Today we’d like to introduce you to Tracy Von Kaenel.
Tracy, can you briefly walk us through your story – how you started and how you got to where you are today.
I discovered Yoga as a means to balance the competitiveness of a dance career. Yoga helped me find inner solace, at a time, I when I was spending so much energy on outward performance. A local fitness center that I was working at had recently lost their Yoga instructor and knowing I practiced it, asked me to fill in until they found someone else. This was the beginning of the transition for me from dance to Yoga. While I still taught and performed with dance companies for years and years after that, I found Yoga becoming a bigger and bigger part of my life. I was excited to share it with as many people as I could because its healing properties were having a profound effect on my life. I got my advanced level certification from Kriya Temple of Chicago and immediately founded Yoga with Tracy Von Kaenel. I continued to teach at Galter Life Center as well as other health care institutions, and also rented various spaces throughout the city to teach my unique style of Yoga, which is very infused by my dance training. When the owner of the last place I was renting suddenly passed away, I knew it was time to open my own space. That is when Yoga Experience was born (2014). Since then I’ve seen the practice blossom for those who have followed me for years (some over 20 years!), and I’ve been thrilled to welcome new folks to the practice. It has been an incredible journey.
We’re always bombarded by how great it is to pursue your passion, etc. – but we’ve spoken with enough people to know that it’s not always easy. Overall, would you say things have been easy for you?
I would not say it’s been a smooth road. There was a very big learning curve for me upon opening this business. New website, new scheduling software, new merchant processing companies to deal with, new, new, new, everything! It was hard at first to wear so many hats, and still be the enthusiastic instructor that people new me to be. It took about a year and a half for me to find the groove. Three and 1/2 years in, I can finally say, I’ve relaxed, just a little, into the flow of running the business and wearing all the hats. It wasn’t, and sometimes still isn’t easy, but it is the most important work I’ve ever done. And now, I’m finally back to focusing on the part that I really love… the teaching.
My advice for anyone just starting out would be to follow your intuition and your heart. Your brain, your friends, your family, may all try to caution you from doing so… but if your heart tells you to follow through… listen! As Steve Jobs said, ” Have the courage to follow your heart and intuition. They already know what you want to become”.
We’d love to hear more about Yoga Experience.
I think what I’m most known for is having classes that are very unique. There’s a lot of Yoga types, styles, studios, classes to choose from out there. I strive to make my classes different every time someone honors me by coming to class. Each class I teach, I approach with the intention of creating something unique, something inspirational, and most importantly something fun. I am proud that many of my students have been with me for so long. It is humbling and a responsibility that I take very seriously. And because of this longevity of repeat students, Yoga Experience has become a beautiful community of folks that not only practice together but support each other in their every day lives. It is remarkable the connections that have been made and kept through this practice of Yoga.
I also offer Aerial Yoga and Yogassage. Aerial Yoga is a complementary practice that adds a level of challenge and unusual ways to experience inversions without being earthbound. And Yogassage is a therapeutic treatment to help release tensions and tightness in the body, soothe the mind, and help balance the energy centers.
Do you feel like there was something about the experiences you had growing up that played an outsized role in setting you up for success later in life?
I think being allowed and encouraged to play outside in nature probably had the greatest effect on me. It made me feel connected to the earth and all its inhabitants. I have a deep respect and love for nature, and through the practice of Yoga recognize that all sentient beings are connected. Every living being deserves to be treated with love and respect. This enters into my philosophy of life and into my work daily.
Pricing:
- Single drop in class/$19
- 10-Pack classes/$160 (3-month duration)
- Yogassage/Private Yoga $85
Contact Info:
- Address: Yoga Experience
4619 N. Ravenswood, Suite 100
Chicago, IL. 60640 - Website: www.yogaexperience.net
- Phone: 773-720-YOGA
- Email: tracy@yogaexperience.net
- Facebook: @yogaexperiencewithtracy
Image Credit:
Sas Stark, Tracy Von Kaenel, Scott Klopp
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