About Yoga East

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Locations

Holiday Manor Studio
Yoga Mats, Books, Accessories
2226 Holiday Manor Center
Louisville, KY 40222

Kentucky Street Studio
Yoga Mats, Books, Accessories
1125 E Kentucky Street
Louisville, KY 40204

Frankfort Avenue Studio
2001 Frankfort Avenue
Louisville, KY 40206

Phone Numbers

Holiday Manor Manager
Perrie Spaulding-Allen
(502) 425-5415
email
Hours: Mon-Sat 9:00 am - 2:00 pm
Call Perrie for questions about membership, payment and registration, class schedules, inventory and purchasing.

President
Laura Spaulding
(502) 585-9642
email
Call Laura for questions about teacher training, employment, scholarships, and legal or financial matters.

Frankfort Avenue Studio
2001 Frankfort Avenue
Louisville, KY 40206
(no email or phone at this location)
Phone Holiday Manor or
Kentucky Street for information.

About Us

Yoga East Officers and Board of Directors
President and CEO: Laura Spaulding
Vice-President: Karen Strobel
Treasurer: Louis Martin
Secretary: Perrie Spaulding-Allen
Director: Victor Davenport (IT and computer support)

Administration for All Locations:
Manager: Perrie Spaulding-Allen
Holiday Manor 502-425-5415 Monday-Saturday 9:00 am-2:00 pm

Our History

Yoga East was founded in 1974 by Maja Trigg and incorporated as a non-profit educational organization in 1978. Maja retired in 1994 and trained three of her students to teach yoga and assume management of the organization she founded. Donna O'Bryan, Linda Hodge and Laura Spaulding took over in April, 1994 and opened a small basement studio on Grinstead Drive. In 1996 Yoga East moved to a larger studio at 1119 E. Kentucky Street. In 1999 we moved up the street to a newly-renovated building at 1135 East Kentucky Street. The old Kentucky Street studio was a lovely space with lavender walls, glass block windows and a deck overlooking the creek. Sadly, on August 17, 2005, a section of the concrete roof cracked in half and the roof collapsed into the studio. Luckily no one was injured but the building was damaged beyond repair. A year later, in September, 2006, we moved to 1121 E. Kentucky St, next door to our first Kentucky Street location. In March, 2001, we opened our second location at the Holiday Manor Shopping Center. We opened the Bonnycastle Studio, our 3rd location in March, 2004. In June, 2006 we arranged to have a year-round residential retreat center in Mysore, India to enable our students and teachers to study with K. Pattabhi Jois. In February, 2007, we took over the space formerly leased by Full Moon Yoga. In December, 2007 we expanded the Kentucky Street studio to add another studio space, office, storage space and library and closed the Bonnycastle Studio (which we had outgrown). Yoga East has grown over the years, but our corporate philosophy and mission has remained the same: To make the benefits of yoga available to all in the Greater Louisville community.

Did you know...?

Contributions to Yoga East are tax-deductible charitable donations. You can help us to extend the benefits of yoga to more people by volunteering your time and expertise, as well as by donations. Call us or ask your teacher how you can help. Phone the office for information at 502-585-9642. Please help support our programs. No amount is too small, and every donation is deeply appreciated.

Our Non-Profit Mission
We have fulfilled our non-profit mission by:

