A longtime yoga hub in Charlotte is closing its doors, and a new studio is moving in
Note: Charlotte Family Yoga will host its grand opening on Dec. 2.
The story of a yoga studio that began its brick-and-mortar story 13 years ago in a tiny building on a triangle-shaped lot in NoDa Charlotte has come to an end — 5 miles down the road in Oakhurst.
NoDa Yoga has announced that it will close its doors at the end of the month. The last day of classes will be Tuesday, Nov. 28. The space will not go empty, however — Vicie Moran, co-owner of Charlotte Family Yoga, will open Charlotte Family Yoga Oakhurst.
“The driving mission of Charlotte Family Yoga is to create an inclusive yoga community that can meet students where they are in their practice,” stated a shared Instagram post from the two studios on Monday.
NoDa Yoga’s history
NoDa Yoga was actually born before it occupied that tiny purple and green building — the concept took flight in 2008, in the front room of Maria Hallowell’s loft at Highland Mills. Hallowell, along with Jillian Longsworth and Jenny Busco, were NoDa Yoga’s original owners. In 2010, the team moved into the 704-square-foot building at the intersection of Whiting Avenue and 35th Street (soon to be the location of Donut I Love You).
The studio offered adaptive, yin, gentle, warm, vinyasa, restorative and trauma-informed yoga.
NoDa Yoga moved to Davidson Street in 2015, where it occupied a second-floor space that required a trek up metal stairs above Cabo Fish Taco. Here, the props room always smelled like a mixture of essential oils and food from the restaurant kitchen below — a perfectly NoDa experience for yogis of all experience levels who would practice, and then perhaps consider tacos after?
My personal favorite NoDa Yoga evenings involved Monday night deep stretch classes followed by the BOGO doughnuts once offered on Mondays at Reigning Doughnuts — or flow yoga followed by $5 wine Wednesdays at the old Dolce Vita wine bar that’s now a Sabor.
A second home: NoDa Yoga Oakhurst was born
In 2019, NoDa Yoga announced plans for expansion into the Oakhurst/MoRA area, with plans for a second studio. This location, intended as location No. 2, was more accessible for yogis struggling to navigate the steep stairs in NoDa. It was larger — 2,000 square feet — offering space for two studios to hold classes at the same time. It was run by Jillian Longsworth, who brought on partner Craig Rasmussen.
The Davidson Street studio in NoDa pivoted to become donation-only after the pandemic began, and then it closed its doors in late 2021 or early 2022.
Now, the studio will close its remaining Oakhurst location, citing the financial and emotional hurdles that come along with trying to keep a business going during the ongoing pandemic.
“Closing is bittersweet. The pandemic really changed the trajectory of my life as I know it did for so many,” Longsworth told me on Monday evening. “Owning a small business was always challenging, but even more so during and post pandemic. We all found that we could do yoga from the comfort of our homes where streaming became a norm and in-studio classes took years to rebuild. Our business did not qualify for PPP and we made personal financial sacrifices to keep the doors open.
“As stressful as it was, I don’t think we would have changed a thing. NoDa Yoga was always a space that believed in a more altruistic society where acts of service (yoga in the community) can change lives,” she said. “I am forever grateful for the community that is NoDa Yoga. It is wild how much of an impact the studio has had on my life and so many others.”
Charlotte Family Yoga, a local favorite
Concord-based Charlotte Family Yoga is focused on inclusivity and small classes. The studio features power flow, hot yoga, deep stretch, yin yoga and more. It offers both in-person and virtual options (Pro tip: Don’t miss out on Moran’s Rocket Yoga for a fun upside down practice!)
“As we (Charlotte Family Yoga) approach the 5 year anniversary of being in the vitality building, it’s scary and exciting to move into a new hub within Charlotte,” Moran emailed on Tuesday. “We can’t wait to share the fun, family, and connection of Charlotte Family Yoga with the Oakhurst community!”
Several of NoDa Yoga’s teachers will remain at Charlotte Family Yoga’s new Oakhurst location. Details about class packages and expiration dates will be sent to members in the coming weeks.
NoDa Yoga/Charlotte Family Yoga Oakhurst
Location: 1620 Oakhurst Commons Dr Suite 301, Charlotte, NC 28205
Instagram: @nodayoga and @charlottefamilyyogaoakhurst
This story was originally published October 3, 2023 at 7:00 AM.
