4-minute read
A second Yoga Pointe location opens Friday, March 13, in the Highland City Publix Plaza.
On Saturday, March 14, starting at 8 a.m., the studio is offering eight free 30-minute public classes ranging from Simply Stretch and Yin Yoga to Hot Yoga and Vinyasa.
They’ll have locally-made snacks, drinks, and giveaways to welcome people into the space. The studio will begin following its regular schedule on Sunday, March 15.
A solid foundation
Sixteen years ago, Jana Whiddon founded Yoga Pointe in a one-room location in Scottsdale Plaza. The studio grew and moved into a two-room space in the same plaza. Then in 2020, Yoga Pointe doubled in size again, moving to its current location in the Southgate Shopping Center.
Whiddon said she started teaching yoga in 2002 as a group fitness instructor at Gold’s Gym, but she gained a deeper understanding while pursuing her Ph.D. in Mental Health Counseling.
“I had always been drawn to physical exercise to promote my own well-being,” Whiddon said. She decided to focus her doctoral research on yoga. “That’s where I started my personal journey with it, and it was life-changing for me.”
Whiddon said teaching yoga is about commonality — connecting, uplifting, and inspiring each other. “It all starts with the teachers and their commitment to what they do,” she said. That commitment is the foundation of the Yoga Pointe community and Whiddon’s inspiration for deciding to grow the studio once again.
Highland City Yoga Pointe
The new studio shares some features that are also found in the Southgate location, and many teachers will lead classes at both. One of those teachers, Georgia Lynn Dean, has painted custom mandalas on the walls at both Southgate and Highland City.
Whiddon said the mandalas set the tone for the space. The Sun Studio features an orange mandala and a wall of windows to let in natural light. It is designed for hot yoga with infrared heating in the ceiling. “When the heaters are on,” Whiddon said, “it feels like you’re standing underneath the sun.” The Mood Studio has high open ceilings and a moon-inspired mandala.
Both studios have special foam flooring, specifically designed for yoga. It’s antimicrobial and better for knees.
With the expansion, Whiddon hired a few additional new teachers and staff members, adding a total of eight employees.
Grounding and uplifting
In the days leading up to their grand opening, the Yoga Pointe in Highland City added at least 50 new members. Whiddon’s goal is for 100 members in the first month.
“It’s wonderful. It’s invigorating,” she said. “It’s exciting to know that people are also looking forward to it.” She hopes the location’s convenience will help more students make yoga an essential part of their lives.
Whiddon sees Yoga Pointe as grounding yet uplifting. “While they may sound very different, they’re really complementary,” she said. “We all walk around with all these amazing inner resources to manage all the things that life throws our way, but we forget about them. Obstacles get in our way.”
“We really want to ground people … we want to connect them to their inner resources,” Whiddon said. “And then uplift because people are amazing … what we’re capable of. We often don’t see our potential.”
Grand opening
Members are invited to celebrate the grand opening on Friday with the first classes, Hot Yoga Express and Pilates Sculpt, at 5 p.m.
Both Yoga Pointe locations offer classes seven days a week.
If you’re new to yoga or nervous about trying a new studio, “Just get in the door, and we’ll take it from there,” said Marni Tamayo, manager of student experience.
“Most people walk in the door because they need something or want something shifted in their life, whether it be physically or mentally or emotionally,” said Whiddon. Once they give it a try, she said, “They fall in love with it.”
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