The First Week: Finding Balance and Building Our West Door Home

Community gathering inside West Door Yoga during the opening weeks.

How West Door Yoga Opened in a 100-Year-Old Bay Shore Building

Have you ever had a dream that thrilled you while also creating massive fear? That is exactly how it felt during the opening of West Door Yoga.

We knew wholeheartedly this was what we were meant to do. Yet the demands of the first few weeks brought the scale of the work into focus quickly. The doors opened, the mats rolled out, and classes began. People showed up. The schedule filled. The space had to work in real time.

When a Yoga Studio Opening Became Work in Bay Shore

Those early days carried excitement alongside worry. There was momentum and there were so many unanswered questions. Would people come? Would they like the classes we offered? Would the space support what we wanted to offer? Once classes began, answers came easily, and we adjusted.

A Historic Yoga Studio Space in Bay Shore on Main Street

West Door Yoga is located inside a large brick building on Main Street at 5 Fifth Avenue in Bay Shore, a place that has held movement for more than 100 years. It was once an Arthur Murray dance studio, and dance classes still run in other studios throughout the building today. The brick walls and large windows fill the room with natural light. There is a church next door, with the steeple bells chiming on the hour, and the energy of the other dancers and classes permeate the entire building. The space fit exactly what we were building.

Morning light inside the West Door Yoga studio in Bay Shore.

Community Support Behind a Bay Shore Yoga Studio Opening

We didn’t do this alone. Friends showed up, some we hadn’t seen in a long time. They came to class, stayed to talk, and returned. Some arrived carrying money trees and small tokens of prosperity, simple gestures that said, “we believe in this.” Messages of goodwill came in, posts were shared on socials, and support kept building in steady, meaningful ways. From the beginning, West Door Yoga started growing a community in Bay Shore, one shaped by people who wanted a place to call home.

First Time Students Trying Yoga in Bay Shore

People walked in excited, already chatting and greeting friends and familiar faces. Mats were rolled out next to one another, and people settled in together. The practice unfolded in an easy, welcoming way, shaped by the energy people brought into the class. By the end, no one rushed out. People lingered, laughed, and talked about when they would be back. Many later signed up for yoga classes in Bay Shore that carried that same sense of connection from the start.

“I felt comfortable right away. I did not feel rushed, and I knew I wanted to come back.”

That moment clarified what the studio was becoming.

A quiet detail inside the West Door Yoga studio.

What Comes Next for West Door Yoga in Bay Shore

This is the beginning. The studio continues to take shape through regular classes and consistent participation. Thank you to everyone who has stepped into the space, shared the studio, or supported the opening in practical ways.

Lisa and I are excited to be here and so happy to be on this new endeavor.

About the Author

Dee Morrow is the co-founder of West Door Yoga Studios in Bay Shore, New York. She is a Registered Nurse with a background in critical care, a 500 hour certified yoga teacher, a Reiki Master, and a certified hypnotherapy practitioner. Dee has taught yoga for over a decade and focuses on building accessible, experience-based classes that support steady, sustainable practice.