LOVE PROFILE: Red Tail Power Yoga

LOVE PROFILE: Red Tail Power Yoga

LOVE PROFILE: RED TAIL POWER YOGA

Edited by Tashya Knight

PROFILES

LOVE PROFILE: Red Tail Power Yoga

We are so excited to chat with Maureen Benedict, the owner of Red Tail Power Yoga in NY! You can catch the full interview via our YouTube link, 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
We are chatting with Maureen, owner of Redtail Power Yoga here in New York. Yoga Love magazine is based in New York City so we love supporting our local studios. It’s never easy as a small business owner but it feels extra challenging now.

Maureen, tell me about your studio. You’ve been open for a few years before the pandemic hit, so at least you had a couple of years to get your bearings before the pandemic. What was that transition like for your studio?

Maureen
We opened here February of 2018, and we had pretty much just celebrated our second birthday and then March 2020 hit. We were already live streaming from here because I had a friend and colleague who was the original brainchild of Vivaya Live and had this idea probably two years before the Pandemic hit to have an interactive wellness website, and she asked if I would help launch it. So basically in 2 hours, I had every single class up and live streamed.

Iana
You’re the first studio owner I’ve spoken to who was set up basically before everything happened. I feel like in 2018, people would have been like live streaming yoga? That sounds odd. And I love that you were open to this new idea and embracing this technology to reach your community.

Maureen
Yeah, it was really interesting. She had this idea, and I told her, well, I teach through the body, is that okay? We don’t put a mat down and demonstrate. It’s just the nature of how we teach with our eyes and our words and often our hands. So I taught live classes. I would teach the people on Zoom and the people here. Then I realized my teachers also had to stay healthy and connected to the community, and the community would miss them, too. So they learned to teach live. And so when it was that we weren’t really coming back into this physical space, then it was “from our home to yours.”

I moved the furniture, the dining room out, and that was the yoga studio. My old golden retriever, he would do savasana every time. My cat would do meditation every time. We did that pretty effortlessly. And then in June, I got a permit from the town because I knew these humans needed to get together in the community and right up the road there’s a park. So we taught outdoors four times a week. Even when we were outdoors, we still live streamed the class.

And then in August, we were back in the studio with the restrictions that New York State had, and we thought, what can we do to keep people healthy? What can we do to keep people connected? And so we still live stream every class,  every single class on the schedule has the option to choose in person or view broadcast.

Iana
I love that that’s still being offered. Did you find that a lot of your community moved away during the pandemic? And have they come back or have most people stayed?

Maureen
I think in the beginning, everyone was so connected and together on the screen and really in support and then when it went on a little longer, people tended to drop off. I think in yoga in particular, there’s so much about community and connection and togetherness. We put the zoom classes on gallery view and then they were socializing and introducing their pets. When we came back in, there were still people online socializing. I think people are really ready to be in community, in connection. So, it’s been an interesting challenge.

Iana
When things got challenging, how did you get through those moments? Was there a person, a mantra, a pet, something that helped if you felt overwhelmed in that moment?

Maureen
There were definitely moments, lots of them, lots of emotion. It feels a little like despair, right? A lot of people would say, “oh, it’s so great you could keep your studio open when so many closed.” It was a conscious decision to keep the studio open. I was here to be of service for my community and my teachers, and so whatever it took to keep this place open, which meant balances on credit cards and financial commitment to hold the line.

So what was my mantra? What was my guiding faith? I have “Walk With Grace” tattooed on my arm. I actually got it for my birthday last year, because the Red Tail Hawk is my spirit animal and he always tells me to rise above, to look at the big picture, and that this too, shall pass. And that in the moment, I wanted to believe it. We’re spirits having a human experience. So to allow this human and all of the humans to have whatever experience they’re having right now is what I felt was my calling to just be space for them of love. Space of love for every human to go through whatever their human journey is taking them through right now.

“So what was my mantra? What was my guiding faith? I have ‘Walk With Grace’ tattooed on my arm. I actually got it for my birthday last year, because the Red Tail Hawk is my spirit animal and he always tells me to rise above, to look at the big picture, and that this too, shall pass. And that in the moment, I wanted to believe it.” 

Iana
That’s so beautiful. And that faith, that feeling has to be so strong within you to keep moving forward, and that’s why you’re still here. It broke my heart when I would hear of a studio or a partner that had closed. It felt like a punch in the stomach every time I heard about it. And then the ones that did stay open, it was like this joyful release. 

With everything you went through, and then you turned around and supported our business, which was amazing. Our business only survived, because you paid it forward and supported us. So thank you for doing that and for continuing to be that. It feels like a miracle!

