January 11, 2022
O2 Yoga has never been a physical space but a giant and powerful wave. That said, if there was one place we have called home, it is 288 Highland Ave, Somerville MA 02143.
I was pregnant with my son, Dylan when we opened on January 2, 2001. I distinctly remember throwing up in the aisles of Home Depot during the build out. Steven and I and the soon to be beautiful Dylan built out the space that was first a landmark Pharmacy owned by the Lameiras family, then a brief stint as a sketchy video store.
I remember signing the lease in September of 2000 and finding out soon after that I was pregnant. I asked Steven what I should do and he said,
“You do what you love. We will do this together. There is no better time.” And so, we did.
I can take a guess at how many people have come in under the big purple awning and into the lobby. At best count it is in the 10s of thousands. I know because Steven and I had a bonfire last year after cleaning out some old paperwork from downstairs. The consent forms from just the first 10 years filled 5 cases. And you know what, I knew almost every name that I saw before it went into the fire. There is a pretty good metaphor in there somewhere; perhaps Phoenix rising from the ashes?
As you can imagine, there is a lot more to say and so much more to process. That said, this is all I am capable of at the moment. Most importantly, I wanted you all to know as soon as possible before the inevitable For Rent sign goes up in the window that the Somerville studio will be closing. We will re-open for in-person classes for 2 more weeks starting on Monday, January 17th (updated from the original newsletter) and ending on Sunday, January 30th. This will be the time to celebrate the physical space before we close the doors for good. From then on, we will continue to be the powerful force that is O2 online and hopefully in-person in some other iteration like retreats and workshops.
I have no plans to stop teaching nor do Elliott and the other amazing O2 teachers. And speaking of wonderful teachers, Tina will be leading a New to O2 Workshop on Saturday January 15th. Click here to register. And I have no doubt that there is so much more to be built, to be created, to be the force behind beautiful transformation, inspiration, and most importantly love.
With so much gratitude,
Mimi
