Angie Ryan came to yoga in 2009 willing to be open to possibilities, at a time in her life when opportunities to heal and be well seemed unavailable. Originally a distance runner, she developed debilitating injuries in her feet, causing her to be unable to walk without pain. Feeling at her lowest, she said “yes” to her first yoga class and began an unexpected transformative journey.
Over the course of a year, Ryan met with at least nine doctors, trying multiple medical interventions and movement modalities to alleviate her pain with no success. She held little hope yoga would make a difference, however, the idea of surgery made her willing to give yoga a try first.
Ryan asserts she “did not choose yoga, yoga chose her.” Guided by a compassionate instructor in her first class, she fell in love. Experiencing the engagement of her parasympathetic nervous system through pranayama practices and the releasing of the fascial tissue throughout her body, yoga began to bring healing and relief from her foot pain within the first twelve weeks.
From there, her yoga journey moved through a series of opportunities she could not anticipate, each one leading to more growth and positive outcomes. Ryan never thought about becoming a yoga instructor, let alone a yoga studio owner and educator. Again, her willingness to be open to possibilities created space for her yoga practice to flourish. When the instructor who had been so impactful to her healing needed to be away for a long period, Ryan was presented with a choice: have the class be canceled or lead it herself. A few short training sessions later and she was leading the class.
From that pivotal moment, Ryan quickly found her stride as an educator. What began as a personal quest for healing blossomed into a mission to empower individuals from all backgrounds and identities to discover their body’s innate capacity for healing and wellness. For Ryan, yoga transcends more than physical exercise – it’s a practice for self-discovery, resilience, and inclusiveness.
A few years after completing her 200-hour Yoga Teacher Training, Ryan began teaching at more studios in her city. Her training focused on the interconnection of the body’s layers to facilitate healing, which taught her the empowering practice of listening to her body and inviting others to do the same. Ryan states, “Your body knows what it needs; push forward if you seek challenge, pull back if you need rest. It’s a personal journey of self-discovery.” She encourages her students to follow the guidance, “If it doesn’t feel right in your body, then don’t do it.” Guided by this philosophy, Ryan creates a welcoming and inclusive space where individuals of all body types feel empowered to explore their practice safely and authentically.
As Ryan’s expertise deepened through her 500-hour Yoga Teacher Training and E-RYT 500 qualification, she remained open to new possibilities – even during the pandemic. She used the time to complete multiple online speciality trainings to be better able to serve her community. As the quarantine lifted, another opportunity presented itself. A friend told her about a space they owned and encouraged her to open a studio. Although she previously thought owning a studio would never be accessible, she embraced the idea and they came to an agreement.
In March of 2021, Angie Ryan opened Balance Yoga 217 in Springfield, IL. Although the space allows for more, she chose to lead semi-private classes of ten students to personalize instruction and meet the individual needs and interests of her students. Ryan made it a priority to facilitate the studio’s community to encourage a sense of belonging for all practitioners. Balance Yoga 217 is a welcoming studio for newcomers, and Ryan emphasizes the studio’s tagline: “If you are new to yoga, we are just the studio for you.” She focuses on relationship building and encourages the preservation of physical wellbeing as students explore various yoga practices.
When Ryan reflects on her yoga path she acknowledges all the things to celebrate in the thriving community she cultivated. Her willingness to be open to new ideas greatly benefits herself and thereby the community, as it fuels a desire to hold space for others to experience the goodness of yoga, too. Ryan finds great pleasure in observing the learning and growth of individual community members within Balance Yoga 217’s non-judgmental environment. She feels in her element when students ask questions and the group invites “Mr. Bones,” the resident skeleton model, into the class to discuss alignment, movement, and comfort vs. pain. She reminds her community all bodies and experiences are unique, so the practices must be unique as well.
Ryan’s gratitude and abundant pride in her studio is evident. With a smile she shares Balance Yoga 217 is the only studio within a hundred miles with the student friendly yoga wall system called the Great Yoga Wall, declaring, “I’m not done yet!” Passionate about expanding the studio’s offerings, her goals range from including online courses and furthering her own studies to continuing to grow an inclusive yoga community at Balance Yoga 217.
Shelly Auld (she/her) resides in the Twin Cities area of Minnesota, acknowledging the unceded lands of the Dakota and Anishinaabe/Ojibwe peoples. Her commitment to dismantling oppressive systems drives her work towards fostering inclusive environments where all individuals can thrive. Shelly is passionate about exploring yoga lifestyle and practices and integrating them into justice-centered wellbeing programs. Shelly received her 200-hour yoga teacher certification in 2017, followed by her 500-hour certification in India in 2023, and holds certifications in trauma-sensitive yoga and youth yoga. Complementing her expertise, Shelly is a Registered Health and Nutritionist Counselor and a certified Reiki Master.
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