By LAURIE WINSLOW World Staff Writer on Jul 30, 2013, at 2:22 AMUpdated on 7/30/13 at 3:51 AM

Meghan Donnelly, owner of Inner Peace Yoga, knows firsthand about workplace stress and now aims to help workers alleviate tension by offering yoga classes in a downtown studio.

Starting Thursday, Inner Peace Yoga will be renting space in the Fly Loft at 117 N. Boston Ave. and offering classes at 6:30 a.m. and 5:45 p.m. Monday through Friday and 9 a.m. Saturday.

"I've always wanted to expand and, of course, serve a larger community," Donnelly said. "The Brady District is booming, and all sorts of neat stuff is happening there. I wanted to be at the forefront and the first to serve that community."

Donnelly began offering classes at her studio at 7718 E. 91st St. beginning in 2005. She said that for years she had been receiving feedback from people, including those who work downtown, who have wanted to take her classes but felt it was too far to travel to her studio.

Yoga is an ancient practice, dating back 4,000 years, but few people practiced it in the United States until about the 1960s and '70s, Donnelly said. Yoga has made a comeback in the past 10 to 15 years and particularly in the last couple of years as many athletes have taken it up.

Today, many businesses recognize the health benefits of yoga, which can lead to healthier employees and, thus, fewer sick days and insurance claims, its proponents say.

Donnelly said she began practicing yoga 16 years ago as a stressed-out college student. Someone had suggested she try it, and she found a yoga VHS tape, which she inserted in the TV. That's all it took, and she was hooked.

Yoga made all the difference after she entered the corporate world, first working at Hilti for three years and then in the oil and gas industry for T.D. Williamson Inc. Aside from her day job, she was teaching yoga on the side in the evenings and weekends.

Two years before Donnelly left office work, she began working on a business plan for a yoga studio.

Original post:
Inner Peace Yoga to open downtown studio

LOS ANGELES, July 31, 2013 /PRNewswire/ --Manduka, purveyor of high performance yoga gear and the #1 choice of yoga teachers worldwide, today announced that it has acquired yogitoes, a privately held yoga towel brand that revolutionized the industry with its Skidless technology. Manduka and yogitoes both share a history of innovation in the yoga world, as well as a mission for making the practice of yoga more accessible, joyful and inspiring. Manduka's acquisition of yogitoes gives customers worldwide a single source for the highest quality and most sustainably produced yoga essentials on the market.

"We have a deep respect for the yogitoes brand and share many of the same values," said Sky Meltzer, CEO Manduka. "Both Manduka and yogitoes are fanatical about quality, sustainability, innovation and most importantly, the teachers and yogis who make up this amazing community. More than anything, we are excited to help expand the reach of the yogitoes product line as well as advance the use and function of Skidless Technology."

yogitoes developed the first performance towel specifically for yoga, solving the dilemma of slipping during practice with its patented Skidless technology. The towels are made with 50 percent recycled polyester and are designed to create a super absorbent, hygienic layer which prevents slipping.

Manduka, creator of the legendary Black MatPro yoga mat, will offer yogitoes towels alongside its popular eQua collection of plush microfiber yoga towels. Designed for slip resistance and high absorbency in a range of sizes, the Manduka eQua line can also double as a performance towel for other fitness activities. By offering the two complementary towel lines, Manduka will provide the most comprehensive collection of performance towels available today.

"Over the past decade, yogitoes went from simply identifying an unmet need to pioneering a new market - using innovation to become a renowned brand synonymous with not slipping on your yoga mat," said Susan Nichols, founder yogitoes. "Along the way we have seen Manduka grow from a single revolutionary mat to an iconic yoga brand. Manduka is a natural fit to take us forward, while remaining true to our DNA."

You can continue to find your favorite yogitoes products by visiting http://yogitoes.com or at a local retailer near you.

For more information on Manduka, prices and availability please visit:www.manduka.com join us on Facebook http://www.facebook.com/mandukayogaor follow us @MandukaYoga

About Manduka Founded in 1997, Manduka was built on the simple idea that a better yoga mat can make a world of difference. Manduka strives to support and enrich the yoga community by providing premium quality mats and products while respecting employees, customers, materials, and the environment. Created for and by yoga enthusiasts, Manduka's technical and purpose-driven product designs meet and often exceed the distinct needs of all practitioners. Today Manduka's products, which include yoga mats, towels, yoga straps, water bottles, and bags, are sold in more than 35 countries around the world. Not only focusing on superior design, Manduka also promotes their ethos of quality, thoughtfulness and sustainability in all realms of their business.

Contact: Marci Mollins Saeger Media Group marci@saegermediagroup.com310-935.3882

Here is the original post:
Manduka® LLC Acquires Yoga Towel Innovator, yogitoes® Inc.