Bluespot Yoga has moved to 396 N. Cassady Ave., the site of a long-vacant service station. Bluespot’s original location on Main Street, although nice, had no dedicated parking and there were other things that made owner Staci McCool keep an eye out for a new opportunity.
“We looked at the Cassady building in 2015, but then the timing wasn’t right,” says McCool. “I drove by the empty gas station every day for three years and always felt a connection to it but never knew why. The fact that we are now here feels very serendipitous.”
Thanks to a major renovation of the former service station, it now has three garage-style doors with huge windows, lots of off-street parking, and a much-improved retail area for Bluespot Yoga.
“Also, we are now really close to I-670, so we are more easily accessed,” says McCool. “Our focus in the new space is community. Taking a yoga class together and then taking time to stick around and hang out in a cool space afterwards is a dream come true.”.
Since opening Bluespot Yoga in 2015, McCool has expanded the curriculum as well as the facilities.
“When we opened in 2015, all we did was hot yoga,” says McCool. “Students would request warm and non-heated classes, and I listened. We’ve since added Yin yoga, Warm Vinyasa, Intro to Hot Power while keeping our signature Hot Vinyasa and Hot 26 classes which are heated from 90 to 105° with 40 percent humidity.”
The over 2,000 square foot studio space on North Cassady has allowed Bluespot to offer more amenities including a bigger shower, as well as multiple changing and restrooms. The building can also be used for private events such as bridal showers, birthday parties, etc. They recently held an event for Columbus School for Girls and will host a series of events, like more eco-retreats, to raise money for their Seva Yoga project. Bluespot Yoga studio members will receive 10 percent off the rental of the space.
McCool did trainings with internationally famous yoga teachers such as Jason Crandall and Jimmy Barkan. She teaches many classes at Bluespot herself including Hot 26, Barkan Method, and McCool Method.
“McCool Method is simply a vinyasa yoga, but my students recognized early on that my classes had a method of their own,” she says. “I always go in with the intention to get my students safely and effectively into a peak pose. Everything from how we begin to how we end is intentional. My students called it the McCool Method, I just went along with it.”
McCool has retained many of her talented teachers at Bluespot such Sally Walsh Roberts, “She has been teaching here since day one!”
Graduates of Bluespot’s own yoga teacher training program, Emma Walsh and Julie Gardner also teach at Bluespot. Cleveland-yoga trained Abra Goldman is a new lead instructor and she is bringing the Baptiste style to Bexley.
Bluespot, its teachers and trainees are also doing Seva Yoga projects to bring more diversity into yoga.
“I launched a teacher training diversity scholarship,” McCool says, “It is aimed at getting yoga to underserved communities.”
Bluespot has donation-based yoga classes ($5 suggested) to fund diversity and outreach programs.
The new Bluespot Yoga is located in Bexley at 396 N. Cassady Ave.
For more information, visit bluespotyoga.com.