8 Limbs Yoga Center is celebrating 20 years on Capitol Hill.

Anne Phyfe Palmer opened the first 8 Limbs studio in the historic Greenus building at 500 E Pike in October 1996, and she has since expanded the business to have locations in Phinney Ridge, Westwood, and West Seattle.

“Anne has an entrepreneurial spirit and a deep passion for yoga,” said 8 Limbs Yoga’s Ashley Dahl. “From the get-go, this model has really worked.” Dahl says 8 Limbs is collaborative and emphasizes partnership behind the scenes. “That process – I would call that a feminine leadership style.”

Dahl has been with 8 Limbs since the beginning, for the first decade as a patron and for the second as part of the 8 Limbs staff. 8 Limbs has managed to stay in The Greenus building for that entire time, even through Hunters Capital acquiring and overhauling the historic auto row-era building in 2013.

Dahl says that 8 Limbs has been profitable every single year since it has opened, a big feat for a small business. Dahl thinks that this success is due in part to their mission of meeting patrons where they are, and in part because of the business’s history as an independently owned, woman-operated outfit.

Over the years, 8 Limbs has tried to extend that attitude of partnership to their dealings with the neighborhood. Dahl says that a few years ago the studio started what they called “neighbor day,” where they went around handing out goodie bags to the people and businesses surrounding them.

Dahl said 8 Limbs Yoga’s current goal is simply to” continue operating as an independent, woman-owned business.” The studio has plans in the works for a 20th anniversary celebration in October. Nothing is locked down yet, but Dahl says people can expect classes, performances, food, and socializing.