At Open Space Yoga we believe that yoga is for every body: every age, size and ability. We offer friendly, non-intimidating classes for everyone from beginners to experienced yogis. For us, yoga is all about community and we are committed to creating it within our studio walls, and to connecting with, and supporting, the local community outside the studio. We try to make Open Space a place where people feel welcomed and known, where they can break a sweat and share a laugh!
Several of our instructors have been with us since we opened in 2005 and we have now grown to a team of 12 experienced teachers, most of who live in South Delta. Each one brings their own skills, training and care to their classes.
How are you supporting other local businesses?
As local residents, and members of the Ladner Business Association, we’re constantly out and about in Ladner Village talking to other business owners, thinking about how we can use their products, partner-up and promote each other. We’ve lived in Ladner a long time and have always been big believers in shopping locally. We buy almost all of our studio supplies from local businesses, use a local design firm (Indalma Creative), and a local printer (Sure Copy).
What social practices are you proud of?
We are very competitive in our wage structure and I believe that is evident in the length of time our people have been with us.
Every year we raise a significant amount of money (over $35,000 to date!) for our Delta Hospice Society and South Delta Food Bank. Local businesses and artisans come together and donate their time and wares to these great causes. The studio also opens its doors every year during the Quilt Walk and Car Show so that oversize quilts can be hung on the wall for viewing. It’s truly a pleasure for us to be able to participate in these events because the Hospice sale, candlelight meditations for the food bank, and quilt show are all part of a long list of events that make Ladner such a great community to live in.
We’re also looking at making yoga more affordable for students this year. We’re proud to offer a space that is inclusive and non-judgmental, where all people can feel comfortable practicing yoga. Those are the kind of values that we believe support community-building – and we want to make it accessible to as many people as possible.
What environmental practice are you most proud of?
As a small business, we take the small, everyday steps that will lead to change. Anything that does come into our studio is recycled. Most of our staff are local, which means they can walk or ride to work if they choose to. We recycle, we offer a water dispenser rather than plastic water bottles, and we clean with “green” products. Our next step will be to find paper with recycled content for our brochures. On another level, we hope that the mindful practice we encourage at the studio makes us all more aware that we need to interact with the environment as guardians, rather than as users.