Offering Low-Cost Yoga Classes
We offer more classes, including a greater variety of classes for lower fees than any other yoga studio or fitness center. Very few studios in the world offer the combination of classes we offer, including daily Mysore-style Ashtanga yoga.
Teaching yoga to people who might otherwise never have access to its benefits
We have offered classes, many at no charge or at greatly reduced charges, to teenagers and children at Ballard High School, St. Bernard School, Detrick Educational Center, Eliahu Academy, Hayfield Montessori School, Kneseth Israel Preschool, St. Francis School, River City Correctional Facility, Seven Counties Mental Health, The Center for Women and Families, and The Healing Place (shelter for women in recovery). Yoga East also led the Louisville Yoga Community's efforts to raise funds for Breast Cancer Research by participating in the national event called "Positive Yoga." Yoga East instructors provide classes to local institutions such as the YMCA and many local fitness centers and churches. The feedback we get from participants in these programs is positive as they begin to experience the uplifting nature of yoga acting in their lives.
2012 MDA Lockup: Yoga East raised over $2000 for the Musculary Dystrophy Association for its 2012 fundraiser.
Tsunami Relief: Yoga East supported relief efforts through donations to Care USA, Prasad Project and Direct Relief International - charitable organizations proving relief to the areas hit by the disaster. From December, 2004 through March, 2005, Yoga East raised and donated $2485.00 to Direct Relief International; Care USA; and The Prasad Project.
Shri K. Pattabhi Jois Birthday Trust: Yoga East has collected donations for this fund 100 percent of which supports charitable projects for disadvantaged children and adults in Mysore, India. Over $24,000 was given by Ashtanga students in the U.S. in honor of Guruji's 90th birthday. Yoga East is the U.S. agent for donations to the Trust.
Hurricane Katrina Victims Relief
Yoga East collected donations for hurricane victims, offered free classes to persons who were displaced by the Gulf Coast disasters and provided financial assistance to yoga studios in the disaster areas.
Grants for Yoga Programs
Grants have been given to Arsha Vidya Gurukulum to support its traditional yoga educational projects and in gratitude for AVG providing us with technical support for Sanskrit word processing, and to Gray Bear Lodge of Hohenwald, Tennessee to support its mission of providing a serene atmosphere for yoga retreats and workshops.
Scholarships for Teacher Training and Education

Mysore Fund
Authorized Ashtanga teachers are required to travel to Mysore, India every 18 months to spend a minimum of one month studying with Shri K. Pattabhi Jois. Donations give teachers financial assistance for international travel and classes at KPJ AYI and also helps Yoga East pay for substitute teachers while teachers are in India. Mark donations: Mysore Fund.

Rhonda Lawson Memorial Scholarship Fund
Named in honor of our teacher training student Rhonda Lawson. The day before she was to have begun our teacher training program in 2004, Rhonda was seriously injured in an automobile accident and passed away a few days later. This scholarship honors the memory of Rhonda, a dedicated student who wanted to bring the benefits of yoga to as many people as possible. Scholarship recipients: Rebecca Thompson, Patty Stark, Joe Autry and Rider Wathen.

Community Yoga Teacher Training
We get many requests for yoga classes for cancer survivors, teens and children, the elderly and other under-served segments of our community. We offer a unique teacher training program for volunteer teachers who agree to teach one free class a week for one year. Our community teachers currently offer classes at Dosker Manor, Elder Serve Oak and Acorn Center, Hosparus and Gilda's Club.

Work-Study Program
Many students and teacher trainees receive work-study opportunities: cleaning the studio, assisting in classes, and teaching.

Gratitude
Our Fabulous Volunteers

Donating a new welcome mat to the Kentucky Street studio: Gina Harper.

Painting and redecorating the Holiday Manor studio on Derby Day, 2012: Sandy Brue, Janet Varon, Diane Estep, John Henry Allen, Jill Waits, Julie and Fernando Rubio, and special thanks to Fernando and Julie for donating the new lobby furniture!

Teaching a day of Yoga classes for the health Fair at Wilder Elementary School: Jennifer Oates, who coordinated everything, Emily Hyberger, Susan Reid, and Leroy Chittenden.

For cleaning the hot yoga room and restroom every week: Diane Estep

For fixing the roof leaks at the Kentucky Street studio - Vernon Cook

For washing the blankets at Holiday Manor: Janet Varon, Betty Adkins, Sandy Brue, Julie Rubio.

For bringing the refreshments for our Season of Lights retreat: Angela Scharfenburger.

Our Decorating Committees - for decorating the studios: Shawna Dellacave, Becky Thompson, Julie Rubio, Sandy Brue and Janet Varon.
The lights and decorations are beautiful!