Maureen
It is a miracle, right? Every breath we take is a miracle.

Iana
How has your personal practice changed in the last couple of years?

Maureen
I love getting on my mat with my teachers. We’re a family of teachers. We’re a team. So every teacher here is trained by me personally and then by each other, and they usually rise up through the community. We don’t do teacher training as a regular money maker, but we do two teacher trainings a year. I’ll do teacher training when I have people that come to me and want to give back to the community and they want to share what yoga has done for them. In their classes I show up as just love and support for them in whatever stage they are in their teacher training journey and their teacher journey.

I did an apprentice program with two people recently that also allows my teachers to step into leadership as a mentor. So I’ve gone from studio owner, mentor, and now I’m a professional life coach. I’ve stepped into those shoes this last year as well. It just was the natural evolution of me.

Iana 
What did you do before you owned the studio, what was your previous life?

Maureen
It’s so funny because I like to say that I’m a cat, so I’ve had so many lives. I started as a young person in fashion sales in New York City for one of the biggest manufacturers. I was a sales executive for Liz Claiborne back in the day, and then I raised three sons. I made the conscious choice to stay home and raise my boys. During that time, I had a boutique baking business, and then I worked for a nonprofit, the Eleanor Roosevelt Center up in Hyde Park, New York. It’s the nonprofit arm that does international girls leadership and I was the assistant to the director, and then I was a  yoga teacher who taught from here to Stanford, and was a Lulu ambassador for two terms. I’ve had a lot of lives.

Iana
What would one piece of advice you would give someone that’s maybe looking for a little bit of guidance to get towards their dreams or their goals? One quick piece of advice you could leave them with.

Maureen
One piece of advice for anyone that they can use at any time to move forward: Your path is where your feet are. It’s today, the present moment. If I’m opening my eyes, I’m actually focused on the present. The possibilities are there. If I’m not in fear of the future or regret of the past. Your path is where your feet are right now.

“One piece of advice for anyone that they can use at any time to move forward: Your path is where your feet are. It’s today, the present moment. If I’m opening my eyes, I’m actually focused on the present. The possibilities are there. If I’m not in fear of the future or regret of the past. Your path is where your feet are right now.”

Iana
Thank you for chatting with us this morning. Thank you for supporting us and helping us continue the work that we’re doing as well. I’m so happy to hear all the amazing things you have planned.

Maureen
Thank you for the good you guys do, and I’m honored to be a partner.

SPOTLIGHT FESTIVAL: WOMEN’S WELLNESS FEST

SPOTLIGHT FESTIVAL: WOMEN’S WELLNESS FEST

SPOTLIGHT FESTIVAL: WOMEN’S WELLNESS FEST

April 22nd
Seawalk Pavilion Jacksonville Beach, FLA

PROFILES

FESTIVALS

Spotlight Festival: MYPATH

Looking for something to do this April? We are thrilled yoga festivals are back and can’t wait to check out all the amazing events taking place around the world. This week we had a chance to connect with Karen Wood and Mary Beth Perrone, co-founders of  Women’s Wellness Fest who we are thrilled to partner with! You will be able to pick up complimentary copies of our magazine at this festival! 

 

What inspired you to create a festival? 
We are passionate about supporting women and wanted to create a safe space for them to come together in community to create new connections and to learn

What makes your festival unique?
Just about everything. We recognize that people fear the unknown, so we work hard to create a SAFE space for women to come together. A space where there is no competition, no comparison, no judgment. A space filled with positive energy and love.  Where each woman can simply be without any expectations to be different.

What offering/presenter or class are you most excited about for this year’s event? 
Each event contains new and different wellness activities, exercises and information. This time we are excited about some previous attendees coming to share their own personal transformations that were inspired by our first event in Feb 2022. Additionally we have breakout sessions on things like Hormone Health, Emotion Code, Family Constellations and Nutrition. All of that is in addition to Yoga, drumming, dancing and more.


Learn More:
www.womenswellnessfest.com
@womenswellnessfest

Spotlight Festival: MYPATH
Spotlight Festival: MYPATH
SPOTLIGHT FESTIVAL: MYPATH

SPOTLIGHT FESTIVAL: MYPATH

SPOTLIGHT FESTIVAL: MYPATH

May 25-28 and Sept. 28-Oct. 1
Terrapin Hill Farm in Harrodsburg, Kentucky

PROFILES

FESTIVALS

Spotlight Festival: MYPATH
Looking for something to do this May and Sept? We are thrilled yoga festivals are back and can’t wait to check out all the amazing events taking place around the world. This week we had a chance to connect with Brenda Cashel and Gabriella Gaona, Co-Founders/Producers of MYPATH who we are thrilled to partner with! You will be able to pick up complimentary copies of our magazine at this festival! 

