271 - Studio Owners on Community and Connection in Yoga w/Rachel Brooks and Steph Alston

Steph and Rachel are back for another yoga studio owners roundtable. Today we explore some current challenges faced by studio owners, the importance of fostering trust, connection, and growth within communities, and the impact of current social and political climates on business. 

Connect on Instagram:
Rachel, Seeking Space Yoga, and Yin Yoga Space
Steph and Santosha Yoga Collective

Previous episodes with these guests:
Steph: episodes 263, 236, 205, 227
Rachel: episodes 263, 236, 188

Weekly stories by email from Bonnie’s HERE

Connect with Bonnie: Instagram, Email (hello@bonnieweeks.com), Website
Listen to Bonnie's other podcast Sexy Sunday HERE

The music for this episode is Threads by The Light Meeting.
Produced by: Grey Tanner

Transcript

Bonnie Weeks (she/her) (00:07.192)
Welcome to the podcast, my loves. I am delighted to bring you another conversation with studio owners for studio owners or potential studio owners. So I my friends with me at Rachel Brooks and Stephanie Alston, and we are here for a continuation of all the other conversations that we've had. So go look all, I mean, seriously over the past year, I think between the three of us and then also individual conversations in the podcast.

with both me and Rachel and me and Steph. And this is become, and I think like their last couple episodes have just, we're just getting good. That's what I was saying. We're just getting started. We're just getting started and it just gets better and better. I think as we have these conversations, I think we really are able to drop into the relevancy of what we are figuring out and holding and how you all are navigating both the professional and

Stephanie Alston (00:40.814)
So,

Bonnie Weeks (she/her) (01:05.976)
personal experience of being studio owners. And the more people that I work with that are stepping into studio ownership or navigating it right now, there's so many beautiful ways that I think these conversations are supportive to others who might be very far away from.

all of us, but I think these kinds of conversations where it's like a little fly on the wall of how somebody else is doing it and holding it and holding it together, even when it is tricky and hard and also really beautiful. thank you, Rachel and Steph for being here. And I'm excited about this conversation.

Stephanie Alston (01:41.868)
I'm

Yeah, thanks for having me.

Rachel Brooks (01:45.768)
Thank you. Yeah, excited to be here.

Bonnie Weeks (she/her) (01:49.56)
So we're gonna and for anybody listening to this right now, again, feel free to go back, look at the other topics on other podcasts. And one of the things that we enjoy doing though is kind of dropping into the current events. So as we kind of take a couple months hiatus and then we drop back in together, a couple months sometimes in business land, like you're like that was a whole year.

of like adventures and so much can shift. But we also know that time goes immensely fast on a business land and sometimes things take longer. So think the navigation of everything is really interesting and interesting to catch up on. So I would love to hear from you both about what is current for you right now.

and current as a studio owner. both like professionally, and then if there's a way that you want to weave together in any, like how that your personal life and professional life are kind of weaving into this current events and the things that you're navigating right now. So I'd love to hear, Rachel, do you want to start?

Rachel Brooks (02:57.64)
Sure, yeah. Okay, so current events. have been just kind of observing, In the last two years as we started pulling out of the depths of COVID and the pandemic, what year was it? Probably 21, like 22 is where it really started to feel a little bit more hopeful and like, okay, we're starting to kind of

Stephanie Alston (03:24.556)
.

Rachel Brooks (03:28.166)
bounce back a little bit. And so I kind of have just based things off of, know, there's an idea of what to expect before the pandemic and what to expect now. Pandemic's still happening, but we're still, you know, as we've come out of it and not in that like deep, deep place that we were. And so, you know, January and February and stuff you might have, you know, relate with this or whatever, but.

from at least here in Portland and from my experience over the years, both pre pandemic and now, January, February are like the busy, the peak season. So it's when we're in the middle of our winter, there's not any outdoor activities happening. And so it's an opportunity for people to do indoor activities. Also, if you have heated yoga classes, that's also a huge draw. And then, know,

Stephanie Alston (03:57.609)
Okay.

Stephanie Alston (04:20.815)
.

Rachel Brooks (04:21.294)
Even though I think there is a shift socially for people to be more embracing of the natural rhythms and actually following nature, wherein what you're kind of supposed to be in that internal hibernation mode, there still is like, it's January time to like, really do something with ourselves. You know, there's still that resolution season that happens. And so, you know, it's just observing what to expect how to accommodate so

You know, we did our upstairs expansion in October. We opened Seeking Space at the upstairs level. And so that was a huge, huge step for us. Something that, you know, I had been wanting for a long time. Wouldn't have really needed up until probably a couple of years ago was when we started to feel that like ceiling where just like we literally have not enough space for the people who want to come here.

And so it was just a blessing to be able to expand into the upstairs. got that rolling in September, definitely a soft launch, definitely just like little bits at a time of adding classes. And so it was cool to see our peak month of the year, January and see like what that looked like with two levels going. and so that was really cool. And then, then observing into February, January and February, February should be like,

Stephanie Alston (05:20.907)
.

Rachel Brooks (05:47.376)
right at the heels of January as far as busyness. We still usually have a pretty good push going through most of February, but this February was different. And I think that it has to do with, I know that it has to do with the social climate and know that it has to do with what's going on right now. And so there's been just kind of an observation and the pretty significant decrease, I think for a while people and are still are just kind of paralyzed and really fearful.

Stephanie Alston (06:13.798)
So,

Rachel Brooks (06:16.034)
and don't know what to expect. We do have some federal workers who have had to cancel memberships due to not having a job any longer or the fear of not having a job. And so there's some really real like impact that the things that are happening higher up are trickling down into, you know, what it's like to be a small business owner right now. So that's where, you know, I've just been out as like observing, seeing like some of the things that are different this year.

And also, you know, then sparking in me like ways of, know, this, this is really, when we go through these intense and hard and scary challenging times, it's also like, this is where we need the community the most, you know? And so being a community-based business, we're still a business, but we're still a community too. And so figuring out like, okay, how do we lean in to each other? How can the business accommodate?

Stephanie Alston (07:12.228)
Okay.

Bonnie Weeks (she/her) (07:15.052)
Hmm.

Rachel Brooks (07:15.322)
the and be accessible to the people who need it when they need it the most when they're going through the most challenging time. So yeah, that's where I've been. then yeah, yeah.

Bonnie Weeks (she/her) (07:24.258)
Hmm. That's huge. Let's, let's, let's go there first. And then I want to look back to personally, because I think this, this deserves it. We need to have some airtime here for a second because I, I, I too, like even for online studio, online business things, there is definitely a different way that people are showing up, or what they need or what, what they're, or how people are choosing. I think all of us are feeling a lot of.

Stephanie Alston (07:42.116)
So, thank

Bonnie Weeks (she/her) (07:53.352)
a lot of the unrest, right? And a lot of the social changes and for the United States, the political change and the constant moving and fear, just a lot of fear. There's a lot of fear and a lot of unknown. And money definitely plays a part in that where people then I think are, I mean, I think of this for my own life too, like what do we have to control?

Rachel Brooks (08:22.162)
Mm-hmm.

Bonnie Weeks (she/her) (08:22.88)
When so much is out of our control, think that maybe even that is happening subconsciously for people saying like, what do I have control of and where do I want to make choices then to opt into like holding myself and whether that's like changing a relationship or ending a membership or like picking up something new or like there's, there's a lot of moving pieces, I think in that, but looking at control and looking at fear and trust, like all these are big themes right now.

Stephanie Alston (08:50.61)
you

Bonnie Weeks (she/her) (08:52.182)
Steph, how about you?

