Today’s post features Kelly DiNardo, owner of Past Tense Studio (3253 Mt. Pleasant St. NW) in Mount Pleasant.

Tell us about your business! When was it founded and what inspired you to start your business?

In my off-the-yoga-mat life I am a journaist and author. In 2008, the economy was hitting magazines and newspapers hard. I had been teaching yoga on the side and decided to open Past Tense. We opened in July 2009. I joke that I selfishly created the studio I wanted to practice at. My teachers are so much better than I am! But really, I wanted to create a community hub, a place where people could come together and leave the stress of everyday life behind. I wanted — and still want — people to feel better when they leave than when they come in our doors, whether they’re virtual doors or not.

Tell us a little bit about yourself.

I am a freelance journalist, author, podcast host and business owner. I have lived most of my adult life in DC, with the exception of a few years in Switzerland and Madison, WI. DC is home.

What is unique about your business?

We are a neighborhood yoga studio. We are an intimate place where people come together and take care of each other.

Are you still operating during COVID-19? In what ways?

Yes. We are offering online classes, both on-demand and live stream.

How can the community support you right now?

Come practice with us!

What is your favorite thing about this community?

I love how quirky, diverse and neighborhood-y Mt. Pleasant is. It’s a small hidden pocket in the bigger city.

If you could tell all of the residents in the Columbia Heights/ Mount Pleasant Main Street area one thing, what would it be?

We will be ok. There is always a beginning, middle and an end. We may not know when, but this too will end and, if we take care of each other we will be ok.

Often when people hear the term ‘Main Street’, they think about business corridors. But many people do not think about the stress and loneliness that many business owners experience while navigating the hurdles of entrepreneurship and running a business—especially during an unprecedented pandemic. Main Street programs all over the country work to make sure that business owners have an advocate and support system so that your favorite local coffee shop or tailor can keep their doors open. Help us continue doing our work by chipping in $10, $100, $1,000.