LANCASTER COUNTY, Pa. — FOX43 is trying a staple yoga class, but in a funky and unique location right in downtown Columbia!
“Columbia is here! We’ve been trying to change our words with how we talk about it saying Columbia is up and coming. But we are already there, we’ve already made the changes we already have a lot going on,” said Alison Liebgott, owner and operator of Switchboard Studio and Gallery.
Switchboard Studios' name harkens back to its history as the United Telephone Company building.
“Which is why we call it the switchboard, kind of playing off of the history and the whole point of a switchboard is to connect people,” said Liebgott.
They strive to connect, create and collaborate in all forms of art, including exercise!
"The whole point is to bring as many people as we can, not just from Columbia, but York, in Lancaster, in Harrisburg, and try to bring all of those people into this awesome little river town,” said Liebgott.
You may remember Stormy, from our West End Wall of Yoga feature story, who was inspired to take up yoga after a serious lower spine injury.
He now teaches hatha yoga at Switchboard with a focus on accessibility to those who may need it, like he did when he first started.
“That’s what I am really trying to do to make yoga more accessible. You can make the prices as low as possible, but if a mom has three kids that you know she has to get childcare for, that’s going to prevent her from coming no matter what the price is,” said Stormy.
He says it's important to accommodate everyone, including those with children and fast-paced jobs that may require a small interruption or two during the practice. As a firefighter himself, he has seen his own pager go off and stresses that it's okay that this happens.
Other benefits of attending this slower-paced style of yoga include a sense of peace and mindfulness while deep breathing and working on flexibility.
In addition, it's available at a low price, in a convenient walkable location for those in the neighborhood.
“It’s different but it’s fun and it’s good exercise and it’s good community building, [and] that’s what’s important to me,” said Stormy.
Switchboard Studios and Gallery offer yoga classes Monday and Wednesday evenings, and Saturday mornings, for $10 a class, and all classes have drop-in availability.
To learn more about the yoga instructors click here.