Clovis yogis can unite under one roof at Old Town Yoga

Desiree Heckman was looking for a way to get back in shape after the birth of her son 3  1/2 years ago when she stumbled onto some yoga moves and got hooked.

The school counselor turned stay-at-home mom trained on her own, in her Clovis home, watching videos. Local Fresno yoga studios were too far away, she said. Then, two weeks before her due date for baby No. 2, who is now 1 year old, Heckman signed up for a yoga teacher training course in Southern California so she could open a studio of her own.

“I knew how much I loved it and had to work toward bringing it to Clovis,” said Heckman, a Fresno State graduate.

After stints teaching yoga privately, in the park, at businesses during lunchtime, and at GB3, Heckman opened Old Town Yoga, 325 Clovis Ave, in the Saddleback Village center on the southeast corner of Clovis Avenue and 3rd St. The grand opening was held Dec. 10 and the first class was Dec. 12.

Fifty-three mats fit in the studio on opening day, Heckman said, but the ideal class size is about 30 in the large room with windows facing Clovis Avenue.

Heckman was trained in power and vinyasa yoga, which she describes as free-flowing yoga transitioning from one pose to another. The power comes in when poses are held for long periods of time. There are 15 classes on the schedule, mostly in the morning or in the evening. The studio is looking for more instructors and plans to add more classes next year.

Fellow Clovis yogi, Crystal Uyeno, also teaches at the studio. Heckman and Uyeno met through Instagram and over a cup of coffee talked about their love of yoga and the time they spent doing it alone in Clovis. They decided to work together to unite Clovis yogis (and created the hashtag #clovisyogisunite).

“We’re trying to bring all the people who don’t have a place to get together,” Heckman said. “It’s not my studio. It’s Clovis’ studio.”

This story was originally published December 14, 2016 at 10:50 PM with the headline "Clovis yogis can unite under one roof at Old Town Yoga."