
Locals On The Square: onlYoga
01.15.2025
23 years ago, onlYoga debuted as the first yoga studio in Midtown Atlanta. When the previous owner retired in 2016, dedicated yogi student-turned-teacher Anne Marie Johnsen stepped up to lead the studio – eventually finding a new home for her beloved community at Colony Square.
For over two decades, locally owned onlYoga has been committed to the transformation of its students. When visiting this friendly, neighborhood studio, you won’t find mirrors or a traditional yoga class setup; you’ll find a beautifully designed space to come together, look inward, and grow. Rather than just a place to exercise, Anne Marie and her team think of themselves as a yoga school, offering non-competitive classes for many skill and age levels. Here, all are welcome.
We caught up with Anne Marie to learn more about her background and journey to onlYoga. Get the scoop below and be sure to catch the studio’s feature on our Instagram too!
Questions:
When did you first begin practicing yoga and how did you get into it?
Somewhere around 2001, I stumbled into a yoga class. At the time, I didn’t feel like anything in my life was missing. I didn’t realize I was searching for something, but the spiritual teachings from that class filled my heart in such a way that I knew yoga would always be a part of my life. Even though it was all new to me, it felt like coming home.
What inspired you to become a yoga teacher and operate your own studio?
The onlYoga community. Since finding this community in 2011, it has brought so much learning, growth, fulfillment, joy, and belonging to my life.
Back then the studio had a different owner, and I began assisting my teacher as a way to deepen my connection to our community. In 2016 he retired, and I couldn’t fathom a world in which this beloved community didn’t exist. It was the push I needed to face my fears and begin the teaching journey – and to take on the risk and work of owning a small business. It’s a good place to be, loving something so much that it’s bigger than what scares you.
onlYoga is an integral part of Colony Square’s popular Yoga on the Square / Yoga in the Sky programming. What do you enjoy most about those events?
When we practice together in a group setting, we create our own collective energy. The more people, the more power. For me, one of the great joys of teaching yoga is watching people come together in this way, focusing inward and creating that flow state, connecting with one another, and moving with intention and dedication. I love those little moments of lightness and laughter during class, and watching people try new or challenging things. It’s really special to share all of that within our greater Midtown community at Colony Square.
What are some of the more unique classes you offer? (i.e. aerial yoga) And can you tell us a little about the teacher training courses too?
Aerial yoga is such a fun practice. Makes you feel like a kid at the playground again. We do yoga poses upside down (and right side up) in a yoga hammock. This improves blood flow and range of motion, and the lightheartedness of the practice makes you feel blissful all day!
We’re also the only studio in Atlanta teaching Dharma yoga, as taught by my teacher, Sri Dharma Mittra. This practice has a bit more of a meditative focus but also offers many challenging postures (we teach modifications!). Our students love these classes. They have a way of moving you out of your ego self and turning your focus to your connection on something bigger. This change in focus has a way of providing some relief to the everyday stresses of life.
Then there’s our 200-hour teacher training program, which is so special to me. It’s an eight-weekend intensive to learn the poses and traditional practices of yoga, while also teaching you how to teach. This is a highly personalized program – you will practice teaching to real students (with my support) a lot. Because this is so time intensive on my side, we offer it only in small group format. Since it is so personalized, it’s highly transformational. There’s a lot I could say about our program, but I’ll leave you with this. There’s many 200-hour offerings out there, but if you’re looking for a strong foundational program with someone absolutely dedicated to working with you on becoming the best teacher possible, come talk to me. It’s offered in September and February.