LOVE PROFILE: YO BK

by iana velez | Jan 29, 2022 | ARTICLES, Profiles

LOVE PROFILE: YO BK

PROFILES

We are so excited to chat with Kate Davies Durand, the owner of YO BK with locations in Brooklyn and Miami! You can see the full interview via YouTube, and here is an excerpt of our fun IG live chat we had about what it is like owning multiple yoga studios, surviving the pandemic, and great things coming up in 2023!

Iana:
How long have you been in the location you’re in now?

Kate
We opened in 2015 at our Williamsburg location, which is on Broadway and Kent, right by the water and it was just this beautiful, sunny studio. I did a lot of the build out myself. About three years after that, we expanded to Green Point, which is quite a large studio space. We have a big upstairs room, and we also have a basement room where we do a lot of workshops and teacher trainings, and we take care of some of the overflow from busy classes. And this year we opened in Miami in February of 2022, which was a big leap and a very different market, but it’s been a fun challenge.

Iana:
Why did you choose Miami?

Kate:
When I decided I wanted to open a studio, I had an amazing mentor, and the first thing that my mentor had me do was choose five different cities and then narrow them down to two, where there was a need for the type of yoga that we were offering, where the studio could potentially be successful. And the two places I narrowed it down to were Williamsburg, Brooklyn and Miami. I ended up living in Miami for about six months and realized that just the way that the city worked, that I was not equipped to open a studio there at that point in time. It’s a city that’s way more intense in terms of regulations permitting architecture build out, which sounds weird, but it’s not logistically as challenging to open a business in New York.

Iana:
Yeah, I’m shocked to hear that. Quite honestly, I thought New York was the hardest to do and the most expensive it is to do just about anything.

Kate:
But it’s also the yoga industry that is so interesting because we haven’t quite been regulated in the way that restaurants or even massage parlors have been regulated. So between signing my lease and Williamsburg and opening it was only about 60 days. Whereas Miami, we had ten days between signing our lease and opening.

One of my dear friends who I met as a student in Williamsburg and who helped me expand to Greenpoint, actually introduced me to my husband who was the general contractor at the Greenpoint expansion, and he ended up moving to Miami pre-pandemic. So we ended up with this huge space that has an all day cafe with indoor and outdoor space, a place that people really come to and bring their laptops and stay all day, and they can come and take a class during that time.

Iana:
Wow, that is amazing, because I was going to say, as a business owner, you can’t be in three places at once. I mean, one business is challenging, three is monumental.

Kate:
Trying to be in three places at once, and I fail over and over again. That’s kind of the story of my life and the mistake I keep making. I have really amazing teams set up at all three locations. I have a full time manager in Miami who runs the show. I have a really robust sales team. We have a pretty much full time staff in NY that is at the studio to greet students, to support our team, to make sure that it’s warm and welcoming.

It did take a really long time to get to that place. When we first opened, I was teaching 18 classes a week, and I was the manager, the cleaning crew, and the janitor. So it’s been really cool to see how just people coming in the door over and over again can not just change their lives, but it can change the way that a business runs.

“When we first opened, I was teaching 18 classes a week, and I was the manager, the cleaning crew, and the janitor. So it’s been really cool to see how just people coming in the door over and over again can not just change their lives, but it can change the way that a business runs.”

Iana:
You survived the pandemic. I mean, you made it through that, and that is unbelievable to me. What was that like?

Kate:
We were actually in our first, 200 hour teacher training during the pandemic. We had 18 teacher trainees and we were kind of in this bubble in our Green Point studio where we were so saturated with the study, and just the process of training these amazing new teachers that I wasn’t even reading the news or paying attention to what was going on. I think it was the weekend of March 15, and one of the trainees came in, and she said, “Hey, I’m really not comfortable coming into this space. Can you offer something online?” And we took a vote, do we want to move fully remote or do we want to stay in person? I went home that night and I had a conversation with my husband. He said, “I have an elderly mom and I would prefer it if you actually shut the studio.” So we ended up closing our doors two days before the government mandate. I remember sitting in my old apartment going through Mind Body, which is the software system that all yoga studios use, and I canceled 80 classes,one after the other after the other, after the other. And every time you cancel a class, it’s asks: is this a permanent cancellation? And you have to say, yes, it’s a permanent cancellation.

