Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Kelly Cowden. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.
Kelly, appreciate you joining us today. What do you think it takes to be successful?
Being successful isn’t necessarily about the bottom line. To me, I would consider myself and my business successful if we are changing people’s lives. If even 1 person comes out of a class feeling better than when they came in, we have done our job. Whether they take a yoga class and feel better physcially, emotionally, mentally, or even beyond – that is success for a yoga studio.
Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers
My name is Kelly Cowden and I am the owner and instructor at Santosha Yoga in Hendersonville, TN, about 20 minutes Northeast of downtown Nashville. Santosha Yoga is a fully operational yoga studio open 7 days a week, offering a variety of hot and unheated yoga classes to students of all levels. We have been open for almost 5 years and we pride ourselves in the quality of instruction we provide the community, along with an immaculately clean and safe space to practice yoga in.
What is Yoga?
The word Yoga means union;
unity of the body, the mind and the soul.
What is Santosha?
Santosha is a Sanskrit word meaning complete contentment. One of the 5 Niyamas of the Eight Limbed Path of Yoga, Santosha is a place of deep seated stillness and peace within, but also a place of joy. Santosha reminds us to always strive to be positive and to find the good in every situation.
What is Santosha Yoga?
At Santosha Yoga, our aim is to strengthen and challenge your whole being – body, mind, and soul. Through the energizing and empowering practice of yoga, you will build physical strength while discovering a calm and peaceful state of mind. Offering Hot 26 style and Power Flow classes in a heated studio, you will find deeper physical flexibility and release toxins through sweat. A lot of sweat. You will leave feeling energized and more connected. Santosha Yoga is open to all levels, as all postures can be modified. Yoga is for everybody!
Let’s talk about resilience next – do you have a story you can share with us?
We were just reaching our stride, having almost been open for 2 years, when Covid hit and we were forced to shut down. Our classes happen in person, face to face, usually in a packed room full of people; there was no way to “continue on but in a new way” during that unprecedented time. We emailed all of our members and gave them the choice to pause their memberships, or to continue it as basically a donation to our business – we still had to pay bills and keep the lights on,
We started a YouTube channel and recorded 20+ classes, which we posted for free. We put an option in our booking system for donations if anyone felt inclined to pay for the online pre-recorded classes.
Luckily, after being closed for 40 days, we made it through to the other side. We lost many clients for many reasons, but gained a whole new group of students, and we are very grateful to the community for the support during those unprecedented times.
Can you talk to us about how your side-hustle turned into something more.
Teaching yoga fell into my lap. I wasn’t actively pursuing it, and never really thought I would even teach. Once I started, I just worked hard. I used spare time to tidy up the studio, fold towels, restock waters and bathroom supplies. This led me to be hired to manage the studio. Then we moved to a space 5X larger, and the community grew with us. I was working under an amazing boss and owner, helping manage 20+ teachers and 20+ cleaners, while also teaching multiple classes per week, even multiple classes per day. I needed a yoga studio in my area like the one I managed in Nashville, and that is how our studio, Santosha Yoga, was born. Without all the years of teaching experience and managing that studio, I wouldn’t have known how to even go about it.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.santoshayoganashville.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/santoshayoganashville/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/santoshayoganashville/
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@santoshayoga4108
Image Credits
Russell Waddell Kristen Bural