9.22.25 I A RARE GIFT IN MONITIZED CULTURE I KRISTIN VARNER

In a time when nearly everything has a price tag - wellness included - it’s extraordinary for yoga to be shared as freely and often as it is at Community Yoga Center. Over 20 free yoga classes are shared weekly. That’s over 80 free yoga classes every month! In our culture, health and well-being have become commodities, mindfulness is marketed, and yoga is now packaged as a lifestyle brand. Monthly memberships, premium subscriptions, and luxury retreats pervade yoga spaces – making the message clear: yoga is available, but only if you can afford it.  

When yogis come together and welcome anyone and everyone to practice yoga without financial barrier, it’s not just unusual - it’s revolutionary. Offering over 900 free classes a year is not just a logistical feat; it’s a radical act of giving in a culture where wellness is often behind a paywall. This kind of giving only happens with immense love and a reimagining of what a wellness space can be. It happens when there is trust in community, commitment to equity, and a genuine understanding of the roots of yoga, where the practice was shared freely, as a way of life, not a product. 

At Community Yoga Center it happens because of the energy and heart of so many yogis - especially AUSTIN, KIM, LINA, CHERIE, SCOTT, INGA, MARGO, MELISSA, CATHERINE, CARLY, TOBY, VIVIAN, DANI, BLANCA, SHAWNA, LORI, AND ALLISON - who consistently show up with skill and kindness, creating welcoming spaces for all bodies, helping us breathe, move, and be well. They not only co-create a space for thoughtful movement and mindfulness, but also for dignity, inclusion, and belonging. In monetized culture, this is rare. In community-first culture, this is the future.