Anne and Matthew Falkowski - The Founders Of Samadhi Yoga Studio

The Making Of Samadhi Yoga Studio:

Anne began teaching yoga in 2000. At this time, there were no local yoga studios in the area and only a few yoga classes had cropped up in gyms and recreation centers. When Anne discovered yoga in 1997, the yoga was life changing; helping her move through a life time of body image issues and also loved how the yoga was making her physically stronger than she had ever been in her life. She envisioned bringing a yoga studio to her home town, Manchester, and creating a unpretentious, safe, vibrant and beautiful yoga space where anyone could come and find the yoga class that was right for them.

With the support of her family and friends, Anne opened up the first Samadhi Yoga Studio in the heart of Manchester's downtown on the 2nd floor of a renovated historical building. The space was uninhabitable when she found it; soiled carpeting, dingy and sad but it had many beautiful windows and a tall ceiling and the price was affordable. Anne had saved her earnings from teaching yoga part time and this modest amount of money coupled with the sweat of her good friends created the original Samadhi Yoga Studio. Within weeks of opening, hundreds of local residents began to come to the studio and get their first sampling of yoga.

Matthew joined the teaching staff at the Studio in 2002. He added much depth and spirituality to the space with his in-depth teachings of pranayama (breath), yogic philosophy, and his beautiful guitar and singing voice. Matthew founded the first yoga teacher training at Samadhi Yoga Studio and today Samadhi Yoga Studio has a nationally recognized 200 and 500 hour Yoga School that is in its fifth year of operation. Matthew continues to teach yoga in addition to working full time at his own business, TuneRooms Inc.- a innovative website for musicians.

Anne and Matthew have taught yoga to thousands of students and their teaching style is a combination of what they have learned works best with their students and what they learn from their own yoga practice. Each continues to study their yoga with master teachers. Both believe that it is important to always be a student of yoga-no matter what. Both are inspired by each other's practice and appreciate the fact that they can share their yoga with one another.

The first yoga studio weathered through many changes but managed to survive. It survived the breakup of Anne's first business partner, leaking ceilings, increased violence on Main Street, valued and adored teachers moving on, the making of brand new teachers, and rapidly growing local competition. It survived all of this due to the perseverence of it's owners and the dedication of the Samadhi Yoga Community.

Today, Samadhi Yoga Studio has 2 locations. It is a thriving business with a big heart. Anne and Matthew have managed to bring together talented teachers and a diverse and welcoming yoga community in the midst of a very busy life. The Falkowski's have three children, Emily (11), Matthew (9) and Sadie (1) who are the center of their universe. They are very active in their Unitarian Universalist Church. Anne and Matthew have been married 19 years and look forward to the ever evolving and changing path of their lives together.