Our Mission
Our mission is, quite simply, mindfulness.
Through movement, breath, stillness and celebration, we help people develop a deeper connection with themselves, others, and the rhythms of nature.
We envision a healthy, conscious and resilient Peterborough community, inspired to live more lightly on planet Earth.
We respectfully acknowledge that The Willow Studio is on the traditional territory of the Mississauga Anishinaabeg. We offer our gratitude to our First Nations for their care for, and teachings about, our earth and our relations. May we honour those teachings.
All you need to bring is yourself – we’ve thought of the rest.
Limited class sizes, with lots of space to move and breathe.
Free use of our high-quality yoga mats and yoga props.
Specialized class options (e.g. Yoga for 50+, Prenatal Yoga, baby-friendly classes, Yoga for Beginners, etc.) so you can build your community of support.
Accessibility – we’re on ground level and have lots of free parking.
Fresh filtered water at our bottle refill station
On-site retail boutique with a curated selection of yoga props, body care, apparel, tea, and gifts.
On-site physiotherapy, massage therapy, and yoga therapy to compliment your classes.
Beginners Welcome.
Stepping into a yoga or Pilates studio for the first time can be intimidating. We’re here to make it easy.
First of all – please know that yoga and Pilates are for every body – this space is for you!
(and yes, we mean YOU).
We offer a no-cost, no-obligation private studio tour and 30-minute orientation. You’ll have the chance to get your bearings ahead of time. Ask us all your questions about yoga + Pilates, our studio, and what classes are your best fit.
We also have Yoga for Beginners classes so you can learn about the movements, techniques and terminology and build your confidence to try other styles of yoga. Not sure what yoga props are for? We’ll show you!
To top it all off, we have a special pricing option just for those who are brand new to our studio. $78 + HST gets you one month of unlimited classes, so you can try out all our options and find your favorite class.
We’re passionate about mindful movement.
Studies continue to demonstrate the benefits of yoga and Pilates for improving balance, posture and sleep quality, reducing fatigue, anxiety, stress and pain, and generally raising the quality of life.
A regular yoga practice has been shown to have positive health benefits on blood pressure and osteoporosis, and studies have shown that people who do yoga have fewer hospital visits.
Pilates has been shown to be effective at promoting healthy behaviors and physical activity in people with chronic diseases, such as cardiovascular diseases, cancer, respiratory diseases and diabetes. It may also be beneficial for people with Parkinson’s disease.
Through classes, workshops and a community of support, we help clients harness the power of yoga and Pilates to bring more balance, calm, and resilience to their life.
Our Values
In addition to offering great yoga and Pilates classes, we also strive to support other local businesses, while giving back to charities that support diversity and sustainability within our community and beyond.
It takes a skilled instructor to guide a class full of unique bodies through an effective, yet safe, experience.
At Willow, we pride ourselves on providing high quality instruction based on the most up-to-date research, while providing options and modifications for those who want to change it up.
Many of our yoga teachers are trained at the 500-hour level, and we have one of Peterborough’s few Registered Yoga Therapists on staff. Our instructors regularly pursue new training to expand their skills. Our Core and Floor programs are developed in consultation with a pelvic floor physiotherapist.
Whether you’re looking to create a healthier lifestyle, manage stress and anxiety, get fit, or prepare for pregnancy and birth, our studio fuses traditional techniques with modern research to provide classes that get you amazing results.
The practice of yoga can be adapted to benefit everyone, and all are welcome at our studio. We strive to offer a variety of classes to support the diversity of the Peterborough community, including Yoga for 50+, Beginners Yoga, Prenatal Yoga, and baby-friendly yoga classes.
Our weekly “Pay What You Can” Community Class helps make yoga is accessible for those who may be unable to afford regular studio classes.
The Willow Studio is also proud to host the LoveYourBrain program for the Peterborough area. This program supports people who have experienced a Traumatic Brain Injury and their caregivers through participation in community-based gentle yoga and meditation classes tailored to their needs.
Our studio is on ground level and is wheelchair and stroller accessible. Plenty of parking is also available. We have two gender-neutral washrooms.