Stephanie Alston (08:53.21)
Yeah, thank you for sharing this Rachel because we also have been feeling a big slowing and I wasn't really sure how to put my finger on it like you could just feel it like things that typically enroll well at the studio haven't been yes January was bigger because it's January and yet not as much as we might have expected so there's like a sincerity of what people are seeking is

sort of what I heard you say, Bonnie, and stood out to me. We have people coming that feel like they really need community. They really need something grounding or they want whatever yoga is offering to them. We've got some super sincere new members and even starting this yoga teacher training coming up. There's a deep connection with a lot of our studio attendees right now and

Bonnie Weeks (she/her) (09:24.674)
Hmm.

Stephanie Alston (09:51.616)
a lot of maybe the new or more fun, experimental, I've got extra money to spend kind of things are not happening. We also had our first protester a couple weeks ago, which was an interesting experience. I've not had that at the studio before. I don't know if someone out on our sidewalk protesting with a megaphone and kind of like

Bonnie Weeks (she/her) (10:13.57)
What does that mean?

Stephanie Alston (10:21.392)
naked. Yeah, about yoga and a lot of things around like devil worship and I'm in a super I'm in a super conservative small town. So like, I'm kind of surprised that hasn't happened prior to this. And I'm not exactly what the catalyst was for this particular individual, but

Bonnie Weeks (she/her) (10:21.56)
about the yoga studio in particular.

Bonnie Weeks (she/her) (10:30.431)
Wow.

Bonnie Weeks (she/her) (10:37.752)
Wow.

Stephanie Alston (10:41.606)
something was just interesting as like this new year's been unfolding and like what we're focusing on is a studio like we're we're getting bigger and expanding and like offering more not even like offering more classes but offering more like the teacher training part the the things that are like i feel like as our light is getting stronger there's also that equal balance of like i don't want to call it adversarial but it almost feels that way of like then there's also

Bonnie Weeks (she/her) (11:03.736)
Mm.

Stephanie Alston (11:09.491)
some conflict. we bump into as our voice gets bigger, we bump into other voices too. And so like that's kind of been happening. And I'm feeling it like just the as we keep growing, it's like our message and our offerings get more distilled. And I think Rachel, we've talked about that too, like you get clearer on what classes you're going to offer.

Bonnie Weeks (she/her) (11:27.384)
Mm-hmm.

Stephanie Alston (11:31.698)
how they're gonna be offered, like it's a lot less, let's just throw things out and see what sticks to the wall. And it's a lot more like, this is how we're doing it. This is the system so that we can like be really strong in our growth. And so also I feel like in some ways, like we just don't have the influx of newer students being like, well, I'll just try anything. It's like we're getting really sincere, like people who are looking for something specific.

Bonnie Weeks (she/her) (11:34.52)
Yeah.

Bonnie Weeks (she/her) (11:54.669)
Yeah.

Bonnie Weeks (she/her) (12:00.717)
Yeah.

Wild. Do they just like stay there all day? What ended up happening?

Stephanie Alston (12:08.317)
So in this particular case, I was actually out of town when it happened. my manager and co-owner were around and they handled it beautifully. It was an evening thing, so they were there for a few hours from what I understand. It was a lot of learning in that experience because they were in their right to protest. They were out on the sidewalk. They weren't technically on our property.

From what I understand, yeah, the teacher had asked the students, you feel comfortable still holding class? And they said, yes, they wanted to stay. then the business owner from across the street, so sweet, came over and escorted people to their cars just to make sure there wasn't any... I don't think this guy was aggressive, but it definitely was just like a, hmm, we're not sure what... But yeah, what this is about. he like made sure people got to their cars, which is so great. And like, we have cameras around our building, but...

Bonnie Weeks (she/her) (12:45.12)
Hmm.

Bonnie Weeks (she/her) (12:50.658)
It's an energy.

Stephanie Alston (12:57.755)
I was like, next time, please call the non-emergent police number and just like notify someone in town that this is happening. Like even if the person doesn't need to be removed, like let's use our resources. And so we made sure that the non-emergent police line number was more obviously placed at the front desk and in the office for the teachers. I think they just were like, what do we do? Yeah, it was an interesting thing.

Bonnie Weeks (she/her) (13:15.8)
Wow.

Bonnie Weeks (she/her) (13:23.382)
Yeah, I mean, that's probably not like on the welcome packet. Welcome to being a teacher here. Here's the non-emergency phone number.

Stephanie Alston (13:29.401)
Yeah, you know to call 911 if there's like someone gets injured. Like in that particular situation, I think they were a little dazed like, this hasn't happened before. What do we do? And had I been there, I would have liked to go talk to the person and just find out like what's happening for you. know, can we get you a chair? Would you like some tea? But I wasn't there. So they reported to me after the fact, hey, this happened on Thursday night. And I was like, of course it did. Cool.

Bonnie Weeks (she/her) (13:32.812)
Yeah.

Rachel Brooks (13:59.654)
to the kid like anytime you want to get like if you are out of town away to a place they know to the capacity where you could not like show up to be there to defuse anything is when the things happen it's it's like Murphy's law or whatever you want to call it whatever universal law it is it's like you're gone perfect here we go there's all the things that you didn't prepare for

Stephanie Alston (14:20.294)
you

And I sincerely was thinking like, okay, how many people like, because we're on a small town road, like Bonnie, you've been to our studio, it's just like playing each way. Like, so I'm sure that the message was heard by quite a few people driving by. And I also was like, hey, we have a little community Facebook group for our town. And I wondered like, is this gonna show up on there? Are people gonna talk about it? We kind of have our stars hollow thing going on. So I was like,

Bonnie Weeks (she/her) (14:32.6)
Mm-hmm.

Stephanie Alston (14:51.065)
Do I say something on the community posts that like I'm aware we had a protester and I was like, no, I don't need to give them more attention. It's just also interesting because not that I want to super shift the conversation this way, but I've been thinking a lot about perception and worldview. And I think that's like a big theme just right now in general, as we're talking about how is that showing up to people feeling money security or to come to the studio and like invest in their wellness or invest in something that might feel a little bit more

Bonnie Weeks (she/her) (14:58.093)
Yeah.

Stephanie Alston (15:21.656)
It's not frivolous, like something where this isn't just I'm going to buy groceries, which groceries alone are freaking expensive. But like if you're going to pay a little extra to like have a yoga studio membership or go do something for yourself, a little more self care. How does your view of what's happening right now in your personal and financial and political world influence where you're going to spend? And so in this particular case, I was just so I was really just so curious about what this person's

Bonnie Weeks (she/her) (15:31.894)
Mm-hmm. Yeah.

Stephanie Alston (15:52.195)
motivation was and like what they were trying to achieve because I felt like, you know, if we sat down together, we'd probably have a lot more similarities or maybe you really just don't know what yoga is like what we are doing in the yoga studio. Like, like, do you know the roots of mindfulness and self compassion and like that we're coming from a place of spreading a message of love and coming in, especially in our studio being yoga therapy based. It's like the message here is to love yourself back into wholeness to like

reintegrate all these pieces of yourself that have felt lost or dark or, you know, trauma based work. So it's like, I don't know what you think we're spreading to people, but I see it as a very healing space. And that's what I would love for more of the world right now is like, don't cut out your yoga, come do more yoga, like come and spend time here in a place where you can feel belonging and connection and like community support. We've been looking at, yeah, just all of that. How do we...

Bonnie Weeks (she/her) (16:42.934)
Mm-hmm.

Stephanie Alston (16:49.035)
how do we increase our presence in the community with that message and offering more accessibility to people?

