Movement is a special way humans express themselves. Through every stretch, every reach and every breath, movement — especially in yoga — allows the body to relax physically and mentally. At Cultivate Yoga, the studio offers the ability to practice for everyone, regardless of what they can afford.
There are no set prices at the door, inviting anyone to take a class regardless of their financial background.
“We’re a community that is warm and welcoming, and just a judgment-free space. Everyone is there to have that time for themselves, and be with themselves,” said Chairperson Evan Scharfeld.
Alongside Scharfield is Co-Chairperson Colleen Alber. Beginning in 2020, Alber and Scharfield opened the Avon studio. Their initial goal was to welcome people who wanted to donate and pay, or people who were going through recent hardships such as divorce or a death.
“We were thinking of all the people who could not afford yoga at all, and what opportunities for us to bring yoga to them. Evan and I have taught at a place called City Life of Cleveland, which is where kids who aren’t comfortable going home could come to spend time before they sleep,” Alber said.
To sustain this mission, Cultivate operates as a gift-based studio. Instead of fixed class fees, community members are welcome to a variety of classes. These classes include hot yoga, meditation and “slow and warm” yoga.
“From a business standpoint, it’s a little bit different, because we don’t always know how much money is going to be coming in,” Alber said. “It is still run like a business, but because it is non-profit, we’re not charging for things in the same way, and there’s a little more trust in the universe.”
With that, the studios also provide amenities such as yoga mats and props for each class. The goal is for everyone to have the best experience possible, without the worry of money or appearance.
Most recently, Scharfeld and Alber expanded Cultivate by opening their newest studio in the Collinwood neighborhood, near the lakefront. While the nonprofit now sustains multiple locations, it didn’t start that way.
With the hit of the pandemic in early 2020, the studio transitioned into many Zoom classes. When the team at Cultivate and their customers returned to the studio, accessibility became limited.
Scharfeld and Alber responded with care and compassion. In launching their non-profit organization, they helped yoga lovers overcome barriers that might have prevented them from moving their bodies.
“It opens doors to a much larger community of people, such as teenagers and families, where the expenses can add up,” says Lakewood resident Joey Lautzenhiser. “It can be more of a frequent thing for people, rather than just a once-a-month, fun excursion.”
Scharfeld says the original mission was inspired by author Robin Wall Kimmerer. He credited much of their mission to her scientific views and her approach to life. Views that the natural world is a constant cycle of giving and receiving.
“So that was where the main idea came from, that everything is a gift,” Scharfeld says. “For us, a gift means we’re intentionally putting that out into the world for people to receive. Then there’s a responsibility for those who pay it back forward.”
The sense of shared responsibility from the board, to the teachers, to the yoga lovers themselves is what continues to shape Cultivate’s culture today. What began as instructors teaching yoga has stemmed into support across the Cleveland area for all yoga lovers.
Cultivate takes care to help people in the community overcome any barriers — ensuring that yoga is fun and not a financial burden. Whether it’s stopping in for the first time or donating to help give back, the trust in the studio plays a key role in continuing to operate.
