At home yoga has brought a lot of peace of mind to yogis over the past few chaotic months. That said, there’s something about the in-person yoga experience that is unique and unmatched.
Luckily for local yogis, STRETCH is ready to re-open their doors to Vancouver’s yoga community!
Located on East Pender, the modern yoga studio is restarting in-studio classes on Monday, June 15th. Prior to opening day, they will be welcoming in this new chapter for STRETCH with a pair of special events.
On Friday, June 12 at 8 p.m., STRETCH co-founder Emmanuelle Rousseau will lead a mindfulness session called , taking 8 people through a meditative dream exercise while in hammocks. Serenaded with a soundscape provided by a live performance from viola-musician Genevieve MacKay, participants will get to unplug and relax in a cocoon-like state.
Emmanuelle Rousseau and Genevieve MacKay of SUSPENDED REVERIE, this is not aerial yoga, this is a one hour concert you get to listen to from your own hammock. Photo by Grant Harder.
Then at 5 p.m. on Sunday, June 14, the eve of STRETCH’s official homecoming, yoga instructor Carolyn Anne Budgell will take 20 people through a guided meditation workshop.
At these opening events, both returning and prospective yoga students will get a sampling of all the elements that make STRETCH a nourishing, inspiring, and connected space. From offering inclusive yoga classes with dedicated teachers and often accompanied by live classical performances from Juno-award winning artists and VSO performers, STRETCH is a homebase for yoga enthusiasts of all creeds.
STRETCH is family-owned and operated by Vancouver-based husband and wife duo Boyd Thomson and Emmanuelle Rousseau. With shared passions for the transformative nature of the yoga practice, yoga research programs in North America, and supporting the arts, their backgrounds bring different elements that blend into their creative atmosphere and community-based vision at STRETCH.
STRETCH co-founders Boyd Thomson and Emmanuelle Rousseau with daughter Agatha. Photo Andi McLeish.
During the break, Boyd and Emmanuelle took their classes online and have been focused on reinventing the studio in time for their eventual reopening. Since opening five years ago, they have been committed to maintaining a clean and comfortable environment. In response to the current situation, STRETCH is making the safety of their students, staff, teachers, and musicians their top priority by following the recommendations from WorkSafe BC and Yoga Alliance in response to the on-going COVID-19 pandemic.
In time for their return, STRETCH is offering a special introductory promotion for new students who are looking for a new yoga studio and are new to STRETCH. For $49, new students will receive one month of unlimited classes, which is flexible for both in-studio sessions and their online livestream classes.
The STRETCH team has greatly missed the yoga community and cannot wait to reconnect with everyone in the coming weeks!
For more information, visit and follow STRETCH on and .
