After more than two years of pandemic-induced hardship and the loss of many local businesses, it is heartening to see new ones opening around Arlington. Sukha Center, located in Clarendon, is one such newcomer. Located in the heart of Clarendon, Sukha (meaning “good place” in Sanskrit) is a unique approach to a yoga studio with practice offerings from Ashtanga, Vinyasa and Rocket to the less typical Budokon — a fusion of martial-arts, yoga, mobility, and meditation. The studio includes a rooftop space overlooking the DC Metro area, which enables practice under the stars.  

When the previous studio shuttered, the building owner sought another yoga studio to balance out nearby occupants — Pure Barre, Orange Theory, eateries. Enter co-owners Ahmed Jabali-Nash and Damion Moss: local athletes who combined their expertise in yoga and martial arts to and create the only Black-owned yoga studio in Arlington. After 8 months of planning, recruiting, renovating, and navigating the county’s permit maze, the team decided on a “soft opening” last February, timed with Black History Month, giving them an opportunity to attract locals through word-of-mouth and build a membership base before the official opening in June. 

The philosophy of the studio is to “offer authentic yoga, regardless of the style, and to build a healthy community of practitioners who are comfortable being themselves in a space that promotes the belief that yoga is for everyone.” Says Jabali-Nash, “You don’t have to look a certain way to practice yoga.”

A unique element of Sukha Center is an in-house Lertified Physical Therapist (who is also a yoga instructor). According to Moss, “Our physical therapy gives our members answers to questions and treatment for pain and mobility limitations that come from a life of the daily grind.” Referring to a recent #1 ranking of our county by the American College of Sports Medicine, Moss said, “Arlington is an ideal location for this unique studio, because residents are serious about pursuing health through exercise. To be voted the fittest city in America is something special.”  

“We are interested in being an integral part of the Clarendon Community and look forward to welcoming more residents into our space,” said Jabali-Nash. The studio will take part in this year’s Clarendon Day festivities on September 24, so stop by and give them a try!