19.

In just a few days, on January 1, IBY will turn 19!

This time 19 years ago, I was pregnant with Cooper and getting ready to open Inner Bliss.

Our original location was on Detroit Road in Rocky River - just northwest of Around the Corner, in an upstairs loft. I subleased the space and shared it with someone but it was perfect! With hardwood floors and big windows, it was an inviting, friendly space to share the yoga practices I had fallen in love with as I was healing from an eating disorder.

I had a little boom box for music and a coffee table with a box and a sign-in sheet. After climbing the stairs, you wrote your name on the sheet and put your class fee in the box. Not many people were practicing yoga on the westside of Cleveland 19 years ago, but little by little, we built a community. A big class at that time was 8 students and we offered about 12 classes a week. It was a really sweet time.

This time each year, I love to reflect on those beginning days of IBY. I have visceral memories of teaching with my pregnant belly, the smells of our incense burning and the sounds of Krishna Das + U2 playing from the boom box.

Still undiscovered by many, I taught about the alignment and the benefits of each pose while sharing the teachings I learned in my yoga teacher training. I have such affection in my heart for those early days and the memories of teaching in that first space. I am grateful to my husband, Marc, for believing in me as I believed in yoga.

Happy almost birthday IBY :)

Big love, Tammy