What inspired you to create a festival? 
We were inspired to create MYPATH due to a love for yoga and the beauty of nature and a dream to combine the two into an event that would create a healing community of safety and trust in which people can feel supported and encouraged to shine their light and find their own path. 

Brenda owns the gorgeous organic farm venue in central Kentucky and Gabriella’s beautiful donation-based yoga studio is in Louisville, KY. Together we combined our talents and our connections to produce MYPATH, which is an acronym for Mindful Yoga Practice At Terrapin Hill. We wanted to bring people out of the city and into the beautiful Kentucky countryside, to step away from their regular lives and enter a world where they can focus on themselves, fine tune talents, learn new ones, and come together in a supportive, inclusive community. MYPATH has been called the place where healers come to heal, but it is open to people of all ages and no experience is necessary to attend. 

We also wanted to create an opportunity for people to experience the deeper meaning of Yoga. Yoga is far more than just the Asanas (poses), which are what people generally think of when they hear the term. We wanted to introduce people to the great variety of styles, lineages, and approaches, recognizing that it’s much easier to try new things when it’s presented all in one place. When combined with the benefits of being fully immersed in nature, you have an extraordinary opportunity to connect with yourself and others. 

What makes your festival unique?
MYPATH is actually more than a yoga festival and more than a yoga retreat – It brings together the wonderful aspects of both – uniquely combining the structure of a festival with the intimacy of a retreat. A great variety of classes are offered throughout each day, there’s a bonfire and drum circle every evening, and one night there is a farm-to-table community meal and a musical performance. Most attendees camp onsite and there are art installations, food vendors, merch vendors, and bodywork available. 

Classes take place on stunning handbuilt stages, a comfortable pavilion, or on top of a grassy hill that overlooks surrounding farms and has amazing sunrise and sunset views. MYPATH takes place in the spring and fall of each year and is tuned into the seasons. The spring event has a fresh, outward, energetic yang energy, and the fall event has a slower, introspective, yin energy. 

Each MYPATH also has a unique theme interwoven into the classes and participants are invited to reflect on the theme throughout the weekend…and discover how it relates to their own journey. 

As our yoga journey deepens, we find that Yoga is a way of living…a way of being. When everything you do is supportive of your Yoga practice, then everything you do becomes Yoga. Building a fire, eating, dancing, singing, laughing…this can all be Yoga, doing whatever you do, acting from your center. Entwined into the event is the suggestion that you can take home what you learn at MYPATH and incorporate it into your everyday life. 

What offering/presenter or class are you most excited about for this year’s event? 
With more than a dozen talented instructors, it’s hard to pick one. There are several styles of yoga offered, plus meditations, sound healing, dance, nature walks, drumming classes, qi-gong, satsang, discussions, philosophy, kirtan, and so much more. Most classes are offered more than once during the weekend, so you can try almost all of them. There’s plenty of free time to enjoy the farm as well – wade in the river, swim or paddle-board in the spring-fed lake, enjoy evenings around the campfire under starry skies. Plus, the community meal is always delicious and a great time to connect with others and afterwards, there’s a fun local band with dancing. We honestly can’t think of one thing we’re not excited about when it comes to MYPATH!


Learn More:

Mypathfest.com
mypathfest.com/tickets
facebook.com/mypathfest
instagram.com/mypathfest

Spotlight Festival: MYPATH
Spotlight Festival: MYPATH
Spotlight Festival: MYPATH
SPOTLIGHT FESTIVAL: BHAKTI FARMS YOGA FEST

SPOTLIGHT FESTIVAL: BHAKTI FARMS YOGA FEST

SPOTLIGHT FESTIVAL: BHAKTI FARMS YOGA FEST

May 19-21, Covington, LA

PROFILES

FESTIVALS

The Yoga EXPO - Photos from the Event

Exclusive discount code for our community: LOVE20 for 20% off weekend passes


Looking for something to do this May? We are thrilled yoga festivals are back and can’t wait to check out all the amazing events taking place around the world. This week we had a chance to connect with Johnny Johnston and Caroline Williamson of the Bhakti Farms Yoga Fest in Covington, LA who we are thrilled to partner with! You will be able to pick up complimentary copies of our magazine at this festival! 

 

What inspired you to create a festival? 
We saw an opportunity to create an annual event that brought the healing community in south Louisiana together to celebrate each other and to inspire us to continue or begin on a path to find peace through healing arts. The yoga festival was a small vision but grew larger than we could have ever expected, drawing musicians, teachers, and attendees from all over the country. 

