Newly opened Silos to be site of New Year’s Day Yoga event

For Tom Helbig, yoga is about intention, not perfection.

“For some people, the focus is on having the perfect pose, the perfect body and the perfect outfit — that’s not my style,” Helbig said, smiling. “I teach in a more approachable, accessible way. My personal approach to teaching is playful, with no judgement and no specific requirements other than you can breathe.”

Helbig — founder of Tomfoolery Outdoors, a company that encourages people to play outside while making a positive difference in the community through events and guided experiences — will bring his playful teaching style to The Silos for New Year’s Day Yoga at the new food hall and beer garden.

The Silos is near the 2nd Street Market in downtown Dayton.

“It’s more of a freestyle class, I won’t even know how it will unfold until that day,” he said. “I take cues from the class, get a feel for the room and see what they want out of the class. I get a lot of joy out of teaching that way.”

Helbig has been practicing yoga for more than 20 years and completed his teacher training two years ago. He didn’t actually partake in the training with the intention of teaching.

“I did the training for personal growth and as a way to continue to be more mindful.”

He later became inspired to teach, primarily outdoors. From the rugged natural landscape of Alaska to the sunny beaches of Florida, Helbig has shared his practice from coast to coast. He is excited to do the same in the city where Tomfoolery Outdoors began. With its plentiful natural light and abundance of plants, The Silos match Helbig’s vibe perfectly.

“I’m so excited to teach there because it’s such an eclectic space,” he said. “With all the light and plants, it’s as close to being outside as you can get in Ohio in January.”

Wes Hartshorn, co-owner of The Silos with Shannon Thomas, sees yoga as a perfect fit for the new business.

“Dayton is known for being an active community, so we are mirroring what the area is already known for,” Hartshorn said. “We have an event center in development, but in the interim, we would like to be able to use our space for events like this.”

With 13,000-square-feet of outdoor space, events can also be held outside in the warmer months.

For now, however, Helbig is excited to be the first to share his playful yoga practice at The Silos.

“And if someone wants to go and lay on their mat for an hour and detach from the stresses of life, there’s no judgement,” he said. “You don’t have to be in Warrior 2 to practice yoga.”