Caroline Kilgallen
It’s 10 am on a weekday at Widlight Wellness Collective Studio. Men and women, young and old, of all shapes and sizes, come to gather at the dimly lit yoga studio for a free “Community Class.”
Instead of rushing through the class, the instructor focuses on slow movements and breathing exercises. The class ends with a drum-like sound to signify that the practice is coming to a close, allowing the participants to be released back into their busy days with a clearer state of mind.
With incense burning, slow music playing, and a 60-minute time frame, yoga students have the ability to practice free of charge. Jeremy Grace, the owner of Wildlight Wellness, said he believes it’s important to make yoga and wellness accessible.
Located on 612 Trade Street, Wildlight Wellness encompasses several aspects of both wellness and community, attempting to provide greater accessibility to yoga and wellness to the Winston Salem community.
While Downtown Winston-Salem is home to about five other yoga studios, some offering free trials or occasional free classes, Grace said he approaches his studio with a drive for overall accessibility and inclusion. Wildlight Wellness offers three free classes a week, called Community Classes, that are taught in the same format and way that regular, paid classes are.
With a bandanna tied around his head and a soothing voice, Grace’s positive and approachable personality draws all sorts of individuals to his studio. Passionate about his work and proud of the environment fostered at his studio, Grace said that his team wants to make the practice of yoga available to anyone, regardless of their body type. “When the practice is accessible, more people show up,” he said. “We have people as young as 10 years old and as old as 83; everyone here is different and our inclusivity often is not advertised, but it is felt.”
He said that Wildlight Wellness classes draw a diverse crowd: young college girls who are flexible and fit, middle-aged women trying to squeeze in some movement during their day, and older men who can barely touch their toes.
“We don’t want any physical barriers. If you’re coming back from an injury or need some sort of accommodation we are able to work with that,” Grace said. Grace said that while finances can often be a barrier to starting a yoga routine, discomfort in the studio is another often overlooked barrier. Wildlight offers an all men’s class for men who are nervous to try out the practice of yoga. Grace notes that “sometimes guys can be a bit intimidated to try something out that is labeled as feminine or are worried to go to a class because they aren’t flexible.”
Jason Thiel, President of the Winston Salem Downtown Partnership, attends the men’s classes and appreciates the sense of community Grace fosters. “The big part about why these classes are great is because of Jeremy,” Thiel said. “He makes the environment not intimidating.”
Thiel laughed about how inflexible he is. “I’d be a mess in-front of regular yoga-people! It’s nice to be with an unintimidating peer group of men,” he said. “It felt very entry-level, which was perfect.”
“Yo brother, your hair is looking great today!” Grace shouts across the studio. Grace is sure to encourage all students that attend his classes, as many yoga instructors do. As customers put away their mats, and grab their sneakers from the locker, they chatter amongst each other. “See you tomorrow, same time!”