The next day, we went live on Instagram and did that for the first couple of weeks, offering classes because everyone was just in a state of confusion and shock. In those early days, it was like you’re scared to go outside of your apartment to the hallway. You’re scared to do laundry, you’re scared to go to the bodega to get food. All of the grocery stores were out of toilet paper. It was very different from how it is now and how it was a year ago. But we started offering online classes right away. We figured out how to price them. We got a pretty good system in place.

Iana:
One of the things I always like to ask people: what was the thing, if there was a person or a mantra or a practice when things got so challenging that you’re like, I don’t know if I can keep doing this? What got you over that hurdle?

Kate:
I would ask: How can I be of service to others? I feel so privileged in the way that I was raised and the opportunities that I’ve had and it’s always come back to: I have to keep providing for my staff, I have to keep providing for my students. So when I open a studio, there’s no other option than to figure out how to make it work, and that’s a different mindset than a lot of businesses, than a lot of restaurant owners or store owners are in. Our students need us, it’s a really fundamental part of their day to come in and disconnect. We have a very strict no cell phones policy across our locations. Just take an hour of your day without your phone to come and breathe. Which to me is so much more profound than anything that actually happens in those rooms. Yes, we want it to be challenging, we want it to be fun, we want it to be mindful and safe. But to me, the thing I keep coming back to is that we all need that time to disconnect. And unless it’s scheduled and we’re paying for it, we’re probably never going to do it.

“I feel so privileged in the way that I was raised and the opportunities that I’ve had and it’s always come back to: I have to keep providing for my staff, I have to keep providing for my students. So when I open a studio, there’s no other option than to figure out how to make it work, and that’s a different mindset than a lot of businesses, than a lot of restaurant owners or store owners are in. Our students need us, it’s a really fundamental part of their day to come in and disconnect.”

Iana:
What are some of the things that are coming up that you are excited about?

Kate:
So Sheri Celentano, who you know, and I are co leading some trainings and upcoming retreats. Sheri is amazing, one of the best pandemic gifts. I think that we all spent so much time talking about what the pandemic robbed from us, and how it negatively affected our lives. And there were actually some really great things that happened during the pandemic. I took a teacher training with Sheri about five years ago at the old Laughing Lotus Studio and I was like, I want to work with her so badly. I was in awe of this dazzling, sparkling woman. And the fact that now we get to lead 200 hours teacher trainings together is really incredible.

I would say the best thing for me was also a necessary shift of the team. It kind of forced people to get really clear on what do I actually want? Is this serving me? Is this who I want to be working with in the capacity I want to be working? So I feel like a lot of relationships that have become stagnant kind of filtered themselves out and created space for the new.

We also have a retreat in Greece coming up in June. We booked this amazing retreat space on an island and it’s super hard to get to and that’s why it’s beautiful. It’s amazing. We’re really so excited for that.

Iana:
I always wonder how people also choose where to run their retreats. I mean, you could literally go anywhere in the world.

Kate:
Sheri and I both have a really strong foundation in mythology. Sheri with Hindu mythology, she spent many years studying it. She’s led trainings on it as well in the past, and I was a classical studies major. So when we realized that Greece was on the table, we were like, we could really nerd out with this retreat and could really tie it into how the myths relate to where we are. There’s a huge link between Hindu mythology and Greek mythology that will be really fun to kind of tease out and bring into the classes.

Iana:
That sounds amazing. And that’s very unique.

Kate:
And the other thing with retreat, like, we’ve done a few retreats in the Caribbean, we did Nicaragua, we did the Dominican Republic. And I like the idea of taking people somewhere they might not go otherwise or they might not go on their own. That creates more of a sense of adventure and perhaps will attract more serious practitioners. It’s a big deal to go that far away.

Iana
Kate, thank you so much for chatting with me today and for supporting our next issue of Yoga Love Magazine. I can’t say this enough, but it’s only because of people like you, other small businesses who support us, it is the reason we can share free print magazines with the community! Thank you so much for and we look forward to partnering with you guys again in the future!

Our chat with YO BK founder Kate Davies

Rooted In Our Roots: A Black Hair Journey

by Sara Clark | Jan 26, 2022 | ARTICLES, Beauty

Rooted In Our Roots: A Black Hair Journey

By: Sara Clark

BEAUTY

Yoga Plus Magazine - Rooted In Our Roots- A Black Hair Journey - portraits of 3 young people and their haircuts

I grew up in a home where black history permeated the air. From art on our walls to curated books on our shelves to my mother’s proud afro, reminders of black beauty were present. My first Barbie didn’t arrive until I was older and my parents mindfully monitored our mostly PBS television consumption. Yet as far back as I can remember and well before I entered a predominantly white public school system, I still found myself influenced by Eurocentric features as the basis for beauty. By the age of nine I rallied hard to get my hair permed much to my parent’s disapproval. Even with all the black love around me, I desperately wanted long, straight hair. How could this be?

