Blog Articles

Bliss Yoga Studio

Wednesday, March 9, 2016

At Bliss Yoga Studio the practice of yoga is much more than a simple definition of a system of exercises designed to enhance the mind and induce spiritual insight and tranquility. Yoga at Bliss is a form of community connection with a genuine goal of bringing people together in a calming environment. Bliss Studio works with Autism Ontario, Energy Services, Taylor Made Yoga, and many more wonderful organizations that admirably demonstrate their involvement and dedication to the community.

Bliss Studio recently opened in October of 2012, but was a project in the making for two years prior. Their location and space is reminiscent of a divine getaway to a cozy and relaxing lodge. Leave your shoes at the door and step into your home away from home, where the instructors and fellow yogis welcome you like family with open arms. The warm entrance invites you in, welcoming you to take a seat by the fire. Even the change rooms are elegantly designed leaving you with a sense of belonging and feeling naturally comfortable.
Currently there are four studios within Bliss, each with a name that truly captures the essence of what they offer. Two of the rooms are centered around over sized picture windows, showcasing a breathtaking view of Barrie’s magnificent waterfront. Each studio room has been designed and developed for a variety of yoga practices, from a spin class, to warm and hot yoga, even a levitation room with straps hanging from the ceiling for suspended yoga. The next step is to build a fifth studio on the main level that is designed for therapeutic yoga. A beneficial offering that Ann takes great pride in since she practices with an injury of her own. After all, yoga in its purest form has a healing nature about it.

The unique thing about Bliss Yoga Studio though is that it has more to offer than just a yoga studio. It has become a part of the community, a real sense of belonging, and an ever-cultivated place to simply breath in life’s precious moments and offerings. But how can you view something so structurally tangible as an elusive feeling? The answer is simple, and it comes back to Ann herself.
Ann has been practicing yoga since she was eight years old, reverently taught by her school librarian. Ann early on learned the power yoga could have over ones body, mind and spirit. She is a proud athlete who takes yoga for what it is, a playful and calming way to control ones happiness. Because, simply put, yoga makes her happy.

Originally a schoolteacher, bringing the study of yoga into her grade 6 and 8 classrooms, Ann has since been teaching yoga for 23 years. Her knowledge and effortless love for the practice has been a mainstay in Barrie for 9 years now, and she first started out renting space in the well-known brewery, which is now located next to her fabulous studio. She has a passion and connection to teaching, and uniquely has the ability to draw you in with her personality. Her love for athletics has driven her to privately work with professional athletes all throughout Barrie, from NHL players, Colts players, Triathletes, and many more.

Ann’s presence can inexplicably overwhelm you with emotion. You can truly breath in everything she is feeling, and just hearing her talk to you about what she believes in has you equally passionate about life, health, and community. Ann wants people to love yoga; to practice it because it is an art and because it is good for you. She tries to promote it in a way that doesn’t discriminate – old, young, male, female, beginner, expert, athlete, non-athlete, healthy, disabled, wealthy, and financially troubled. Bliss Studio holds karma classes where the only payment asked for is whatever loose change or perishable food you can spare, and then it is donated to the local food bank. After all, yoga isn’t just a workout, it’s a way of life, and life is Bliss.