RIDGWAY – Inner Mountain Yoga Studio, a cozy, intimate space in downtown Ouray where studio owner Tracy Lockard and other yoga teachers have nurtured a small but thriving yoga community for several years, has recently expanded to a new Ridgway location.

On Jan. 1, Lockard took over a space formerly occupied by Shantihi Yoga on Sherman St., between RIGS and Thai Paradise. A full schedule of classes continues as usual at both locations, while Lockard offers an additional class in Forrest Yoga (her specialty) at the new location. Altogether, the two studios now offer a total of 17 classes per week – 11 in Ridgway, and six in Ouray.

Over the past two years, the Shantihi space (newly rechristened Inner Mountain Yoga Ridgway) has cultivated a devoted following of “hot yogis,” folks who enjoy doing strenuous, flowing yoga routines in a humid, hot environment of up to 100 degrees that enhances detoxification and flexibility.

Those types of classes will continue to be offered during their regular time slots, as long as there is someone available to teach them, Lockard said. Former Shantihi owner Keri Gaddis will remain in the area for several months, and plans to continue to teach hot yoga at Inner Mountain Ridgway as a subcontractor through the spring, according to Lockard.

Altogether, Lockard has a roster of about six different teachers working at the two studios.

“The other teachers are very qualified, and I feel very blessed they are in my life,” Lockard said.

Forrest Yoga, the style of yoga in which Lockard is certified, was developed by California yogini Ana Forrest. It is an intensely physical and internally focused practice that emphasizes how to carry a transformative experience off the mat and into daily life.  Forrest Yoga is typically done in a warm room (about 80 degrees), but not a hot one.

“For me, personally, Ana Forrest is known as ‘in your face’, and gets rid of the mumbo jumbo and it’s real,” Lockard said. “It is about connecting to your spirit; you are urged to walk as your spirit. Every class is different, but there are always key components including work on breath, core, abs and flow,” the flowing from one asana, or pose, into another.

“It allows you to tend to what your body needs for the day, and honor yourself the way you are.”

Lockard attributes her own yoga practice with helping her to get rid of chronic back pain, and skillfully adapting to the shifting rigors of life as she became mother to two small children, Spirit and Larkin.

Lockard became a yoga teacher after she and husband Ben moved to Ouray about eight years ago. They purchased a building on Sixth Ave. and made it their home, with an apartment on the upper story, and an empty storefront below.

“I needed something to do with the space,” Lockard said. “So I became a yoga teacher, and fell in love. It was the missing part of my life.”

Yoga instruction was a good fit with Lockard’s prior work as an athletic trainer, helping sports teams and athletes with injury prevention and rehabilitation.

“But there was still something missing for people to heal,” she recalls. “Yoga fills that void.”

One change which Lockard has made, in taking over the Ridgway studio, is the payment method. Formerly, payment for classes there was “by donation.” That is not the case anymore, except for a weekly community class.

Rates are now the same at both studios. Drop-in is $15. A 10-punch card costs $85 and a 5-punch card costs $45. Unlimited monthly passes cost $95. Punch cards and passes can be used at both studios.

Lockard also offers a special $5 drop-in rate for emergency services personnel, including firefighters, police, EMTs and members of the Ouray Mountain Rescue Team, “so they can stay healthy to help the rest of the community,” she said.  

Inner Mountain Yoga Ouray is located at 319 Sixth Ave., across the street from the City Hall. Inner Mountain Yoga Ridgway is located at at 565 Sherman St., Unit 1B, between RIGS and Thai Paradise. Props and towels are provided if needed at both locations, and mats can be rented for $1.

For more information and a full class schedule, visit innermountainyoga.com.



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