As I step back and look at how history informs the present, I can’t help but to reflect on the Tignon Laws of the 1700s, which forced black women to cover their hair with fabric. Their hairstyles were deemed too distracting and elaborate. The laws were an attempt to stop white men from pursuing women of color while also separating the women into a lower social class, whether they were free or enslaved. Just this one historical account of the policing of black hair let alone black bodies has called forth great empathy for my own journey towards self-acceptance along with that of my ancestors. As I reflect, I can’t help but to wonder: could the negative relationship with my hair that I experienced at such a young age be in my DNA?

As research on epigenetics continues to expand, it has been confirmed that historical trauma passed down through generations affects the expression or suppression of genes. Any outside stimulus that can be detected by the body has the potential to cause epigenetic modifications. Shame can be inherited. So it’s no wonder that even with very little outside influence as a young child I still had a desperate yearning to change the way I looked. It was if my body sent signals alerting me that wearing my hair in it’s natural state could cause me harm.

From the workplace to the classroom black adults and children to this day are denied jobs, school admittance and even athletic pursuits due to their hair. The discrimination of black hair has been so disturbing that The CROWN Act of 2019 was passed first in California followed by New York, New Jersey and recently Colorado. It’s a step in the right direction in protecting natural hair in the workplace. And while pop culture continues to appropriate black hairstyles while discrediting it’s African origins such as when Kim Kardashian referred to her cornrows as “Bo Derek braids,” the black hair movement is still alive and thriving. Black women are rising in power while rocking their natural roots such U.S. Congresswoman Ayanna Pressley who wore Senegalese twists while running for office to Academy Award winning actress Lupita Nyong’o to Miss Universe, Zozibini Tunzi who said “I came into this competition with my natural hair as a symbol of my firm belief in being yourself.” Just as the women oppressed by the Tignon laws still found a way to express their beauty and artistry by adorning their headwraps with ribbons, jewels and feathers, black culture always finds a way to defy the odds and influence the world. I can also proudly say that determination has also been inherited; to learning to love my hair, our hair despite the constant attacks. As you will read in the short essays below, we all have a story about our hair and how it is not only political but also one of the deepest acts of self love.

PORTRAITS

Brittany Simone
@Brittanysimone

I am a Sound and Breath facilitator, yoga teacher, and Transformational coach.
My relationship with my hair is still evolving. I have parents who have always told me how beautiful my hair was but as I grew up and began to compare myself to others I started to doubt it. I never saw my hair texture reflected anywhere as an example of beauty. I begged my mom to relax my hair and used to really wish it was straight or in ringlets. Somewhere in the process of moving more deeply towards myself, I fell in love with my hair. I heard someone once say, “How divine you are… that your hair reaches for the heavens.” And now I’m considering how I’d like to express myself through my hair next. To see our own beauty and truth is a political statement. To understand our hair is symbolic of our divinity is undoing the indoctrination. It’s rebellion. So let’s get rebellious. If my hair could share wisdom with the world it would say, “self love baby.”

Kyle Somersault
@Kylesomersall

I’m a Bronx native, music lover and founder of the meditation community, Innerglow. Much of my recent work has been at the intersection of culture, wellness and community building. From a young age I internalized that my hair wasn’t beautiful. I wouldn’t let my hair get too long because that led to criticism from my parents. I spent a lot of my life in majority white spaces and through the conditioning of society and the environments I was in, I internalized that blackness meant “less than.” Allowing my hair to grow has been a part of my commitment to taking up space and letting my presence be felt. There’s a black hair revolution currently taking place which is super inspiring to me. It feels like a revolutionary act to embrace something I was conditioned to hate. I’ve had to unlearn this conditioning, and in the process I’ve made a commitment to be my full self in whatever room I walk into. If my hair could share wisdom with the world it would say, “you’re already enough.”

