Inside the trendy hotspot in White Bear, nestled above Mizu Japanese in Boatworks Commons, is a relatively new yoga studio, Studio One Yoga, which offers “yoga for everyone,” says Dariush Moslemi, co-owner with his wife, Sarah. “We are about the community of students and instructors, both.”
Opened this summer, once you enter the space, you are put in the right frame of mind, with clean, soothing colors on the walls—a propos given that the well-windowed walls look right out on the lake. Adjustable lighting matches your yoga experience, complete with pristine hardwood floors. Each studio has at least one wall of mirrors, “so whichever direction you are facing, you are looking at water,” Sarah says.
The Moslemis employ a large staff at each of their three locations (Stillwater and Roseville opened first), which allows them to specialize in a diverse range of classes that include beginner sessions, advanced positions, hot yoga and more.
While both Dariush and Sarah are certified instructors, the dream of a yoga studio began with Sarah, when she discovered Bikram yoga (the hot style) at age 19 while in massage school. She threw herself back into it in 2009, getting teacher certified in not only that practice but other practices as well. “I hate to say this because it sounds cliché and a lot of things in yoga sound cliché, but as I practiced more, it healed my heart,” she says. “I then had such a full heart, I had more to give, so it made sense to start teaching.”
Each one of the three Studio One facilities has its own personality, Sarah says, that reflects the individual community.
“I get so excited to see what evolves when you enter a new community,” Sarah says. “When you put the right energy into it, the right answer comes. We provide the space for something to create from within. The friendships that come from this … it’s comfortable enough that people say ‘Hi, how are you? Who are you?’ It starts right smack in the room, tearing down walls, letting go of that vulnerability, and offering to reach out and share energy with someone else.”
With classes seven days a week, at all times of the day, there’s sure to be some yoga, as Dariush says, for everyone. Intro packages are the best deal in town, starting with $19 unlimited one week or $39 unlimited one month for all first-time customers. Beyond that first month, drop-in classes are $15.
“Commitment to community is the Studio One way,” Dar says. “That also means doing things unique to White Bear, like our stand-up paddleboarding yoga classes in the summer, and participating in community events and community involvement initiatives, too.”
