Williams closes its doors…
In the fall of 2019, we were approached with an opportunity to expand our studios into the space that was Yoga Shala on Williams. Plans were drawn out, equipment was purchased, and in February of 2020 the Williams location was slated to open April 1st. It has been three years exactly since our hopeful start date. March 2020, weeks after signing the lease, the pandemic arrived in Portland and the state government ordered us to close down. There was no clear “right” moment to reopen our new space to the public. During the shutdown, bills were still being paid every month. We took loans; a few have been forgiven but a few we still carry to this day. There were, and still remain to some extent, people who are not ready to return to a studio experience. We hoped to build a sustainable community before the costs became too great. We missed the mark.
This week we had to make the resilient decision to close the Williams location on behalf of our larger community and our long term sustainability. Friday, March 31st was the last day for any classes to be held. The adversity and lasting impact from the global pandemic was harder than anyone could have anticipated. Alongside trying to recover our Belmont location, we did everything we could for the two years Williams operated to gain traction. The part that breaks my heart is that the Williams location was improving in attendance and many students found sanctuary there. The community was beginning to blossom and the energy in the space was beginning to shift. Here are a few statements from Williams teachers that capture the joy and love for the space and the people who visited.
“It is truly unfortunate to have to close these doors, although we should remember that our dedication to healthy (and fun) movement sparks from within. I have loved working with this NoPo community, and hope to see them in the Belmont studio in the future. As I have learned from movement arts, the transitions are an exercise all of their own as well. We gotta keep moving with our breath, and wobble so we don’t fall down.” - Eva Strickland
“The only way forward is thru! I’m staying on the sub list because I love and value this community. Sending all the love to The Practice Space as things evolve and grow as does our practice.” - Clare Hesterman
“I will miss the space, but most of all I will miss the people! Thanks to all who were committed to coming to class every week, we had so much fun with these walls and I hope you continue to find that magic in your practice” - Alina Rutschky
During transition through adversity, I have to dig deep and plant more seeds of hope for unforeseen dreams. At the moment we signed the lease for Williams, I felt a little scared but also felt excited for the dream I was manifesting. I felt joyful for all the opportunities such a beautiful space could hold for teachers and students.
Lily Matson reflects on her experience at Williams saying “The Williams location is so dear to me. The growth into that studio in 2019 allowed me to teach full time for The Practice Space. This rare opportunity to teach for one studio, along with the amazing tight-knit community of students there, helped me feel grounded and supported in my teaching. The memories I have at Williams will stay with me forever and while I’m sad about the studio’s closing I’m hopeful that one location will create more opportunity for community building with both students and staff. See you at Belmont!”
In December of 2019, I was captivated by the Williams location and its high ceilings, the lotus light in the lobby, and the comfy cork floors. This space was not “new”. Mandy Kruger, who has taught at Williams for over a decade, was witness to wise and well known educators like Ram Das and Auyrvedic Doctor Dr. Svoboda.
Mandy shares her thoughts on this closure, “Change: it happens. The closing of Williams marks a significant threshold of ending for me, but the energy cultivated there, the relationships formed and forged continue on with vitality. I’ve been at Williams Ave a long time through many iterations of myself and the space. I’m grateful for the rich arc of growth I can feel in this moment of reflection. Thank you. If the yoga practice has taught me anything, it is to keep the mind centered and anchored. Free from doubt, amidst the fluctuation and changes of life, as awareness is eternal and unwavering. May we all trust in transitional energy as it's offering up something new that’s still percolating in the realm of the unseen.”
Dreams being manifested can look like that which we desire but can suddenly shift in mysterious unfamiliar ways, unlocking additional potential we could never have imagined. I agree that this transition is bringing awareness to something percolating that I wasn’t aware of months ago. I consider Meghan Maris my teacher and am lucky to have her words as guidance. She eloquently and subtly draws my attention to attachments that got us here and shares her perspective on what these transitions gift us.
Meghan writes, “Times of change and uncertainty hold the opportunity to widen our perspective and witness the human condition with greater clarity. Practices of self-inquiry and contemplation allow one to view an ending as an opportunity to reinvision and re-create. Considering change as a bardo of the liminal realm may provide insight on how we can re-envision the way we understand times of adjustment which are disorienting. In the midst of change, we are suspended between two realities. What we have known no longer exists and yet we are in a freefall of what is to come. The bardo reminds us the importance of letting go of what was so we can be present with what is. Welcoming the unknown of the in-between state dismantles our attachments and invigorates our vitality. Letting go of what was, allows us to be fully alive and being fully alive in our “confident self” is how we honor what was, and what is to become.”
My vision has persisted but also reformed and reshaped through many situations since I became responsible for the then Yoga Bhoga and Cascadia Pilates. And with Meghan’s words still spiraling, I consider how rocky bumps on the road have forced me to become more open to the possibility of how that vision will be imagined. This recent event is the kick in my pants for the next phase of this work we do at The Practice Space. I consider the past events that felt like dramatic mini-deaths ,and joyfully share that all of them have resulted in phenomenal unexpected silver linings.
The suddenness of this announcement is due to my own choice to hold on to the space for as long as economically possible. It was my attachment. I wanted to give this start up a friggin’ chance, even in the worst of circumstances. I pushed it until my hands were tied and I realized that my family could no longer take the risk to keep this location open. Sienna responds to this sudden change with wise and optimistic words.
“In light of the sudden closure of our beautiful Williams studio, I want to give gratitude to the amazing team and loyal students we had there for their resilience, openness, flexibility, and drive to make it a welcoming home for movement exploration. I hope that all of us affected can dig into our bodies' innate intelligence and adaptability to find the open doors after the closing of this one.” - Sienna Kresge
The Practice Space. Our mission is to teach, gather and lead people toward a dedicated practice so they can live with physical autonomy and emotional resilience. I’m in tears being able to write this letter not only from my own words but from the wise words of my colleagues. These generous beings are recognizing this transition with honesty and loving kindness, even during rapid changes to their personal lives. Teachers and students, who I quickly pulled the rug out from under, are sharing words that exemplify a emotional resilience in action. They are taking their embodied connection into a real life moment of uncertainty and overcoming it with grace. I’m so proud of how we are all showing up together. In a moment that could be perceived as a failure, as friends we instead embrace its inner wisdom and teachings. We are optimistic for what new doors may be opening.
Williams studio manager Amber leaving you with these words. “I give thanks to this beautiful space that held us. In line with the paradox of so many great teachings we will now contract into one studio space where we are able to expand our offerings I am moved by the stories being shared with us about loss, the challenge of being a small business, and navigating the unknown in all kinds of ways. Thank you for the compassion, the encouragement, the recognition of what is happening and how it feels, the brave questions, please keep them coming! A great gift we give to each other in community is to see and be seen, to speak and feel heard. At The Practice Space we are here to listen and witness and share stories now and for the seasons to come.
A few months ago I wrote about how I had to find the grit and dedication to being a studio owner. To being the business woman. To overcome economic pandemic diversity and be “the studio that survived and thrived”. After this week, I have found space in my mind and heart to thrive in a new and careful way. In the last year my ego created a mirage, I “saw” my vision but it was actually my attachments. After a full nights rest, I woke with clarity. The waters are still and now I see a path back to my purpose to be in service to the community. I am motivated to show, share, and speak to my belief that every person has the birth right to live a joyful life through physical and emotional health.
With many emotions,
Krista
