“Our passion is to build community,” said Kimi Cantrell, co-founder of Rose City Yoga. “We’re not just another yoga studio.”
Melanie Colbrunn and Kimi Cantrell founded Rose City Yoga in 2014 to give back to local nonprofits and build community. Although they do not yet have a physical studio space, that hasn’t stopped them from investing in the community.
Most notably, the duo works with Club 21, a resource center for children with Down syndrome. Rose City Yoga offers monthly classes to children 9 to 12 years old and their parents. The classes focus on building core strength and teaching breathing techniques which can be used in daily life.
“It’s my favorite part of Rose City Yoga,” said Colbrunn. “It’s amazing to see the benefits yoga is having on these children.”
Rose City Yoga was featured in the 2017 Athleta The Power of She campaign for their work with Club 21. This campaign celebrates and encourages women to make a difference and achieve their goals.
In addition to their work with Club 21, Colbrunn and Cantrell teach yoga classes to the staff and caretakers at the Foundation for Living Beauty, a Pasadena-based nonprofit organization that provides resources and support for women living with cancer.
“Being able to provide [yoga] for the staff is very important,” said Cantrell. “Self-care is paramount [for caretakers] but it often falls by the wayside.”
These yoga classes focus on restoring the mind, body and spirit to help support the work of the Foundation for Living Beauty. Cantrell adds that they have worked with other nonprofits in Pasadena and that their classes are often the first introduction people have to yoga.
“The dream is to provide more yoga programs for nonprofits,” said Cantrell.
Rose City Yoga plans to open their own yoga studio and community space later this year to provide a place for people to experience yoga. They are currently launching an IndieGoGo campaign to raise funds for a permanent location.
“Just reach out – you can do something in the community – just get out there,” said Colbrunn.
To find out more about Rose City Yoga visit www.rosecityyogapasadena.com. Visit https://www.indiegogo.com/projects/rose-city-yoga-fitness-community#/ to support their IndieGoGo campaign.