What makes your festival unique?
Our unique festival hosts a wide variety of classes and concerts throughout a three day weekend which includes camping and activities for the whole family. Bhakti Farms Yoga Fest has big festival offerings with a small town vibe.

What offering/presenter or class are you most excited about for this year’s event? 
I’m most excited about Ananda Das and Max Ribner. Two incredible artists who will be interweaving themselves throughout the festival weekend lending to a very unique experience. If you haven’t met them, you’ll get a chance to.


Learn More:
Website
Instagram
Tickets

The Yoga EXPO - Photos from the Event
The Yoga EXPO - Photos from the Event
The Yoga EXPO - Photos from the Event
SPOTLIGHT FESTIVAL: BULL CITY YOGA FESTIVAL

SPOTLIGHT FESTIVAL: BULL CITY YOGA FESTIVAL

SPOTLIGHT FESTIVAL: BULL CITY YOGA FESTIVAL

April 29th, Durham, North Carolina

PROFILES

FESTIVALS

The Yoga EXPO - Photos from the Event
Looking for something to do this April? We are thrilled yoga festivals are back and can’t wait to check out all the amazing events taking place around the world. This week we had a chance to connect with Ingrid Saddler-Walker, Founder of the Bull City Yoga Festival in Durham, North Carolina who we are thrilled to partner with! You will be able to pick up complimentary copies of our magazine at this festival!

 

What inspired you to create a festival? 
What inspired me to create the Bull City Yoga Festival was that I wanted to create a yoga festival of BIPOC Yoga Teachers in Durham and the surrounding area for a day of community, to empower others for self-care, health and wellness.

What makes your festival unique?
My yoga festival is unique because of the diversity of yoga teachers that teach at our festival. Also the diversity of the different ages and the variety of yoga classes that we offer such as yoga for seniors, dance yoga, kundalini yoga, vinyasa flow, yoga for embodiment etc. We also had featured yoga teachers that are nationally and internationally known such as Dianne Bondy, Yirser Ra Hotep, Michelle Johnson and Faith Hunter.

What offering/presenter or class are you most excited about for this year’s event? 
I am excited about the entire spring festival, we have new teachers that will be offering new classes. I am also excited about the location where we will have the Spring and Fall Yoga Festival this year. The festivals will be located at the ZincHouse Winery and Brewery located in Durham, NC.


Learn More:
Facebook and Instagram:  Bullcityyogafestival
Website:  www.bullcityyogafestival.com

The Yoga EXPO - Photos from the Event
The Yoga EXPO - Photos from the Event
SPOTLIGHT FESTIVAL: HEALTHYMAINE EXPO

SPOTLIGHT FESTIVAL: HEALTHYMAINE EXPO

SPOTLIGHT FESTIVAL: HEALTHYMAINE EXPO

May 6-7, Portland Maine Expo

PROFILES

FESTIVALS

The Yoga EXPO - Photos from the Event
Looking for something to do this May? We are thrilled yoga festivals and wellness events  are back and can’t wait to check out all the amazing events taking place around the world. This week we had a chance to connect with Steve Woods, president of Promerica Health and founder of the HealthyMaine Expo who we are thrilled to partner with! You will be able to pick up complimentary copies of our magazine at this event! 

What inspired you to create this event? 
As a company committed to Maine’s health, we want to educate our community on the many ways Mainers can contribute to their health and well-being. There are so many wonderful local businesses and organizations committed to the healthspan, we felt it was a critical time to bring these groups together to celebrate a commitment to a healthy Maine.

What makes your event unique?
The HealthyMaine Expo will feature six distinct categories of offerings that will showcase the variety of ways Mainers can engage in healthy living. We will be administering an assortment of complimentary wellness screenings for our guests. Additionally, the Expo will also feature a center stage with ongoing presentations and demonstrations throughout the day, a KidZone, Food Trucks and much more!

What offering/presenter or class are you most excited about for this year’s event? 
We are most excited about the expo’s multidisciplinary approach and the large variety of exhibitors that will be featured – there is truly something for everyone. Our presenting sponsors, Restore Hyperwellness, SerenityMe and L.L.Bean will certainly have great attractions that you won’t want to miss. As we all adjust to a post-COVID-19 world, there is a clear need and public interest in taking active preventative health/wellness steps – instead of just illness mitigation. We believe that the HealthyMaine Expo is an ideal platform to share this important reality through experiences, demonstrations, and dialogue.


Learn More:
HealthyMaine Expo Facebook page
HealthyMaine Expo on Instagram
HealthyMaine Expo on Twitter

The Yoga EXPO - Photos from the Event
The Yoga EXPO - Photos from the Event