It’s been about three weeks that I have been owner of OM Old Orchard, a boutique (read: small, stylish) yoga studio in a thriving lifestyle (dining, shopping) district in Webster Groves, Missouri.
My vision for owning a yoga studio has always been to have a clubhouse, more or less. Yes, some quality mind + body practices that make you feel strong and centered and connected but also like – time to be yourself, in community with other people being themselves, with opportunity to create, offer your gifts, contribute your ideas, pray.
I want to say I am fascinated with how “cut throat” the studio world is – but I’m not. I am not surprised by the competition and the ferocity of wellness providers wanting to seed another tangent to their offers. I don’t mean to sound whiny or ungrateful for people interested in hosting their offers here, but navigating the new loneliness I feel “as an owner” while at the same time being some what sought after is a key part of this season of shifting. By the way, if you are also experiencing a lot of shifting in your life – you are not alone.
Yesterday was particularly hard for me. I teared up a little bit on a drive home from dropping off a casserole in my sister’s fridge. (A demonstration of the type of community I want to lead, foster and encourage.) There is so much to do and my life is a little unorganized at the moment. I need to merge calendars and put away some papers and settle into a new routine.
I felt stress in my body that was not normal. If there is one thing I know, it’s that stress or anxiety are invitations to the present moment. The present moment shows you what is really right in front of you. The present moment is your place for clarity.
I left my house and headed up to the place that has changed my life. Like a tired mother of a newborn who loves their baby but wants to sleep, I went to the studio tenderly, like how that same tired mother is when changing the diaper – looking at baby’s eyes and sweet face – and remembering how delicate these days really are…
As I settled into the studio, I felt the nudge to breakdown the massage table, clear the front room with the windows and lay on the floor. I did. I opened the windows. I laid out a mat. I lit a candle. And right there, a domino of my life shifted and I felt the room become something new. It’s a place for prayer. An intimate place holding. A floor for conversation.
About an hour later, Jules arrived to the studio before her chanting night was to begin and we sat on the floor in this grounding room and had a conversation about our ancestors, the power of prayer and the depth of our practices came through.
Any competition in the yoga world is rooted in money, in fear, in left brain analytics to make ends meet. And though a successful small business needs numbers to matter, when I settled into the energy of the present moment I remembered the seeds of OM: my belief that self care is spiritual, that partnering with the breath is essential, that your body is the first gift given in this life and that community is wellness.
I feel good today, better than ever. Remembering that this yoga studio is not meant to be what you know, but a place for you to be known. To give generously and receive thoughtfully. For your gifts to have a place to thrive, connect and grow. And for all of us to experience when things come full circle.
And with all that being said… I have a spring calendar of events to figure out. If you’re in Saint Louis, find me on the socials or come by the new studio and say hi! http://www.omoldorchard.com
Frozen Spaghetti 