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When “The Jewel in the Lotus” studio closed suddenly in Islip this spring, yoga instructors Toni Panariello and Samantha Buser knew they needed to act — and fast.
“It was kind of left as a space that everybody really enjoyed, and we just felt compelled to keep it here before it turned into something different,” said Panariello.
So she huddled with a fellow instructor at Jewel, Buser, of East Islip, and opened The Welcome Mat in the same space at April at 560 Main Street, Suite 3.
But they didn’t do so without trepidation.
“Everyone was very gracious to us, thank goodness,” said Buser. “It’s been amazing. It’s been busy for us, but the community was here, so we just kind of built on it.”
They did so — they say — by making people feel welcome.
“We wanted to be a very comfortable environment for everyone,” said Panariello, who lives in Islip. “Yoga can be a little intimidating, so we wanted to make it very comfortable, hence the name.”
The new studio was celebrated Thursday with a ribbon-cutting ceremony that attracted Islip Chamber Commerce and elected leaders.
The studio offers meditation, reiki healing, and programming for children and teens and more.
“We wanted to be more of a community center for a lot of yoga instructors to bring their ideas and workshops, so we’re open for everything,” Panariello said.
The teen groups are designed to be therapeutic, and are starting this weekend.
“The teen workshops are kind of like group discussions,” she said.
Even though they were nervous, the idea to preserve the studio space made plenty of sense, the owners agreed.
“It was kind of a no-brainer since we’re both from the community,” Panariello said. “It’s kind of become a little haven.”
The Welcome Mat is open seven days a week, with class times that range from 6:30 a.m to 7:30 p.m. There are also many workshops. Visit the site for more.
Click here to follow the studio’s activities on Facebook.
Photo: Samantha Buser (holding scissors) and Toni Panariello (holding certificate) are joined by (L-R) Islip Councilwoman Trish Bergin, Islip Chamber of Commerce president Doris Kennedy, Islip Supervisor Angie Carpenter, and Islip Councilman Steve Flatteron on Thursday at The Welcome Mat in Islip. (Michael White)
