about breathing room  
Sometimes the best beginnings come from an ending, or as Carolyn’s grandma says, “God doesn’t close one door, he opens another.”  Breathing Room Yoga and Apparel came to life when instructor Carolyn Klimas decided to close her small yoga studio in Myers Park.  Though she adored her students and the yoga community in Charlotte, Carolyn had a tough time finding balance as a one-woman show in small business.

Enter Lynette Pellegrini!  A transplant from California, Lynette had lived in Charlotte for four years and practiced yoga at Peaceful Poses.  Lynette and Carolyn discovered that both had deepened their respective yoga practices in San Francisco; they also shared views on what makes a studio wonderful and the belief that yoga should be light, peaceful, and playful.  (And take place at room temperature.)  

Lynette told Carolyn she simply could not disappear from the yoga scene.  She is very persuasive, that one!   Carolyn turned down that job with NASA and signed on as a partner and Creative Director at Breathing Room.   It was a wonderful match. Carolyn was looking for balance and Lynette was looking for a challenge; both wanted a way to help people celebrate themselves and find freedom through yoga. 

Lynette embraced the concept that Breathing Room could be much more than yoga.  With her background in urban planning, she set out to create a lively hub in Charlotte's South End, where students can try a class, pick up a dreamy pair of yoga pants, peruse the offerings of local artists, meet a friend for coffee at the Pure Bar, drop into one of the workshops or enjoy a “Limber Libation” while listening to local musicians on Gallery Crawl night.  And much more.  Similarly, Lynette’s self-described “evangelical” support of Lululemon, an upscale yoga apparel company out of Vancouver, earned her permission to offer the brand at Breathing Room – a first in Charlotte!

Lynette brought her sister, Lisa Morehart, into the mix as partner and fashion mogul.  Lisa began her career with the Gap and quickly moved up the ranks to buying for department stores.  She is most known for taking the cashmere company, TSE, from low key golf sweaters to the pages of Vogue during her term as president of the company.  She currently lives in Newport Beach and will do most of our buying at the LA Fashion Mart.  Lisa will scoot over to Charlotte every now and then to share her retail wisdom and of course, take a yoga class. 

{ mission peaceful }  
Some of the most important passages in yoga philosophy are the Yoga Sutras.  The Yoga Sutras recommend inward and outward practices as steps to spiritual freedom.  At Breathing Room, we try to experience yoga from the outside in and live yoga from the inside out!

The stories of our bodies are unique yet we share one common thread: stress.  In this fast-paced age, we have lost connection with our physical selves; our nervous systems are fried.  Yoga helps us reclaim our bodies.  It teaches us skills to process information so we learn to find a calm place within ourselves instead of making mountains out of molehills.  Even better – we make them anthills.

Breathing Room classes build on traditional Hatha principles, yet they are unique in approach.  A typical class includes a sequence of postures, or asanas.  The asanas allow us a boarding pass into ourselves.  Learning the architecture of each pose; we discover our structure of our own bodies.  Linking together asanas creates a well-rounded practice unparalleled in terms of physical benefits.  (We’d list them all but we reckon you’ve got other things to do today.)   An asana practice is an incredible gift to oneself; you lengthen, strengthen, massage, enliven, and nurture the entire body.

So what if you feel fantastic in Triangle Pose but you’re planning your grocery list in your head?  (Bananas, honey mustard, fabric softener …)  Here’s where we add the inhales and exhales.  Asana becomes meditation when we include breath awareness and pranayama, or breathing exercises.  This attention helps us flow through poses with grace; it also reminds us to stay present and in our bodies.  Where we belong!

One of the common excuses … ahem, protests … we hear is: “I can’t do yoga!  I’m not flexible!”  Well, if everybody was naturally flexible, we wouldn’t need yoga.  We’d stretch out our limbs like superheroes; we’d never hurt ourselves picking up something heavy or strain our necks backing out of a long driveway.  Unfortunately, the aging process has other plans. 

We practice yoga to improve our flexibility.  As we all have unique structures and life experiences; our bodies are distinct.  At Breathing Room we offer a variety of classes for different bodies and experience levels; the instructors help modify the poses for each practitioner.  We learn to accept and honor our limits.  We experience the sensations of the pose and the breath without worrying about the outcome.  There is no perfect pose in yoga – we think you’re perfect for showing up.  Try letting go of worrying about being good or great at something; it feels … well, spectacular!

{ making it easy to be green }
Many people naturally make lifestyle changes as a result of yoga.  As they practice openness and compassion towards themselves, they find themselves radiating outward as well.  At Breathing Room, we have made a commitment to living green and offer clients the opportunity to make healthy choices for their bodies and the world around us.

The Pure Bar offers snacks and beverages made from the finest natural ingredients to nurture the body.  We strive to provide as many organic and fair trade products as possible.  We understand the mindful yogi wants the best stuff (link to retail page) on earth next to their skin.  Three-quarters of our clothing is organic cotton.  Our line of body products, Bliss, is naturally scented with lavender, sage, citrus, and rosemary.

At Breathing Room, we understand our actions have implications.  In the design of the space, we chose the most environmentally friendly design, selecting bamboo for the flooring and juice bar panels.  Similarly, we are mindful of waste; instead of selling standard plastic water bottles, students are encouraged to refill reusable water bottles at our reverse osmosis filtering system on us.  We use recycled materials for our retail packaging.  We offer Jade Harmony Mats for sale; not only are these mats the best for preventing slippage, they are also made from natural renewable rubber, no PVC.  We want to practice the same mindfulness towards our environment as we do in our poses. 

{ culture, baby }
There is a Sanskrit word, lila, which means the divine play of the universe.  Now, nobody said yoga is easy.  (Or if they did, they weren’t doing it right!)  Though our work on the mat can be tough, and often profound, it can also be fun.  It is okay to laugh in yoga class, even encouraged!  If you can giggle at yourself falling out of tree pose – timber! – you learn to lighten up about a disappointment in your day. 

Breathing Room celebrates the joy of yoga and the community that arises within a studio.  We invite yoga students of Charlotte to experience the studio as much more than asana.  We offer special classes and workshops on a variety of topics to open minds, inspire, and deepen understanding.  We offer family classes to include loved ones on the mat (and to dispel fears that one’s wife/husband has joined a cult.)  We’d love folks to enjoy the Pure Bar before or after class – even meet a friend for tea during a class!  Maybe you just wanted to shop that day.  We don’t judge.

Creativity is an extension of yoga.  We consider ourselves warriors for the diversification and groovification of Charlotte; we adore the South End!  We aim to celebrate the arts at Breathing Room, and build on the appreciation already brewing in the South End.  Our walls are adorned with pieces from local artists intermingling with international favorites; we offer jewelry from independent artisans, too.  We support the United Family Services’ Art with a Heart by hosting their featured artist party.  We recruit musicians to perform during special evening classes.  We invite the neighborhood for a bite and beverage during the South End’s Gallery Crawl, one Friday each month.

Jump in!  The water is warm.  And peaceful.