How this popular Charlotte yoga studio is making fitness more accessible

Driving the news: The studio completed its expansion in January, adding a second room for classes, an additional bathroom and shower, six new instructors and more classes to the schedule.

• Both rooms hold around 30 people each, depending on the class.

Flashback: When longtime Charlotte yogi Caitlyn Sheff opened the studio in 2023, all classes took place in just one room.

• But it quickly outgrew that space. Waitlists—especially for weekend classes—became the norm.

The intrigue: The Coterie's popularity could be attributed to a few factors that set it apart from traditional fitness spaces.

• Its team of 29 instructors is notably diverse and is a reflection of the community the studio seeks to serve, Sheff tells Axios.
• The Coterie also actively avoids using appearance-focused language in classes. You won't hear terms like "goal weight" or discussion around burning calories.

But perhaps most notably — its sliding scale membership.

Context: The Coterie is on Thrift Road in Wesley Heights, a diverse west Charlotte neighborhood that has undergone significant gentrification in the last few years.

• It's now home to some of Charlotte's best restaurants, upscale cocktail bars and popular coffee shops.

What they're saying: "The responsibility I have as a business owner is to make sure this place is accessible to people who have lived here forever," Sheff says.

That's why, since opening The Coterie, she's offered a sliding scale for drop-in classes and memberships, which works on an honor system:

• Supporter membership ($150/month) – For those with a stable income who want to pay it forward.
• Sustainer membership ($125/month) – For those with a steady income but prioritizing savings or debt repayment.
• Community membership ($95/month) – For those without an abundance of expendable income.
• Guests can choose to pay anywhere from $18 to $35 for a single class.
• For reference, a drop in pass for heated yoga in Charlotte will cost around $30 — memberships typically hover around $140-$175 for boutique studios.

Between the lines: The studio's crowd skews young, says Sheff, with many members in their 20s. She thinks the studio's financial approach plays a big role — after all many young adults face financial constraints like student loans, car payments or credit card debt.

Zoom in: Sheff herself didn't start practicing yoga until she was 25. It came into her life while in therapy for an eating disorder.

• "Yoga was truly everything I needed," the now 35-year-old Sheff says. "I was bitten by this bug where I thought, 'I want to do this more. I feel really strong. I'm looking in the mirror for different reasons now.'"

• Soon after, she left her corporate retail job in Milwaukee, moved to Charlotte, and signed up for teacher training at CorePower Yoga.
• She taught at studios around Charlotte before opening The Coterie.

What to expect: The Coterie offers four main yoga classes:

• Peace – A slow, deep stretch with long-held poses (falling asleep is a-OK).
• Prana – Their signature vinyasa flow, heated to 85 degrees (you can also take a foundations class).
• Power – A mix of yoga and HIIT exercises, often with weights (a crowd favorite).
• Peaceful Prana — a newer class that's a warm slow flow and deep stretch.
• Occasionally, they offer workshops and teacher training.

The vibe: You'll be challenged in the workout, no doubt, but the atmosphere is inviting and peaceful — phones must be left outside the studio rooms.

• The goal, Sheff says, is to provide a third space where people feel a sense of community beyond home and work.

Zoom out: The Coterie also has a partnership with therapy and yoga center Blossom Wellness in Plaza Midwood, where they offer yoga classes led by therapists in a more intimate setting.

Stop by: Find The Coterie at 2135 Thrift Road, next to Pizza Baby "West."

• Your first class is free.
• Classes start at 6am on weekdays and 9:15am on weekends — check the full schedule here.