Taou Yoga studio fills last commercial space in new Forest Hill development

A yoga studio is slotting into the last available commercial spot at 4701 Forest Hill Ave. (Courtesy Daniil Kleyman)

A Carytown yoga studio is stretching into Forest Hill for its second location.

Taou Yoga has signed on for a 2,000-square-foot spot at 4701 Forest Hill Ave. in the Evelyn, a mixed-use development that’s set to fully open its doors this year.

Taou Yoga was co-founded by Kat McCrory and Katie Bosch in 2022 with its first studio at 3122 W. Cary St. They launched Taou after connecting during the COVID-19 pandemic, when they both were already in the yoga and massage world and looking for a next step.

Out of their Carytown location, which was previously home to longtime Richmond studio Yoga Source, they’ve since grown the business to around 40 teachers, including Bosch and McCrory.

With a buildout cost of around $200,000, the new Southside location will have a lobby, two studio spaces and a massage room. Depending on permitting, Bosch said they hope to open in Forest Hill in November.

Behind the Evelyn is Dodson Development Group and Evolve Development, headed by Duke Dodson and Daniil Kleyman, respectively. The development includes 40 apartments atop 8,000 square feet of commercial space.

Taou Yoga is filling in the remainder of the commercial space at the development. Other commercial tenants that have already signed are sushi restaurant Lucky AF and Charlottesville-born Janet’s Cafe & Bakery.

McCrory said the developers reached out to the Taou team alongside several other area yoga studios. Wanting to reach some new customers, the Taou team jumped on the opportunity, she added.

“I think the Forest Hill neighborhood has intrigued us for a long time, and when they reached out to us about wanting a yoga studio over there, it was kind of just the push we needed,” Bosch said.

“We were the first bite…they really want a yoga studio, and there’s no yoga studio in Forest Hill,” McCrory added.

Katie Bosch, left, and Kat McCrory are opening a second yoga studio in Forest Hill. (Courtesy Taou Yoga)

Kleyman said some residents already moved into the Evelyn development apartments earlier this year. Janet’s is set to open this summer, while Lucky AF is eyeing an opening in late fall to early winter.

“We feel that yoga is a great complement to the other commercial uses in the building. Taou already has a great brand, reputation and following and I am sure they’ll be incredibly successful here,” Kleyman said.

Standing for “The Art of Us,” a name that’s meant to invoke both creativity and wellness, Taou offers an array of yoga, barre, pilates, dance and other movement classes, along with massages.

The studio’s name also comes from “Tao,” a Daoist principle that represents the world’s natural order.  McCrory and Bosch said the studio is “Daoist-based,” using principles like yin and yang in its classes.

Its pricing includes a per-class model that starts at $95 for five classes and goes up to $300 for 20 classes. It also offers a monthly unlimited classes membership for $135 and annual unlimited classes membership for $1,350.

McCrory and Bosch aren’t yet sure how many teachers will staff the new location, and noted they will likely be teaching many of the second studio’s classes as it gets off the ground.

And with the Forest Hill area being more family-oriented, Bosch said Taou is looking at potentially having some children’s and prenatal classes available at the second location.

The duo, who both have a history in the creative arts, are also open to community feedback from Forest Hill locals on what type of classes they’d like to see. Even martial arts options like tai chi and qigong aren’t outside of the realm of possibility, McCrory said.

“I think about it as a blank canvas,” she said. “As artists it’s exciting, because you can paint whatever you want to paint and do whatever you want to do.”

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