SUN PRAIRIE, Wis. — A Purple Heart recipient and his yoga instructor wife said they are proud to offer the Sun Prairie community a new sanctuary and safe space.
Called Twisted Grit Yoga, Scott Kruchten and Amy Phillips decided about a decade ago to embark on the mission to open the studio.
"Yoga was never part of my life," said Kruchten.
But that changed when Until Kruchten’s humvee exploded near Baghdad and he returned home a wounded warrior.
"Obliterated… gone, how I was able to survive that is a mystery and something I don't take it for granted," Kruchten said.
When he met and married Phillips, the practice of yoga became an integral part of his recovery. and, Now, nearly two decades later, the couple decided to open Twisted Grit Yoga so others can heal and find a place for peace.
"Getting on the mat, getting into the space is going to be the hardest part of your journey is just getting here, so we're really trying to overcome all those obstacles to get you in here," Phillips said.
The state-of-the-art space offers an inclusive and non-judgmental studio.
"People who don't normally do yoga, there's a preconceived notion about how you need to learn how you need to act or how you need to live your life. And that's just silly because the benefits are there for everyone that decides to show up," Kruchten said.
It’s the reason financial scholarships are being made available for struggling service-members, along with healthcare and law enforcement personnel who might be unable to afford tuition.
Meanwhile, a newly painted wall called the "Giving Back Board" helps their clients and the community continue to pay it forward.
"So anyone can buy yoga so if you're a nurse while you want nurses to do yoga, by class for nurse, we'll put that up there next time a nurse comes in. They've got a free class. So that's just another way we're giving back and it's very, very exciting and fulfilling and probably pretty selfish on our part but it feels good.
"And we know we're doing what we're passionate about," Phillips said.
Learn more about Twisted Grit and their class schedule, here.
