Detroiter Kerrie Trahan began practicing yoga over 12 years ago, when she first participated in a class at the Boll Family YMCA, but it wasn't until she moved to South Korea that yoga began to wind its way into her life in a much deeper way.
After discovering the practice helped her overcome depression and grief, she began working toward becoming a registered yoga teacher. That study has taken her to Thailand and India, where she amassed enough knowledge to earn a RYT-300 certificate. She brought that knowledge home to Detroit and began sharing it with her family and friends. Out of that was born Yoganic Flow, a community-based yet transient organization that holds pop up classes around the city.
Unlike the myriad yoga studios in Detroit (see a short list here), Yoganic Flow is a community yoga organization, which means classes are cheaper than at a regular studio. Trahan says she decided to go with a less expensive format because she is passionate about bringing the benefits of yoga to everyone, not just those who can spend $22 on a single class.
"There's enough yoga for people who have money," Trahan laughs. "This is for students, mothers, people who might not have great paying jobs."
Offering low-cost classes has hindered her search for a more permanent space, however, and she says she's had a hard time finding a building that's up to code while also remaining affordable for a fledgling yoga studio.
"A lot of building owners don't want to make their building usable in a legitimate way," she says. "Rent is just really expensive, and we can't afford a lot."
A partnership with the Grand River Workplace, a co-working space and business incubator in the Grandmont Rosedale neighborhood, will give Trahan a chance to test out her business model and attract new students. Yoganic Flow will offer daily classes inside the building for the next six months, with a possible three month extension, giving Trahan nearly a year to build up her business.
The partnership will allow for daily yoga classes for seniors and families as well as hatha, vinyasa, hip-hip, and yin yoga. Drop-in classes are available for $10 and are taught by a certified registered yoga instructor.
To celebrate, Trahan is offering free classes all day on Saturday, Feb. 24 inside the new space. Grand River Workplace is located at 19120 Grand River Ave. A party with light refreshments will start at 1:30 p.m., where guests can If check out the space, meet with instructors, and ask some questions.
More information and a full schedule of classes is available here.
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