For Abbey Weston, turning up the heat is a sure fire way to rest, relax and deal with stress. And in downtown Lansing, there's a new place where the heat is always on.
Weston co-owns the
Firefly Hot Yoga Bar, a repurposed space on downtown's Washington Square that provides a place for yoga enthusiasts and those seeking an invigorating way to decompress.
"Our goal is to encourage people to be part of the downtown community and offer another venue for yoga, too," says Weston.
Weston and her business partner Patty Sutherland got the idea to open a second location of their East Lansing-based Firefly Hot Yoga Bar after seeing the potential of renovating a storage and office area above
Kewpee Sandwich Shoppe. The 100-year-old building has been in Weston's family for more than 40 years, and she said she always loved the upstairs space.
"Patty and I went up there and we could see the bones of the building and the structure and how awesome it could be," says Weston. "We could envision the exposed brick, a skylight, and all the unique architectural features that would make for a great yoga studio."
Weston talked with her brother Tobin who was using the space as an office and storage, and came up with a renovation plan. Starting in August, they sketched out a floorplan, worked with an architect, and upgraded all the necessary mechanicals. By January, they had fashioned a 1,500-square foot studio that featured reclaimed barn wood, extreme sports flooring, and ambiance setting décor like succulents, an ottoman, and a vintage frame from the Lansing Civic Players.
But the most notable feature is the heat—driven by an infrared radiant system that's environmental friendly, noiseless and pegged between 90 and 110 degrees.
"You're getting an infrared sauna session and yoga all in one," says Weston. "Some people practice yoga, other lay in the heat and stretch. We encourage people to do what's right for their bodies."
Firefly's downtown location features about 28 classes a week taught by 15 instructors. Classes include Slow Burn, Kick Your Asana, Sweat and Surrender, Power Lunch, and DeTox to Retox.
"Location dictates a lot of what we do in our lives," says Weston. "Sometimes it's easier for people who work downtown to pop in at lunch or after work. We want to help build that vibrant downtown and see what we can do in Lansing."
Source: Abbey Weston, Partner, Firefly Hot Yoga Bar
Writer: Ann Kammerer, News Editor
Got a story idea for Capital Gains Development News? Email Ann Kammerer here.
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