This month Kirsten Holmson, of Community Soul Yoga (in Wausau WI), shares her journey in creating community in a place where the word “Yoga” raised many questions of uncertainty back in the day.
LL: Thank you for taking time to share with us your journey in creating Yoga space and awareness in a place newer to it. Would you describe your journey of opening Community Soul Yoga?
KH: I saw a need for greater access to yoga in our area and more visibility. When I came to town, in 2010, there were many teachers teaching yoga—but they were hard to find. No one was really “advertising”, there were no established studios, and the yoga that I found (at the YMCA) felt very much like a gym environment.
There wasn’t a yoga community like what I had found while living in the Chicago suburbs. One of my main objectives in teaching was to bring yoga to more people and to help people understand that there are many different styles of yoga. I began teaching at the YMCA; it wasn’t a good fit. So, when I left I had to figure out how I was going to expose more people to yoga, gain teaching experience, and start building relationships within this community. It is hard to be the outsider and “break in” to a smaller community where so many folks have grown up here (and have stayed here). I began teaching at the Unitarian Universalist Church twice a week. I offered my classes free of charge in return for use of the space. In less than 6 months I was filling classes. At that time it seemed appropriate to continue offering yoga to this community, but to find a way to get paid as well so that I could further my studies and provide an additional income stream for our family.
It felt a bit risky stepping out into the world of studio ownership. I wasn’t sure how I would be received. I opened the studio as a bare bones neighborhood studio where I was the only teacher in May of 2011. I vowed that I wouldn’t take out any loans and that the studio would grow as the community grew. I also let it be known that my family always came first. My children were at the studio often during those early days as they were too young to stay home alone. I was the only teacher for almost the first two years. I taught a lot, had plenty of classes with low to no attendance, and continued to work on building relationships—that was key.
LL: Such courage! You are truly a pioneer sharing this ancient practice (in its full scope) in this town in the middle of Wisconsin. As someone who grew up in Wausau I totally understand the risk you took. I, personally, was deeply grateful when I saw Community Soul’s existence on one of my yearly visit to see my mother. How have you kept the doors open and thrived as a studio?
KH: I think I’ve been able to keep the doors open because I listen to the needs of our community, our students, and our teachers. We are a studio committed to community and service, and people often comment that the studio is their “sanctuary” and a place of belonging. I’ve made some changes to the schedule based on feedback, I’ve given teachers room and time to grow their classes and find their unique voice (they are all independent contractors).
I’ve kept overhead very low, the studio is very basic and doesn’t have the “bells and whistles” of some, and I don’t offer retail—we simply teach yoga. I supplement revenue streams with workshops and events, and perhaps most importantly, I run the studio as a business. That’s where I see some of the smaller/local studios running into trouble. The approach is more of owning the studio as a “hobby” or an idea that “it can’t be all that hard to run a yoga studio”. When I teach, I give 100% to my students. I am there to serve them. When I am working on the business, I am working (budget, marketing, networking, etc.).
LL: Makes sense, I can feel how your heart (and a bit of soul I’m sure) is dedicated to the time with the students. So there other bit of soul and brain power are for business stuff. Could you share some business practices that have been key to your survival?
KH: I spend a fair amount of time building relationships with teachers, students, and other business owners in town. I regularly assess what’s working at the studio and constantly ask students and teachers for feedback. I stay up-to-date on what’s happening in our area and nationwide in regards to yoga, and look outside of our industry for information to. I studied the areas of business that I’m not as familiar with and ask a lot of questions.
LL: On a more philosophical note – how you have developed the soul of the community at the studio? How has it evolved?
KH: I think the soul of the community has grown out of genuine love and care for one another. There is an understanding that we’re all in this together, and that it takes all of us to keep the studio thriving. There is a culture of service that underlies much of what we do and I think that folks are grateful to be a part of something “bigger”. We have created a space of belonging and attract students from all walks of life. There isn’t an emphasis on current yoga “trends.” This community is a space where folks can simply be themselves. No one is more important that then next. We don’t emphasize separateness, which I see happening more and more in the yoga world (“our tribe”, “our people”, etc.) or emphasis on things like yoga challenges or the latest yoga styles.
LL: It feels like you really have stuck to the roots of Yoga. I imagine this approach translates to the folks in your community in the simplest and most forthright way. Just lovely. Makes me smile to think of Yoga’s intent in its purest form in a town I grew up and struggled so much. It is a comfort to know you have created a haven there for others. Thank you for being one of the first to light the path there.
You can find Kirsten on Instagram -or- Kirsten’s website
Her studio is at : communitysoulyoga.com