ABOUT US
In Balance Yoga Studio has been a locally female owned studio in our community since December of 2009. Becky McDaniel founded the studio and then sold the studio to her childhood friend and also Blacksburg Native – Nicole in July of 2013.
Our mission is to support and lead a yoga community that practices and provides a variety of yoga to all populations making the practice accessible and is passionate about giving back to each other, to our community and beyond. To progress and expand our community we offer an array of studio classes, trainings, privates, workshops, and retreats within our yoga studio and globally.
In Balance Yoga is a social entrepreneurship business model giving back each quarter to 3 different non-profits from public classes, workshops, trainings, retreats and fundraisers and also hosting many other donations classes to support causes and organizations locally, regionally, nationally and internationally that hold a special place in our members’ hearts.
We value positivity, service, connection, and fun with a passion for sharing movement! We hope this is your hOMe away from home.
Nicole Fitzwater LaFon, Owner & Instructor, Kunga Yoga School Faculty, E-RYT 500, YACEP
Contact Nicole at [email protected]
Devin Dausin, Studio Manager & Instructor, E-RYT 200, RYT 500, YACEP
Contact Devin at [email protected]
Please learn more about our teachers by clicking on their bio in our Mindbody webscheduler linked with the classes they teach.
Newsletter
Blog
Living In Balance By Lynn Theodose
In Balance Yoga Celebrates a Decade of Wellness and Philanthropy
Blacksburg, VA – May 2023 – As a Teacher and Owner of In Balance Yoga for a decade, Nicole
Fitzwater LaFon exudes gratitude, as her small business evolves into a wellness community centered
around collaboration and social responsibility expanding throughout the NRV. This would not be
possible without years of dedication to building connections, active engagement and the enduring
support of teachers, staff, manager, volunteers, members and the local community.
Celebrating ten years of ownership this July, Nicole has grown a business and community around her
passion of yoga with two studios, located at 1512 North Main St. and in the Corporate Research
Center at Virginia Tech. In Balance Yoga (IBY) offers classes such as gentle, hot yoga, aerial yoga,
ballet barre, pilates and even paddle board yoga at Claytor Lake. It’s the intentional development of
its student’s physical, mental and emotional health that inspires new classes, such as guided
meditation, deep relaxation and sound meditation. In addition, there are energy medicine classes
based on Traditional Chinese Medicine including acupressure, tapping and Meridian work to bring
balance. The Main St. studio also features infrared and light therapy in a heated sauna and has a
dedicated space for a local massage therapist and healing practitioners.
When asked “why yoga”, members share their primary reasons for
coming to IBY are to relieve stress, give back to others, and the
powerful sense of community, all which are nurtured by the classes
and wellness services provided. With a focus on health and vitality,
Nicole regularly explores and gravitates toward new ways to
improve the overall IBY experience. This has led to partnering with a
variety of small businesses and wellness professionals that provide
insight and expertise in areas beyond yoga. By collaborating with
others IBY not only supports a diverse community of wellness, but
also businesses providing a wider array of resources for its students.
These partnerships have resulted in new classes and studio
offerings such as, Qigong, Sound Healing, Energy Medicine and
collaboration with local acupuncturists, functional medicine
practitioners and other wellness professionals.
In addition to building a wellness community through collaboration, IBY fully embraces the social
entrepreneurial platform of giving back for the greater good. To date, IBY has raised over $100,000
with 100% of the donations going directly to charities throughout the NRV and beyond. One of its
ongoing donation partners is the Kunga Yoga School in Wilmington, NC where yoga is revered as a
means for positive change. The Rwandan word Kunga means “to serve or to reconcile” and IBY
regularly offers Kunga themed donation programs bi-annually. Through yoga classes, teacher
training yoga school, workshops and retreats, the Kunga Yoga School, and partners like IBY, raise
money and awareness for a variety of nonprofits, including Homes of Hope, a safe home for
orphaned, abandoned or trafficked girls in India. IBY is grateful and excited to announce that Noelle
Whittington, a 15+ year yoga veteran, assumed ownership of the Kunga Yoga School bringing new
energy to the service-based platform and its teacher training school. Together, Nicole and Noelle
share their passion for yoga and social responsibility and have united their efforts to positively impact
the world in which they live.
In addition to Kunga Fest, IBY is offering the 15th
Foundational and Yoga Lifestyle Teacher Training Program this coming August. To date, IBY has
graduated over 150 students in our community since 2013.
To learn more about In Balance Yoga, Kunga Fest Fundraiser or Kunga Yoga Teacher Training
School, visit inbalanceyogastudio.com or contact the studio directly at
540-961-1030.