Building a yoga studio to fit the needs of the community, complete with Elevate Internet

Montrose has long been a community of agriculture and western lifestyle, not exactly the place you would expect to find a vibrant yogi community. But as it turns out, that is exactly what Melissa Lowe unearthed when she founded the Yoga House in June 2018.

Not long after moving to Montrose, Melissa went searching for a yoga family to call her own. In her search, Melissa, instead found an underserved community of yogis who, like herself, had nowhere to go to share their passion and grow their practice.

Then one night, while out-and-about, Melissa’s husband mentioned that there was an open building that would be perfect for a yoga studio. Melissa, being no stranger to entrepreneurship, put together a business plan overnight and made an offer the next day.

Any trepidation Melissa felt about starting a yoga studio in the middle of this rural landscape was quickly quashed as yoga devotees and enthusiasts from around the Western Slope rallied around her and her purpose. Even finding quality instructors was easier than Melissa had anticipated. So easy, in fact, that Melissa didn’t even have to look; they found her.

Melissa’s vision for the Yoga House is a studio that advances a diversity of styles and fits into busy life schedules. Classes in the morning, over lunch breaks, and in the evenings, with offerings that range from prenatal, to trapeze, to paddleboard yoga support this vision. In short, the Yoga House team built a yoga studio to fit the needs of their community.

In just over one year after opening its doors, the Yoga House has welcomed 843 of us and become a registered yoga school with the certifications to train other instructors. And, this October, Yoga House is hosting the first ever Montrose Yoga Festival! Like her entire journey, Melissa approached this festival with tempered expectations. Expectations that were once again quelled within hours of announcing it when yogis from across the Western Slope volunteered to participate and the registration list exploded.

As the Yoga House’s vision, “To celebrate yoga on the western slope and to inspire and grow the community” takes shapes, Melissa hopes to make Montrose a yoga destination, hosting trainings, retreats, and festivals, all while supporting the growth of a dynamic yogi community.

And yes, as you might have imagined, there is a connection between the Yoga House and Elevate Internet, and it’s not just a fiber connection. Like the folks who endeavor to fill their community with delightful things, Elevate is proud to be given the opportunity to support small business owners and the folks that they help connect. Oh yeah, and without Elevate the Yoga House wouldn’t be able to stream live music to flow to, or track their 844th unique visitor.

“Do what you love, do what you are passionate about, look for others that feel the same way, then connect and collaborate”, Melissa Lowe.