Breastfeeding is welcome. Our larger washrooms is equipped with a change table and diaper genie, and we also have a quiet nook with a nursing pillow for more privacy.
We have consent cards for use during yoga classes so you can easily let us know if you’d prefer hands-on assists or be touch-free.
We recognize that there are many different reasons that people practice yoga, including for fitness, relaxation, spiritual enlightenment, stress release, healing or connecting with community, and we respect all motivations for coming to our studio. We strive to employ instructors with a variety of backgrounds so that you can find the right fit for your personal goals.
To encourage diversity in the yoga community and promote the benefits of yoga to a wider population, we have two bursaries available for community members who identify as Black, Indigenous, or Persons of Colour (BIPOC) and for whom cost is a barrier to attend classes at our studio. Each bursary will subsidize 4 months of an Auto-Renew Unlimited Membership at 75% off. The recipients are responsible for paying the remaining 25%. Click here to learn more and apply.
The Willow Studio has a zero tolerance policy for discrimination, and reserve the right to ask someone to leave if the safety of our community is threatened. Please be kind and respectful to each other.
We care deeply about our impact on the Earth and our ability to pass its’ gifts on to future generations.
This is why we donate 5% of our overall net profits to the TRACKS (TRent Aboriginal Cultural Knowledge and Science) Program, which delivers youth environmental education in Peterborough, combining Traditional knowledge with Western science.
Through our partnership with One Tree Planted, for each piece of our branded apparel sold, one tree will be planted.
We invest in eco-friendly cleaning products and bathroom supplies – while it increases our upfront cost, we feel good about removing harmful chemicals from our environment (and they smell great too!)
Our studio is also moving towards zero-waste. We encourage students to bring their own water bottles which can be topped up at our filtered water refill station.
We love supporting other local businesses! As much as possible, we source our studio supplies, materials, and business service providers locally. We try to keep our curated retail merchandise to as small of a sphere as possible – whether that is from within Peterborough, Ontario, or Canada.
We also give back to local charities through special events and fundraisers and love highlighting other local businesses on our social media and newsletter platforms.
We are real people, and can make mistakes. If something isn’t right, please reach out to let us know.
Support through pregnancy and beyond.
Pregnant? We are Peterborough’s studio for yoga and Pilates classes tailored to pregnancy and postpartum.
We also have on-site pelvic floor physiotherapy offered by Holistic Health Physiotherapy, and Kelly Swift, Registered Massage Therapist, who specializes in pregnancy and postpartum massage. (Please note that The Willow Studio can’t answer questions or book appointments for these practitioners – please contact them directly through their own websites).
Classes during Pregnancy: Stay strong, active and comfortable. Manage low back or pelvic pain. Prepare for labour, recovery, and the demands of motherhood. Connect with other expecting moms.
Classes for Postpartum: Take time for you. Rehab your deep core and pelvic floor muscles. Work to correct ab separation, prolapse, incontinence, or pelvic pain. Get out of the house and meet other moms.
Love from our clients.
“As a 50+ woman with NO yoga experience feeling very apprehensive, it was such a relief to come to your beautiful studio and be warmly welcomed.
With a soothing voice, our instructor Heather took us through the practice – giving detailed instructions for each move. To my surprise I was excited for my next class.
Feeling the positive benefits from my first two sessions of classes, I am now on session three and I am looking forward to continuing my Willow journey.”
– Stephanie C.
“I started at The Willow Studio with Prenatal Yoga in my pregnancy. The amount of information I learned about pelvic floor health was staggering! I had no idea how integral this muscle group was to a healthy pregnancy, birth, and postpartum journey.
After giving birth, I continued with several sessions of the Core Recovery for Moms class. It was the perfect way to ease myself back into activity and get reacquainted with my changed postpartum body.
I have really enjoyed being a part of the Willow community. Steph has created such a beautiful, calming space for all to gather and feel supported – physically and mentally – in the journey from pregnancy to motherhood. Thank you!”
– Kayleigh M.
Take a peek inside.
“I left the session feeling empowered. I now have a better understanding of my body and I know what to do to regain the control and strength I am missing. I also feel armed with resources, so I don’t feel alone in it.”
– A. S.