Today we’d like to introduce you to Pat Perrier.
So, before we jump into specific questions about the business, why don’t you give us some details about you and your story.
Just Breathe Yoga studio was started by my teacher, Galey Kielian. I started taking classes with Galey when she was teaching at another studio, and when she started her own studio, I followed, as well as many of her other students. Like many people, I came to yoga for the “stretching” and to keep my body moving due to arthritis. I stayed — for the whole thing: 200-hour teacher training, several workshops and an additional certification in Yoga for Healthy Aging. After a while, I began teaching for Just Breathe and Galey asked me to help manage the studio – when she was away, I took over the day-to-day aspects of the studio. I learned a great deal about the ups and downs of not only owning your own business but owning what would be called a “boutique” yoga studio.
About 3 years ago, she decided she wanted to step back, and asked me if I would take over the studio. Now, this was not necessarily on my radar, but sometimes, the Universe puts things in your path. I bought the studio and am continuing the work Galey started, with my own twist on things.
We’re still a “boutique” studio. We do yoga – slow flow, Yin, restorative, senior, chair, and vinyasa flow. Classes are hosted for kids, senior citizens, basic and intermediate students. We hold classes that are restorative, and classes that are for folks who may have movement issues, whether that’s a larger body, a chronic condition, or rehabbing from injury. We make sure you’re well-cared for at our studio.
All of our teachers are at least 200-hour certified, with several having 500-hour certification, as well as therapeutic experience and I’m currently in the process of achieving my Yoga for Healthy Aging certification.
We hold classes 7 days a week, mornings and evenings. We host special workshops throughout the year with well-known teachers, and we’re pleased to bring a range of learning opportunities to our students. Most of all, we consider our students part of our family. We’re a yoga community – we’re there for each other, and we support our students on their yoga journeys – whether they “come for the stretch” or go on to become teachers. We appreciate who they are and why they roll out their mats at Just Breathe Yoga Studio.
Has it been a smooth road?
Owning your own business is never a smooth road unless you have a money tree growing in your backyard! The yoga business is up and down, just like any other business. We’ve had teachers leave when their lives change, we’ve had classes take off spectacularly. And we’ve had classes just not go anywhere. It’s all part of the business cycle.
One struggle is always trying to fill the classes. Students come to the studio for any number of reasons, and as a teacher and owner, I care deeply about your experience. That being said, I can’t get too attached to the outcome if someone decides that the studio or a class or a teacher just “isn’t for them.” That happens. People do get attached to teachers, and when a teacher leaves, you’ll see a dip in a class. Sometimes, the teacher who takes over may take a while to “get” our vibe. The seasons play a role in this cycle as well. People have vacations, take older kids to school, have changes in their jobs…and sometimes, your “regulars” are absent for a while. All of these things can cause fluctuations.
It’s the same thing with workshops – some topics are received well. Others? Well, maybe I’m excited about it, but the students don’t think too much of it! You have to cultivate a sense of adventure and a sense of detachment. Running a business and being a yogi seems to be counterintuitive jobs, but they really do mesh well.
When I first took over, I was very careful to make changes incrementally. There was an understandable reservation with many of the students that I ‘wasn’t Galey’ and that things might change completely. Well, over the past 3 years, they have changed, but we’ve also kept what works. The folks who are regular attendees had to feel me out and I had to get to know them. It was an adjustment at first, and I made mistakes (forgetting to put a class on the schedule, having the wrong time or something). But I learned, and everyone was patient with me.
So let’s switch gears a bit and go into the Just Breathe Yoga Studio story. Tell us more about the business.
We are a small studio with teachers who all share the same basic philosophy: We love what we do and we want you to enjoy the class and be safe. All of us are trained in proper alignment and modifications. We can help you with most concerns you may have. We get to know our students, and there is a great deal of trust between students and teachers at Just Breathe Yoga Studio.
Our class prices are competitive with studios within a 20-mile radius. Our “class card” packages are economical and the students love them. Our workshops are usually held monthly, and because of our connections, we’re able to get great teachers to Crest Hill to bring unique learning experiences to our students.
We have a high ethical standard for all of our teachers. All of our teachers are at least 200-hour certified with several having 500 hours or more of training. Several teachers hold specific certifications in areas such as kids’ yoga, meditation, yoga for cancer, chair yoga, Yoga for Healthy Aging, and more. We also offer private lessons for those who wish to have one-on-one training with a teacher. This can help a student work on a particular issue, deepen their practice, or concentrate on building basic skills in order to feel more comfortable in an open class.
How do you think the industry will change over the next decade?
Yoga has gone mainstream. The trend seems to be headed toward specialty classes, and our teachers are preparing for that. We see more students saying, “My doctor said I need to take yoga because of my blood pressure (or other issues)” and more students asking for meditation classes. Students are also coming to us with injuries and artificial joints. While we are not medical professionals, the therapeutic aspect of yoga is now coming to the fore.
Parents are seeing the value of yoga for kids. Yoga for kids gives kids tools to deal with all the “stuff” that surrounds them: peer pressure, body image issues, technology overload, study habits, sleep habits… Kids yoga can help the over-scheduled child “tune out” and relax. Just as for adults, a yoga practice can help kids find their center and do better in school and life. These skills learned young, will last their entire life.
Pricing:
- Drop in classes $15 ($12 for seniors 60+)
- Class cards $60 (5-class) and $120 (10-class) (These expire 45 days after purchase)
- Senior Series, Chair Yoga, Forever Young (rotating series $7/class)
Contact Info:
- Address: 20660 Caton Farm Rd, Unit C
Crest Hill, IL 60403 - Website: www.just-breatheyoga.com
- Phone: 815-546-2770
- Email: info@just-breatheyoga.com
- Instagram: just-breathe-yoga-studio
- Facebook: Just Breathe Yoga Studio
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