After Twelve Years of Mantra Yoga — A Heartfelt Shift into the Next Chapter

Marlena Bruno
Oct 28
5 min read

This isn’t the end. It’s a transformation. The practice continues, just in a new form.

Reflection

In 2013, I opened Mantra Yoga with a simple intention. To create a space where people could practice honestly, breathe deeply, and remember who they are. Over these twelve years, that intention became a living, breathing community. Together we’ve practiced through every season of life, through change, uncertainty, and growth. You’ve shown up with courage, humor, and heart. And for that, I am endlessly grateful.

For much of this past year, I’ve been quietly reflecting on what’s next, listening to where this work is asking me to grow and how I can serve it best. Every change I’ve made within Mantra Yoga has been part of that exploration. And now, with both clarity and peace, I know it’s time to take the next step.

After much thought, I’ve decided not to renew the lease for the Mantra Yoga studio space. Our final day in the physical space will be Friday, December 19, 2025.

Yogi Love in Savasana with Marlena Bruno

This decision isn’t about stepping away, it’s about stepping forward. The studio has been a beautiful chapter in my journey, one that has given me more joy, purpose, and connection than I could have ever imagined. Now, as both my life and my teaching continue to evolve - it’s time to create space for what’s next in my personal story, a new way of teaching and connecting that reflects the life I’m living today.

Personal Evolution — Why Now

Since 2013, both my life and my teaching have evolved in ways I couldn’t have imagined when I first opened the studio. What began as a dream to create a home for yoga has become something much deeper, a practice of truth, discipline, and devotion that reaches far beyond the walls of any single space.

I’m deeply grateful for what this studio has allowed me to create: the consistency, the community, and the daily rhythm of teaching that has shaped who I am as a teacher. But as my life has changed, so has my vision for how I want to share this work. My focus now is on creating a way of teaching that feels sustainable, spacious, and aligned with the season of life I’m in, one that allows me to serve with energy and presence, while continuing to grow personally and professionally.

This transition isn’t about stepping away from teaching; it’s about carrying the heart of Mantra Yoga forward in a new form, one that reflects the full expression of who I am today.

It’s about continuing the practice of evolution that yoga teaches us every day: to listen deeply, to stay curious, and to move forward with courage.

At the heart of my teaching methodology is the understanding that real growth requires both steadiness and change, the willingness to honor what’s been built while trusting what’s emerging. That’s the spirit guiding me now: a desire to keep sharing this work in a way that honors my life as it is today, while remaining open to what’s next.

The Next Chapter - Teaching Under My Own Name

While the Mantra Yoga studio space is coming to a close, my work, and our practice, will continue under my own name at marlenabruno.com.

This new chapter allows me to teach and connect with greater freedom, through local workshops, destination retreats, in-person & virtual private sessions, and online offerings that reflect the depth of practice we’ve cultivated together. It’s the same heart, the same devotion, and the same commitment to depth, simply unfolding in a new form.

And beginning soon, I’ll be launching my YouTube channel, a space where you can continue to practice with me wherever you are. I’ll be sharing free classes, guided practices, and reflections that support your life on and off the mat. When you subscribe to the channel, you’ll help me grow this it and expand the amount of free content I can offer to our community. (Details coming soon!)

This isn’t the end of our practice. It’s a transformation. The practice continues - and it continues with us.

Embracing the Beauty of Transition

Change rarely feels tidy. It’s layered, imperfect, and full of feeling, and yet, that’s what makes it beautiful. The same lessons we practice on our mats, balance, breath, surrender, are the ones that guide us through moments like this.

As we move through these final months together inside the Mantra Yoga studio space, my hope is that you’ll join me in celebrating what we’ve built and in honoring what’s next. We’ll continue to practice, breathe, and gather as a community through the end of the year, not to hold on, but to let go well.

There’s something sacred about seeing things through with awareness, about staying present for the final chapter of a story that has meant so much. Like the closing pages of a beloved book, this chapter is rich with meaning. It reminds us that endings are not final; they’re the quiet invitation to turn the page. The closure is what opens the door to the next shift, and this one, we get to walk through together.

How We’ll Close This Chapter

Our final day of classes in the Mantra Yoga studio space will be Friday, December 19, 2025. Until then, we’ll continue practicing together in the same rhythm that has carried us through the years, with consistency, honesty, and heart.

For our current members, there’s nothing you need to do. All memberships will automatically end on December 19, and your final billing will be prorated to align with that closing date.

If you hold a class pass, gift card, or private session credit, please plan to use them by December 19 as well. These final weeks are a beautiful opportunity to recommit to your practice, reconnect with the community, and savor the space that has supported us for so long.

I’ve intentionally paused the sale of new memberships and intro offers, keeping things simple as we close out the year. For anyone joining us through the end of the season, single classes and 3-class passes remain available.

The studio space will close its doors, but our work, and our connection, continues. You’ll find me teaching locally at pop-up events, offering private sessions in person and online, and leading retreats beginning in 2026 — all at marlenabruno.com.

With Gratitude and Courage

As I look back on these twelve years, I’m filled with gratitude for everyone who has walked through our doors, for every class shared, every conversation after practice, every moment of laughter and stillness. You’ve been part of something rare: a community built on courage, kindness, and the shared desire to live with more awareness.

This studio has never just been about yoga. It’s been about people, about showing up for ourselves and one another, even when life feels uncertain. That spirit doesn’t live in a building; it lives in us. And it’s what we’ll carry forward together as this next chapter unfolds.

Thank you for trusting me to guide your practice, and for allowing me to grow alongside you. It has been the honor of my life to hold this space, and it will be my joy to continue sharing the path ahead in new ways through marlenabruno.com and my upcoming YouTube channel.