Displaced yoga studio finds a new home at the Garde
Jul. 22—NEW LONDON — Blissworks has landed.
The 20-year-old yoga studio headed by Trish Reyburn was forced out of its longtime headquarters at 224-230 State St. last month as the building owner decided to convert the space to apartments, leaving Blissworks without a home.
But now Reyburn has moved just up the street to the Garde Arts Center, where she is teaching yoga to many of her longtime clients in the lobby or, during theater events and camps, in the Oasis Room. She cited the Garde's marketing and development director as inspiration for the move.
"Jeanne Sigel had suggested the Garde as an option when I was searching for a new location for my yoga classes and, after visiting several local church spaces, I realized what a truly wonderful location it would be for yoga classes," Reyburn said in response to email questions.
"I feel so blessed to be taken in by the Garde family," she added. "All the staff members have been so helpful to me and have made me feel very welcome."
Reyburn said she was able to start classes at the Garde on July 2 so there was no break in her teaching schedule. She is currently teaching classes just three days a week: Yoga Basics, from 9 to 10:15 a.m. on Tuesdays and 5:30 to 6:30 p.m. Thursdays as well as Intermediate Yoga from 8:30 to 9:15 a.m. on Saturdays.
On the Garde's website, classes are identified as Yoga at the Garde with Trish Reyburn from Blissworks. Reyburn said she is offering a donation to the Garde for every class she teaches.
In addition to her Garde classes, Reyburn also is teaching this summer at Harkness Memorial State Park in Waterford on Mondays from 6 to 7 p.m.
"It is always cooler at Harkness, and we practice in the shade of a giant horse chestnut tree behind the mansion on the waterside," Reyburn said.
She added that another Blissworks colleague, Tracy Blasioli, is teaching Yin Yoga there on Tuesdays from 6 to 7 p.m.
Reyburn is the only Blissworks teacher at the Garde, but former studio teacher Sue Bernier has a Friday morning class at All Souls Unitarian Universalist Congregation and Genipher Love is leading a Wednesday morning time slot at Hot on Bank in New London.
Meanwhile, another Blissworks alumna, Amy Jones, a licensed massage therapist, has opened Balance Bliss on the second floor of the Dewart building across from the Garde.
Reyburn acknowledged there were rumors she might be retiring, but said that never was her intention. At one point, she had hoped to move into a space at the Jasmine Thai building on Bank and Howard streets, but that fell through when her financial backing failed to materialize.
"I realized that I had to give up my dream of bringing Blissworks as a healing arts center into the future, but I always planned to keep teaching classes, workshops and retreats as it is what I love to do most," she said.
Reyburn moved to New London in 1992 after graduating from the University of Connecticut and growing up in Uncasville. She taught yoga for two years at St. James Episcopal Church, then started up Blissworks in the Dewart building 20 years ago, moving later to the Barrows building on State Street before settling down in the building that now houses the Honey Bee Farms Market convenience store.
"It has always been important to me to teach in New London, to help raise the energy of the city and have a positive impact on the community," Reyburn said. "So, I am very pleased to continue that mission at the top of State Street once more."
She calls the Garde her new home and said classes are limited to 25 but have been largely filled with some room for new students. She credited Jeanne and Steve Sigel, the Garde's executive director, for helping businesses in the community in so many ways.
"The Garde is amazing with Steve and Jeanne at the helm," she said. "They do so much to help New London and always with a smile, too."