Bonnie Weeks (she/her) (16:56.93)
Yeah.

Rachel Brooks (16:58.694)
Yeah, I feel like, you know, and unfortunately individuals like that, there's not really any reasoning, you know, necessarily like, that was something that, you know, I come from a strict religious background. And so that was something that I was worried about. Like my family is, they're very conservative religious, but.

not like fire and brimstone is like, like not like condemning people to hell and stuff like that, you know, so but I was worried about that. And, you know, I think there was a concern when I got into yoga. And when I started the business of like, well, you know, this is based out of Eastern religion, you know, this is what you know, what I was taught was not okay, and was worshipping false idols. And you know, so there's all that there. And so

Bonnie Weeks (she/her) (17:33.014)
Hmm.

Bonnie Weeks (she/her) (17:44.056)
Yeah.

Rachel Brooks (17:48.496)
Yeah, I think that when it comes to some certain extremes of views, it's like there is no, there's no seeing the things that are the same. It's just seeing like, this is what I was taught was worshiping the devil. And so that is what it is. And there's nothing that you could be doing else, you know, other than that, that's going to change that, you know, kind of thing. Unfortunate.

Bonnie Weeks (she/her) (18:00.65)
Yeah.

Bonnie Weeks (she/her) (18:11.316)
Mm-hmm. Yeah.

Stephanie Alston (18:11.617)
Yeah, I probably wouldn't have been able to change their mind. But it's always an interesting thing to me. Like, I even find this and I'm really curious, you're you're all experiences because Rachel, you're like in Portland and like

There are differences between studios here in Sacramento, like downtown, midtown versus where I'm at, which is about 30 minutes north in the foothills. Like the vibe is different even on like offerings that you'll see in different studios. And so sometimes like we've been a little radical, like with the things we offer. And I'm even talking about like sound healing and meditation offerings, nothing like, I don't think it's crazy, honoring the summer solstice. The fact that we have offerings that talk about

know, sort of like centering around the seasons and maybe even like leaning towards pagan tradition. And I find that like some people will say they'll literally come in and say to me like, it's so refreshing to see a studio like this, not in Sacramento, like I can have an experience like this up north. And I'm like, you're welcome. It's cool. And then if you go way more north, then you're in like, super hippie land, Nevada City, like it's very crunchy, you're gonna find a lot of this but we're in this middle place of like, kind of tension, I think between

Bonnie Weeks (she/her) (19:05.822)
Hmm.

Stephanie Alston (19:20.445)
Well, how much yoga can we share or how much of like, right? And I'm curious if you've ever had experiences like this being in more of a city or like urban landscape of people protesting or being very vocal about what you do or don't offer. And I, on either side, you're not doing it, you'll get enough or you're like holding back. Is it either way?

Bonnie Weeks (she/her) (19:23.232)
Yeah.

Rachel Brooks (19:42.408)
There's definitely like no as far as like we can get as whichy woo woo here The more the the more the better like as wooey and whichy as you can get like please That's there's never been any kind of anything about

Bonnie Weeks (she/her) (19:51.842)
It's true.

Bonnie Weeks (she/her) (19:58.998)
Yeah, come as smelly and hairy and weird and like feral as you want.

Rachel Brooks (20:13.98)
had anybody say anything to me but I have felt it and I had and it's more of like conviction within myself I think of not being vocal enough about what's going on politically socially social justice things like that and so I think here it's it's more encouraged and there it's almost as if like if you're not then what the fuck are you doing you know

Bonnie Weeks (she/her) (20:28.312)
Mm.

Stephanie Alston (20:42.232)
Hmm.

Bonnie Weeks (she/her) (20:43.448)
True.

Rachel Brooks (20:43.65)
so that's something that over, you know, as I've, you know, I don't know, I think that's something that's to me, I've felt more, okay, with the vulnerability of like, being more open about my views and using my platform is definitely not all the way where I want it to be.

as far as representation goes, but like, I'm working on that because I did have that feeling of conviction of like, there's all this stuff going on in the world and like, you're posting about a fucking triangle clinic? Like what are you doing? You know, like not acknowledging what's happening and not acknowledge, you know, like those things are, yeah.

Stephanie Alston (21:07.301)
Okay.

Bonnie Weeks (she/her) (21:20.022)
Yeah.

Bonnie Weeks (she/her) (21:26.936)
Well, that's it. There's so many things right here, but like, eh, just to jump off that one, I like, this is part of my reckoning of, of self too. I'm like, okay, there's a lot of people listening to me on social media. Like there's, there's, there's a lot of people here. How do I want to use my voice here? Like what matters? And I think this idea of like, do you, do we talk about like, Rachael, I feel like you do such a good job of this. You're like, okay, everybody all like you've done like several different gatherings for people of color.

think within and like there's a group organized here in Portland and I see you partnering with them and like making space and just like that's like, I mean, that's part of your own personal story. And so like, I feel like you're a leader in that. So I just want to like reflect that to you. So if you feel like you're not doing enough, that is how I like, that's a hundred percent how I see you doing things. But then to to reflect personally though, where you're talking about a triangle clinic.

Stephanie Alston (22:22.416)
So,

Bonnie Weeks (she/her) (22:25.618)
For me, I've also had to sit with why I'm doing the things. Like, why would a triangle clinic be something good and worth talking about when it could be a post about like, please go vote, right? Or whatever. that, like, it's really hard to quantify which is good or bad because those are subjective anyway. But to me, what I really had to sit with is asking why.

Like why is it important? Why would a triangle clinic be impactful for somebody? What does learning more about your body do? What does learning how your body takes up space? What else is gonna be part of that? You're gonna have community in this. Like is there gonna be analogy driven in this? And if the studios and if we're really believing that yoga leads us into ourselves and then if those personal experiences then lead back into our community and our families, then it matters. Even though it's fucking triangle pose, right?

Stephanie Alston (22:57.838)
.

Bonnie Weeks (she/her) (23:22.622)
And, and trying to wrap our heads around the complexity of like giant issues that it feels like we cannot even touch. I'm like, ha like that's happening in the world. How do I even make an impact in that? Which can freeze people, which I think is why also we see people not coming into studios and not doing things because they feel frozen. They're like, how do I, how do I make change? How do I like, this doesn't feel good. None of it feels good. I don't feel safe. What is safe anymore?

Stephanie Alston (23:51.437)
So,

Hmm.

Bonnie Weeks (she/her) (23:53.706)
So then it is these practices have come into community, come into your body, come into yourself and let it be uncomfortable, but don't try to escape it. And I think so often about, you know, when I was in a lot of back pain and I was on a flight and I was like the worst flight of my life because I've been in so much pain, but I sat and I tried not to move in this, as I was flying in this four hour flight. And cause any movement, I was like, if I don't move at all,

It doesn't hurt as bad. I truly was leaning forward in my seat, trying not to move the whole time. And the mantra in my head was, I work with my body, not against it. I work with my body, not against it. And I think that's really the call that I think we all hope as people who are leaders within the yoga community to be like, whether it's in brick and mortar or not, that it is this. is like,

especially in seasons of unrest and yeah there's going to be nuance I think in the ways that we all do this and what it looks like personally for different studios and the way we lead and the teams that we are a part of but ultimately it does matter because we work with our bodies not against them and we can't work with them unless we sit with them unless we know them unless we take the time with them and

Stephanie Alston (24:55.596)
So,

Bonnie Weeks (she/her) (25:15.437)
the freeze part makes people not take action, which then makes everything stuck, which is absolutely what we don't need right now.

