Featured Studio

The Yoga Ridge Is Ridgefield's Hot Yoga Studio — and It's Exactly What This Town Needed

A veterinarian, a spreadsheet-loving facilities manager, and a town that was quietly ready for something like this. Here's the full story of The Yoga Ridge — and why the hot room at the end of Settler Drive might just change your life.

When Holley and Chris moved to Ridgefield in January 2021, they weren't planning to open a business. They were looking for a house with an ADU so Holley's mom could live close by. They found both — and they found a community that, it turns out, had been quietly waiting for a hot yoga studio.

"After I finished teacher training, I had several people asking me when I was going to open up a hot yoga studio in Ridgefield," Holley says. "We started looking around and realized this would be a great fit for Ridgefield and ourselves. If we were going to open a studio, we wanted to do so in our own backyard."

They live a mile from the studio. That detail matters. The Yoga Ridge didn't come to Ridgefield from somewhere else — it grew here, from people who are genuinely part of this community.

From Veterinarian to Studio Owner: Holley's Road to the Hot Room

Holley has been a small animal veterinarian her whole adult life — it's what she wanted to be since she was a little kid, and she's never wavered from that. She loves the science, the variety, and the deep human-animal bond she gets to witness every day. What she didn't anticipate was the toll it would take.

"Veterinarians as a group struggle with finding work-life balance," she says. "We give a lot of ourselves to our patients and clients. Our profession struggles with compassion fatigue, burnout, and the suicide rate for female veterinarians is 2.4 times higher than the general population. It is really challenging for us to put our airplane mask on first before taking care of others."

Hot yoga found her in the fall of 2013, through a Groupon her friends had. She went in with zero expectations — didn't look anything up, just showed up. And she loved it. Genuinely loved it, first class, which she acknowledges is somewhat unusual.

She kept going. Over time she noticed something she hadn't expected: the yoga was making her a better veterinarian. The emphasis on calming the nervous system, staying present during physical stress, returning to the breath — all of it translated directly into high-stakes clinical moments.

"It is such a big focus in Original Hot Yoga specifically on calming the nervous system and teaching the body and mind to stay calm during stressful situations," she says. "Translating this into my veterinary career has been a literal lifesaver."

Hot Yoga and Healing: Two Ankle Fractures, Zero Chronic Pain

Photo: Missy Fant Photography

Hot yoga gave Holley the confidence to try roller derby. She played with the Vancouver recreational team, Storm City Roller Derby, from 2015 through 2020. In that time she broke both ankles — once in a game in 2016, once at practice in 2018.

Both times, she came back to the hot room to recover. First time, she returned while still in the boot. "The heat helps to make postures accessible and there are modifications to accommodate new and old injuries," she says. "This yoga was a very safe place to come back to recover. I knew I wasn't jumping or twisting or risking further injury."

Today, despite having hardware in both ankles, she has no chronic pain. She credits the yoga directly. "I know I would not have recovered the range of motion in my ankles without this practice."

Chris: The Business Brain Behind the Studio

Chris spent 24 years with Chipotle Mexican Grill — nine in operations, fifteen in facilities management. He's been a semi-regular hot yoga practitioner himself for a decade. When the idea of opening a studio started getting serious, he leaned into what he knows: building a viable business plan, working with architects, managing the construction phase, and handling the accounting side of the operation day to day.

He also, apparently, speaks spreadsheet fluently.

"I realized Chris's love language is spreadsheets," Holley says, with the fond exasperation of someone who has built a business with her partner of over twenty years. They discovered, during the number-crunching phase of launching the studio, that they both arrived at the same answers through completely different mental processes. "It was just interesting to realize that your partner of over 20 years has a brain that works in a totally different way than your own."

Hot Yoga 101: What It Actually Is and Why It Works

Original Hot Yoga — also called Bikram Yoga or the 26+2 series — is exactly what it sounds like: 26 postures and 2 breathing exercises, performed in a heated room. The sequence is the same every single class. You're not guessing what comes next, you're working with a known structure and watching yourself get better at it over time.

That consistency is one of the things people tend to love once they understand it. "It is amazing to see yourself change in the postures," Holley says. Because the series doesn't vary, you have an honest benchmark every time you show up. One month in, you'll feel the difference.

Infrared Heat: Why It Feels Different Here

The Yoga Ridge uses infrared heating panels rather than traditional forced-air heat, and if you've been to another hot yoga studio before, you may notice a difference in how the room feels. Traditional forced-air systems heat the air and circulate it — which can feel stuffy, dries out the air, and requires aggressive humidifying. It also blows dust and allergens around the room.

Infrared heat works differently. The panels emit radiant warmth that heats your body and the surfaces around you directly, rather than primarily heating the air — similar to the feeling of the sun on your skin. Many students describe it as feeling warmed from the inside out. The room stays quieter (no blower noise), cleaner, and easier to breathe in.

60-Minute vs. 90-Minute Classes — Which Should You Start With?

The studio currently offers both formats. The 90-minute class is how the series was originally designed: all 26 postures and both breathing exercises, done twice, with the final third of the class on the floor and a resting posture (savasana) between floor postures. The 60-minute class moves through all the postures and breathing exercises once, with a few peak postures done twice, at a similar pace.

In June, The Yoga Ridge is also introducing the SUPER Sixty — a 60-minute class that moves faster, with less rest between postures, delivering the intensity of the longer class in the shorter format. It's a great option for experienced students whose schedules don't always allow 90 minutes.

For first-timers, Holley recommends starting with the 90-minute class. "Because we do everything twice, it gives you the opportunity to try it again in the same class. The first set you may be watching more than doing — but the second set is a chance to actually focus on doing it."

