On Saturday, Dec. 2, Lolo’s Youth Yoga + Fitness Studio will officially open its doors and become the first New Orleans yoga studio to cater solely to youth.

The grand opening, held at 6107 Magazine St., allows for an opportunity for children and their parents to learn about the studio and meet its skilled instructors.

The studio offers weekend classes and after-school programs for children up to 14. The main objective of these classes is for children to empower themselves not only physically but mentally. Through strengthening their bodies with yoga, they will also enhance their confidence and mind power. Art and non-yoga fitness classes will be provided for their benefit, as well.

For founder Laurie Azzano, the idea to open a yoga studio for children came to her gradually. She discovered yoga for herself after years of running and worked it into her fitness routine to boost her performance.

“Yoga can be such a powerful, full-body strength and conditioning workout, which I love. And yet, within the same session, it can be restorative and calming. And I love that we can do it anywhere, anytime, without any special equipment,” she said. “The breathing work alone can significantly help performance.”

Azzano began teaching young people when she coached a group of 3rd through 5th-grade girls for Girls on the Run, a nonprofit organization that teaches young girls life skills through fitness. It was while doing this that Laurie became astounded with the positive effect it had on the attitudes of young girls. She decided to incorporate her passion for yoga with promoting a healthy lifestyle for children by creating Lolo’s.

“Lolo’s is about so much more than yoga. It’s really about having a fun, comfortable place for kids to hang out, work out, talk it out and chill out. It’s about community as much as it is fitness or yoga,” she said.

And for Azzano, the decision to open the studio in the heart of Uptown was an easy one.

“I knew I wanted to be close to Audubon Park. I love all that we do in the studio. It has such a comfortable and casual vibe to it,” Azzano said. “But I also wanted to have the option to enjoy our beautiful park as a regular part of our fitness and yoga classes.”