Stephanie Alston (25:23.471)
Mm-hmm

Rachel Brooks (25:23.976)
Right. Yeah, I appreciate that. That's good perspective. Yeah.

Stephanie Alston (25:27.628)
Thank you so much for sharing that because I'm just thinking like if you replace everything you just said about like your relationship to your body with like your relationship to the human humanity body, like it ties the same. Are we working with not against and earlier we were talking about following what feels alive. Like that's been very relevant for me lately as a theme or like a personal exploration is

where is life force leading right now? And that's kind of the whole practice of yoga. Where is prana flowing? Where are we going to let the breath lead? Where are we going to lean in? And it doesn't mean avoiding discomfort. In fact, it's very much the opposite of like, are we going to sit with this and let it be part of the whole experience? And yoga activism is like something I've been thinking a lot about, especially being a studio owner. Like I'm very aware of the fact that like I lead a small business that

does like it makes statements like just the fact that we exist and where we exist makes a statement like we're standing for something our building stands in the middle of town and it is a landmark for this area like you've been the shape of my building it's like very iconic it was built in the 60s it's got this big a-frame like yeah yeah it was a mortuary like years ago so when people ask out like where's your studio located I'm like we're the big a-frame on Taylor Road everyone's like they know it

Bonnie Weeks (she/her) (26:39.864)
It's like a church.

Stephanie Alston (26:50.93)
So like we are a recognizable space. The studio has been there 13 years. And so I've been thinking a lot more about this and leading into a yoga teacher training is like, what are we teaching people that we're leading? What are we teaching people that we're standing for? So as I'm passing this wisdom tradition down and saying like, hey, you're a teacher, you're gonna get up in front of the room and own your voice in front of the room to lead people through an experience like.

You're also modeling not just by what you share as a sequence, but you're modeling by the way that you guide them into knowing their inner wisdom, guide them into like, think of all the leaders and teachers we've had that have been influential. Like, know, Bonnie, you mentioned Sarah Blondin so often, like I can tell that she's touched your heart. Like there are things that she has shared. And like, I think of Tara Brock as well. Like I was listening to one of her meditations recently and just felt like, yes, there are these people that help guide us to

self-wisdom so that we can pour it back out, so that we can come back into the community and take it into our everyday lives and follow prana there. And so it's interesting to me as we talk about this, it really is a full circle conversation to me. Like what are we standing for as yoga studio owners and what environment are we creating in our spaces so that when people come in, they can truly feel connection.

belonging, a sense of safety to trust the flow of like, okay, I'm not in freeze, I'm not in collapse, I can take right action, whatever the next step is, is gonna unfold into how I go now interact with the person at the bank, how I now go interact with the teacher at my kid's school, you whatever the next human is that they interact with, like our experience directly feeds into that.

Bonnie Weeks (she/her) (28:20.344)
you

Stephanie Alston (28:44.482)
And Bonnie, I love that like a lot of your work lately has been about helping yoga teachers own the hell out of their voice, which is so much more than just being a strong leader in front of a yoga room that they know how to cue. It's so much more like personal ownership of being like, what am I about? What do I believe in? And what world do I want to see? So what world am I co-creating with others? I think that's really like the biggest, the bigger conversation of

Bonnie Weeks (she/her) (28:57.304)
Yeah.

it is.

Bonnie Weeks (she/her) (29:06.872)
Mm-hmm.

Stephanie Alston (29:12.324)
yoga business ownership and yoga studio leadership is like we're helping to co-create like the community nervous system of how people are going to feel in themselves so that they can go feel with the rest of the world.

Bonnie Weeks (she/her) (29:30.663)
Yeah.

Hmm

Also having lived in Northern California Steph and thinking of you there and the gift that you're giving the community there too that doesn't have as much.

Bonnie Weeks (she/her) (29:51.07)
the benefits from more diversity of thought. I love that and how people don't know what they're getting in yoga and different religious congregations speak specifically to yoga being not good. Like that actually exists in the world. And I mean, I know that in my, in my,

long-term relationship. There was people that blamed my leaving organized religion on yoga and different choices because of my participation in that and that is not the case. And it I think can be easy for people who are deeply on one side of a belief.

to believe that anything else is also like a deep trench into it, where I enjoy Buddhist teachings, but to be Buddhist is a whole different thing. And there was a woman that was in my teacher training years ago who actually walked that path and was trying to unravel herself from that. And it is...

Stephanie Alston (31:00.471)
.

Bonnie Weeks (she/her) (31:08.816)
So intense, like to hear her journey of that, of where she entrenched herself in it for three or four years, which is a long time and with a guru and like what that really meant is very intense. And so I can enjoy Buddhist teachings and not be a Buddhist and very much like yoga. They're like, yoga looks like a lot of different things and people will say shit to me about me not being a real yoga person, whatever.

And that's like, okay, you can think that also because there's a spectrum, a spectrum of all the things of what that means and what it looks like personally. And because yoga can be taken, you can like deep dive in so many different facets of what yoga means to you and what it looks like in your body, how you move as the physical practice and

what your compassionate self looks like. Like there's just so much personalization you can take on your yoga journey. And I'm like gonna loop this back around. If I truly believe that yoga is a practice of paying attention, like how we're paying attention to ourselves and our lives looks different on all of us. Truly.

Stephanie Alston (32:11.721)
Yeah

One of the things we have hanging up in our studio is a big poster that I'm so glad I was introduced to in my 200 hour training. But it's a big poster that says, a brief and incomplete history of yoga. And it starts off at the top with like, here's where the Thetas and you know, we've got the original texts and influences of Buddhism, Hinduism, Jainism, like all these things. And here's where Tantra came in. So it kind of has a timeline.

but it shows you the branches of how everything started to like split. And at the bottom, there's like hundreds of kinds of yoga. know, like there's the ones you recognize, like maybe all the names that seem popular or famous, like Baron Baptiste and Johnny Kest. And you've got power yoga and you've got Iyengar and you've got all the things. But what I wanted to highlight and impart, like this is part of the teaching or I guess responsibility of that I think as a yoga studio owner is like,

for the students to come in to say, don't judge another person's practice, or that only one style of yoga counts, or the only one way of understanding it matters, because there are so many different ways to explore what we're trying to get at here. And so like the more universal teachings or the more, I guess, broad accessible messages, kind of like what I felt like you were saying, like, yeah, I love parts of Buddhism. I also love parts of Taoism. I also still love parts of Christianity.

Bonnie Weeks (she/her) (33:25.356)
Mm-hmm.

Stephanie Alston (33:45.115)
And I wouldn't call myself 100 % any of those things. Like it's so intermixed and an inner faith in that way. But with my yoga, it's like inner practice. I've done Ashtanga yoga and then I've done Yin yoga and then I've done Kundalini yoga. And those all come from super different traditions that are gonna tell you super different ways to do the thing. And so to claim that any one person in this world now in this century is like not yoga enough. I'm like, what does that even mean?

So I think for us to be able to decide for our personal cultures, our little bubbles of yoga studios or online business, what are we representing? And how are we going to stand in that and invite other people into an exploration of like, hey, I'm a practitioner on this path too. Come explore with me. Here's what our message is, or here's what we're going to try to continue to promote in the world. And I know for our studio, it's like yoga as healing. Yoga is a place of,

of coming to feel safety. And like there are practices here that will help you redefine that relationship to your body. That's really the biggest thing we've been focusing on is like how do we help people access practices through breath work, meditation and movement that give you that sense of I can be okay again.

Bonnie Weeks (she/her) (34:45.942)
Mm-hmm.

