Heated pilates studios have taken off across the Bay Area, yet Astral Studio—which opened in Los Gatos in November—has taken a slightly different approach.
Owner Stephanie Bean, whose business is located on North Santa Cruz Avenue right next to Manresa Bread, is offering an unheated space in which to exercise.
After being a trainer for 11 years in the fitness industry, Bean decided to follow her entrepreneurial passion at the age of 36.
While Los Gatos has large gyms with hundreds of daily users, Astral Studio is stepping in with an approach that embraces minimalism—just concrete floors, mirrors, mats and no decor.
This simplicity is meant to ground pilates veterans and newcomers in their own athletic drive, while focusing on fostering a space that builds community.
When the stars align
The name astral comes from Bean’s affinity towards astrology. And in her case, the timing seemed right. Bean has spent time in a variety of adjacent areas—from plastic surgery for breast cancer patients who needed reconstructive surgery, to going back to school to study nutrition, and ultimately pursuing her credentials to work as a personal trainer (working at Bay Club since 2014). “I managed a few Orange Theory’s around the Bay Area, and I really liked teaching group fitness classes,” she said. “And that’s where my career went after that. It’s been a journey.”
Bean says her long-term goal was to have her own business. Yet, she adds it’s rare to see career trainers open their own studio, since most instructors aren’t full-time. Recognizing that most of the pilates and yoga studios were in heated studios, she realized it wasn’t the right fit for her. Especially since there is a lot of conversation around high-heat studios increasing cortisol levels for women. Living in Los Gatos for the last couple years and having started her training career in this town, her goal was to find a space for her to open her own studio. In March she signed her initial lease. All of the classes offered at Astral Studio take place in a cool studio.
Astral means having to do with the stars. Bean says that her studio serves to remind customers of their innate power. “I wanted something that embodied that connection, since pilates was originally created as a form of rehabilitation,” she said. “It’s great for people that were injured, and is designed for any age.”
Many of the pilates studios in the area use reformer machines, of which Bean isn’t exactly a fan. She is strictly a mat-based studio, at least for now. “We had to get permits to use the space for fitness by the end of July. We didn’t do any building, but we had to have the floors redone, since they originally had carvings in them, in the concrete,” she said, reflecting on the history of the structure.
Bean laughs, as she discusses the grinding of cement that was done prior to their opening. (The contractor recommended epoxy for the floors, but she decided to renovate the concrete for an industrial feel.) Bean also dealt with bouts of vision loss, which led her to visit a series of doctors. Fortunately, this improved and she remains resilient.
Building a team
Currently, Bean has recruited four other trainers for her studio. She hopes to onboard four more team members by the end of the year. “I love building my team and seeing my instructor shine,” she said. “That’s the biggest compliment to me. My overarching theme is community.”
Rachaelle Strausbaugh met Bean at a studio in 2022 and immediately hit it off, due to their combined passion for pilates. Strausbaugh plans to teach alongside Bean at Astral Studio. The studio (total space of 2,100 square feet) is open 6am-8pm, 7 days a week. Bean plans to bring in pop-up businesses in the open space in the back, with a possibility of a permanent smoothie bar.
“Part of my vision was to build the community here, and I view this space as a community space—and not just a workout space,” she said. “And that’s why I designed it very minimally.”
Bean has been in talks with the Chamber of Commerce to have networking events in her studio, and says that she’s seen similar concepts in southern California, as well as the east coast.
Bean says she would love to eventually open other locations, especially with the success that she’s reached within her first month in business. “This is more than a workout studio for me,” she said, adding she’s looking at “collaborating with other businesses, such as outside trainers that would like to have their own classes. When someone else comes into this space and wants to use it too, that’s success for me.”
