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Fresh Coast Yoga in Downtown Houghton

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The mission of Fresh Coast Yoga  is to provide a place for people to come together and be well. We want to help people live happier, more connected, less stressed lives and we’ll do this by offering yoga classes taught by qualified local instructors in a welcoming, clean, modern studio environment.

With your support we can make this place a reality. We've received a $5,000 direct contribution to the yoga studio   Because of that, we are lowered our GoFundMe goal to $10,000. Our stretch goals at $13,000 and $15,000 help us buy class equipment, decorate, enhance the space, and improve our membership packages.

Members are the heart of this yoga community 

For $50 a year, members get discounted class fees, three bring-a-friend passes, first dibs and discounts on workshops, and special prices on merchandise. In our campaign, you can also become a founding member for $150--and we will recognize your support with limited edition swag and gratitude as deep as Lake Superior.

You can also help us spread the word. Let people know that you’re as excited as we are to roll out the welcome mat and open up Fresh Coast next spring. Share our GoFundMe page, tag us on Facebook  and Instagram , and tell us what you’re most looking forward to in the studio.

We'd like to say thanks for helping

$10 namaste and thank you for your generosity

$20 gets you a Fresh Coast Sticker

$50 gets you a year-long membership starting in May

$150 gets you Founding Member bragging rights (exclusive shirt/hat)

$300 gets you 3 extra bring-a-friend passess

$500 gets you a custom Fresh Coast yoga mat that says "Founding Member"

Donations are cumulative, so each tier gets all lower tier rewards. 

The studio will be a blank canvas for teachers to decorate with their own style of teaching. With a minimalist, Nordic vibe inside, the studio’s design will feel welcoming and clean, with touches of nature that are reminiscent of a Finnish sauna.


Meet the owners

Mary Jennings and Drew Cramer are the co-owners of Fresh Coast Yoga. They want to create a fresh and rejuvenating space to bring local teachers and students together.

Mary is the studio’s visionary. She has worked on opening a studio for the last four years and, now that the time is right, she is excited to see the Keweenaw’s yoga community of students and teachers come together under one roof.

By day, Mary works as the Director of Programming and Development for the Rozsa Center for the Performing Arts, where she oversees the Rozsa’s schedule of touring performances and community engagement initiatives. As a classically trained ballet dancer and an E-RYT 200 hour certified yoga instructor Mary sees yoga as a beautiful combination of discipline, exploration, and discovery for the mind and body.

I have deep love and respect for the Keweenaw. Living in the U.P. has opened my eyes to what it means to be generous and to have trust in your neighbors. The ways in which this community has opened itself to my family and me is humbling and heartening, and it is my sincere hope that this yoga studio will become a place where community is built and all feel welcome. Thank you to everyone who has kept this dream of a yoga studio alive, and to all those who have fueled this idea with your support, enthusiasm, and encouragement. Acknowledgement must be given to those who have sat with me, often over coffee, to shape this idea into a realistic vision. And thank you to you - our donors - whose generosity has propelled this vision into existence. I cannot wait to open the doors to this fresh new studio and I look forward to celebrating with all who have made this possible.

Mary Jennings

The studio’s second co-owner, Drew, knows how to get stuff done. As the founder and owner of Solar Up, Drew puts his construction skills to work with the studio renovations, and he knows what it takes to start and run a business. And he’s always keen to see the science angle. Drew has degrees in geoscience and outdoor education; his interest in anatomy and healing kicked off when he earned his first Wilderness First Responder certification. Completing his yoga teacher 200-level training this spring, Drew is excited to practice with the Fresh Coast community.

We are all drawn to the mat for different reasons. When I was 23 and just out of college, my health took a turn for the worse and I received back-to-back diagnosis of Meniere's disease and scoliosis.  I had constant vertigo, tinnitus, and neck and back pain. Most days I could manage, some days I would spend the entire day lying on the floor. After few months of pretty severe symptoms, I found a balance of lifestyle changes that helped. A lot. My symptoms went from debilitating to background noise. Yoga has been a central part of that. Yoga isn’t just exercise. Yoga isn’t just meditation. Yoga isn’t just medicine. It is all of these things and more. That’s why I’m so excited to be opening this studio. Whatever reasons brings you to your mat, you deserve a clean, welcoming space and an inviting community to practice with. Together we’re making this a reality and I cannot express my gratitude enough for all of your contributions.

Thank you,
Namaste,
Drew

Get involved  and stay tuned

In addition to membership, you can do some hands-on work to help get the studio open and ready for classes. Mary and Drew will be organizing work days for framing, patching, painting, and other construction volunteer needs.

If you’re keen to help out, please email us, send a message on Facebook, and share the events on social media. Namaste.

Donations 

  • Mandy Markham
    • $50 
    • 5 yrs

Organizer

Fresh Coast
Organizer
Houghton, MI

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