WWW.QNS.COM RIDGEWOOD TIMES OCTOBER 5, 2017 23
BUZZ
New yoga studio looks to heal the community through self expression
BY ANTHONY GIUDICE
AGIUDICE@RIDGEWOODTIMES.COM
@A_GIUDICEREPORT
A pair of Ridgewood natives
are looking to create a unique
space in their neighborhood
where people of all ages can come to
express their creativity through art,
try something new like a yoga class, or
just get to be themselves.
Krystal Torres and Anthony Andrew
opened Wild Free Yogi Studio
on the second fl oor at 60-31 Myrtle
Ave. on Sept. 5 to fi ll this exact purpose.
The duo have been friends for over a
decade and a half, and even though their
life journeys took them on separate
paths for some time, they have reconnected
and started this venture together
to bring their shared dream to fruition.
Torres — being a certifi ed master of
kundalini yoga — originally planned
on moving to California to open up her
own yoga studio and grow her practice
there, but had a change of heart and
decided to bring her healing right to
her own neighborhood.
“That’s why I started in my community:
I want my community to be a healthier
community,” Torres said. “Let’s get
this community healthy again and
where it needs to be, and that’s our goal.”
One unique way that Wild Free Yogi
Studio is bringing in new members of
the community is by off ering an all
men’s yoga class every Wednesday as
a way to introduce men who may feel
hesitant or embarrassed to try yoga.
“Either they feel like it’s not macho
enough or they’re like, ‘I don’t want to
do yoga or stretch in front of people,’”
Andrew said of the all men’s classes.
“But that’s why I wanted to have the class
and when I brought the idea to Krystal,
she thought it was a great idea.”
“It’s genius,” Torres added. “I’ve been
instructing for years now and I’ve never
instructed an all men’s class. So I was
like, ‘Why has no one thought of this before?’
And again, it’s not for those typical
yogis. It’s for people who are beginners
and want to come up. Maybe they felt a
little self-conscious and having them in
a group of all men helps.”
However, yoga isn’t the only thing
going on at Wild Free Yogi Studio.
Andrew and Torres off er classes
in everything from yoga for all ages
(including children’s yoga classes); creative
arts classes where participants
can paint, draw, color, or anything
else they would like to do to express
themselves; a women’s dance class;
children’s artistic classes where the
kids can work together with the adults
from the arts and dance classes to create
a completed project, whether it be
an art exhibit or performance.
“It’s more than just a yoga, dance and
arts studio; it’s kind of like an oasis,”
Andrew said. “We want this to be an
oasis for people, for the community, so
people can come here and be free and
be whoever they want to be. They can
come and create; they can do yoga; and
they can have a voice. You can come in
and be on your own journey and work
on yourself here without everybody
looking at you like you’re a little different
or a little weird.”
Wild Free Yogi Studio is open Monday
through Saturday from 1 to 8 p.m.
with diff erent classes taking place on
diff erent days throughout the week.
For a full list of classes and times visit
their Instagram page at https://www.
instagram.com/wildfree_yogistudio.
They off er single classes and packages
ranging from fi ve, 10 or 20 classes.
Photo by Anthony Giudice/Ridgewood Times
Krystal Torres and Anthony Andrew want to create a culture of creativity
at their Wild Free Yogi Studio.
A ‘Wonderful’ day out in Woodhaven
Thousands enjoyed a day of
early fall excitement during
the “Wonderful Woodhaven
Street Festival” below the elevated
J line on Jamaica Avenue on Sunday,
Oct. 1. Hundreds of vendors set up
booths along the avenue between
80th Street and Woodhaven Boulevard.
Guests enjoyed all kinds of entertainment
including live musical
performances and karate demonstrations.
Among those pictured at
right is Maria Thomson, executive
director of the Greater Woodhaven
Development Corporation and
Woodhaven Business Improvement
District, receiving an karate statue
from Imperial Dragon Hombu Dojo,
a Karate group in celebration of
their 26th year appearance at the
festival.
Photos by Robert Pozarycki and courtesy
of the Woodhaven Business Improvement District