Bonnie Weeks (she/her) (35:08.28)
Hmm. Right. So I want to loop this back to like, I think all of our words here of like the spaces of healing stuff. I think you said that really wonderfully. I mean, that's like ultimately what it is. And then also let's loop this back to business now. Right. Like, so I think to like, this is what we want to build. This is like the idea. It's like looping all of our ideas and brains and hearts into why we're doing whatever the hell we're doing. Um, but then

Rachel, since you kicked us off here and noticing the changes in people's choices then, how is that affecting your choices in business now? Like how is that impacting what you're choosing to do or not to do when you see the numbers of people showing up or not or what they're opting in for or out of? Like how is that affecting now what you're picking up with business?

Rachel Brooks (36:04.408)
I mean, there hasn't, it's just been, you know, observing noticing, things that I have like ideas that I've come up with or thought about as far as, okay, it seems like, you know, I mean, there's definitely, main thing probably to me is just accessibility right now, financial accessibility, like how if I'm noticing that this is becoming, you know, a financial strain for people or it's they're needing to choose between.

Stephanie Alston (36:33.18)
So,

Rachel Brooks (36:34.31)
You know, I have to prioritize my groceries and my, you know, my family and my personal wellbeing right now over this. Like then it's just me thinking about, okay, how are we actually being, how are we actually accessible? Which has been something that's going, it's going to be a forever practice as a business owner in capitalism to like figure out how to also actually be accessible and.

and there for the community that needs it. I'm thinking about, was just thinking, you know, it doesn't cost me, like, you know, I don't pay myself when I teach classes at my studio. And so I'm thinking about offering a couple more like regular weekly community classes, at least one in each space that I teach, because that's a way for me to be of service. That's not, and I can not charge for it.

and also not worry about having to then also pay out for it myself, you know, that way. So offering my time to be able to provide a free service is something that I've been thinking about. You know, we have different policies in place that are, you know, for like late cancellations, things like that.

Stephanie Alston (37:41.577)
So, thank you.

Rachel Brooks (37:56.028)
thinking about putting those on pause for seasons where we can, you know, like right now, as we're starting to go into, you know, spring and summer, things will naturally slow down anyway. The main reason we have, you know, late cancellation fees in place are because our classes are full. And when you just, you know, when you cancel, when we can't get it filled, that's that's a detriment and impact to the business.

Stephanie Alston (38:05.305)
So,

Rachel Brooks (38:19.868)
But as things start to slow down a little bit and we move into different seasons, then that's not as much of an impact. so maybe pausing those for a while so that it can be a little bit less stressful for people when they're trying to get to a yoga class or if they can't make it to one. Those are very just practical little things that I've been thinking about. As far as offering SCO, what have we had recently?

Bonnie Weeks (she/her) (38:37.58)
Mm-hmm.

Yeah.

Rachel Brooks (38:48.102)
I mean, we have a pretty regular, like we have probably like five to seven teachers who pretty regularly offer different kind of creative workshops or events. So, you know, there's like restore with massage or the floating sound baths and all those things. so, I mean, people love those. think anything that gets, you know, gets them in their bodies, anything that, you know, sound healing is super impactful. Touch is super impactful, like with the massage and stuff. So.

Just continuing with the offerings that the teachers, feel like the teachers are really in tune with what people are coming for and what they really want.

so that's been cool. So nothing really, I don't, as far as offerings go that need to change there, but definitely like just the accessibility is just the part I can't, I'm still, we're still a business. We still have to keep the doors open. We still have to have income and profit. But, but what can I do? That's not going to be, you know, that's not going to be a detriment to the business that can offer and hold space for more people. So that's kind of what I've thinking about.

Bonnie Weeks (she/her) (39:26.616)
Mm.

Bonnie Weeks (she/her) (39:49.878)
Yeah. I know was talking to a student or friend in Southern Oregon and there she was saying how her community donation based classes are, have been kind of slim, but how in the past couple months they are like totally full. And so that it's like often a place because the community donation based class is also a great place. I think for studios to utilize a practice space for brand new, new teachers.

Rachel Brooks (40:14.527)
yeah, one more time.

Bonnie Weeks (she/her) (40:15.784)
and just like get people in the room. Cause I know that there's a lot of teachers who want to teach and who don't have any spaces or no spaces, correct, like current created for them to practice teaching. Because when you're a new teacher, you're not very good. Like, like for all of us, like all of us in our teaching journeys, like if you're going to do something new, you're going to suck at it first. And you're going to be nervous as hell to stand up in front of the room and understand what it.

Rachel Brooks (40:30.876)
Yeah, sure.

Stephanie Alston (40:31.713)
you

Bonnie Weeks (she/her) (40:44.034)
really means to do the thing. And it's part of the process. And so to have a space where they can feel like the expectation is that this is a community class, this is where you get to practice, this is part of the process of learning how to do the thing is kind of like going on the journey of it. That's also helpful. But I think that's a beautiful way of thinking about giving to the studio and I think.

If there's room for charges, you know, I think it is a tricky balance between you still have to pull in the money to keep the doors open. Like you still have to be able to pay the teachers. You still have to be able to be like, if you're going to be flushing the toilet, like, we've got to pay for that flush. And so it is a balancing act and also like a gift in all that way too, because the teachers are also trying to like.

Stephanie Alston (41:31.057)
.

Bonnie Weeks (she/her) (41:41.188)
like you want to the doors open for the teachers so they can get paid as much as also the studio, the community is supported. Like it's it's multifaceted for sure.

Stephanie Alston (41:50.737)
Yeah, I'm feeling so much inspiration from this conversation. Like Rachel, even the things you shared already, I'm like, ooh, okay, I need to file some of this away and have some ideas for our space. But I think I'm finding I often have these conversations separate of like, I get all nerdy about like the purpose and the vision and the why and the things we're gonna do and all the beautiful stuff we're gonna offer.

And then it almost feels like a totally separate piece of like, okay, now how much do you want to charge for this? And how much are we going to make? And what are the logistics of making this actually profitable? And I'm, it's a constant work, I think, as a business owner to blend the two and have it be like part of the, it's all needed because I either give away way too much, let even groups come and use the studio for free. Let people just, you know, or

I don't charge enough, which is a hard conversation because I would love to just let everybody come practice for free all the time. But I do have utility bills and all this stuff. We also offer tea out in the lobby. And I put hair ties in the bathroom. These little things add up. And so there are some times monthly where I'm like, how much are we freaking spending on feminine products and tea? And then I have to pay my teachers.

And I'm aware that minimum wage just went up. It's a constant conversation too of can I sustainably keep offering things that feel like a value to people and make it really accessible and offer more like, yeah, we have some free groups and we have like karma classes or donation based classes here and there, but I'm like, we could be doing more, like make it more, more.

Bonnie Weeks (she/her) (43:28.13)
Mm-hmm.

Stephanie Alston (43:31.142)
I don't even know if appealing is the right word, but for people to come and try it and experience it and just get the benefits of it, even if they're not going to pay for a whole membership or come for every single workshop that we offer, like some people that's just not possible. And I still want them to have yoga too. I'm like, want the whole world to have yoga.

Bonnie Weeks (she/her) (43:38.977)
Mm-hmm.

Bonnie Weeks (she/her) (43:43.34)
Yeah.

Bonnie Weeks (she/her) (43:48.266)
Yeah. Well, you know what I love about this stuff though that you just shared is like, there's literally all, there's all different brackets of people who will pay for yoga. There's all different brackets, right? I have taught a yoga class to a private Nike team years ago who they were rewarding their team and they were like, dude, taking them on this whole adventure of a weekend and whatnot.

