Erin Huot, owner of Venture, doing a forearm stand.
Erin Huot will bring a non-judgemental style of Vinyasa yoga to Darien on Sept. 4, with the opening of Venture Yoga and Wellness studio.
Venture Yoga invites residents to their “wine and cheese” grand opening celebration on Saturday, Sept.8. Tickets are available on their website, ventureyogastudio.com.
Huot, the owner of the studio, said she is “really excited to be part of the community.” She decided that Darien was the perfect location after looking at nearby towns.
The studio will offer several types of classes: Hot Vinyasa, Vinyasa Flow without the Heat, Prenatal yoga, Mommy and Me and introductory yoga. It will also offer one-on-one sessions. Huot called Vinyasa a “new phenomenon” that has gained popularity in recent years. It is also called “flow yoga” because of the smooth way in which the poses change.
“There’s a need for hot yoga and a yoga facility that’s energetic,” Huot said. Her vision is to build a community that enjoys exercising. The studio does not have mirrors to reduce anxiety and keep participants focused. Venture is positioned near the Metro North station and Huot noticed women dropping their husbands off at the station in the morning because of the tight parking situation.
In her research, Huot realized that Darien is a family community that would benefit from classes targeted at women with children and expecting mothers.
Venture will offer classes that are appropriate from the prenatal stage to after the birth. “We want to create a place they can come to before they’re thinking of getting pregnant,” Huot said. Mothers can bring their young children to the “Mommy and Me” program, which develops bonds through yoga. The final stage is to “work to get mom’s body back.”
Though there are no specific difficultly levels for most classes at the studio, they have one introductory class for people who don’t know the basic terminology and poses. “You can literally have no experience or be a yogi,” Huot said. “Everyone will feel fulfilled.”
Venture partnered with Green & Tonic to provide an organic juice bar. Visitors will be able to order from a selection of healthy juices before their class and receive their refreshing drink afterwards, Huot said. Venture will have wellness coaching available to complete the package. One of the yoga teachers, Peggy Lyons, is a certified health counselor and Sarah Koch, is a registered dietician. Lyons is the creator of the “Lean with E.N.V.Y.-Exercise, Nutrition, Vision, Yoga” Program. Huot plans to hire a aesethetician and a massage therapist in the future.
Venture Yoga currently has a LivingSocial.com deal available online. The studio is located at 10 Center Street on the second floor, above Darien Social.
ydavydov@darientimes.com
