Yoga Den is thrilled to be celebrating their 20th anniversary this year. “We are humbled by all of the wonderful opportunities that have come our way, and full of gratitude for the amazing community that has and continues to support us. A heartfelt thank you to everyone who has been a part of our journey. We wouldn't be here without you,” says Yoga Den founder Alyson Foreacre.

   “Opening in 2002 in a tiny space in South Mandarin, I had no idea where things were headed,” shares Foreacre. “It was spontaneous, as the community space where I was teaching needed to be turned over for the summer campers. With a handful of students asking to continue on, I decided to rent a month-to-month space until I could get back to the community space. By the end of the second month, realizing the demand for yoga had arrived in South Jacksonville, the decision was made and Yoga Den was born.”

    There was no business plan, and at first Foreacre was Yoga Den's only teacher. “There was no online booking or purchasing of classes—everything was old school,” says Foreacre. “Fast forward to 20 years later, and even though we have grown beyond our wildest dreams, it is the same secret sauce: Teaching yoga with no judgement or expectations, offering lots of permission language and modifications, and being kind to everyone. It's really that simple.”

    Foreacre goes on to say: “There is nothing like yoga. No other exercise or sport, group or individual, can compare, because yoga takes into consideration every aspect of the human experience. This belief is what inspired the growth from that one little studio to where we are today.”

    Currently, Yoga Den has 10 locations throughout the greater Jacksonville area, St. Augustine and Yulee, with several locations in the works for the fall. The first studio to offer accredited teacher training in Jacksonville since 2004, Yoga Den now hosts eight training sessions annually at the 200-hour level in Jacksonville, Yulee and Tallahassee, and also has a 300-hour teacher training program that revolves annually for continuing education.

 

For more information, visit Yoga-Den.com.