Shannon Red Cloud needed just three yoga classes to find her calling.“I never felt better in my life,” Cloud said. “Every cell in my body was just alive. After my third class, this is what I realized I wanted to do and that I wanted to share it with our community.”
Red Cloud, who was born and raised in The Dalles, spent three months in Los Angeles undergoing Bikram yoga teacher training before becoming an instructor in Hood River. Red Cloud then opened her own studio in The Dalles, Pure Yoga, in the basement of the Muscle and Fitness Center seven years ago.
“I was really nervous because I don’t know how to run a business but I’m passionate,” Shannon Red Cloud said.
After three years in the basement in what was more of a side job while she also waited tables at the Baldwin Saloon, Red Cloud decided to expand her business and move downtown in 2011.
She went to Second Street with just one other instructor.
“I knew I wouldn’t always be there [in the basement] and we were going to grow out of there,” she said. “It was just really important to establish a presence downtown.”
Since making the move, Pure Yoga has blown up and now has 14 instructors teaching 25 classes a week. Red Cloud said she didn’t go searching for more instructors.
“They come to me. I’ve never once advertised or said I need another instructor. They just walk in the door and instantly are part of the family.”
While Pure Yoga prides itself on being the only hot yoga studio in the Gorge, it also has cool classes like Pure Vinyasa and Chair Yoga. The studio’s newest class is Faith Yoga, which was started by former student Alexa Boldt in January. When Boldt moved to Honduras to work for a non-profit, Red Cloud decided to take over the faith class, which is by donation and features prayer, Bible verses and worship music each Sunday from 4 to 5 p.m.
“To want to teach is one thing but to be vulnerable and want to share your love for Christ is another. I just thought that was super cool,” Red Cloud said. “It’s actually really helped me deepen my relationship with God.”
The studio also has a by donation cool meditation class each Saturday at noon.
“It’s more interactive,” she explained. “We’ll have people who show up who are dealing with some big, heavy issues in their life and the teacher leaves it open for discussion so other people can come in and say I’ve gone through that too.”
Pure Yoga offers a free community class the third Saturday of each month at 10:30 a.m. and four to five instructors go to NORCOR once a week for yoga classes as well.
“Yoga is community. That’s what it’s all about. Unifying and not separating,” Red Cloud said.
For a class schedule, rates and more information, visit purehotyoga.com
“It’s been an amazing journey,” she said. “If I died tomorrow, I would be happy. It’s far exceeded all of my expectations. It’s like a family here. We’re pretty close. Once people get over the scary part of walking in the door into something new and the unknown, they too feel that family love and support. That’s what it’s about.”
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