Our History
Music Shop Turned Wellness Sanctuary
2010
The Beginning
Riffs Acoustic Music is Founded
Riffs was founded in 2010 in Park City, Utah by Larry Hart, Stephen Hart's father. It started as a guitar store called Riffs Acoustic Music. The term ‘Riff’ is a musical term. It describes a melodic phrase in a piece of music often repeated throughout a song.
2012
Early Days
Riffs Acoustic Music Moves to Bird Rock, La Jolla
In 2012, Stephen moved to San Diego to open his own guitar store of the same name, but quickly found the age of music retail stores was falling to online shopping.
In an effort to drum up excitement and bring more bodies in the door, he built a beautiful redwood deck outside to host small concerts.
One of these concerts was a live music yoga class–and it was a hit! Over the course of a couple years the yoga program grew and grew…
2014
A New Focus
Riffs Acoustic Music Becomes Riffs Yoga Studios
In 2014, the passing of Stephen's mother turned his world upside down–and subsequently closer to his yoga practice. He started his yoga teaching path with a unique 200hr training and has his 500hr training under renowned Yoga Teacher Mark Stephens.
With a new respect for the life changing powers of the yoga practice, he rebranded the business to Riffs Yoga Studios to keep the Riffs name in honor of his father, but put more focus on the yoga program.
Why Orange and Blue? When Riffs opened initially in 2010, our color was blue–carefully selected by Steve's late mother, and it covered the walls in both the Park City and La Jolla location.
It represents water, flow, music, and love.
When we rebranded to focus on yoga, we incorporated the color orange to represent healing, creativity, energy, and life.
Together, they represent the sand and the ocean, the sun and the sky–the healing powers of nature and the lifestyle we've come to love in San Diego.
2015
Karina Joins Riffs
The Beginning of How Karina Gerschler Changed Riffs Forever
One thing is certain: Riffs would not be the community it is today without Karina Gerschler, Stephen's late fiance.
Karina joined Riffs staff in 2015 as a passionate and dedicated yoga teacher. She quickly became a fan favorite with her infectious smile and loving energy. She loved people and thrived at the studio as she brought people together in a safe space.
Through her dedication to her craft and passion for the practice, she eventually became the Yoga Program Director and lead Yoga Teacher Trainer. Not only was she an amazing teacher, she continued to be a dedicated student, constantly deepening her knowledge and studying with world-renowned teachers.
2019
One Becomes Two
Riffs Yoga Studios Purchases its Second Location
The yoga program continued to grow until January 1, 2019, when Riffs acquired its second location in Ocean Beach previously called Happy-U Yoga–and sold off the last of the guitars.
The acquisition of the new location also led to the building of a new Riffs logo that embodied the coming together of two yoga communities. At that time, we adopted the hummingbird as our studio animal–it came to us first by mere observation of the hummingbirds flying through our outdoor studio in Bird Rock. They seemed to be attracted to our energy–often visiting and hanging out for class. We also loved the idea of the "hum" as a vibration that we are striving to elevate. The sun and waves came from the logo of Happy-U.
2022
In Loving Memory of Karina Gerschler
Our Beloved Passes
Karina passed in 2022.
Her passion, influence, and love continue to fuel the studio. Her presence can be seen in the butterflies that visit our space, felt in the dappled light of sun that graces the deck, and heard in the melodies our musicians play during class–some of whom used to play during Karina’s classes.
Many of our current teachers studied with Karina as students and continue to share yoga teachings as they were shared and taught to them by her.
2024
Reawakening
The Selling of Riffs OB and Opening of Our Wellness Facility
Big changes happened in 2024 when we sold our beloved Ocean Beach studio and opened our incredible new wellness facilities at our Bird Rock location.
This change was birthed out of a desire to become a true wellness hub–to support the community in a truly holistic way.
In mid-2024 we launched our massage and transformational healing program.
In November 2024, we finally unveiled our wellness garden – a project we'd been lovingly working on for months. Our initial opening included two cold plunges, a 20-person traditional sauna, and a red light panel room. It also includes a special bench and wall mural in remembrance of Karina.
2025
Your Wellness Sanctuary
Stepping Into Our True Dharma
We've been settling into being what we always knew we would be: a wellness sanctuary. Our complete wellness offering now includes three cold plunges, a 20-person traditional sauna, a red light panel, massage, breathwork, and transformational healing in addition to the yoga classes our community has come to know and love. We're the same ol' Riffs you know, just with more offerings built out of love for our community.
We continue to make large and small upgrades to our space – including refinishing our redwood deck, building a second bathroom, and refreshing our entire brand.
In July 2025, we unveiled a new logo and a new website. Our new brand adopts the butterfly as our animal in loving memory of Karina and a beautiful sun as a nod to the sunset of our previous branding, our new sauna, and an ode to the burning light in the center of our hearts.
Thank you for 13 years.
Words cannot express the gratitude deeply felt in our hearts. The love we feel is visceral, consuming, multi-faceted, and without conditions. Thank you.
Follow Us on Instagram
@riffsyogastudios
We know, we know... social media is kind of a drag. We're huge on disconnecting from our screens and connecting with our community IRL–but we're also huge on communication!
Instagram is where we communicate about:
• Studio News & Updates
• Monthly Workshops & Events
• Sales & Special Offers
• Retail Drops
