Business Spotlight: Main Street Yoga

Walking into Main Street Yoga, you immediately think, "wow." High ceilings, calming white tones on the walls, gleaming hardwood floors, and the scent of essential oils set the mood for men and women alike searching for a healthier lifestyle, holistic wellness, and a calming yoga experience.

"I named it Main Street Yoga rather than some exotic name to dispel some of the misconceptions people have about yoga with the hope that they would be a little less intimidated about coming in."

Angela Hammond, a life-long Marion County resident, started practicing yoga in the late 90s, and from the beginning, dreamed that someday she would teach yoga and bring a studio to Fairmont. In March of 2016, Angela was near the end of her teacher training and started looking for the studio space to fulfill her dream. She viewed several locations, but while scrolling on Facebook, Angela saw a photo of a place for rent on Adams Street posted by Main Street Fairmont's director. Two days later, she signed a lease. Two weeks later, on April 1, 2016, she opened the doors to Main Street Yoga.

"I love giving people a positive reason to come to downtown. Once they visit, they find there is more to do downtown other than going to court or paying taxes."

Angela believes that yoga is for anyone who wants to learn more about their bodies, improve their immune system and overall health and wellness. COVID-19 has reminded us how crucial a robust immune system and the ability to handle daily stresses are to our overall wellness.

"Many people think of yoga as a woman's activity or exercise, which is not true; yoga was exclusively a male activity for thousands of years."

Many people are under the misconception that yoga is for people with long, lithe bodies who can do ridiculous poses. They see images on social media and immediately think “There's no way I could ever do that. That's not for me.” But Main Street Yoga offers something for everyone: a wide range of classes from restorative yoga (which is all about relaxation) to beginners yoga to more challenging yoga classes. New students need not worry about joining at any time. Whenever a new student comes into the group, Angela goes back to basics to bring new students up to speed. Existing students in the beginners classes don't mind going back and reviewing the basics – everyone needs a refresher occasionally.

While Main Street Yoga can accommodate up to twenty people, today, the average class size is about ten people. During the pandemic shutdown, Main Street Yoga started live-streaming their classes and continue to do so via video conferencing. Individuals interested in taking a class can reserve a spot in any yoga class online at www.mainstreetyogafmt.net.

In addition to group yoga classes, Angela also provides yoga teacher training at the 200-hour level as well as group and individual health coaching. One of the newest offerings at Main Street Yoga is Ayurvedic Health Counseling. The word Ayurveda comes from Sanskrit, ayur (meaning life) and veda (meaning knowledge). Combined, Ayurveda is a form of holistic medicine that seeks to treat and integrate body, mind, and spirit using a comprehensive approach that includes the four pillars of health: diet, sleep, lifestyle, and energy management.

"Think of Ayurveda as the opposite of western medicine. Western medicine treats symptoms; Ayurveda gets to the root of the problem."

Some of the people now coming to Angela for personal coaching started by taking yoga classes.

Angela is excited to lead her first international retreat this fall in Costa Rica. In addition to morning and evening yoga classes, “Our primary objective will be to slow down and tune in to what our bodies are telling us. We’ll learn Ayurvedic practices that support the health of our bodies and mind.” You can find out more about the retreat at https://truenaturetravels.com/retreats/yoga-costa-rica-angela-2021/.

Find Main Street Yoga at:

228 Adams Street, Fairmont, WV 26554

Studio Hours: Based on Class Schedule

Online at:

Website: https://www.mainstreetyogafmt.net/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/mainstreetyogafmt

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mainstreetyogafmt/