Asheville Community Yoga

What Asheville Community Yoga does

Asheville Community Yoga is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit yoga studio headquartered at 8 Brookdale Road in north Asheville, North Carolina, operating across a 7,200-square-foot facility with three studios, two healing arts rooms, and a 125-space parking lot. Founded in 2009 by Michael Greenfield as "Free Yoga" and incorporated as a tax-exempt nonprofit in August 2011, the organization offers nearly 100 weekly donation-based yoga, meditation, and Qigong classes, with mats, blocks, bolsters, and straps provided at no charge. The studio employs 13 paid staff (8 full-time, 5 part-time) and is supported by 65 volunteer teachers who donate their time as a "karma yoga" service. Programming spans gentle yoga, vinyasa flow, warm and hot yoga, prenatal yoga, yoga for seniors, baby and me yoga, falls prevention and bone health series, plus higher-priced offerings including a 250-hour Yoga Teacher Training, Immersion Programs, continuing education workshops (Yoga for the Mature Body, Heart of Prana), youth and family programming including summer camp, and an on-demand pre-recorded video library.

The revenue model is primarily donation-based with no required minimum, supplemented by paid workshops (~$45), 6-week series ($60-$100), teacher training ($500-$775), recommended donations of $10-$20 for online classes, and proceeds from the Zen & Now Preloved Clothing thrift shop subsidiary. Financial aid is available across all programs. Distribution is centered on the single physical studio, augmented by hybrid/virtual delivery via Zoom for select programs and pre-recorded online classes. Marketing relies on word-of-mouth, social media (Facebook, Instagram), email newsletters (Constant Contact), earned media through 12 consecutive years of Mountain Xpress Best of WNC recognition, and class scheduling through the MINDBODY platform. Operational infrastructure consists of standard wellness studio equipment and off-the-shelf SaaS (MINDBODY, Square, Constant Contact); there is no proprietary technology, AI capability, or developer platform. Funding has been community-driven, with cumulative disclosed community and corporate contributions of approximately $310,000 between 2015 and 2017 supporting the 2017 expansion.

Name

Asheville Community Yoga

Legal name

Asheville Community Yoga

Website

https://ashevillecommunityyoga.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2010

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Asheville Community Yoga is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit yoga studio in Asheville, NC, offering nearly 100 weekly donation-based yoga, meditation, and Qigong classes, plus teacher training, workshops, and youth programs, served by 13 paid staff and 65 volunteer teachers.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Yoga Studio Services

NAICS

Fitness and Recreational Sports Centers (713940)

SIC

Services-Membership Sports & Recreation Clubs (7997)

akta.pro primary industry

General Yoga Instruction (Hatha/Vinyasa/Flow) (HSADACAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Guided Meditation Instruction (1:1 & Group) (HSADAJAA), Yoga, Pilates & Mind-Body Movement Education (EDAAAHAC), Private 1:1 Yoga/Pilates & Small-Group Sessions (HSADACAI)

Keywords

• Donation-based yoga classes
• Yoga teacher training
• Meditation and qigong
• Continuing education yoga
• Nonprofit wellness studio

Headquarters

HQ city

Asheville

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Supply Chain

Revenue model

1. Donations from Students: Voluntary donations from students attending classes. Suggested love offering is $5-$15 for regular classes and $15+ for special events. No one is turned away for inability to pay.
2. Workshop and Series Fees: Revenue from paid workshops ($45), series programs ($60-$100), teacher training ($500-$775), and specialty courses with set pricing.
3. Zen & Now Preloved Clothing Shop: Resale and thrift shop across the street from the center. All proceeds benefit Asheville Community Yoga's nonprofit operations.
4. Corporate and Grant Funding: Larger contributions from local businesses, organizations, and grants fund the nonprofit operations.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Asheville Community Yoga is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit yoga studio that delivers nearly 100 weekly donation-based yoga, meditation, and Qigong classes (including gentle, vinyasa, warm/hot, yin, prenatal, and senior-focused styles) with mats and props supplied free. Beyond regular classes, it sells yoga teacher training (250-hour), immersion programs, continuing education workshops, youth/family programming and summer camp, and pre-recorded online video classes, while its Zen & Now Preloved Clothing thrift shop generates supplementary proceeds for the nonprofit.

Product overview

Asheville Community Yoga operates as a single-location donation-based nonprofit yoga studio offering a unified portfolio of wellness services. The core offerings include nearly 100 weekly in-studio classes (yoga, meditation, Qigong), a 250-hour Yoga Teacher Training program, Immersion Programs for deeper practice exploration, Continuing Education workshops for instructors, Youth & Family Programming including summer camp, and Pre-Recorded Video Classes for at-home practice. The studio also operates Zen & Now Preloved Clothing, a thrift shop whose proceeds support the nonprofit. All services are designed around the mission of making yoga accessible regardless of ability to pay.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Zen & Now Preloved Clothing: A resale and thrift shop offering gently used men's and women's clothes, shoes and accessories. All proceeds benefit Asheville Community Yoga's nonprofit.

