Be Hot Yoga holds ceremonial torch run on closure of Bluff Street location, opening of the new at 558 E. Riverside Drive, Suite 210, St. George, Utah, April 5-6, 2014 | Photo by Dallas Hyland, St. George News
ST. GEORGE – It was a last class at the Bluff Street location of Be Hot Yoga Friday for participants and supporters of the studio’s owner J.T. Brown who lost his wife to a rare form of leukemia earlier this year. In ceremonial passage, the closing was honored with a torch run to the new location for Be Hot Yoga at 558 E. Riverside Drive in St. George.
When Friday’s class ended, the 30 or so participants first worked for the better part of an hour helping to pack up and load out the rest of the furniture and effects of the studio founded by J.T. Brown and his late wife Sheila Ilias Brown.
Then, a small band of yogis and yoginis lit the inaugural torch and ran the 3-plus miles to the newly constructed location on Riverside Drive where an informal potluck and grand opening ceremony was held .
J.T. received the final handoff of the torch with his daughter Shiloh and the two of them mounted it to the balcony wall just outside the new studio.
“This is a place for people to connect with people,” Brown said, “a place of refuge and of inspiration.”
It was Sheila Brown’s vision realized, J.T. Brown said, as she wanted to bring a higher caliber of yoga to St. George. He, the Be Hot Yoga staff, and the people involved showed determination to bring that plan to fruition.
The new facility will house the Be Hot University where courses in yoga will be taught. It also boasts two large yoga rooms as well as tranquil space, bathrooms with showers, and state-of-the-art lighting and sound.
Be Hot held its first unofficial classes on Saturday at 10:30 a.m. after an opening morning meditation and ceremony. The new studio was filled to near capacity.
Classes will begin officially with the first on Monday at 9:15 a.m.
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Old logo, old location. Be Hot Yoga holds ceremonial torch run on closure of Bluff Street location, opening of the new at 558 E. Riverside Drive, Suite 210, St. George, Utah, April 5-6, 2014 | Photo by Dallas Hyland, St. George News
Be Hot Yogi moving the goods as Be Hot Yoga holds ceremonial torch run on closure of Bluff Street location, opening of the new at 558 E. Riverside Drive, Suite 210, St. George, Utah, April 5-6, 2014 | Photo by Dallas Hyland, St. George News
Lighting of the inaugural torch. Be Hot Yoga holds ceremonial torch run on closure of Bluff Street location, opening of the new at 558 E. Riverside Drive, Suite 210, St. George, Utah, April 5-6, 2014 | Photo by Dallas Hyland, St. George News
Runners to acoompany the torch. Be Hot Yoga holds ceremonial torch run on closure of Bluff Street location, opening of the new at 558 E. Riverside Drive, Suite 210, St. George, Utah, April 5-6, 2014 | Photo by Dallas Hyland, St. George News
J.T. Brown. Be Hot Yoga holds ceremonial torch run on closure of Bluff Street location, opening of the new at 558 E. Riverside Drive, Suite 210, St. George, Utah, April 5-6, 2014 | Photo by Dallas Hyland, St. George News
Torch on the move. Be Hot Yoga holds ceremonial torch run on closure of Bluff Street location, opening of the new at 558 E. Riverside Drive, Suite 210, St. George, Utah, April 5-6, 2014 | Photo by Dallas Hyland, St. George News
Once last run in the old location, the torch runners strike out for the new. Be Hot Yoga holds ceremonial torch run on closure of Bluff Street location, opening of the new at 558 E. Riverside Drive, Suite 210, St. George, Utah, April 5-6, 2014 | Photo by Dallas Hyland, St. George News
Running the torch southbound on Bluff Street. Be Hot Yoga holds ceremonial torch run on closure of Bluff Street location, opening of the new at 558 E. Riverside Drive, Suite 210, St. George, Utah, April 5-6, 2014 | Photo by Dallas Hyland, St. George News
J.T. Brown and Shiloh Brown. Be Hot Yoga holds ceremonial torch run on closure of Bluff Street location, opening of the new at 558 E. Riverside Drive, Suite 210, St. George, Utah, April 5-6, 2014 | Photo by Dallas Hyland, St. George News
Founder and visionary JT Brown. Be Hot Yoga holds ceremonial torch run on closure of Bluff Street location, opening of the new at 558 E. Riverside Drive, Suite 210, St. George, Utah, April 5-6, 2014 | Photo by Dallas Hyland, St. George News
Yoga instructor Stuart Landsee prepares for the final handoff to JT Brown. Be Hot Yoga holds ceremonial torch run on closure of Bluff Street location, opening of the new at 558 E. Riverside Drive, Suite 210, St. George, Utah, April 5-6, 2014 | Photo by Dallas Hyland, St. George News
Be Hot Yoga holds ceremonial torch run on closure of Bluff Street location, opening of the new at 558 E. Riverside Drive, Suite 210, St. George, Utah, April 5-6, 2014 | Photo by Dallas Hyland, St. George News
J.T. Brown, namaste. Be Hot Yoga holds ceremonial torch run on closure of Bluff Street location, opening of the new at 558 E. Riverside Drive, Suite 210, St. George, Utah, April 5-6, 2014 | Photo by Dallas Hyland, St. George News
Be Hot Yoga holds ceremonial torch run on closure of Bluff Street location, opening of the new at 558 E. Riverside Drive, Suite 210, St. George, Utah, April 5-6, 2014 | Photo by Dallas Hyland, St. George News
Copyright St. George News, SaintGeorgeUtah.com LLC, 2014, all rights reserved.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Dallas Hyland is a freelance writer, award-winning photographer, and documentary filmmaker with three films currently under his belt including "The Approach," featured in the 2012 DOCUTAH International Film Festival, and the 2014 Raven Award-winning film "Still Going Strong."
Hyland is currently working on more films as well as commercial branding projects. He is a sponsored photographer and product tester for companies such as Clik Elite and its adventure photography line of camera bags.
A founding writer at St. George News and the opinion editor at The Southern Utah Independent, Hyland's investigative journalism and opinion columns have ranged in topics from local political and environmental to the international front covering issues such as human trafficking in Colombia.
At once action-oriented and of deep philosophical inclinations, Hyland's work drives at reporting in a manner that incites a dialogue aimed at getting to the truth.
Based in Southern Utah, Hyland works from his studio in Kayenta’s Art Village, as well as from wherever his work takes him. On his rare off-days he can be found with his family and friends exploring the pristine outdoors. Hyland cherishes what he calls “the modest life, lived well.”
Follow his work at about.me/dallashyland and www.dallashyland.com. Listen to him live as a regular guest co-host on the Perspectives talk show on Fox News 1450 AM 93.1 FM in Southern Utah.