It’s a bright morning in late January, and Glow Yoga instructor and Studio Manager Lauren Aiello is guiding students through a mat pilates sequence. Eighties music soundtracks the class as studio members lean into the heated atmosphere and focus on slow and controlled movements. A stone’s throw away from Matthew Knight Arena, the newly-opened Orchard Street Glow Yoga studio is committed to reaching Ducks through its wide variety of classes and proximity to campus, as well as its Ambassador Program.
Spearheaded by Glow’s founder and owner, Chelsea Duke, the initiative seeks to inspire University of Oregon students to become studio members with the help of their peers. Instead of using traditional advertising, Glow has composed a team of undergraduate, graduate and law student Ambassador members to promote Glow on their social media platforms and speak to different organizations on campus.
“What I believe so strongly in is this grassroots, word-of-mouth way of getting to know the studio,” Duke said. “It’s just a way for us to make connections within these different avenues and parts of the university that maybe haven’t heard of the studio yet or don’t know a lot about it. This way, we’re able to get in front of them in a way that feels authentic and with people that they know and trust and whose opinions they value.”
Gwen Lyman, a senior at the University of Oregon, is currently an ambassador for Glow.
“I started going to Glow consistently and building that into a routine, an hour set aside of my day that was dedicated just to me, not to doing things for class, other people or my friends,” Lyman said. “It was really monumental for my mental health.”
Lyman is passionate about fitness and the benefits it provides both physically and internally as well, and has enjoyed having the opportunity to meet so many individuals from the University of Oregon.
“It’s such a non-judgmental space. Whether it’s your fifth or your 50th time being there, everyone just feels so welcome,” Lyman said.
There are 50 classes between Glow’s Oakway Center and Orchard Street studios, providing everything from mindfulness and mobility to intensive, heated and strength-based classes. There is also a solid commitment to philanthropic endeavors within the Eugene community.
Each quarter, Glow promotes a nonprofit organization and hosts donation-based classes. This winter, studio members are supporting Relief Nursery, an organization committed to providing alcohol and drug recovery, crisis response and therapeutic classrooms to families in need.
“It’s inspiring to learn underneath her,” Aiello said, referring to Duke’s emphasis on giving back. “I think she’s an incredible businesswoman to try and follow in her footsteps.”
To learn more about the classes Glow Yoga offers and to become a member, visit the Glow Yoga website at https://www.yogaeugene.com.
