Situated within Lafayette Street’s vibrant, bustling area, The Shala Yoga was founded in 2002 by Kristin Leigh and Barbara Verrochi with the intention of creating a space where fellow practitioners could gather, breathe freely, build strength, and find ease through the practices of yoga, meditation, chanting and studying the traditional yogic teachings from India. The founders named the studio, The Shala after the Sanskrit word which translates as “home,” “school,” and “refuge” to reflect their vision of creating community. 

The Shala has aimed to be an active member of the Fort Greene community throughout the years inside the studio as well as work outside the studio. Within the studio, they aim to make yoga accessible through donation classes, BIPOC, and work-study scholarships for teacher training and free meditation sessions. Outside the studio, they offer free weekly classes in Fort Greene Park, have raised $15,000 for an ongoing effort in partnership with Maxwell’s Laundry to provide free laundry and detergent access to the community, and partner with local senior centers. Kristin states, “Our responsibility as business owners…is to hopefully move into a community and give back so [we] are not just taking…”. They host a weekly class called Give Back Friday, which raises money for local and national causes they love. 

Drawing inspiration from Buddhist values and a speech from Michelle Obama, Verrochi and Leigh affirm: “Just do something. Even little things since each little thing will add up and is contagious. If you do it, people around you will also do it…And little things can become big things.”