Regina
@wolfmedicinemagic

I’m an Ayurvedic Wellness Counselor, 500hr certified yoga teacher, fitness instructor and Breathwork healer. I grew up in a majority white community with very few black people and even fewer black females. Every racist comment that could be said to me has been said but the Universe blessed me with an aries moon so I always come out on top. When I think of my hair I think of it as a journey towards looking as androgynous as possible. By high school I was doing as little maintenance on my hair as possible; I basically wore a bun or ponytail for four years. In college I had locs that grew from 2000-2010. Fed up with being seen as a straight woman I cut it all off and haven’t looked back. I get hit on by cis men a lot less and most people assume I’m queer or gay or something ambiguous and I prefer it that way. I feel like I have an entire mood going on. If my hair could share wisdom with the world it would say, “Worry less about what others think.”

Victor Arumemi
@chillscottheron

I am a creator that enjoys telling stories through an eclectic and authentic lens whether with the stroke of a pen or paintbrush or playing a diverse DJ set. I like exploring the nature of creating community and connection through art. The evolution of my hair started in my youth with harrowing bowl cuts and low caesars and fades with crazy parts to an unhealthy preoccupation with having waves. I rocked a kinky coiled mane that was once blue and also blonde. When I started going with a more natural style, I found myself increasingly fascinated and in awe of black hair and the untold stories and history that lay within each and every crown. I also enjoy the spirit of rebellion that so many natural styles evoke. I am currently enjoying the touch and feel of my locs and the sensation of my hair brushing against my skin and obscuring my face. I look forward to continuing this journey of seeing my natural hair thriving. If my hair could share wisdom with the world it would say, “find a way.”

Izetta Pritchard
@izetta.h

I am a Senior Merchandise Planner at The Metropolitan Museum of Art as well as a yoga and meditation teacher. My journey with my hair is the journey of being black in this world. I have been denied jobs, promotions, opportunities and relationships because of it. Falling in love with my hair has been a journey of falling in love with myself. I always wanted hair like my mother’s as hers fell into soft, silky ringlets. I spent years trying to obtain something that wasn’t mine to have. I no longer desire wavy hair like my mother. I still love her hair, but I love it on her. I appreciate the texture and thickness of my hair. Having locs gives me freedom to swim, do my hot yoga and sweat it out knowing it will always look amazing. Whether I am leading a class, leading a meeting or simply walking the streets my hair screams I am here, I belong here and you will not break or change me. If my hair could share wisdom with the world it would say, “keep your eyes on your own head; love yourself and don’t compare your hair to anyone else’s.”

Mominatu Boog
@mominatu

I’m a Senegalese/Liberian digital brand strangest, vipassana yogi, writer and hatha yoga practitioner. I went from an anxiety and grief stricken child to a world traveling woman. After sitting in two vipassana meditations last year I felt silly holding so much attachment. I wanted to get rid of everything from my hair to my clothes. I wanted to be seen as Mominatu the being not Mominatu the girl with the big Afro. So I chopped it! I’ve shaved my head now three times in my life. I’m currently in a bit of a transitional period. I’ve been finding it hard to feel beautiful in the “in between phase” but I’m looking forward to my hair growing back in all of its glory while appreciating it for where it is now. My biggest accomplishment thus far has been breaking out of my own cocoon that was self doubt, worry, and fear. I now, spread my wings using my voice to empower young black women to escape their cocoons as well. If my hair could share wisdom with the world it would say, “my value doesn’t decrease based on your inability to accept my freedom.”

D’Andre “Sage” McMillan
@anubesage

I am a creative visionary and engineer. My spiritual journey has taught me that I am never without as long as I am whole within. In contrast, as a person of color the marathon continues. The women in my family made sure I always looked groomed because being clean cut was seen as socially acceptable as a black man. Towards the end of my college experience, I began to redevelop my relationship with my hair. There is such deep fulfillment in being reunited with all aspects of yourself. I currently let the top grow and keep the edges lined up and the follicles moisturized. I’ve been learning to love how my hair looks, even in the struggle phases! I see my hair as an extension of my identity, power and essence. I also LOVE to play in my own hair. If my hair could share wisdom with the world it would say, “Patience is required along any journey. If you wish to grow you must show up each day, nurture the roots and reach for the Sun.”

