PRESCOTT – Bodhi Studio owner, Cortney Franklin, is opening her own yoga studio in Prescott this coming fall. The name Bodhi is after the Bodhi tree. It means to be awakened or enlightened.

Franklin finished her yoga teaching certification at the end of 2019. When everything started to shut down towards the spring of 2020 due to the pandemic, including gyms, Franklin missed the studio.

“It was a really sad time to not be able to do that anymore; there are so many benefits beyond the physical part we focus on, like mental health,” she said.

However, the pandemic gave her a push to try. She wanted to see if there was a need for yoga in the community or if it was wanted. In response, Franklin started teaching twice a week at Freedom Park.

“It was just really, really well received and grew from there,” she said.

Franklin now teaches over a hundred students a week and has brought on three other instructors.

“I have had this idea in my mind for several years,” Franklin said about opening her own studio. “Often

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times at some studios it could feel very intimidating.”

She recalled the times when she would take her mat and “go to the back of the room.” After letting go of self-doubt and judgment, Franklin “had to keep going and self-teach.” It inspired her to not only build her practice but to create a space that wasn’t like her past experiences.

“Yoga can change people's lives; if they commit, if they show up, if they practice. I feel like a lot of people miss out on that, either because it is not here or because the environment seems so intimidating that they just never step through the doors,” Franklin said. “I made a commitment when I started Bodhi that I was going to give it everything I have; in terms of really making it happen. There has been a lot of trial and error and failures along the way but just really committing to that message of this is a place where anyone can practice. This is a place where everyone belongs.”

The owner of Snap Fitness, Kari Beaupre, reached out to Franklin asking if she’d be interested in renting the space within Snap. Franklin wanted to keep the identity and brand of Bodhi to grow her business, and Beaupre agreed to allow that.

The interior layout behind Bodhi is a very sleek, Scandinavian and modern design. Everything light and white wood, Franklin said that there will be just a few pops of color, but she wants her studio to feel like an oasis. Her goal is to create a space that, “is a destination and a place that people want to go. That when they walk in the doors, they feel calm and ready to practice.” It will be one studio space that accommodates all her class formats. Franklin will offer non-heated and 104 heat/ humidity classes with infrared panels on the ceiling.

Prescott will be the landmark and first studio but Franklin hopes to create additional studios in communities similar to Prescott, that have a need but do not have a yoga studio in place.

“We currently have students from all over, Hastings, Red Wing, Woodbury, Hudson, Hastings, etc.,” she said.

Franklin believes the diversity is a testament to the classes and experience that she delivers to people. “We are breaking ground in May.”

The new studio will be located on Henry Street across from the Post Office in Prescott.

To learn more about Bodhi Studios, find them on Instagram and Facebook.

Cortney Franklin

Cortney Franklin finished her yoga teaching certification at the end of 2019. She plans to break ground on a Prescott studio this spring. Photo courtesy of Cortney Franklin.