By J.R. Tidwell / Editor

Southern Roots Yoga, located at 1661 Seventh St. S. in Clanton, hosted a ribbon-cutting ceremony Aug. 14 to mark the grand opening of the new business.

Owner Jennifer Kieras recently opened Southern Roots in order to offer residents in Chilton County an option for taking part in wellness-based yoga meant to promote good health.

“I am very excited for the official opening,” she said. “I am very excited for the workshops we have coming up this fall. We are going to be doing things that involve children’s yoga and longer classes on Saturdays. We have themed workshops coming up and new class schedules.”

While Aug. 14 marked the grand opening, Southern Roots has already been open and accepting members for a little while now. Kieras said the response from the community has been good.

“A lot of people who show up have been through word of mouth,” she said. “That means a lot to me. It means people come here and they feel good and get what they are looking for out of it. That’s what I’m focused on, is continuing to build that relationship with the members of our community revolved around wellness and good health.”

As such, she is planning on expanding both the size of her exercise room and the number of instructors at Southern Roots.

“Hopefully we will find some other yoga teachers to come here,” she said. “The interest (in yoga) is here, now I just need to find those teachers that do other lineages of yoga that I haven’t been trained in. We will be able to bring in people from Birmingham and Montgomery that way.”

Kieras is also looking at becoming a place where new yoga instructors can be taught.

“Another thing I’m excited about, I’m working on becoming a teacher training center through Yoga Alliance,” she said. “I love the idea of it.”

Members of the Chilton County Chamber of Commerce were on hand for the ribbon cutting to welcome Kieras and Southern Roots Yoga as a new member.

“I am so excited about it,” said Chamber director Francine Wasden. “I really like Jennifer. I think she will do a great job. She has tons of experience. She is in a wonderful location here. It will give everyone an option for another way to exercise and get healthy. I think it’s super. We are glad to have her as a member.”

The ribbon cutting at Southern Roots marked the second ribbon cutting and third open house the Chamber has been a part of since Aug. 12 when Alfa Insurance and Marion Bank & Trust in Jemison held ceremonies.

“It’s a great feeling,” Wasden said of attending Southern Roots’ event. “Supporting our members is what we’re all about. It means our community is growing, and to have a good quality of life you have to have something for everyone.”

For class schedules, rates or other information, visit southernrootsyoga.com/yoga.