And I have a friend who was like helping like organize it and they had hired her and I had to like buy mats. So like including mats and props, they paid me $800 for a yoga class. And I was like, well, that is a lot of money for a yoga class. I will say yes to that. I will buy all the props. I will do the things. So that is not the norm though, right? But there are people out there who have the money and companies who have the money. So I think...

in our business models and it's tricky, it's tricky. Like if you have this space that you can rent your space, fantastic. That doesn't, that might not be work for Rachel and it might work for the YIN space, but it's a different thing, right? But it's connected business and that there are people with money that can help support this. So it's not just about, I think offering free things and, having a race to the bottom of like cost and, and everything because that

doesn't work for anybody either. And there can be very dedicated people who are like, that's the only way they will be able to participate in their current event and their current lives of like what is possible and what they can pay to be there. And for other people, they need to pay or they will not show up because I have found that so much in my own personal business. I'm like, okay, coaching, like mentorship, it has to cost this much, not this lower amount because then people will show, like people don't show up otherwise.

So the investment is part of the transformation, 100%. If people don't actually feel like there's enough of a give in that, they won't show up and then they don't get the benefit of a thing. So I think it's an interesting part of the story to say, okay, what is needed right now in our current climate? One, how do we look at accessibility? And two, how do we look at the space and other things that were...

Stephanie Alston (45:47.986)
Mm-hmm.

Bonnie Weeks (she/her) (46:11.838)
that we have available to us to also balance that out. And so for you, I'm like, your space is amazing. You should 100 % be charging for rentals for that. That's like a zero-brainer. I'm like, yes.

Stephanie Alston (46:26.753)
Yeah.

Rachel Brooks (46:27.72)
The rental part, I do want to speak on, the rental part has been such a challenge for me. So we get asked about rentals all the time, all the time. And it's like, you know, each scenario is different, but I'm like, the bottom line is I have to be here. If you want to rent the studio, I have to be here.

Bonnie Weeks (she/her) (46:43.906)
Mm.

Rachel Brooks (46:47.45)
So what is it worth to me to have to be here to let you in to clean the space up before make sure it's all prepared for you to let you in to help like be here while the space you know while the thing is happening and then close up and clean up after you so that's really what it is and most the time when I'm not like throwing crazy numbers out there but it's like it really is this is me being here I'm not gonna pay anyone else to be here I'm gonna have to be here

And so it's not worth it to you to try to rent the studio. Honestly, that's usually what it comes out to is that if they're not interested in paying what it's worth for me having to be there to do that. So.

Bonnie Weeks (she/her) (47:15.084)
Mm.

Stephanie Alston (47:22.405)
Yeah, it's such a dance. Like I think all of this and the things we've learned through like licensing out our space temporarily and rent is like so many of our systems and policies have come from that learning, right? Like either people taking advantage or us realizing, someone always has to be here. Like there has to be an admin person that's accessible. If they're not an employed person in the studio, I'm not giving out our door code to just anybody. And then it's like,

It's funny because we have an agreement of, we'll always do a signed agreement with people. Like you need to get here early. Like if you're hosting, get here early for your people. You clean up afterward. You need to leave the studio in the same state you had it. But like we lock some stuff up that's like, don't want just like the iPad and the cash box out for everybody.

And I don't know that everybody thinks of that when they go to rent a studio and they approach it and they're just like, this is a fun space. I want to use it. And I'm like, well, from the business owner side, that's liability. That's my utility costs. That's you're using my bathrooms. Who's going to take out the trash? Like there's so much more that goes into it. And that dance of

Yeah, what is it worth to people? Like there's an investment to come in practice to use the studio for transformation, whatever it is that like through my coaching work to whatever it is they're investing in, there has to be some buy in some literal like, I'm putting my ass on the line a little bit, or I've got some skin in the game. So I'm going to show up, I'm committed to this. And then that dance of like, is it worth it to me? Like, am I getting like my time and my expertise or my whatever?

Bonnie Weeks (she/her) (48:44.449)
Mm-hmm.

Stephanie Alston (48:53.482)
worth it out of this? Yeah, because same thing at the studio, like, is there, there is this like bottom line of numbers. And it's always that back and forth. And even for the teachers, I've had conversations even recently with teachers, like, is it worth it to you to come show up and teach an hour long class at this pay rate? And some of my teachers do rely on workshops and bigger payout offerings, like where they can make six or $800 in one weekend to supplement like

Bonnie Weeks (she/her) (48:58.082)
Yeah.

Stephanie Alston (49:21.831)
the hourly pay for a class. So yeah, it's like that dance for the business side and for the student side of like how much feels like a good, not too much, not too little Goldilocks space.

Bonnie Weeks (she/her) (49:36.032)
Mm-hmm. Mm, mm.

Okay, let's keep going. I'm like, okay, I'm to hold back for a second. Rachel, I want you to keep going. I'm just going keep looping back to you. And if there's anything else personal wise, like now that we've kind of dove into this, I don't, there's nothing we've solved. I don't know. We're here. Where are you in your personal space of ownership and just self and everything right now?

Rachel Brooks (50:11.444)
I think that like I so yeah, it's it's interesting like to think about so I when I have when I think about like where my ambition comes from or where my drive comes from or my why why I'm doing what I'm doing or what I've why I've chosen the path I've chosen and how it's gotten me here. Like I'm I've always had like this sense of purpose. I've talked about this in the podcast that you and I did Bonnie to like I've talked like I always had a sense of purpose. I don't know like exactly.

where it came from, but it's always been like, I wanna do something that matters, that means something. And so I've always thought of it as like on a greater scale of like, know, helping as many people as possible or whatever. And recently, I have, so my dad, he is 67.

Bonnie Weeks (she/her) (50:41.784)
Mm-hmm.

Rachel Brooks (51:07.896)
And he has been living in California with his wife and he's my dad's always worked. My dad is also probably kind of where I get some of my entrepreneurial spirit because he's always been had his hands in lots of different things and always excelled and done really well and everything that he's done. So but recently like about like six months ago, he got laid off from his job that he had and he's been struggling to find work. And so he found a position at

the Costco in Astoria. And so he has been relocating to Astoria recently, but my dad is almost completely blind. And so he needs assistance and he doesn't drive and his wife doesn't drive either. And so I've been going back and forth to Astoria to like pick him up and get him to Portland from, know, getting from the airport, get him down. Then he has to do some training up the one in Alola, the Costco in Alola here. And so like I've been back and forth to Astoria.

Bonnie Weeks (she/her) (51:53.527)
Hmm.

Stephanie Alston (52:01.569)
.

Rachel Brooks (52:06.374)
I have a couple more things he has some doctors appointments he has to go to here in Portland. And so that's been kind of just on like my recent and I and I'm so grateful that I have the space to do it like I've it all has landed on days where I don't I'm not like super heavy. I'm not teaching very heavily on the schedule right now, which is helpful. So you know, I can do a lot of like remote stuff, what needs to be done. And so it's all landed in on days and times that work out okay, but

All this to say that I've been thinking about this lately, like, this is probably the beginning of needing to take care of a parent. That's just, and I've been so lucky that I haven't had to think about that before now. And it's not right this minute, but it's the pathway too of like, okay, maybe in the next five to 10 years is where like.

I need to start thinking about like, not just myself. I just Yeah, so everything that's been driving me has always been like, how to help as many people as possible. But it's been more out there rather than like in my like, that's haven't been that hasn't been on my mind of like, oh, you need to prepare to be able to take care of your parents when they get older. Or, you know, because they've just all they've always been so independent and been so good, you know, which is great. But yeah, so that's just been on my mind. What were you gonna say?

