We recently connected with Alana Abdal and have shared our conversation below.

Hi Alana, thanks for joining us today. How did you come up with the idea for your business?

I think the best way to talk about my reasons why I decided to open up a yoga studio is by exploring what yoga is and can be for each of us. As many of you already know yoga can start by being just a physical practice nearly meant to be a compliment to other forms of movement. What I’ve come to realize, and maybe for those of you like me who struggled to understand their purpose in this world, yoga is about ultimately developing your intention; to move, to think, to feel, and to want. The natural human tendency is to reduce the world into terms of what isn’t. A well develop sense of intention directs our energies instead to what is and what can be. Exchange uncertainty for opportunities. See if you can allow your ego to be released and develop a sense of intention. Be open to feel a firmer sense of place in the community.

Alana, before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?

I began my yoga journey in 2005. I immediately felt an awakening and haven’t looked back since. Yoga has helped me to understand myself, others, and the human need for love, movement, and deep reflection. Along with helping to nourish my thirst for movement and personal inquiry, it awakened a passion for listening: to the sounds of nature, to my loved ones, to strangers, and especially to myself. The practice of yoga has a profound ability to focus the mind, straighten the body, and nourish the soul. Teaching yoga is challenging and fulfilling, much like a regular yoga practice. You get back what you put into it. I put my heart and soul into the classes I teach through practicing cueing and sequencing, crafting fun playlists, getting to know my students beyond their first name, giving my students a chance to know me through my personal shares after class, having conversations with students at the front desk and always being mentally present for my students in every class.

My students inspire and motivate me in ways they may never know and understand. So when they are kind enough to share with me how I’ve motivated them, well it kind of rocks my world in the biggest way.

Have you ever had to pivot?

For years I’ve dreamed of having my own studio. A place to move in ways that would feel authentic to me. A space where I could bring my dreams to life. A studio to call my own. In March 2018 an opportunity was presented that would allow that dream to become reality and I jumped right into owning my first business. For 3-months I worked tirelessly to create a beautiful space for the community of Farmington to come together and practice yoga. I had painters, electricians, and a designer decorating the space. I purchased new equipment and developed a new schedule with lots of offerings for potential members.
We opened our doors on May 10th, 2018.
And then the world changed in March 2020. COVID-19 started to make its way to the US and talks of the rapid spread began. Like so many, I didn’t know what was best. As a brand-new studio owner, I didn’t want to do something that didn’t feel authentic to the space. So, I monitored and made decisions daily (hourly) on how to best support our members. We held on for as long as we could. Removing all the equipment from the studio. Limiting classes to 8 or less. Cleaning everything, all the time. But finally, the reality set it, and on March 16 we decided to press pause on live operations at the studio.

And then the real challenge set in. In the days to come following our closure, I set out on a plan to find different solutions to help our members. I started to create a schedule for us to do live classes on Zoom. We provided daily movement for our students. These did include yoga, movement practices, meditations, breathing activities, journaling prompts, calls to action, or anything else to inspire and empower people at this moment in time.

As a person who loves change but struggles with not being in control of that change, the unknown came and filled me with anxieties. That’s when I decided that I needed to see the positives in this negative situation. I think most small business owners would agree that surviving the pandemic was incredibly challenging, but it did gave all us an opportunity to connect with our community in new ways and to be positive in times of unknown.

What’s been the best source of new clients for you?

Over the past 6 years, I’ve learned a lot about building a retaining clientele. One of my biggest and best ways is to lean on those around you to help spread the word about your business. Think about reaching out to your clientele, friends, family and ask them to share your business on social media, with their communities, and friends. Another great way is to get involved with your community. During the summer months in Farmington, we host free yoga in Riley Park, helping to spread the benefits and introduce our business to a new audience. We also love to be partnering up with other local businesses. Once a month we host a Stretch & Sip with Farmington Brewing Company.
When working on building your clientele or attracting new students think about partnering with other wellness professionals to create special events. One of our most popular workshops at Bodhi is Yin + Acupuncture with Dr. Ruth from Alleviate Wellness.
Lastly, in the month of March we host a yoga challenge. Challenges are a great way to get students motivated and excited about yoga. Challenges can be big or small, online or in person. Just make sure to have an enticing reward at the end for those that complete the challenge, and have your students share their progress as they go.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.bodhiyogafarmington.com
• Instagram: BodhiMovementStudio
• Facebook: Bodhi Yoga Farmington