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New 'One Key Yoga' on Damen a Realization of Owner's Dream

By David Byrnes | February 2, 2015 5:19am
 A new yoga facility, One Key Yoga, is opening at 4845 N.Damen Ave.
One Key Yoga
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RAVENSWOOD — The name of One Key Yoga, a new studio opening Monday at 4845 N. Damen Ave., reflects the experience of its owner and operator, Gina Fitzpatrick.

Over her 14-year career as a yoga instructor, Fitzpatrick often taught at several studios at the same time and as an instructor for corporate employees, she said.

“At one point I had, like, six keys [to different studios] on my keychain. It was ridiculous,” said Fitzpatrick, a Rogers Park resident. “And I said to a friend of mine, 'One day I’m going to go down to one key.' ”

The name also reflects how she feels about yoga: “It’s a key to being healthy, a key to being happy… There’s so many ways to go with that [name].”

Renovations of the property began in November of last year. She didn't plan to open in Ravenswood.

Riding her bike on Damen from a job as a yoga sub at the Old Town School of Music, she happened to see an open storefront. The owner was standing outside and she asked, "What's going on here?"

"He says, 'A wine bar here, a coffee bar there, I'm not sure about the middle,' " she recounted. "And I said, 'How about a yoga studio?' Literally in 10 minutes, I was signing the paper work."

With the help of remodeling firm IDLC and donated time from Fitzpatrick’s friends, One Key is set to open its doors a little after two months of renovations.

“It went up so fast,” said Regina Wiedlin-Wadia, another yoga instructor who will be working at One Key. “I can’t believe how quickly everything was able to get done.”

Fitzpatrick reports that her initial investment came out to a little over $22,000 including first two months rent, and hopes that she will recoup that amount soon.

“My biggest priority is to repay my teachers,” she said. “I need to make enough here so that all the instructors can be paid.”

Three instructors will be working at One Key along with Fitzpatrick, she said.

She plans to charge per lesson, rather than by membership fee. “It’s going to do mostly drop-ins… $16 per lesson, though there will be discounts for people who come to more classes [per week],” she said.

Additionally, Fitzpatrick is offering an “Intro to Studio” sale on One Key’s website, onekeyyoga.com: three lessons for $30.

She is counting on own history with yoga as well as the reputation of her other instructors to draw customers.

“What happens in yoga is you sometimes get a ‘following,’ or people who want to work with a specific teacher,” she said. “So when a teacher moves to a new studio… people follow them. I think that will happen [here].”

She and Wiedlin-Wadia also emphasized that everybody is welcome in the studio, regardless of prior experience.

“Yoga can be beneficial to anyone’s life,” she said.

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