The Bloom ORIGIN
Co-founders Sara Harward and Ashley Gangloff each fell in love with the way yoga made them feel–physically and emotionally. They felt free to be human, messy. Yoga provided them respite and reminded them to pay attention.
They were following the natural course of things. Both married and each with three kids, leading accomplished careers by typical standards, Sara in research, Ashley in academia. They volunteered, served on community boards, hosted events, and did all of the things that would sum up a “full” life. They had it all, yet were quietly wondering if something was missing.
They lived parallel lives, their kids even attended the same school, and somehow had never met. A mutual friend finally insisted: You two have too much in common. You have to meet.
They connected in early 2023. Long walks and coffee before and after class as they navigated mid-life awakenings that felt more like punches to the gut. They talked about disappointments and fears, the feeling of missing the moment, and wonderings of what it might look like to stand in a new space. That collective longing for something deeper drew them into friendship — and eventually, into something bigger.
On one of those walks, Sara wondered out loud: What if I could create a space for people to share what I find through yoga? The quiet, the connectedness, the strength. Ashley responded: What if?
Heading into a holiday season, the women decided to let these thoughts and this conversation rest. They’d each just sit with it for a few weeks.
Ashley texted 24 hours later: Let’s partner.
Their first official meeting was just days after the new year. By the end of January, they were on a mission to bring their shared vision to life.
And so Bloom Collective was born — rooted in the belief that everyone deserves a space to feel seen, supported, challenged, and connected. A place to show up as you are and leave feeling a little more like yourself.
That vision first took shape as Bloom Yoga Co., a studio built around thoughtful teaching, meaningful connection, and the belief that yoga is for the whole of our human experience.
Since then, Bloom has expanded to include education, retreats, and new opportunities to learn, explore, and connect. Each is an expression of the same idea that brought Sara and Ashley together in the first place.
The possibilities are wide open. The intention remains the same: to create spaces where people can connect more deeply with themselves, with one another, and with the fullness of life.
Why Bloom
Bloom embodies a transformation. To bloom, a seed must first root. It stretches toward light, weathers seasons, and never finishes growing. It is connected to its environment and the elements within its environment.It doesn’t compare itself to the flower beside it — but it can’t thrive in isolation either. Every part of the transformation matters. That’s the practice. That’s us.
What is Bloom Yoga Co?
A soulful space that cultivates physical and personal transformation through movement and connection.
BLOOM VALUES
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BLOOM VALUES
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Space
Space to become, to shift, to rest, to play, to grow.
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Light
Tend our own light, and each other’s—whether it’s burning bright or barely flickering.
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Roots
Roots grounded with intention, reaching both inward and outward.
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Connection
Connection to community, to ourselves, to a fuller life.