¹ https://www.vice.com/en_us/article/j5abvx/black-womens-hair-illegal-tignon-laws-new-orleans-louisiana

² https://www.theguardian.com/science/occams-corner/2014/apr/25/epigenetics-beginners-guide-to-everything

³ https://www.theguardian.com/science/occams-corner/2014/apr/25/epigenetics-beginners-guide-to-everything

⁴ https://www.cbsnews.com/news/crown-act-california-becomes-first-state-to-ban-discrimination-against-natural-hair/

⁵ https://www.huffpost.com/entry/kim-kardashian-cornrows-bo-derek_n_5a6f3454e4b06e253269d4e7

Studio Spotlight: The Yoga Hive

by iana velez | Jan 16, 2022 | ARTICLES, Profiles

Studio Spotlight: The Yoga Hive

Edited by: Tashya Knight

PROFILES

We are so excited to chat with Rebecca Gala Jones, the owner of The Yoga Hive, our first studio partner in Georgia! You can see the full interview via our YouTube link, and here is an excerpt of our fun IG live chat we had about what it was like opening a studio during the pandemic, the importance of community and rest, and exciting things coming up for the studio!

Iana
Thank you for chatting with us today. How long have you been open?

Rebecca
We opened in September of 2020, which was not a plan at all. We had signed the lease for the property in October of 2019, and then they broke ground in January of 2020. We took possession in April of 2020. We’re in Atlanta, Georgia and right after Memorial Day of 2020, they started to lift some of the restrictions. So that worked in our favor in the sense that we could have people in the studio and people that were comfortable. We wore masks, we had all of the social distancing, so that was really exciting. And then we did something we had never considered doing which was to have virtual classes, which we still continue to this day. A lot of other studios have done away with virtual classes because there are more people coming into the studio.

One of the things that was really exciting for us when that happened is that we were able to offer classes to a lot of people who are not geographically close to us. I just co hosted a retreat in North Georgia this weekend and people came from Chicago, interestingly enough, and people came from Lexington, Kentucky. They may not be able to connect in person with us in the studio, but they can take virtual classes with us. So that was one of the meditations that I often do, I mean, people open businesses in recessions at times when it’s really tricky. And we’re finally on the other side of a lot of the discomfort.

Iana
That’s the perfect way of putting it.

Rebecca
Because it’s really uncomfortable, it’s scary. There’s no right way, there’s no wrong way, there’s only a path and trust in the process. And then there’s the financial component of it. How long can I continue to be with something that I’m not really sure if there’s going to be a return? Or put money in it, or we have rent that we have to pay every month, the vast tax of what has to go behind the business. So fortunately we’ve been very lucky that every month we were able to cover our costs. I did have a business partner when I first went into it who decided that it wasn’t sustainable for her. A lot of it was because of the fact that we weren’t able to see the future. And so she decided to step away and I decided to continue and I’m very glad that I did. We have a beautiful community and I’m really proud of what we’ve constructed, staying with it.

We have a diverse staff of teachers that offer all kinds of classes. We have programming for pregnant women, we have programming for seniors who have balancing issues. We have women’s classes, we have men’s classes, we have different styles of yoga. We teach yin and ashtanga and restorative and vinyasa and power. So we tick a lot of boxes and we’re in an area where we’re fairly easy to get to. So we’re moving right along.

Iana
Were there moments where you thought, I don’t know how I’m going to get through this?

Rebecca
Definitely. So many times it came up because it’s like, what am I doing? Why am I doing this? And what was so interesting is I never thought that populating the studio would be the challenging component. I’ve been teaching yoga now for 20 years, always in the Atlanta area, and have been fortunate to have a following. So I never thought that that would be the difficult part of opening the studio. But there was just something that said, keep going. There was just this little voice constantly inside that said keep going. And on those days when you get just so there weren’t very many people coming into the studio or there was just a lot of fear some little thing would happen, it would be just a little nudge. My go to stock phrase all the time was “choose the hope over, doubt and then look for the signs.” So then a little sign would come up, someone buying class cards or a former student would reach out, we would get a little corporate gig, a private student that I hadn’t seen would start taking lessons again, etc.

“My go to stock phrase all the time was ‘choose the hope over doubt, and then look for the signs.’”

So some little thing would happen that would say, “you’re going in the right direction, keep going” and so I would just sort of lean into that. One of the hardest parts, of course, was when my business partner left. And then I thought, I’m not ready to stop, I have a vision for what I want to happen with this and I just wasn’t ready to say, this is it. I wasn’t ready to do that. I think we’re both exactly where we need to be now in many ways.

