Olada: Go With the Flow

Olada, Carpinteria’s newest yoga and Pilates studio, blends breath, movement, and design for a holistic approach to health and wellbeing

By Maddy Sims

Amid the sizzle of smash burgers and the scent of wood-fired pizzas drifting through Carpinteria’s Linden Square, a different kind of sensory experience awaits. Olada, the neighborhood’s newly-opened yoga and Pilates studio, offers a tranquil refuge: a place where breath, movement, and intentional design converge to create a contemporary approach to wellness.

Olada owner Casey Glassman

Stepping inside feels like you never left the outdoors. Skylights flood the space with golden light, illuminating pale wood floors and softly-textured surfaces. The open, airy layout reflects founder Casey Glassman’s belief that our physical surroundings profoundly shape our mental state. A palette of sand, stone, and eucalyptus grounds the space in its coastal setting and invites a sense of calm, presence, and ease.

Glassman brings a rare blend of expertise to the wellness world, combining her background as a licensed psychotherapist with a deep passion for mindful movement. “I got into yoga when I was still practicing as a therapist and feeling emotionally depleted,” she says. “I started going to yoga after work every day, and something just clicked—I fell in love with it.” She later became a yoga teacher and discovered Pilates. “I started doing Pilates as a form of resistance training and was hooked,” she says. “For people who love yoga, there’s a similar flow state in reformer classes.”

To Glassman, yoga and Pilates are similar in that they are breath-led practices—but they serve the body in complementary ways. “Building strength alongside flexibility helps you stay balanced and injury-free in your yoga practice,” she explains. “Pilates provides that resistance training. The combination supports people in every phase of their journey.” That’s why Glassman opened a space where both disciplines are offered side by side.

Strength, breath, and balance are woven into Olada’s identity—reflected even in its name, which merges “Ola,” Hawaiian for health and vitality, with “Lada,” a Slavic goddess of love, beauty, and harmony. Glassman saw an opportunity to bring this holistic vision to Carpinteria and chose Linden Square for its accessibility and community feel. “After the pandemic, so many of us were craving connection,” she says. “We wanted to move together again.”

This inclusive spirit is evident in Olada’s design and class schedule. The studio features a heated yoga room, a climate-controlled Pilates space, and a retractable wall that opens both areas for community events. With classes running from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. daily, Olada caters to early risers, midday movers, and post-work regulars alike.

Glassman encourages a hybrid schedule, blending yoga and Pilates to nurture both body and mind. “Balance is key in life and in movement. Too much of one thing can create an imbalance, but a variety of practices builds strength, stability and resilience” she says. “For anyone who hasn't tried doing both yoga and Pilates, I welcome them to. I think it can create a big shift.” Olada’s offerings include reformer Pilates and three yoga classes: vinyasa flow, an energizing power flow, and sculpt, a dynamic class that blends strength training with yoga.

Olada offers more than a workout—it offers visitors a space to recalibrate. “These practices get you out of your mind and into your body,” Glassman says. “Even if it’s just for that hour, it can change how you move through the rest of your day. It slows your reaction. It shifts your perspective.”

As the studio finds its rhythm, Glassman continues to shape Olada in response to her community. This fall may bring new beginner-friendly reformer classes, additional advanced offerings, and class time adjustments to suit school-year schedules. The retail boutique is also expanding, with curated activewear and elevated wellness products. A formal opening celebration is in the works to mark the start of this exciting new chapter.

Thanks to the prime location, shoppers and diners at Linden Square often stop by to book a class. Many locals plan their evenings around a visit to Olada: After class, it’s not uncommon to see students strolling just a few steps away to share a Tina’s pizza or Third Window burger with their families.

This seamless fusion of wellness and community embodies the studio’s core mission. What started as a personal lifeline for Glassman has blossomed into Olada, a vibrant new presence in Carpinteria’s evolving wellness scene, inviting everyone to find balance through mindful movement.