Stewardship of Whole Sky Yoga, long cherished by seekers of deep-rooted, unpretentious yoga and wellness. changed two years ago when founder Sara Trapani turned the reins over to Anne Girvin. Like any devoted practitioner, the studio continues on its trajectory of getting better all the time, offering a diverse range of classes, workshops, and community gatherings, as well as a comprehensive Yoga Alliance- approved teacher training and a low-key community hub.
“My goal with the whole refresh we’ve done since I took over is to keep making this space ever more accessible and welcoming,” Girvin says. “Every studio I’ve ever been part of and loved, the few minutes before and after class when you get to socialize and be in community with people you might not see anywhere else has been its own kind of sacred space. We nurture those moments here.”
“My goal with the whole refresh we’ve done since I took over is to keep making this space ever more accessible and welcoming.” – Anne Girvin
the path to whole sky
Having taught yoga on both coasts (it was a job with the Culinary Institute’s Napa Valley outpost that put her in touch with the Hudson Valley vibe), Girvin knows what she’s talking about—and how to blend simple ingredients that make the place homey: free tea, a comfy lounge, a welcoming spirit, and a peaceable hum of shared self-improvement. “You can come a little early or stay a little after, and it’s lovely,” she says. “People of all sorts, who might otherwise never meet, connect. People greet their neighbors and catch up. I love that.”
finding home
When Girvin first moved to Kerhonkson in early 2021, she was teaching yoga online but found herself enchanted by the people she was meeting while out and about. “The area feels a bit like Napa, but less touristy and very close-knit and supportive,” she says. “Very kind-hearted. The whole Hudson Valley is lovely, but my sister had a house over here in Ulster County, and it feels just right being here .”
“Yoga studio time is a chance to let go of your everyday concerns—nothing else matters but the moment—and I really love being that hub for people, for their self-care.” – Anne Girvin
Looking around for a place to attend classes, she discovered Whole Sky a few minutes away and was soon in love with her new studio too. “After a few months of practicing there, I asked Sara if she was hiring any teachers, and I eventually got onto the schedule,” Girvin says. “Then I decided I wanted to get some more training, so I took the advanced teacher training course, 300 hours at Three Sisters Yoga down in Manhattan.”
embracing community
During the training, she continued teaching at Whole Sky, and as she finished her course, conversations with Trapani about the possibility of taking over began to get serious. “I’d had thoughts about starting my own yoga business, but I was envisioning it as online only,” she says. “But then this idea took shape. It made sense for Sara and it made sense for me; it was a really great opportunity that I didn’t want to pass up.”
At the Culinary Institute’s Napa Valley campus, she’d been head of marketing, so owning a studio gave her a chance to use those skills on something that was all hers, in a field she’s passionate about. “I still have a marketing business online, but this is the first brick-and-mortar business I’ve ever had, and I’m loving it,” she says. “Not just because I'm my own boss, but because I love having this space and tending to it. I love the customer service side, welcoming people. I even love the weird little mundane things like restocking the paper and tea. I love being the vehicle for people to have that community space. Yoga studio time is a chance to let go of your everyday concerns— nothing else matters but the moment— and I really love being that hub for people, for their self-care.”
“The goal is to help people develop a practice that becomes integral, that they will keep and flourish in all their lives,” she says. “It’s about developing something that really serves you.” – Anne Girvin
the meaning behind it
Even the name Whole Sky feels deeply resonant. “I knew I wouldn’t change the name, partly in homage to what Sara built—she still teaches here—but also because it fits my story too.
When I was a kid, I’d disappear for hours, and my sister would find me in the hammock just gazing up at the stars or the clouds. I have such an affinity for the sky, especially the night sky, and I’ve brought a lot of those elements—the phases of the moon, the stars, the sun—into our branding to just make it even more celestial, to bring in even more of the whole sky.”
expanded offerings
Anne has also expanded the menu of workshops and classes, most of them available both in-person and livestreamed “The goal is to help people develop a practice that becomes integral, that they will keep and flourish in all their lives,” she says.
“It’s about developing something that really serves you. When we offer the teacher training, we’re going to make some of that available to people who may not want to teach, but want to take a certain area of practice to the next level—deepen their study of yoga philosophy, say, or breath work. We’ll identify the specific sessions that will get them to that goal without the full 200-hour commitment.”
starting your journey at whole sky
You can start your Whole Sky journey with a Stargazer Intro Month for just $45, during which you can try out as many different classes and teachers as you like, and explore their comprehensive video library, and then take it from there to anywhere. From rigorous 7 am sunrise yoga to Sunday afternoon slow flow, Whole Sky strives to offer the whole spectrum. “We have lots of classes that offer an entry point to practice for anyone, and from there you can build it the way that works for you,” Girvin says. “What you’re drawn to, what you’re curious about, is what you’re meant to be learning, and we love to facilitate that beautiful journey.”
whole sky yoga
3588 Main Street, Stone Ridge
845-687-6060
wholeskyyoga.com