Heather Cash, Marina Bondar, Leroy Chittenden and Red Clover Catering - Billy Goat Hill Fall Festival October 9.
Deep appreciation to Heather and Marina for being at the Yoga East table, thanks to Heather for supplying the table, to Leroy for another fabulous chair yoga class, and to Red Clover for supplying the vegan pumpkin muffinettes!

Susan Reid and Brandi Mundo- Farm Credit Employees Heath Fair

Thanks to Susan and Brandi for representing Yoga East at the Health Fair.

Janet Varon - Stockoff Trust Award

With deepest appreciation to long-time student Janet Varon for applying for the Mabel G. Stockoff Award on behalf of Yoga East. This award, from Purity Chapter 116, Order of the Eastern Star, granted $1000 to Yoga East. Many, many thanks to Janet.

Kentucky Street Meditation Garden

Many thanks to Joe Autry and Patty Stark for what they have done to the meditation garden at Kentucky Street. Joe and Patty are arranging limestone there and working on the garden - quite a lot of work.

Flowers for the Kentucky Street Studio

Thanks to Tammy Gilder for the beautiful flower arrangements she donates weekly to the Kentucky Street studio from her yard, and while Tammy is out of town for work, Patty takes care of the arrangements with flowers from Tammy's yard.

Seva at Kentucky Street

Thank you to Kay Sanders for opening the Kentucky Street studio in the mornings for the Mysore classes and to Patty Stark for opening in Kay's absence due to the passing of her father. Thank you to Shawna Dellacave and Becky Thompson for cleaning the Kentucky Street studio every week.
Thank you to Patty Stark for assisting in the Mysore classes.

Frankfort Avenue Studio

Thank you to Susan Schroeder for taking charge of the schedule at Frankfort Avenue during the Summer of 2011.

Holiday Manor

Thank you to Deborah Denenfeld for assisting with the Gentle Yoga Class and to Traci D'Antoni for assisting with the Saturday Hatha Yoga classes.

WHAS-11 Health and Fitness Expo

Thank you to the members of the Mysore Ashtanga class for turning out for our yoga demo at the WHAS-11 Heath and Fitness Expo this past weekend: Dan Johnson, Shawna Dellacave, Rider Wathen, Joe Autry, Jude Vanderhoff, Niki Walls, Kim Eisner, Patty Stark, John Virag, and Mary Jane Zimmerman. Thank you to the volunteers who staffed our booth: Emily Thompson, Carmen Cannello, Mary Jane Zimmerman, Niki Walls, Donna Broughton and Lauren Isenberg.

Best of Louisville Bash at Churchill Downs

Thank you to Chefs Amber McCool and Matt Jones for making their fabulous Bourbon-Smoked Nuts for our give-away at the Louisville Magazine Best Of Louisville Bash at Churchill Downs on Thursday.

Our Volunteer Teachers

Thank you to Niki Walls for offering a weekly class at Frankfort Avenue; and to Shawna Dellacave for a weekly class at Kentucky Street. Thank you to Leroy Chittenden for teaching six classes a week to seniors through Elderserve and, with volunteer student Paul Porter, a children's yoga class at the California Day Care Center at the Louisville Housing Authority. Thank you to Becky Thompson and Bev Hurt for their weekly class at Gilda's Club for cancer survivors and family members; to Bev Hurt for classes at the Fern Creek Community Center, to Julie Rubio for her classes in Madison, Indiana, and to Sandy Brue for seniors classes in Hodgensville. Many, many thanks to Susan Reid, Kim Eisner, Gail Minotti and Erin Kinder who all teach classes as volunteers, and this enables us to have so many classes on our schedule.
Thank you also to students Karen Bell and Becky Timerding who stepped in to teach my class at the Louisville Presbyterian Seminary the day my mother broke her hip in May.

By your efforts and generosity of our volunteers, so many people are uplifted and their lives are changed. If you would like to volunteer your services, phone Laura Spaulding at 502-585-9642 to find out how you can help. Your service and donations keep Yoga East going. Income from class fees is not enough to fund our mission. Your service and tax-deductible contributions enable Yoga East to offer the benefits of yoga to many people who would otherwise not have access to yoga.