Products and services

• Donation-Based Yoga, Meditation & Qigong Classes Nearly 100 weekly donation-based in-person classes including Gentle Yoga, Levels I & II Vinyasa Flow, Warm & Hot Yoga, Yin Yoga, Prenatal Yoga, Yoga for Seniors, Meditation, and Qigong, with mats and props supplied at no charge; open to all regardless of ability to pay.
• 250-Hour Yoga Teacher Training A comprehensive 250-hour teacher training program that balances self-discovery through personal practice with the outward expression of teaching yoga postures and philosophy, designed for individuals seeking yoga teacher certification.
• Immersion Program Program for individuals preparing for yoga teacher training or seeking to understand yoga beyond postures, featuring embodiment practices, experiential learning, and integration of yoga teachings into daily life; Winter Immersion priced $500–$775.
• Continuing Education (CE) Programs & Workshops Specialty workshops and continuing education courses for yoga instructors and practitioners, including the 30-hour Yoga for the Mature Body course and the 30-hour Pranayama (Breathwork) Teacher Training Immersion.
• Youth & Family Programming Programs for children and families including youth classes and family-friendly offerings, with Summer Camp 2026 listed as a featured program.
• Pre-Recorded Video Classes On-demand library of pre-recorded yoga class videos including Vinyasa Flow, Gentle Flow, and Meditation, with a recommended donation of $10–$20 per class for at-home practice.
• Zen & Now Preloved Clothing Shop Resale and thrift shop selling gently used men's and women's clothing, shoes, and accessories, with all proceeds benefiting Asheville Community Yoga's nonprofit operations.
• Specialty Series (Falls Prevention, Bone Health, Baby and Me Yoga) Multi-week specialty series for targeted populations: a 6-Week Balance Series ($100) and 3-Week Level 2 Series ($60) for seniors and bone health, plus a sliding-scale 4-Week Baby and Me Yoga series ($40–$80) for parents with infants 0–12 months, offered in-person and via Zoom.

Quantifiable outcome

• 91% decrease in falls risk among participants in falls prevention program
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration3 records

Scale indicators14 records

Recent moves11 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• CorePower Yoga: CorePower Yoga is the largest U.S. yoga studio chain, offering heated yoga, teacher training, and memberships nationwide. As a broad incumbent, it competes for the same yoga-practicing demographic but operates on a for-profit, membership-driven basis rather than community/donation model.
• Peloton: Peloton is a connected fitness platform with a significant yoga, meditation, and stretching library accessible via subscription and hardware. It competes for casual yoga engagement through convenience and pricing rather than community.
• YogaWorks: YogaWorks is a multi-location yoga studio brand offering diverse class styles, teacher training, and memberships across the U.S. It overlaps with ACY on teacher training and class programming but competes in a fundamentally different commercial segment.

Direct peers

• Kripalu Center for Yoga & Health: Kripalu is a nonprofit yoga and retreat center in Stockbridge, MA offering yoga teacher training, immersive programs, and ongoing classes, mirroring ACY's nonprofit, education-plus-classes model. Both organizations anchor their offerings around community, accessibility, and certification pathways.
• Sivananda Yoga Vedanta Centers: Sivananda operates a global network of nonprofit ashrams and yoga centers with donation-based classes, structured teacher training, and mission-driven operations. The volunteer-staffed, community-access ethos closely parallels ACY's karma yoga and "no one turned away" model.
• Laughing Lotus Yoga Center: Laughing Lotus is a community-oriented yoga studio with multiple locations, teacher training, and a strong local brand identity. While not donation-based, its mission-driven, community-first culture overlaps with ACY's value proposition.
• Yoga Farm Petaluma: Yoga Farm Petaluma is a donation-based community yoga studio in Northern California offering accessible classes and teacher training. Its operating model, community ethos, and class pricing closely align with ACY's donation-based nonprofit approach.
• Piedmont Yoga Community Studio: Piedmont Yoga is a long-standing community studio in Oakland, CA offering teacher training, workshops, and diverse class styles. Like ACY, it operates as a community-centered nonprofit-adjacent studio with multiple revenue streams beyond drop-in classes.

Others

• MINDBODY (ClassPass): MINDBODY is the booking, payments, and scheduling platform ACY uses for class registration. It serves as ecosystem infrastructure rather than a direct competitor, but its broader ClassPass marketplace product does compete for fitness practitioner wallets.

Emerging players

• Gaia: Gaia is a subscription streaming platform offering thousands of yoga, meditation, and spiritual content classes. It represents the digital alternative competing for practitioner attention and underscores both the threat and opportunity for studios like ACY to extend their content online.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/ashevillecoyoga
• Facebookfacebook.com/ashevillecommunityyoga
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/asheville-community-yoga
• Instagraminstagram.com/ashevillecommunityyoga

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Subsidiaries1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Asheville Community Yoga