The Shop ... A Yoga Studio.
Photography: Timothy Thimmes
Parkite David Belz envisions his dreams and then creates them with the utmost detail and care. This has been going on for years, like when the Tennessee native was 14 years old on a ski vacation in Breckenridge, Colorado, with his family. That’s when he realized deep down that someday he would make his home in the mountains.
A self-described “late bloomer,” Belz began visiting Park City in 1977 while finishing his architectural undergraduate and masters degrees. “Coming here and seeing the majesty of the mountains around this little town had an impact,” Belz confesses.
True to his vision, Belz moved to Park City in 1989. The southern architect taught martial arts, which gradually led him to yoga. He’ll tell you now that Anusara yoga is part of “every minute of every day” of his life.
“Anusara” in Sanskrit means “flowing with grace” or “aligning with nature”—both concepts Belz and his students use in and outside of the studio known simply as “The Shop.”
Belz is the visionary behind The Shop. What was once a dilapidated bus barn, and before that a woodworking and repair shop for the neighboring school and the community at large, is now arguably one of the most beautiful yoga studios in the country.
“It looked like a bombed-out building in Beirut when I bought it,” explains Belz in his trademark southern accent, always delivered at a steady, rhythmic pace.
Walking into the now spacious, state-of-the-art studio is an experience like none other. Each detail, from the lighting, to the video and sound system, to the heated, artfully colored floors, to the wide-open full kitchen has been designed with care by Belz.
Saying that this eclectic, good-natured man pays attention to details may be the understatement of the century. He admits he may be a tad obsessive-compulsive, but that behavior goes back to his intrinsic belief that if he can’t do something to the best of his ability, “why do it at all?”
Belz overlooks nothing and no-one, whether that be a rock in a quarry he is searching to find materials for his garden, or a student in one of his classes. Instead, he focuses on his subjects and gives them his utmost attention. This habit, he admits, is both “exhausting and exciting.”
In addition to hosting dozens of yoga classes each week, The Shop is also a community center. It has become tradition for Belz to extend invitations to just about anyone for potlucks, holidays, or even spontaneous “movie nights.”
Mary Allen is an instructor at The Shop and a friend of Belz’s. “The very first time I went to the studio I felt a great energy,” she says. “David is a visionary. He is very spiritual, and I admire him tremendously. He is kind, generous and eccentric. When I met him, I remember thinking, this guy is wild! I love that,” she says with a laugh.
“A yoga studio of this caliber is highly unusual because it offers services on a donation basis,” explains Jeffry Kuhn, a long-time local and best friend of Belz. Yoga practitioners who visit The Shop simply sign in, and place whatever amount of money they can or want to in a wooden container. No one looks over their shoulders, or questions them about what and why they have or have not contributed.
“Kula” is the Sanskrit word for “community of like minds.” The Kula at The Shop continues to grow and expand under the leadership and inspiration of Belz. The guiding principal of his life is one many can strive for as well:
“My intention is to realize my highest potential in all areas of my life and to help others do the same.”
When Katie Eldridge isn’t working on her “downward dog” at The Shop, she can be found enjoying The Canyons Resort, where she is public relations director.
The Shop, 1167 Woodside Avenue, Park City, 435.649.9339, www.parkcityyoga.com
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