And then I was fortunate enough to have a lot of people behind me. Family, support, mentors, even the leasing agency wanted us to continue. When I say we, I think about myself, my teachers, my husband is a very active participant, he is a yogi himself. So I’m not doing it alone. I mean, I’m the person that signs things and whatnot. But I’m not here by myself though. And I guess that’s another go to is just that feeling of there’s somebody or something that wants this to continue. It’s not just me and the community that has gathered around us.

Iana
That’s amazing. It’s so important to have that foundation of support and having your own personal vision and motivation to keep going.

Rebecca
I’ve been teaching for a long time, and I’ve always wanted to have a space and I didn’t know, should I do this? And another one of those little phrases that comes up all of the time is one that came to me just before I made the decision to go into partnership and open the studio. It was, “you’ll regret it if you don’t try.” So I feel as though that’s something that we all need to remind ourselves of: we’ll regret it if we don’t try. While it’s not always easy, it’s typically worth it most of the time. And the reality is that no matter what you do, there’s work behind it. No matter what we do, no matter how much I love teaching yoga and creating community and being able to do so many other things that we’re doing at the same time, there’s still work, there’s effort and then there’s ease.

Iana
That was one of the things that surprised me the most when I launched my magazine, because I still work a full time job in addition to the magazine. When I would do my full time job, I could understand when I would feel a little bit cranky or tired or not so motivated, that made sense. But when I was doing the magazine, I thought, how can I be tired? I love this so much, but I’m still human and get tired and need rest. And it’s still, like you said, it’s a lot of work no matter what.

Rebecca
It doesn’t matter how passionate you are about something or how meaningful it is to you, it’s still going to take effort. I think it’s very important, particularly when you’re doing something where you share energy, that you take a step back and you recharge the battery too. I have a new teacher here at the studio, and she fields emails for me and does a lot of some of the behind the scenes things. So I can take one day a week, Tuesdays, and I completely go off the grid. I don’t look at any personal or professional emails. I’m not on Instagram on Tuesday or anything like that which is really important, I just let my time unfold however I want. So it’s important if you’re a creative type, or you’re in a nurturing profession of some kind where you share energy, to get a total disconnect from all of it on a weekly basis.

Iana
I really started doing that seriously not that long ago, quite honestly, probably about three or four months ago. And it was by accident. The first time I did it one day, I was so tired I couldn’t do anything. I just watched movies on my couch all day long. I had Disney Plus, and I just watched all the Avengers movies with my puppy on my lap, and thought this is amazing. The next day I went back and I felt great.

Rebecca
Exactly. But that’s exactly what happens to all of us, we think we don’t deserve that, especially if you’re an entrepreneur. Who’s going to feed that machine if you’re not doing it right? So that’s part of it. But you need to rest or take the afternoon, or go for a walk without your phone, any of these things. Because what I find is that I become more creative if I have a break rather than continuing. And nobody wants a grumpy yoga teacher.

One of the yoga tenants is about non harming. If you’re continuing to work in these cycles where you’re working all of the time, and it’s just overwhelming, you’re not being kind to yourself and you’re harming yourself.

Iana
I love that! It’s so important. I love that studios are open now and there’s that sense of community where we can remind each other of these things.

Rebecca
That’s what we’ve seen that is so exciting. There are a lot of people that have moved here or some traveling nurses that will come in and they always find community here for however long they’re here, even if they’re here for three months. We have some doctoral students that are working on their thesis at Emory University so close to us, and they just find a community here. People know that when they come to the studio on a regular basis, they’re going to see familiar faces. Our tagline is “you belong here” and we do our best, and we try to be reflective of the community around us and offer diversity and a welcoming space. I’m so excited when I see all ages and all sizes, and everyone from every walk of life in the studio, because everybody can do and needs yoga. We make sure that people feel they have a safe space to come to, and feel acknowledged and seen.

“Our tagline is ‘you belong here’ and we do our best, and we try to be reflective of the community around us and offer diversity and a welcoming space. I’m so excited when I see all ages and all sizes, and everyone from every walk of life in the studio, because everybody can do, and needs yoga. We make sure that people feel they have a safe space to come to, and feel acknowledged and seen.”

Iana
And I love that I hear that more and more. Now that I see studios embracing this and saying, yes, come, you can’t touch your toes, great. Who cares? It doesn’t matter. Just sit in the corner if you need to. I remember one of my teachers said, we want you to show up every single day for class. And if you’re too physically tired, it doesn’t matter. Just sit and listen. You can sleep in the back, but just be in the space and let it absorb in your body. You don’t have to be moving doing the Asana, but just be with us.