Yin Yoga: The Other Side of the Coin

The Yoga Ridge also offers Yin yoga, taught in a non-heated room. Where hot yoga is cardiovascular and heat-driven, Yin is a deep stretching practice targeting joints, tendons, ligaments, and fascia. Postures are held for three to five minutes — props like bolsters, blankets, and straps are common — and the whole class has a quiet, meditative quality. You can do most of it with your eyes closed.

"I always leave Yin class feeling like I just had a massage," Holley says. "People leave this class walking on a cloud."

The studio has students who practice both styles, some who only come for Yin, and plenty who use each as a complement to the other. If you're someone who needs something between yoga and deep-tissue bodywork, Yin is worth trying.

What Hot Yoga Actually Does for Your Body and Mind

The physical benefits get talked about a lot: strength, flexibility, balance, cardiovascular fitness — the full-body workout that takes 60 or 90 minutes and works every major muscle group. But students at The Yoga Ridge tend to keep coming back for reasons that go deeper than the physical.

One of Holley's instructors put it plainly: "I came for the physical workout, I realized how beneficial it was for my mental health, and I stayed because of the community."

For Stress, Anxiety, and Mental Fatigue

The hot yoga practice is built around down-regulating the nervous system. The breathing techniques keep the parasympathetic nervous system — the "rest and digest" system — in charge, even when your body is under physical challenge. You're training your brain to return to the breath rather than spike into panic. That's a skill that transfers to everyday life.

"We focus on breathing that keeps the parasympathetic nervous system in charge," Holley says. "We are training the body and the mind to come back to the breath and focus here, rather than letting the heart rate spike and the body start to panic."

For Athletes, Runners, and Active People

Hot yoga is where you come to recover. That's Holley's framing for athletes who are skeptical — and it tends to land. The practice improves joint health, range of motion, and balance, which means fewer injuries and longer athletic careers. "All athletes should add this yoga as a complement to their current activities," Holley says. "This practice will keep you doing your other activities better and longer."

She hears this regularly from students: improved knee health that lets them keep running marathons, better balance for hiking, the ability to get on the floor and play with their kids without stiffness. The specifics vary, the pattern doesn't.

A Moment That Sticks

Better balance. Less of a fall risk. More years of doing the things you love. That's the long game Holley is thinking about when she talks about this practice carrying people into their 80s and 90s — not as a fitness aspiration, but as a practical plan for staying mobile and independent.

If You've Never Done Yoga in Your Life, Read This First

Hot yoga has a reputation for being intense and intimidating. Holley would like to address that directly.

"You do not need to be flexible, strong, or have incredible balance to do this yoga," she says. "This is why you are here — to gain, regain, and maintain flexibility, balance, and strength. Focus on your body and what your body can do at this moment."

There are no handstands. No headstands. The series was designed as a beginner sequence, and the postures are accessible. The heat is the part that catches people off guard, and the best advice for your first class is simply to focus on breathing and acclimating. Doing the postures is just extra.

One thing Holley emphasizes: if you feel overwhelmed by the heat, the instinct is to leave the room. Resist that if you can. "Staying and just focusing on the breath will allow you to get comfortable with the heat much quicker. Leaving the hot room to cool off often means it just feels more extreme when you come back in." Stand still, take a knee, or lay down on your mat. Your body will acclimate.

Classes, Membership, and the New Student Intro Offer

The intro offer is designed to remove every friction point. Mat and towel rental are included, so you don't need to invest in gear before you know you love it. Holley's suggestion: aim for three classes a week across the two weeks. You'll experience both styles of class (hot yoga and Yin), and you'll get enough consecutive sessions to actually feel the shift — better sleep, clearer mood, better movement — before the two weeks are up.

Membership and Drop-In Options

The Yoga Ridge keeps their pricing structure simple by design. Here's how it breaks down:

Student pricing is also available: if you're under 18, drop-in classes are $14 per class. Stop by the studio in person to set this up — parents will need to sign waivers for minors.

For group classes or corporate events, reach out directly. They've hosted group sessions for specific organizations in the area and are happy to work something out.

Summer 2026 Class Schedule

The studio recently shifted to its summer schedule, running through August. Classes can be booked same-day via the website or through the Momence app. The studio is open 30 minutes before and after each class (15 minutes before the 6 AM class).

Upcoming: Sound Bath with Pacific Bloom Yoga

Pacific Bloom Yoga is bringing two seasoned practitioners and 14 crystal bowls, chimes, drums, and various other instruments for a relaxing 90-minute sound experience. The class is non-heated and designed to ground the body and lift the spirit through immersive soundscape. No yoga experience required.

Reserve your spot for the Sound Bath here. Members receive 10% off.

What to Know Before You Go

The studio is located in the Pioneer Village Complex at 4403 S. Settler Dr, Suite 110, Ridgefield, WA 98642. Parking is available in the complex lot. There are two bathrooms, each with a shower — bring your own shower towel if you plan to rinse off after class.

Book classes through the website at theyogaridge.com or download the Momence app to book, reschedule, or cancel easily. Classes can be booked same-day.

The Community That's Building Here

Most of The Yoga Ridge's practitioners are in their 30s to 50s, though the range runs from teenagers to people in their 70s. The mix is genuinely interesting: experienced hot yogis, people brand new to any yoga, people working through injuries, and athletes using it as a complement to running, weightlifting, cycling, or anything else they do.

What Holley notices most, though, is how people show up for each other. Students notice when someone hasn't been in class for a while. They check in. They talk before class and stick around after. The social texture of the studio matters to her — it wasn't incidental, it was part of the vision.

One last note she wanted to share: the studio has a gorgeous view of a greenspace behind it. During Yin yoga, they crack the doors and let in the birdsong. The orange and teal color palette she picked for the studio? She had no idea how much orange is woven into Ridgefield's identity when she chose it. How perfect, indeed.