Describe your company: Into The Blue Yoga is a full-service yoga studio with classes offered 7 days a week. We offer many different class times and styles to suit the needs of a growing population of diverse students. We offer series and weekly classes in yoga and Pilates, including classes geared toward beginners, as well as more challenging practices for those with some yoga experience who are seeking to deepen their practice. We have on hand all of the “props” students will need in order to have a safe and fulfilling practice, including mats, blocks, bolsters, blankets, straps, and complete meditation cushion sets (zafus and zabutons), among other items available for students to use. All of our highly trained and caring teachers are passionate about yoga, Pilates and meditation, and each of us feels honored to be able to share the practice with our students and support them in their individual journeys.
When company was founded: 2014
How did it get started? I began teaching yoga in Springfield in 2011, and I was thrilled to meet so many amazing people through teaching yoga. My dream was to open a yoga studio of my own, so when the opportunity presented itself in 2014 to do just that, I went for it.
How many employees? We currently have six teachers on staff at Into The Blue Yoga, including myself.
How has your company grown? Our sweet little community of students at Into The Blue Yoga has been slowly but steadily growing since we opened in 2014. In general, yoga in Springfield is growing. I’m so happy to hear testimonials from my students, as well as students who attend classes elsewhere, about how yoga and meditation have made them feel happier and more grounded, better able to handle anything that comes their way. It’s such an honor and a pleasure to be a part of this positive movement.
Describe your job: I have the best job. As a yoga and meditation teacher, I strive to provide a safe space for my students to practice yoga, meditation and Pilates; to encourage them to recognize their inherent goodness and to relax into being present in each moment with kindness and curiosity; to support them in their poses with physical and verbal adjustments, as well as yoga props such as bolsters, blankets, blocks, straps, etc.; to carefully listen to and observe the individual needs of each student throughout their practice; and to help to GROW yoga in Springfield in any way possible. As more people embrace the practice of yoga and/or meditation, the world around us truly becomes a better place.
Tell us about what you use to do your job: You don’t need much to be able to practice and teach yoga, meditation and Pilates, but having some extra “props” available can make all the difference in helping students to find their own best expression in any given pose. We use blankets and bolsters for support in seated and reclined poses, straps to help us to “reach” the feet in forward bends, blocks under the hands in various poses, and meditation cushions such as zafus (a round cushion) and zabutons (a large square cushion placed under the zafu) to bring significantly more comfort and ease to the practice of seated meditation. Using props in these practices can mean the difference between feeling strained or “stuck” in a pose, and being able to open up and relax the body in order to find greater freedom and ease in your practice.
What’s unique about your work space? I love our studio space. We’re located on the ground floor of a beautiful old building, with nearly 13-foot-tall ceilings and lots of natural light. I chose the light blue paint color to invoke the sense of a wide blue sky, and a calm mind that is open to all possibilities. I’ve decorated the space with minimal pieces of much-loved antique furniture and shelving, with the intention of leaving as much open, uncluttered space as possible for practice. Each time I walk in the door, I feel uplifted, able to breathe deeply, knowing that soon my students will arrive and we will have time to share our practice and rejuvenate together, as a community. My hope is that each time my students walk in the door, they also feel immediately at ease, happier for having set aside this special and important time to reconnect with themselves and with their yoga community, or “Kula.”
What is one thing in your space/on your desk that you can’t work without? My yoga mat.
What is your secret to success? I make every effort to operate my business from a place of kindness, honesty and generosity. I feel successful when I know that I’ve made a positive difference in my students’ lives. I want to help my students to live happier, more grounded lives, because that’s what they do for me. I am incredibly grateful to this community for their ongoing support of our yoga studio, and look forward to meeting many more Springfield students over the years to come.
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