Steelville residents who are looking for ways to stay active indoors during the Winter season have a new option on Main Street. Rise Yoga & Wellness, a first-of-its-kind business in Steelville, celebrated an Oct. 16 ribbon-cutting event after officially opening on Oct. 5 for classes.

The business, located at the heart of Main Street, is owned and operated by mother-and-daughter duo Tonya Richardson and Cayman Carr. Richardson said the business was born from a shared love of yoga between her and Carr. Staying physically active has always been a part of their family dynamic. After Carr picked up yoga during the COVID-19 pandemic as a way to stay active, the pair started bonding over their shared love of the movement, mindfulness and calmness they found in the exercise.

“We went through our own teacher training journeys, and when (Carr) moved back to the community, we knew this was what we wanted to do,” Richardson said.

Their journeys with yoga were different, Richardson said, “but they were leading somewhere that was going to be pretty cool.”

Richardson and Carr started doing yoga pop-up events in Steelville last summer, and had such a positive experience that they decided to open up a permanent studio. According to Richardson, they were excited to provide a unique set of exercise classes that you can’t find anywhere else in Steelville.

“It’s something that really isn’t accessible in small towns and small communities,” Richardson said.

She added that their goal with Rise Yoga & Wellness is to create a space that is more than just an exercise studio — they want to make it a great place for the community to gather.

“It was really important for us to create a space that people would want to come a few minutes early and stay a few minutes later and build that community,” Richardson said. She added that having a permanent studio has allowed them to do just that. “It’s great we see friendships form and people coming together that didn’t know each other before they walked through our doors. That’s just awesome.”

Richardson and Carr try to do a little something extra to make the space welcoming.

Students can look forward to “treats after class,” Richardson said. 

The studio also intentionally has a large lobby with places to sit and a community bookshelf where visitors can take and leave books.

As one of the only yoga studios in the area, Richardson and Carr said they hope to bring people from different parts of the county to Steelville for special events.

Last month, the company hosted an event called “Fall Girl Social,” which brought around 30 women to the community for a yoga retreat followed by a day spent at other local businesses.

Rise Yoga & Wellness has eight instructors who teach classes throughout the week. Classes include offerings like hot, warm and gentle yoga and Pilates for those who want something more slow-paced and mindful. For those who want a class that is more physically intensive, they offer high-intensity interval training classes.

Richardson said that while people may be familiar with what yoga looks like, there is more to the exercise than just stretching.

“People have preconceived notions about what yoga is, but yoga isn’t just what happens on the mat, but also movement and stillness and mindfulness and just paying attention to your breath,” Richardson said. “In a world where we are constantly rushing and moving to the next thing, it’s important to stay present and focused. I feel like we’ve created a space that allows people to pause and move at the same time.”

Richardson also admitted that, for people who have never given it a try, yoga and other movement classes can be intimidating. Her prescription: just take the plunge.

“I think it’s just intimidating. People think of the word yoga and you may see someone balancing in some crazy position, or just sitting still on a mat with their legs crossed,” Richardson said. “It’s just about taking the first step to try it. Just put any preconceived notions aside, come through the door, and give yourself the chance to be a beginner.”