By Jake Murry
Lead Instructor, I AM YOGA WELLNESS STUDIO, Turlock, CA.
Namaste, friends, and welcome to the first installment of The 209s Yoga Studio Spotlight. This article aims to draw attention to the area’s diverse yoga community and introduce the people responsible for providing wellness to the valley. We will dive deeper into their intentions behind opening a studio, what currently makes them unique, and future offerings you can expect to see.
I thought there was no better place to start than with the longest-running studio in the Central Valley. Located in Modesto’s historic McHenry Village, Village Yoga Center opened its doors 24 years ago under the stewardship of Debbie Wolski. In 2022, Sonja Hurst came aboard as a partner and has been an absolute godsend in Miss Debbie’s words. It doesn’t take long to absorb the magical atmosphere that permeates the Village Yoga Center. From the hand-painted murals, the jaw-dropping black panther gong, or her very own collection of children’s books sold in their on-site boutique, Village Yoga exudes the aura that is Miss Debbie. It is no wonder that the teacher training program has graduated over 315 students under her mentorship.
JM: How did yoga enter your life?
DW: It was by instinct. I have scoliosis, and around the age of 15, I would lie down on the floor to twist, contort, stretch, lengthen, and decompress until my back pain went away.
JM: What was your inspiration for opening?
DW: My goal has always been to take one person at a time, introduce them to yoga, and provide such a profoundly positive experience that they want to make it a part of their lifestyle.
JM: I have heard the phrase “the softer side of yoga” to describe attending a class at Village. Do you feel this is accurate, or is there more you would like potential clients to know about your current class schedule?
DW: Even though we offer various levels (of difficulty), we still harken back. To help heal people, we must provide them with a soft place to land. Everyone needs this at some point.
JM: What is on the horizon?
DW: Sound is the next wave of medicine. We’ve been lucky to work with Kaiser for the last five years, providing sound events for its staff. We want to expand upon this by offering a package of voice analysis, sound table, and singing bowls to identify potential issues in the body and promote healing. We also have some fun and fabulous retreats still in the planning stages and offer a monthly women’s circle.
Practice with Miss Debbie every Monday and Wednesday at 9:30 a.m. for what she has coined “Yoga Lite,” or her fun and stimulating “Cardio Core,” which includes elements of pilates, yoga, and dance that follow at 11:30 a.m.
Their full schedule of current class times is available at villageyogacenter.com<villageyogacenter.com>
