A Hartley woman is gearing up to spread her love of yoga to the masses.

Julie McCarty will open Authentically You Yoga and Wellness Studio on Saturday, Aug. 20 in Sanborn. The business is located inside the Vander Haag building on Highway 18 next to Family Health Chiropractic and is planning an open house to get things started with a bang.

For McCarty, the grand opening will be a culmination of hard work driven by her passion for yoga.

"I kept going back and forth as to whether I wanted to actually take the leap," she said. "Ultimately though, I wanted to give others like myself a place to experience a different form of physical movement and a place to express themselves."

McCarty's love of yoga started years ago when she lived in Colorado. As life progressed and responsibilities and stressors increased, she found that yoga presented itself to her again for a whole new reason.

In January of 2022, she started a 200-hour yoga teacher-training program at The Studio Yoga and Barre in Spirit Lake. The intense sessions eventually sparked the flame that led to her new venture.

"As I was going through the program, I naturally gravitated to the physical benefits but was also curious on how the physical and mental benefits interrelated," she said. "This is what led me to embark on my next continuing education journey. I am now currently working on my 500-hour yoga medicine certification."

McCarty enjoys several facets about yoga, but she's not quite sure she has a favorite.

"Yoga for me is a way I am able to express myself and help others do the same, so I suppose having the ability to be creative within the practice is one of my favorite things," she said.

Authentically You Yoga and Wellness Studio will offer different types of yoga classes, including a four-class beginners series. McCarty will also lead a restorative yoga class that will be held once a week in the evening.

Additionally, the studio will host "pop up" classes.

"A great friend of mine does an awesome strong flow class and I am happy to have her once a month," said McCarty.

Also planned is a kids' yoga series. McCarty noted she's always happy to work with people privately for a more personalized approach.

"One of my passions is mental health and whole body wellness, so as I am working towards my 500-hour yoga medicine training, I will be adding special workshops occasionally that focus on specific wellness topics," she said.

If you've never tried yoga before, don't fret – McCarty loves working with people who are unfamiliar with the unique exercise.

"The really cool thing about yoga is that there are so many different types and so many reasons people are drawn to it," she said. "Whether you are using it strictly as a physical exercise or a way to help alignment in the body or if you are more drawn to the relaxation and calming benefits, there really is something for everyone."

The studio will hold its open house this Saturday from 10 a.m.-4 p.m. at 606 Carroll Street in Sanborn. A variety of events are planned, including free mini yoga sessions and a prize drawing.

McCarty hoped the studio would provide an environment for locals to harbor their own passion for yoga for years to come.

"Opening this studio is a labor of love and one that I hope will continue to be a part of our local communities for a long time," she said. "Ultimately, my deepest desire is that people can identify the studio as another venue for increasing wellness, body and mind."