03/04/2026
The vision of Breathe Ojai was birthed on a new moon in the Spring four years ago.
The vision itself had taken more than a decade plus to come to fruition. After four years of clinical yoga therapy training followed by completing a Master of Arts in Yoga Studies at Loyola Marymount University where I studied Sanskrit, social justice, science, and somatics, I can see now how idealist my lofty goals of Breathe Ojai were. An accessible yoga studio rooted in *actual* community, real life, and studying real yoga. The lesson? Aim for the next galaxy and, if you miss, you still land among the stars (or at least somewhere that is not here). My vision continues to reach far beyond the great Milky Way and yet, I find myself delighted in what we have accomplished thus far.
I still remember searching for a space in the valley that felt both aligned and within reach… a place that could truly hold what I envisioned: a community yoga studio for everyone. There were no investors, no safety net, no plan B. There was only a deep sense of trust in what this would become. I received the news that our rental application had been accepted while hiking Sulphur Mountain. It felt expansive in every sense: the landscape, the moment, the possibility. It was all a full bodied ‘yes,’ which later also came with major anxiety (having two feelings at once is completely normal, by the way!). What followed were months of hands-on work: pulling up carpet, laying floors, painting, and slowly bringing the space to life piece by piece. Looking back, it’s wild to see how something so simple, and so uncertain, became what it is today.
There was no way I could have known all that would unfold in the subsequent four years; all the people I’d meet and all of the teachers that would hear the call to join us specifically. I’ve met students and teachers from so many places. Many of you come here because you read the words on the website and you get a sense of what this place is even before you walk in the doors. We’ve had teachers from Austria (we miss you Nadja!), Colorado (Darci!), Oregon, and all over California. Students have joined us from Ireland, Israel, London, South America, and all over the United States. Our teacher trainings have welcomed students from all over the US.
And through it all, what’s remained most clear is this: Breathe was never just something that was birthed… it’s something that continues to been shaped, expanded, and BREATHED to life by every single person who has walked through her door. Here’s to many more years of learning, growing, and breathing together.
Let’s keep going,
Francesca
~~~ Some of our teaching crew! (from top left) Melissa, Hilda, Roberta, Alyssabeth, Kat, Francesca, and Tanner. Not pictured are Eric (behind the camera!), Rachael, Maura, Doona, and Kipp ~~~
{pics~ some of our current teaching crew pics by , the Milky Way, candid with Melissa who is now a fixture, some before photos of the studio, and a photo of our first ever class in the studio back when we had to wear you know what’s!}.
