State College yoga studio closes its doors after more than a decade in business
A downtown State College yoga studio and meditation center closed its physical location Wednesday after more than a decade in business.
Lila Yoga, 103 E. Beaver Ave., closed because owner Erica Kaufman felt she could not safely allow yogis to congregate inside her studio during a pandemic.
“It seems like closing the studio is facing reality,” Kaufman said Monday. “And once you face reality, then you can look at what are the other options of how I can be supportive and helpful in the world.”
The business closed in March to mitigate the potential spread of COVID-19. Kaufman then began to offer more yoga classes online, something she plans to expand.
She did not rule out reopening a physical location in the future, but that would not happen until the United States “gets the pandemic under control,” Kaufman said.
“Right now, because of the pandemic, it cannot be open. That’s just the facts,” Kaufman said. “It cannot be open in good faith.”
Kaufman took pride in bringing a “reliable, intelligent and scientifically based” yoga studio to Happy Valley. The studio also served as a place for Kaufman to train teachers, who often joined her on retreats to India.
“I love this town. I love Centre County,” Kaufman said. “I opened this studio in service to my health and to everybody’s health. It’s been a beautiful 15 years or so. I met marvelous people.”
This story was originally published August 10, 2020 at 5:14 PM.