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Movement helped Juri Ko navigate grief, personal transitions, and the process of reconnecting with herself. After discovering a deeper side of yoga in Hawaiʻi, she completed her teacher training and began building communities around movement
Yoga Business CoachJoyce grew up in Queens, New York, the daughter of immigrant parents from the Philippines. After graduating from NYU, she worked in publishing and later in film development at Sony in Los Angeles. Eventually, she returned to New York to be closer to family, got married, and moved to the Hudson Valley in search of a different pace of life. It was here that she deepened her yoga practice and met Amy in a Poughkeepsie studio, which, in a full circle moment, became the location of their newest studio years later. For Amy, yoga has always been inseparable from her life. She lives in Kingston, NY with her wife and daughter and is deeply rooted in the Hudson Valley community. She describes her personal and professional life as fully integrated, with yoga serving as the foundation. Her home, friendships, and professional work all revolve around building inclusive, supportive spaces. When Joyce and Amy met, their friendship quickly extended beyond the mat, setting the stage for a powerful partnership...
Yoga TechEddie Arpin is currently the CEO of OfferingTree, husband, and father of two children, and lives in Saint Paul, MN. Growing up, Eddie was exposed to meditation and mindfulness from his father’s transcendental meditation practice. Meditation would later reemerge in Eddie’s life and impact him both personally and professionally. Eddie has an undergraduate and graduate degree in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Minnesota. Before starting OfferingTree, he was researching transportation systems at the university with the goal of increasing safety and mobility, with a focus on teenage drivers. When he wasn't studying physics and math, he was staying physically and mindfully active...
Yoga TechOutside of yoga, I’m a mother to a 15-month-old boy and a student of herbalism. My background has always been rooted in a deep fascination with the natural world. I hold a BSc in Ecology and Biodiversity and Marine Biology, along with a Certificate in Captive Wild Animal Management. For years I worked as an aquaculture research technician, growing baby fish, and later as a wildlife keeper. I have always been drawn to animals and the rhythms of nature. Beyond that, I’ve explored many creative avenues in the digital space, from being a writer and Pinterest Manager to working as a brand and website designer. Today, I also host a podcast. Each of these roles has served a purpose, even when the bigger picture wasn’t clear at the time. Somehow, they always loop back together...
Yoga TechI didn’t grow up in an ashram or with a yoga mat at my bedside. My path into yoga was far more accidental than planned. Before teaching, I lived in a world that prized outward achievement: modelling, pageants and a career built on appearance. From the outside, it looked like I had “made it.” Inside, I was searching for something deeper than the next accolade. I first stepped into a yoga class in my early 20s while living in London. At the time, it was practical — I wanted something to replace the expensive dance classes I had grown up with. Coming from dance, I could move well and was eager to master the postures. But yoga wasn’t about perfecting shapes. That first class gave me something I hadn’t felt in years: presence. I walked out alive and connected, and that glimpse of inner silence drew me back again and again. Yoga became my anchor through heartbreak, grief and the unraveling of who I thought I was. As I navigated betrayal and divorce, the practice reminded me I didn’t need to be fixed. I just needed to remember who I already was. Over time, my practice expanded beyond the body into meditation, mantra, kriya, breathwork and the science of the nervous system. What began as movement became a way of living...
Studio OwnerI’m Carol Schoonhoven, 34 years old, born in Colombia. For as long as I can remember, I carried the weight of borderline personality disorder, depression, and anxiety. As a teenager, I tried to ignore it all, but over time the heaviness grew. I turned to alcohol and self-harm as a way to cope. Later, I entered a toxic marriage filled with emotional abuse. When that marriage ended in 2022, I hit rock bottom. The depression felt impossible to escape. At that point, I realized I had a choice to make—not just for myself, but for the family and friends who had stood by me. I finally listened. I went to therapy. My therapist encouraged me to try yoga again. I had practiced before but never truly committed. This time, everything was different. I embraced it fully. With every practice, I felt a shift inside me...
Yoga Business CoachWho am I outside of yoga? Honestly, the same person you see on the mat. Yoga has never been just about the asana for me. It’s always been a way of life. I carry the 8 limbs everywhere I go, not as rules, but as a path to live with presence, kindness, and joy. Off the mat, I’m still loving, still kind, and still laughing (probably way too loudly). Whether we’re in a deep yin stretch, sharing coffee, or just crossing paths, you’re getting the real me, always. I was 18 when I took my very first yoga class. By then, I’d already been working at a gym since I was 14, teaching group exercise classes and loving the energy, music, and movement. But yoga was different. From the first breath and the first stretch, it lit something deep inside me. It wasn’t just about working my body, it was about connecting mind, breath, and heart in a way i had never known before. That spark still burns bright today. The biggest challenge in those early years was being young and stepping into teaching at a time when most people my age didn’t yet understand yoga. But I was fortunate to find a mentor — a chiropractor and yoga teacher — who took me under his wing. He saw something in me, guided me, and opened doors I didn’t even know existed...
Yoga Business CoachI grew up in the UK but left home at 17 with a thirst for travel, spending two years in Paris before returning to London’s music industry. I worked in artist management, organising tours, and supporting radio and TV promotions for an independent record label. Music was always a guiding force, yet beneath the surface I longed for something deeper. I wanted to understand happiness, peace and the inner layers of life. At 21, while working in London, I attended my first Iyengar yoga class. As a lifelong gymnast, I expected movement, yet the class felt still and even dull. But when I left, something had shifted. I felt lighter, clearer, more alive—and that mystery kept me coming back. Yoga became my portal to alternative therapies, yogic philosophy and new ways of seeing healing and life...
Yoga Business CoachMy name is Sarah, I'm 35, half French/half Iranian and I've lived in Milan for 11+ years. For years, I chased a successful career in finance. On paper, everything looked great, goals met, promotions and strong performance. But deep down, a voice kept whispering: this isn't your path. When I found myself on the edge of burnout and received a few signals from my body that something wasn't ok, I knew it was time to pause and truly listen. Yoga became a lifeline in that period and deeply transformed my point of view on life. What started as a stress management practice, led me to experiencing inner spaciousness independently of external factors. A few years after starting to practice yoga, I also reached out to a life coach because I knew it was time to dare looking within. The journey with the coach helped me gain clarity and surpass the fear of making a radical shift in my life. gain clarity and surpass the fear of making a radical shift in my life. I realized that I needed a break from what I already knew, to be in the position to discover what I truly desired. So I quit my safe and well-paid job in finance and went to Bali to complete a 200h yoga teacher training...
Yoga Business CoachYoga was always quietly present in my life. As a child, my mum used to sing the Gayatri mantra with us on the way to school, planting seeds I didn’t fully understand at the time. It wasn’t until I left the dance industry that yoga truly opened its door. I was desperate for a new way to move, express, and connect. I found myself in a studio filled with ex-professional dancers who were clearly on the same search. My journey began in the body, with movement. But the deeper I studied, the further inward I traveled. Meeting my teacher, Anand Mehrotra, was a pivotal moment. His integrated practice fulfilled something I’d been yearning for. I honestly feel like there’s no “outside of yoga” for me. It’s not separate from life, it is life. The path continues to evolve. I’ve been fortunate to study with many teachers and masters in Ayurveda, Self-Knowledge, and Earth-based traditions, all of which are now weaving into my own teachings. What a path this is to be devoted to. Every day, I thank yoga for the graceful way it brought me home...
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