Our story

Six mats in a church hall, a borrowed stereo and a kettle. That's how it began.

2014First class

Founded by Maya Lindqvist

A studio that feels like a home

Maya moved to Asheville from Stockholm in 2013 and couldn't find a studio that felt unhurried. So she rented a church hall on Tuesday nights and started teaching.

Twelve years on, Stillwater is a two-studio house with a reformer loft, fourteen teachers and more than a thousand students. Classes still begin with stillness and end with tea.

Maya LindqvistFounder & Lead Teacher

What we value

The heart of Stillwater

Every body belongs

Classes for all shapes, ages and abilities, with props and options always.

Unhurried

Fifteen minutes between classes, so no one is ever rushed out the door.

Rooted locally

Local teachers, local tea and a free community class every Sunday.

Always learning

Teachers complete 30 hours of training every year.

Gentle on the planet

Cork blocks, natural rubber mats and refillable everything.

Tea, always

A warm cup after every class. It's where friendships start.

Milestones

Twelve years on the mat

2014

Tuesday nights

Maya starts teaching in a church hall with six students.
2016

Willow Lane

We move into a converted house with one studio and a tea kitchen.
2019

Teacher training

Our first 200-hour training graduates 14 new teachers.
2022

The reformer loft

Eight reformers arrive in the old attic.
2026

1,000 students

Sixty classes a week and three retreats a year.