We recently connected with Catherine Morrison and have shared our conversation below.

Catherine , appreciate you joining us today. What’s the backstory behind how you came up with the idea for your business?

Cat moved to Durango after finishing her Bachelor’s degree in nursing from Grand Junction, 9 years ago. Initially, she moved to Grand Junction from Summit County to race her bike professionally and wanted a more year-round environment to do that in.

She started riding mountain bikes soon after moving to Colorado in 2003, within a year she was racing. After completing a few xc races she began riding longer and found that the endurance events were where her heart truly soared. When endurance events (50-150 mile races) proved too short she dove into Bikepack racing. She completed the Colorado Trail Race (a self-supported bikepacking race from Denver to Durango) four times, once on a single-speed, twice winning the female category and twice placing second.

Included among some of her other achievements are National Single Speed Champion 24 Hours of Moab, female winner Montezuma’s Revenge 24-hour bike race including carrying your bike up a 14er, one of only two female finishers ever of The Grand Loop self-supported multi-day bikepacking race, 3 times finisher of the Kokopelli Trail Race (self-supported on the Kokopelli trail).

Cat had not finished achieving her bucket list of races when she started experiencing relentless foot, hand, and shoulder pain.

After months of trying natural remedies, she found out she had Rheumatoid Arthritis, an aggressive and debilitating (if not treated) autoimmune disease. Her world was shaken. She became depressed, angry, sad, and lost. It was difficult to accept this as her new reality and for some time she was unable to ride let alone race, she thought she was done with that world!

Luckily a year prior to her diagnosis she had begun to practice hot yoga, her first experience including 4 consecutive days in a Bikram studio in Florida in the summer. After her fourth day she knew it was essential to have this in her life and when she came back to Durango after her visit she pursued every possible studio in the area hoping to find a heated studio, to which she found none.

She then made it her mission to open a hot studio. A year later after attending yoga teacher training, she found that a regular hot yoga practice reduced her pain and increased her range of motion, sometimes Cat could not even bend her fingers. After her training with Emily Longfellow and Bel Carpenter, she opened The Sweaty Buddha with her then business partner. Today, Cat teaches Vinyasa, 26 & 2, and Vimana Yoga.

Hot yoga saved her in many ways. The practice of yoga has taught Cat not only that the physical strength, flexibility, and endurance of mountain biking and yoga symbiotically work together, but the philosophy of yoga has helped Cat understand the truth of how the practice found her. Learn more about Cat and why she feels it is so important to share her story and how through a yoga practice you can improve your experience in life and on the mountain bike.

Cat owns The Sweaty Buddha and is an RN on both Hospice and Labor and Delivery.

Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers.

For Cat, the core of a successful yoga studio—and a successful business—has always been community.

Durango is a small mountain town nestled between the San Juan Mountains and the deserts of the Southwest. Its population is a blend of nomads, wanderers, outdoor enthusiasts, college students, long-time residents, and families eager to raise their children close to nature. It’s a place defined by small businesses supporting small businesses, and neighbors helping neighbors. Within this unique and vibrant community, Sweaty Buddha has blossomed into more than a studio. It has become a hub for health and wellness, a gathering space for lifelong friendships, and a source of mutual support.

Cat discovered hot yoga at just the right moment—when the world was beginning to recognize the transformative power of heat. She experienced firsthand how a heated practice could spark physical and mental transformation, and she’s been passionate about sharing those benefits ever since. From detoxification, strength, cardiovascular health, and improved circulation to stress relief, clarity of mind, emotional release, and resilience—hot yoga offers profound healing. But the magic isn’t only in the practice itself. It’s in the daily rhythm of showing up, being greeted by name, and connecting with friends, coworkers, parents, students, athletes, and those stepping onto the mat for the very first time. At Sweaty Buddha, you will always leave class feeling better than when you arrived.

As a woman-owned and operated studio, we are deeply proud to ground our growth in values of care and sustainability. We are an active member of 4CORE, a local nonprofit dedicated to reducing waste and increasing environmental responsibility in the Four Corners. Ten years after Cat saw the need for a true hot yoga space in Durango and answered it with Sweaty Buddha, our community continues to expand in strength, warmth, and connection.

Most importantly, Sweaty Buddha is meant to feel like home. A place where you can discover yourself—or rediscover yourself—on the mat. It is our church and sanctuary, a space for quiet, for peace, and for showing up exactly as you are. And above all, it is welcoming: open to every walk of life, every age, every background, and every stage along the yogic path.

Any advice for growing your clientele? What’s been most effective for you?

As stated, the core of our business is community. The main component being authenticity.

At the heart of Sweaty Buddha is Cat, our fearless founder whose vision has always been rooted in authenticity and community. From the beginning, Cat believed that a yoga studio should be more than just a place to practice—it should feel like home. She built Sweaty Buddha around the idea that showing up as your truest self is not only welcome but celebrated. That intention has shaped every class, every conversation, and every connection inside our studio walls.

What sets Sweaty Buddha apart is not just the heat in the room but the warmth of the community Cat has cultivated. By creating a space where people feel seen, supported, and encouraged, she has turned a simple yoga practice into something much bigger—a family. Authenticity flows from Cat’s leadership and ripples outward into the way our teachers guide, the way our students show up, and the way our community continues to grow.

It’s no surprise that this spirit of authenticity has been the catalyst for Sweaty Buddha’s success. When people walk through our doors, they don’t just find a yoga class—they find belonging, empowerment, and a collective energy that keeps them coming back. Under Cat’s guidance, Sweaty Buddha has blossomed into more than a business; it’s a movement fueled by heart and connection.

Let’s talk about resilience next – do you have a story you can share with us?

In 2024, Cat took on one of the most grueling challenges in mountain biking—the Breck Epic, a six-day backcountry stage race that pushes even the strongest athletes to their limits. With 220 miles of high-altitude trails and 40,000 feet of climbing, it was the ultimate test of endurance, grit, and willpower. But Cat’s journey came to a sudden halt when a crash left her with a broken humerus and a shattered shoulder. For someone whose life has always been centered on movement, community, and embodiment, the injury was more than physical—it was a complete disruption of her world.

Recovery became its own kind of endurance race. Cat faced surgery after surgery, each one a reminder of how fragile yet resilient the human body can be. She leaned into the same discipline and focus that fueled her yoga practice, but this time with a different perspective. Instead of pushing, striving, and conquering, she began to listen more deeply—to slow down, to honor her body’s wisdom, and to let healing unfold at its own pace.

She showed up to the studio to practice and teach, and came as she, did what she could with out apologizing.

This experience reshaped not just Cat’s relationship with her body, but also her vision for Sweaty Buddha. She came back to her mat with a deeper understanding of what yoga truly offers: the balance of strength and surrender, the union of mental and physical resilience, and the grace to keep showing up, even when the path looks different than planned. Her journey through injury and recovery became a living testament to the values that define our community—authenticity, compassion, and the power of resilience.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.thesweatybuddha.com/
• Instagram: /thesweatybuddha
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/sweatybuddhadurango/

Image Credits

Bailey Parker with A/M Photography