SOUL Yoga owner Jennifer Mitchell opened the yoga studio after moving to Charleston from Delaware in 2013.
by Trevor Gibbs
CHARLESTON, S.C.—Imagine lying peacefully on the beach, feeling the warm breeze and hearing the rhythm of your breath flow in and out just like the waves.
You are there among a community of individuals doing the same, and you leave that space with a deeper understanding of who you are, a heightened sense of present-centered living, and perhaps a healthier, happier outlook on life and the life that surrounds you.
That imagination can become reality at Soul Yoga and Wellness, located in the heart of West Ashley. It is a place where “people feel like it’s home,” according to Jennifer Mitchell, co-owner of the two-year-old yoga studio.
“Our mission and intention is community and connection,” she says.
When Mitchell moved to Charleston from Delaware in 2013, she felt a need for more of that connection. It was this feeling that prompted her to open Soul.
The physical piece of a yoga practice merely scratches the surface of what yoga can offer, and Mitchell desired to create a space with a profound, therapeutic, connection-driven atmosphere.
That style is exactly what you will find at Soul.
There are more than 20 classes offered each week open to all levels of experience. Each class is guided by a certified instructor who is a Charleston local and who holds a “desire to come and connect,” Mitchell said.
If you are seeking a physical practice that builds heat, there are five classes per week with the air temperature set to 90 degrees.
Or you may need some time rooted in deep stretching of the fascia, the fiber-like tissue surrounding the muscles and organs in our bodies. There are multiple classes for that.
Perhaps you desire a space to find stillness and explore your body and mind beyond the physical level. There is an opportunity for that, too.
Each instructor brings his or her own style, connection and presence, and you will experience something different with each of them.
Often people decide to bring a new perspective to their practices in the form of teacher training, and Soul offers a variety of trainings throughout the year. Mitchell herself has completed a variety of trainings totaling more than 2,000 hours, and she currently facilitates teacher trainings at the studio.
But Soul has even more to offer beyond traditional classes and trainings, including workshops addressing holistic health practices as well as beach retreats to places along the East Coast.
“I’m most proud of our mission toward authenticity, being, and living,” she said. “By staying authentic and true to my own process of change and the reality that things are always changing, this holds true with everything I do.”
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