Bonnie Weeks (she/her) (53:26.296)
Hmm.

Rachel Brooks (53:26.712)
I thought I heard somebody say something or breathe or whatever, but that's just been on my mind lately of like, I have actually like a different motivation now for like why I'm doing what I'm doing. I'm going to be okay. And I'm going to continue and I'm just continuing to strive to, to, you know,

Bonnie Weeks (she/her) (53:37.195)
Hmm.

Rachel Brooks (53:45.724)
be able to fulfill whatever purpose that I feel like I'm here for and to take care of myself. But also now I have like this other like, I'm like, I have another like driving force for like why I'm doing what I'm doing and getting things ready and prepared and like getting my ducks in oil. So that's been personally, yeah.

Stephanie Alston (53:56.227)
So,

Bonnie Weeks (she/her) (53:57.88)
Hmm.

Bonnie Weeks (she/her) (54:02.508)
Yeah. Yeah. Thank you for sharing that. I, and Steph, I'm looking forward to hearing your statements on this. You have some very personal experience with this, but I do just want to acknowledge the way that why we're doing what we're doing can shift, like the reason can shift and then why we choose to tweak it in different ways shifts. And I know I have felt that and I don't know that there's

that there's more information coming for me. But like I'm tweaking how I lead Flow School online in particular in kind of a big way that feels really exciting. it's also like how does it meet us? How does it stay sustainable for us to take care in our lives and with those people around us that need us to show up with them and ourselves and that

Yeah, changes. And sometimes it's, you're like still doing the same thing, but all of a sudden you're looking at it with a different lens. So it's, has a different kind of texture and importance and flow to it. We're like, oh, oh, this is where I'm going. And we know ultimately that that changes for all of us. Like it will continue to shift, but to build business for us, for us personally, that also is a team that also is community that has a lot of layers in it.

but that we get more and more clear and to loop back to what you said Steph a little bit ago about when we get clear on what we're doing and why we're doing it and we become bold and audacious, I think in that it's, it parts people. like, people are like, you're for me or you're not for me. And you have the mission. like, that's where I feel. I feel so steady in myself right now, personally.

And I think it is also an observation of these sorts of things you're talking about, Rachel, for yourself too, for a personal life that being like, we have to stay steady in ourselves. What are we doing? Where are the tweaks and why? And that our personal lives can't not affect our business lives because we're the same person. I worry we are the person. Yeah.

Stephanie Alston (55:59.713)
I'm

Rachel, really feel for you, like in my heart. The whole conversation is like bringing up lot of emotion for me in this beautiful way that

I think I spoke about it in December, but part of my reason for bringing on a co-owner was so that I could be in more of a place of in the next few years stepping away so that when my parents die, I can take time off. My mom's lived with me for about nine years and has had a lot of different health challenges. So like, and I'm the person that takes her to all the things and like, that takes time. And there's on the one hand, like I don't go around pronouncing it to people who are complaining like,

look at all this caretaking I need to do, but when I meet other people who are also in that phase of life, you're like, yeah, you just get it. It's like, yeah, there's, you kind of shift to being the parent in a sense. Like the roles feel like they switch in a little way. And I've had conversations like this just recently with friends that are starting to feel that too. Like, I'm starting to notice where like I'm the one reminding them about things or like.

You think, mom, maybe you should go to the doctor and get this taken care of or give them rides to places. And it's a whole chunk of life, energy and time that's like just the awareness on another person. And then how is this going to change what I commit to as far as maybe even things I lead? Am I going on retreat and being away for a few days when my parent might need something? And how many classes am I teaching a week? Am I able to take time to drive them to appointments and...

Stephanie Alston (57:55.623)
to work. Yeah, so that just all feels very present and true and real of like.

there's no one answer of like how to do it. It's just constantly in that flux of, and you don't know the timeline. Like it might be just a little bit now and then in a month it radically changes. And I've gone through that too, where like things are going along and then all of a sudden we're in the hospital for three days and then like the next couple months looks like a round of home nurses and physical therapists and yeah, and then it shifts again. So that is a day too.

Rachel Brooks (58:30.332)
Yeah. Well, and it's also like, you know, it's also, you know, kind of staring your own mortality in, you know, it's like, yeah. Like, that's, I don't know, that's something that, you know, that's a whole nother, you know, topic or whatever, but just like, we're not, we don't talk about death enough. We don't prepare for death enough. don't like, I don't, I was never, we just don't talk about it.

There's no there's no like work around it that I feel like anything that I've done around death or even just like to try to become more comfortable with the idea or even just prepare for is all been just me doing it because I'm like, I got to fucking you know, at some point I've never I've never actually like, I mean, I've had grandparents who have passed but I haven't had a death that was like super sudden or just like out of nowhere like hit like a train wreck kind of you know, like that.

where you're just not expecting it or there's no preparation for it. I haven't had a deal with that. So yeah, I just think as in general, like even just thinking about like, you need to start having these conversations about what do you want to happen when you die? And this is partly because I haven't, I don't have children or I'm not married. And so maybe some of these conversations just haven't had happen. Maybe if you do have children or you or you're married, you already have had these conversations or this plan around it, but.

I haven't had those, know? And so it's like thinking about what do I want when I die? And do I want, you know, how am I gonna prepare so that my loved ones aren't having to rummage through all my stuff to figure out what to do or how to do things? And then how do I need to prepare for what's happening with my parents, you know, and all that, so, yeah.

Stephanie Alston (01:00:10.135)
Yeah, I think so much of this. And Bonnie, as you were sharing a minute ago, too, just made me think of this theme of care and intentionality. Like, care, yes, for other people, too, as a caregiver, but...

How are we carefully choosing and placing our time? And you spoke about the intentions behind, at least this is what I heard, around running the studio. What were your motivations first and what are they now? And I can't remember if I shared in December my plans to go to Costa Rica and go out of town, but I came back a couple weeks ago from that trip, being out of the country, and I realized coming back, and this was a beautiful realization,

but that they didn't need me. Like when I came back, my studio manager, like, thank goodness, what a beautiful stage to be in. She's like, we don't need you here to run this. And I was like, cool. And I'm still needed. Like there's still stuff I needed to do. But that moment of like, well, why am I running this then? Which was great. It's a great like thing to be in getting more clear on my being in Costa Rica. Like out of the theme of this retreat was

Rachel Brooks (01:01:00.71)
you

Bonnie Weeks (she/her) (01:01:15.5)
Hmm.

Stephanie Alston (01:01:18.425)
How are we carefully placing ourselves around others in the way that we move through our yoga practice? It was an embodied somatic experiencing retreat. So there was contact improv with others and a lot of it was about 80 % here with you. And then where are you stepping or placing or touching and when do you engage with something and then break away from it? And I think that dance not only in business ownership but like personal life weaving in and out of that too.

When is it time for me to lean into the studio more? And when is it time for me to lean into family more? Or now I'm realizing like my reasons for taking over the studio when I did, which were beautiful reasons to keep the community going, are not the reason I'm running it now. Like, you know, about three years later, I'm like, hmm, there might be a different way I want to turn this bus or like shift into what I need from it and the time I'm going to give it.

so that I can carefully place myself into positions where I'm more available for family or more available for my heart centered work, which I think I've shared either with both of you or you Bonnie on the podcast before. Like my personal career drive and motivation for teaching yoga and becoming a yoga therapist and wanting to work into death doula work, like that's still very much me. And the yoga studio owner hat I wear is an important foundation of that.

