By Kate Watson
Jillana Burgess loves yoga and she loves Dartmouth.
As the owner of the Dartmouth Yoga Centre, she has combined these two loves in something she calls “a grand experiment.”
Burgess rents the space above Dartmouth Yarns on Portland Street and operates it as a shared studio where independent yoga instructors can offer classes.
“As an independent yoga instructor, I was looking for a way to make classes affordable for students, yet profitable for teachers,” Burgess says.
“Having the centre means that instructors can schedule the times that work for them, set their own prices and do their own style of yoga.”
At present, six instructors offer classes throughout the week. The classes include lunch-hour sessions, prenatal yoga and different styles such as Ashtanga and Iyengar. Massage therapy is also offered in a space within the studio.
The studio itself is a welcoming space equipped with a wide variety of yoga props. It boasts a specialized rope wall that can help students accentuate and enhance poses.
Students benefit from small class sizes that afford them the kind of individual attention that is rare in bigger studios.
Ali Breen, Dartmouth Yoga Centre’s community manager, says the small class sizes have other benefits, too. “I see a lot of connections being made at the centre.”
“The idea was to make yoga accessible for more people, and the model means that the fees, including the drop-in fees, are really reasonable.”
Burgess says she’s very excited to be part of the growing business community happening now in Downtown Dartmouth.
“There are so many women entrepreneurs here and they’re all willing to lift each other up. It’s such a nurturing environment.”
Dartmouth Yoga Centre is located at 122 Portland Street.
For more information on class times and prices visit dartmouthyoga.com.