Rebecca
And just see what’s possible. I think that’s one of the things, too, with the pandemic, we all got into this mindset of feeling very isolated. So it’s important that we can come in. Over the weekend, when I was teaching that retreat, I opened up with one of the quotes from Theodore Roosevelt about the comparison as the thief of joy. So by human design, we feel as though we have to apologize: “Oh, I used to be able to do this stuff, but I’m older now and I’m out of shape.” No, you did the hardest part, you got here. We didn’t want mirrors in the studio because the mirror is you. It’s about how you feel in your body. I’m certainly not judging you. And so reserve that judgment. Put it somewhere else. We don’t need to judge ourselves for what we are or are not able to do. So just being in your body, being in community, learning how to breathe.

We see such great suffering. Several of my teachers are therapists as well as being yoga teachers, and people are depressed. They’re anxious, they’re worried. You come here, and this is to help you deal with all of that stuff. And it doesn’t have anything to do with how flexible you are. You may increase your flexibility. You may not. You may get stronger. You may not. I mean, if those are things you’re looking for, you certainly can do it. All people can do when they come into the studio is to get a little bit more in touch with breathing and then what breathing can do for you and make you feel like when you walk away.

Iana
And thank goodness we can all breathe.

Rebecca
Everyone can breathe. When people tell me, I can’t do yoga, can’t touch my toes. I say, can you breathe? You can do yoga.

Iana
You’re alive and you’re good.

Rebecca
That’s exactly right. And if you can’t sit on the floor we have a class where they use chairs. It’s really nice to see my vision taking root in that every person feels as though there is a class on the schedule they can go to. I can go to any class, I know I’m welcome in any class. We’re in an area that is largely Jewish based and so there is an Orthodox community here. And so it was originally the idea to offer a women’s only class so that women who don’t feel comfortable because of or for cultural reasons don’t practice with men would come. And then we have a men’s class because men often feel like it’s just women that practice yoga and they feel as though they come into a class where there are women that they’re going to be laughed at or they won’t be able to keep up. So we have a class that’s dedicated just for men.

If you like jazz, we have a class that’s yoga and has jazz music because music is therapeutic. All kinds of things on our schedule that really try to tick boxes so everybody feels welcome. So if you can breathe, you can do yoga. I love that.

Iana
What do you find is the most popular class? And it could just be because of the time it’s offered, it doesn’t necessarily mean anything, but what class is generally the most full?

Rebecca
The class that we tend to see the most people in consistently is a Flow and Restore class. We do about 30 minutes or so of movement on your feet or sun salutations. And then the second half of that is more restorative or yin poses or stretching, for lack of better word. I love that qualifying that people really enjoy that it’s accessible for most people to do. And then the other thing is we have a basics class. We do that once a week, and that’s usually pretty popular most of the time. Most of our classes do really well. We see quite a few people in them.

Iana
I’m so happy for all your success. I always like to see what’s coming up that you’re super excited about. Do you have any other retreats that are coming up or anything you want to share?

Rebecca
We have a few really exciting retreats. We have a retreat in the southwest of France in May that we’ll be going to, which is really amazing, which is very exciting. Then it’ll be our third year in a row to go to Shinolani which is in Puerto Vallarta in Mexico. It’s a beautiful setting in the jungle. It’s so wonderful, we’re excited. They’re lovely people and have great programming when we go.

The other thing that I’m really excited about is that Jasmine, our teacher is a doula, and she’s soon to be a midwife, and she has a whole program she’s bringing to the yoga hive, which will be all about women’s services. She’ll be our women’s support services coordinator. And I’m really excited because both are something that I wanted to have and do. She’ll be introducing all kinds of wonderful resources in classroom settings and also outside of that with her services.

All of my teachers are very diverse, and one has a coaching business, so she’ll be introducing more things. 2023 will see more of what my teachers have to offer aside from just coming in and teaching a class to see more programming that will be centered around their particular talents and gifts, too. So that’s the things I’m really excited about for the year ahead.

Iana
Big stuff is coming. I’m so happy to hear that.

Rebecca
The pleasure is all mine. Being a steward for this practice is really important, and I’m glad to have these types of opportunities. So thank you very much. Thanks for the chat and thanks for continuing to do the work that you do, too.