I often forget that those of you who are fairly new to Love Yoga… might not know some of the coolest things about the studio and how we got where we are today. Here’s 8 things to catch you up!
1. I started Love Yoga with $5k and 4 weeks of experience. That story alone should be an entire email. But briefly… The day after my 1st yoga training, I unexpectedly found myself unemployed. So 9 days later, I opened Love Yoga
2. We started out downtown on 1st street with 1 other teacher, 6 mirrors, a handful of blocks and a dozen mats. We moved to North Albany a year later because people were asking us for hot yoga. We couldn’t get the downtown space hot enough, so we moved.
3. Before Love Yoga, here in Albany, I had worked for Stone Forest containers and I sold ads for the Democrat Herald. I also worked at Sam Health, the AGH Foundation, Panolam, Mission Hills, Selectemp, Jackson & Prochnau, Cellular One, my Dad’s insurance agency and Tec Labs. In Seattle, I sold insurance, siding, windows, toys, rainbow vaccuum cleaners and international transportation. When I told my first business landlord that I’d had 17 + jobs, he said, ‘sounds like you have all the makings of an entrepreneur’. Yay! (Target rejected my resume 3 times in one year when I was 19) Thanks Target!
4. After numerous other trainings, we became a yoga ‘school’ through Yoga Alliance, offering teacher trainings for the 200 hr. and 300 hr. certifications and CE credit. This Summer we’re offering the first ‘Summer School’ you’ll actually LOVE!
Eight weekend workshops over the Summer to take you from Breathing deeper and Counting Crows to Inspiring Inversions and the Magic of Meditation.
5. Kelly, one of our massage therapists is also a yoga teacher and taught restorative yoga here for about 4 or 5 years. Aunnie and Erin Hanawalt took the first two teacher trainings we did here. In fact it might have been Aunnie that suggested we do it.
I stalked Sabrina on Instagram as she moved here from Kentucky! Erin Yatsui (‘Yats’) took our teacher training and retakes it every year just to be part of it and help out.
(I’ll write a ‘things you might not know about our teachers’ version soon. That just made all the teachers slightly uncomfortable : )
6. Yoga for Anxiety classes came about for three reasons.
1. A few years ago, four different people showed up at the studio within one week asking about yoga for anxiety.
2. I knew a little something about this as I had severe anxiety attacks all through my 20s. Long story short. I ended up in ER a few times, I tried everything from herbal tea to jumping jacks. I found yoga and meditation. I practiced. I practiced. I practiced. It went away. Literally faded away. I haven’t had an anxiety attack in 20-ish years. Nothing. Nada. Not one.
3. The response to that class was huge. So now we have it every few months.
If you struggle with anxiety, you’re not alone.
Trust me. You’re not. And you don’t have to be.
7. Meditation has been a game changer for me personally. I doubt I’ll ever stop. I’ve studied various styles and I’ve found what works for me. It’s like riding a bike, swimming and singing the alphabet. It just sticks with you. It gets easier by the minute. And it feels good. If it doesn’t feel good for you yet… just keep swimming. ; ) Or come try a few new styles with Paul on Wednesday nights or Candace on Monday Mornings, both free! Or I’ll talk about it anytime if someone asks. : )
8. Final note: I started Love Yoga in 2010 mid/post recession, single mom with a 17 year old, in the grass seed capital of the world. No savings, no insurance, no back up plan, no business plan. My mom put up the 5k. And she’s been believing in me ever since. (and still waiting for me to pay her back).
We try not to let money be the thing that keeps anyone from practicing yoga. It’s a life changer and it’s worth it. We still have to pay the lease, the teachers, the utilities and supply you all with toilet paper and chocolates. But If you or someone you know isn’t practicing because of finances, let us know. If we can help, we’ll work it out. We offer trades, 5$ classes and Sunday mornings are always a donation class – any donation.
Did I miss anything?
Is there anything else you’ve just got to know?
Oh, we get the foamy soap from Whole Foods and the bathroom scent sticks from Bi Mart. All of our mats are Jade Yoga mats.
We are very grateful for all of you… that read these emails to the very end ;
