WESTLAKE, Ohio — Lisa Brady and Sherry Sokol have been going to Inner Bliss Yoga Studio together for years.
“It means a lot to us; we’ve been doing it together for a long time. It’s a way for us to stay connected,” said Sokol.
That connection was disconnected during the pandemic when the studio was forced to go virtual.
“For me, it was extremely hard at first; you just felt lost a little bit,” said Brady.
That’s why the longtime friends came back to class as soon as they could. But not everyone is back to the business of practicing yoga or any kind of exercise.
“The habits that we all either lost or gained during the pandemic have impacted what we’ve seen in our studios. Maybe people got out of the habit of coming to yoga, and then trying to rebuild that habit isn’t easy,” said Tammy Lyons, owner of Inner Bliss Yoga Studio.
Lyons said the number of students now versus early in 2020 is down about 20%. That’s one reason the studio is offering experiences like Yoga at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, retreats, and specialized classes. Lyons said the students are starting to come back.
“We see people every day that we haven’t seen for a long time, and our little tiny community has continued to grow stronger by the day, so that’s encouraging,” explained Lyons.
It’s not just yoga. At Psycle, there has been a 15% drop in students.
“It’s really easy to break a habit like that, a good habit, it’s hard to create a habit of health and wellness,” said Jenn Kryz, owner Psycle.
Besides being an indoor cycling studio, Kryz said they’re trying to offer something for everyone.
“We’ve also added aerial yoga, we have TRX, and we have boot camp, and we have run clubs, and we have walk clubs, so a bunch of different things, not just bikes,” explained Kryz.
For many people coming back to yoga or cycling classes has more to do with community than perhaps the workout itself.
“People are coming back because they miss the community. We as humans are driven, I believe, by emotions. So, what’s the thing that can get you back? I had some really great emotions in here,” said Maria Zemen, owner Psycle.
That’s why Psycle is offering events like birthday parties, happy hour, and specialty rides again.
“The theme rides, the Halloween ride, the Mardi Gras ride, all the things that created the energy in the community. So, our hope is bringing those things back too is going to help people see, yes, this place is still here, and it’s better than ever,” said Zemen.
