If you’re anything like me, you’ve been anticipating with great excitement the opening of Speakeasy Yoga coming this February to downtown Dayton. I had the immense please of interviewing Tori about the opening and what big things she’s has in store! DMM and Dayton are so excited for classes to begin!
Breathe n Flow – An Interview with Tori M. Reynolds – Owner, Speakeasy Yoga – Dayton, Ohio
Photo Credit Ben Rivet
Q: Tell us a little about yourself, what got you here and what has inspired you most to do business in Dayton?
Tori: I’m a Dayton native and proud of it! I was born here and even though I’m an Air Force brat, I have spent over 20 years of my life living here. I always felt this pull to downtown when I was growing up in Beavercreek. I finally moved downtown a few years ago and have loved every minute of it. It’s vibrant and full of people like me; entrepreneurs who have a vision that can help play a vital role in building the downtown community.
Q: What are most excited about in doing business downtown? What made you decide on the Speakeasy? Location matters, tell us your vision!
Tori: I actually looked at quite a few downtown locations, but to be honest, it’s the old “when you know, you know” type of thing. I saw some spaces that I loved but there was always a catch. Downtown Dayton Partnership had been suggesting The Cannery for months but for some reason I didn’t act on it right away. We finally saw the space in October and from that point things fell into place in a way I can’t even explain, it was like the stars aligned. I’m excited to be in this location for many reasons. I feel like The Cannery is already it’s own little city of people, and located in a perfect spot downtown among a lot of businesses that could benefit from what we’re offering. It is also extremely easy to get to from the highway if you are coming from the suburbs! So really, there’s no good excuse to not join us!
Q: Tell us about your classes, can anyone attend? Even if they have never done Yoga before? What skill levels / types of classes will be offered.
Tori: First and foremost, speakeasy is a breath and flow studio. No matter what class you come to, there will be a heavy emphasis on your breath to movement connection. Now even though all the classes are breath based, we do have different offerings. The class we’ll offer the most of is our strong class. This class is a powerful vinyasa flow. Here you get it all, the breath, the challenge, the focus, the sweat, expect to be pushed in a firm but gentle and safe way by your guide when you step into these classes. Now if you’re a true beginner, or need something simpler, we have our simple class. This is a basic class with the same aspects of strong without as much of the fancy flare, meant to build your foundation. We’ll also offer a slow motion class meant to be more grounding and opening, and starter, a consecutive class series offered intermittently throughout the year. All classes will be heated to 90 degrees, and if you haven’t tried it yet, you have to give it a shot!
Q: What’s your niche? How would you say you differentiate yourself from other Yoga studios in town?
Tori: Like I mentioned above, speakeasy is a breath and flow studio, so no matter what class you attend, they all have this consistent foundation. The breath is really the magic ingredient that turns the different postures and transitions into a moving meditation, and what will help you get into a state of “flow” unlike anything else. Whether you are moving through a dynamic sequence with ten postures or holding one hip opener on the floor for three minutes, the breath is hands down the number one priority. At speakeasy we’ll help you keep your breath present more than you’ve ever experienced!
Q: Big picture, what are your long term goals in the Dayton community? What keeps you here and where do you see Dayton if five years?
Tori: Long term goals are an interesting thing. I did a lululemon goal setting session three years ago and wrote down that my ten-year goal was to live downtown and have an urban yoga studio with a big exposed brick wall and lots of natural light. Now I don’t have the kids or the dog I mentioned on that goal sheet, but I am definitely way ahead of schedule with the studio. So right now my five-year goal is to have speakeasy rocking and rolling and for us to be offering yoga in a way that is impactful in our students’ lives. I’m sure so much will change for downtown in five years, all of these new proposed housing developments will be completed and more businesses will open up shop down here. It is really starting to catch fire, it’s a desirable place to be especially if you’re in my position. Really all I can say is that I can’t wait to see what Dayton does become and I am thrilled that I get to be a part of it’s growth.
and just because I’m nosey….. and for fun of course I asked Tori what some of her favorite places downtown were? To shop, to eat, to grab a drink?
Tori: This is easy. Wheat Penny for food. I actually get made fun of by my boyfriend for how much I love Wheat Penny. For the past 4 years we have been traveling the country teaching our music and yoga collaboration GO W/ THE FLOW, so we were able to eat at some really phenomenal restaurants on the road. For some reason though I would always end up craving a gluten-free, half siciliano/half tommaso pizza and a Basil Smash. For my caffeine fix I go to Press, and pretty much everyday, their space has actually been a big inspiration in a lot of my aesthetic decisions for the studio! When I’m not at Wheat Penny or Press I like to spread the love to the other downtown gems like Lily’s, Salar (their drink menu is the bomb), Corner Kitchen, FUSIAN for some fast casual eats, and BRIM and Heart Mercantile to satisfy my retail desires.
Because she inspires myself and so many, I wanted to know the answer to the most cliché question of the interview… who inspires Tori?
Tori: Here’s my cliché answer! More than anyone, my immediate family, my parents, Dick and Joani Reynolds, and my big sister Brittany. Each of them is a leader in their own way, and that’s something I’m learning a lot about. It’s one thing to be my own boss, but to be opening a space that is meant for people to come in and have powerful experiences, that’s a lot of pressure…. in the best way possible. To have that opportunity to create and hold space for each amazing human being that walks through the door is one of the most humbling and exciting things to happen in my life thus far!
Q: Lastly, every one wants to know! What’s in store for the big opening day? Any special festivities planned, offers etc?
Tori: We will be doing an invite-only, “friends and family” open house the Saturday before we start public classes. As much as we would like to invite the entire city of Dayton, we’d probably hit capacity real quick! So the following Monday we will start public classes and everyone is invited! We’re trying to go with the flow as much as possible with the progress of our build out, but have tentatively set February 22nd as our first day of classes. If anyone wants to keep up with the progress, please follow speakeasy yoga on Facebook.
In the meantime, we are offering a special “first 30 for $30” pass. This pass is pre sale only, so once we open, it will be gone! The pass will activate the very first day we start classes, and it will expire 30 days after that. If you buy this pass you can attend as many classes as you want within those 30 days, which is a great deal!
This will give you the opportunity to try all the classes offered and figure out what your ideal, weekly yoga schedule will be! You can buy it at www.speakeasydayton.com.
Thank you Tori for taking the time to thrill us even more! Until the big day, Namaste.
DMM Readers- want to win a first 30 pass? Like this post and comment below on why you show win a Speakeasy Yoga pass an we’ll draw a random winner on Wed night!