But I'm not destined to be a studio owner the rest of my existence. I hope the studio exists and that it's like I can still run it from afar. But I don't want to be here every single day doing the tedious admin day in and day out. My heart work and the work I hope to be able to do involves a lot more travel, a lot more outside the studio, maybe even in people's homes.

And so like looking at that as it's continuously shifting that whole piece again of like what feels alive right now, what feels like it's calling me right now. And yeah, a lot of it shifts to what do my parents need right now? What are they gonna need in the next five to 10 years? And can I set myself up so that I'm not as attached to running the studio and having that control of it?

Bonnie Weeks (she/her) (01:03:09.848)
Hmm.

Bonnie Weeks (she/her) (01:03:26.946)
Yeah.

I think the aging and watching other people age and death is really the gift for us as maybe not the people in that place. Of course, who knows? Tomorrow we die, right? Who knows? But I think the gift is that observation of mortality. It is, I think, having my mom suddenly pass six months ago and tomorrow I am driving

to Montana and like solo road tripping and it's like a good 10 and a half, 11 hours. I'm delighted about it. I'm like, I've always drive with my kids and I'm going alone and I'm gonna drive there and we're going through her things with my siblings. And so it's like a whole, it's a whole thing and it's gonna be beautiful on a gift. And also.

You know, them. like, let's talk about money and schedule and then let's talk about death. Right? Like this is like, this is truly how do we lead from the front? It is all of the things like you lead from the front as like your whole ass self and that it is the mortality that we get to look at in ourselves because we get to see it in other people. And with my mom gone, I'm just like, okay, what, what the hell do I want to do? What do I want to create? What?

do I want to, what lights me up? How is it impacting other people? If nothing really matters because like tomorrow we die, then also what really does matter because tomorrow we die and to create really the thing that is going to be the impact that you're proud of. That's like, yeah, this is exactly how I want to live. This is exactly what I want to be doing.

Bonnie Weeks (she/her) (01:05:15.126)
And that can be tricky to figure out, but I know for me right now, I'm like, I know, I fucking know what I want to be doing. Like I know I'm exactly where I'm supposed to be. And in the path forward that I'm supposed to be as uncomfortable as it has been in this past six months in many ways to also get here. And as uncomfortable as I know it will be to continue to be human in it. I think that is the gift. And I think as leaders of our communities in all different ways that that exists, is these.

Stephanie Alston (01:05:23.563)
.

Bonnie Weeks (she/her) (01:05:43.96)
conversations and these personal lives and the way they mix together that so impacts the way we lead. And I just think a lot of gratitude for both of you and this conversation of like conscious leadership and stuff where like, feel like you, mesh together with Rachel, but I think I want to end us here just on this conversation of leadership, because it's kind of been, it's been something I was talking with somebody about yesterday. And in I think this conversation together,

where I'm reflecting on the way that the word leadership.

And the experience of leadership is a tricky thing right now. And especially for those in the United States where there is a lot of polarity amongst some people. And if you look at the leadership of like at large in politics, I think especially, right? And then it can filter down to individual communities where perhaps there is distrust in leadership. And if people are looking...

at their yoga studios and at their places of wellness that are like, what is wellness and what am I really getting here? And what is the integrity of these leaders that I am putting myself in front of? Is this actually a place where I can tap into myself and that there is actually freedom to move or am I going to be stripped of that freedom to move? And where this intentional, sincere sort of leadership feels so important right now.

And Rachel, you talked about, you know, showing up even on social media and being like, well, it feels uncomfortable to like be more me there, also either like, also this is the thing. And I think this, how do we show up? of course, like that means more than just showing up on social media and being like, this is what I'm eating for breakfast. It's not necessarily that. It might be that, that might actually be it too.

Bonnie Weeks (she/her) (01:07:44.088)
But that what does it mean to be a sincere leader right now when there's such question amongst so many people of who actually gives a fuck about me? Do they care because I'm getting stripped of this, I'm getting stripped of that, I'm getting stripped of that or like this seems okay, but that doesn't seem okay. And like when there's so much conflict that it feels like it's right in our faces, how do we hold ourselves grounded to be the types of leaders then?

that people are like, okay, this is where maybe, maybe I can find a little bit of trust. Maybe there's enough integrity that this person and this place and this studio and this business is operating in that I can drop into what embodiment even means, even though my whole body is like clenched against this right now. And so I think that feels like so important of a conversation right now. And I feel grateful to be with you both here.

as people who I feel like are very consciously leading from that sort of integral place for both your own personal selves, which then can't not ripple into like the way you're leading your teams, so.

Bonnie Weeks (she/her) (01:09:02.572)
Hmm. That was fiery.

Stephanie Alston (01:09:05.325)
Yeah, think, talk about like facing mortality and what a privilege it is to witness someone else's aging and also their life and then how it gets us clear on ours. Like Rachel, you talked about like facing that reality of like, like I remember when my last grandparents asked and it was like, there is no one last generation above me. Like I'm, I'm the mom now. I'm like,

The next leader even of this movement of family life through the world has helped me get super clear on how I want to live and show up as a person and also as a business owner. What will I regret if I don't do? And how do I want to live into this message of being fully human with the other people around me that I...

work with and also the community that's trusting us to come in and practice here. Am I showing up in my full ass humanity of like that leading from the front and demonstrating all of it, the vulnerability of like where I have fears or what's really coming up for me right now, where places I feel stuck, places I feel resistant, times I don't want to come to the mat. Like that's all still very relevant and present. So yeah, it's helped me get super clear on

Am I showing up for the full scope of my life? And then how do I move that through this space?

Bonnie Weeks (she/her) (01:10:39.831)
So.

Mmm.

Bonnie Weeks (she/her) (01:10:47.916)
Thank you both.

Rachel Brooks (01:10:51.368)
Thank you.

Bonnie Weeks (she/her) (01:10:55.512)
It is a gift to be here and I truly, I mean, we're here between stretch between Portland for Rachel, you and I and Sacramento and California and for a staff and I just am continually grateful for the ways that we get to create rich conversation and connection and give people the opportunity. think, or I hope, yes, my hope is give people others.

maybe a space to think about things in expansive ways and hopefully other studio owners and or aspiring studio owners and humans. And then for anybody who's stepping into leadership to have a conversation like this that is real and honest to be of benefit. Yeah.

Okay, let's wrap this. Rachel, Steph, you're wonderful. You're making cool things in the world. There's more of us that will be coming. We will record again. So anybody who is listening, thank you for your time. Thank you for your attention. Thank you for your leadership in the world. Whatever that looks like and wherever in the world that you are, it actually really makes a big difference. Truly.

Rachel, staff, do either of you want to end on any note?

Rachel Brooks (01:12:27.536)
No, I'm just, grateful to be here always. love these conversations and yeah, excited to see what the next round brings.

Stephanie Alston (01:12:32.424)
Thank you for being in yoga business conversation with me. It's just so refreshing to have other people to feel in it with and bounce ideas off of and say like, we all create this beautiful web or network, hopefully around the US and then around the world. That's great.

Bonnie Weeks (she/her) (01:12:54.828)
Yeah, absolutely. Okay, if this lit you up and you haven't had an opportunity to listen to other conversations with Steph, Rachel and I, then scroll back in the podcast, go find those other conversations and for sure reach out to us. If you have questions about studio ownership, of course I do not have a brick and mortar. So I am not as helpful with some questions very specific to that, but otherwise reach out to Rachel, Steph or I and.

We can keep the conversation going and you can be not alone in the process of all the things. Until next time, y'all.