit: Jessica Orozco
Classes are small due to space constraints, but also to allow more instructor input.
Sunflower Yoga also offers a wedding day wellness class, where the instructor will go to the bridal party on the morning of the wedding for an hour of yoga and mindfulness, Smiddy said.
Smiddy has been a fitness instructor since the 1980s and she received her yoga certification in 2020, she said. She taught at a gym while working full time but really wanted her own studio, preferably in a historic building.
In October 2021, she lost her full-time job due to company downsizing, and she opened the studio the following April 1.
The business came from the whole family, with Smiddy’s daughter Maisy drawing the logo and her husband coming up with the name.
There are no current plans to open an additional studio, but Smiddy said if that becomes a goal, it would be in an area like London, Mechanicsburg or Plain City that is growing but without many yoga studios around.
Smiddy said Sunflower Yoga is a space for everyone to take care of themselves. She said yoga is a great way to learn body awareness, getting an idea of what’s normal for you and knowing when something is off.
“Just the importance of building community and being a safe space or a place where people can come in and take care of themselves,” Smiddy said. “We need that.”
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