We were lucky to catch up with Hannah Hutcheson recently and have shared our conversation below.
Hannah, appreciate you joining us today. What do you think it takes to be successful?
There is a recipe to success. 1 part grit, 2 parts grace. What makes up the grit is the commitment to your dreams, consistently showing up, and perhaps a smidge of stubbornness. What makes up the grace is knowing that you don’t know it all and that is ok, knowing that you are perfect just the way you are- even if you are the conductor of the Hot Mess Express Train, and finding your village- the folks that help you find balance and have the skills that you may not be the most proficient in. For the longest time I thought I had to do it all and I was constantly hitting a wall financially and in my own life. I was exhausted. Once I outsourced what I didn’t know how to do, didn’t do that well, or heck- even began to loathe doing (like social media)- my business grew, my home life found more ease, and I just felt so much more balanced and calm. My business grew when I let go of holding on to all of the little tasks. I was hoarding tasks like acorns. A frantic squirrel. It took me going on maternity leave with my first son to let go, because I had no choice. When I came back, seeing it was working without me micromanaging, we grew.
Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.
I started doing yoga about 20 years ago when my dance teacher at the time gave me her yoga DVDs. I was looking for something else because I was either too old, or too young, in that current dance school. I needed something to express myself, move my body, and all in all- get lost in the flow. Dance was my therapy. I was immediately drawn to the peace I felt after each class. I had never felt that. Fast forward 7 years and I was trying to find figure out where I was going in life. I had always wanted to be a dance teacher so why not a yoga teacher. I will never forget exactly where I was when I looked up what credentials I needed. I was going through a very hard time, financially and in my relationship, that I laughed it off because I could not afford the money, nor time, for that. Little did I know a few months later that I would be going through the darkest days of my life. I hit rockbottom, the first time. In that, I began doing yoga all the time. It was my saving grace. The owner of the studio I was practicing at told me I should do a teacher training (probably because I asked so many questions) so I searched for one.
I completed my 200hr with my boyfriend, now husband, and learned a lot about the business side of it. I have my Masters of Arts in Industrial Organizational Psychology, so naturally I was really interested in what was working, and not working, in the yoga world. I accidentally acquired a yoga studio. Be careful what you speak. Abracadabra “I create as I speak” is real. Once the studio was created, I just kept seeing more and more needs in the yoga community. For example: yoga for every body. To make yoga inclusive was my first goal. I was tired of people telling me that they tried yoga this once somewhere and they felt out of place. What a shame on that space for making people feel less than. Yoga is liberation and these people were coming out feeling bad about themselves. Nope, had to change. In that we created a super amazing community. Everyone is family and it truly feels like home for us all.
From there, it was decided, the yoga teachers in the field need to learn about inclusivity too. So my best friend, and partner in yoga teacher trainings, Michele Stewart and I created an amazing 200hr yoga teacher training. Focusing on how different so many bodies are and how we can teach to them all. We have a heavy focus on body positivity, energy, philosophy, and functional anatomy. Truly living the 8 limbs. After our first 200hr program we had some students push us, lovingly, to create a 300hr program as well. Our goal is to help put teachers out into the field that are inclusive, kind, and understanding of the beauty of different folks.
I still sit back in shock that here I am, decades later, living out my dream as a kid. I turned dance teacher and school teacher into a yoga teacher and yoga teachers teacher.
We often hear about learning lessons – but just as important is unlearning lessons. Have you ever had to unlearn a lesson?
I had to unlearn, and still in the process, that I don’t have to do everything. It truly is a trauma response. I cannot tell you how many times in my life I have said “I’ll do it my dang self”. I always took my independence as something to be so proud of, but it was slightly toxic. It was making me exhausted, isolated, and sometimes just plain annoying. Now that I have let go, and actually reached out for help, I feel more energy flow through the business. Different perspectives bringing in fresh ideas and my mind, and body, can get a break.
Can you tell us about a time you’ve had to pivot?
COVID truly asked us all to pivot. But can you imagine being in the business of breathing? First we had to pivot and learn how to do virtual classes. Not just what platform and the technology, but also how to teach in front of a screen. When we were sheltered in place it was all you on that screen. So you were doing the whole class and talking the whole time. Then when we could go back in to the studio, you couldn’t walk around so you were stuck, yet again, in front of the class. We then had to ask ourself questions: do you look at the students online, do you correct them, do you walk the room, etc etc. We also had a big struggle of people feeling safe to come back to the studio and practice with others because we are in the business of breathing. Were they safe from getting COVID. Our numbers were so very low in 2020. Our worst year yet. It hurt financially and it hurt my heart because I was scared we wouldn’t make it. So many other studios were shutting their doors because they couldn’t keep going. But my stubbornness, or resilience, and our amazing community of students, as well as our downtown City of Canton programs, kept us going! I am forever grateful for those that continued to support us and believe in us. We have grown even stronger because of this love and connection from those dark days of the unknown.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.horizonhealingcenter.com
- Instagram: www.instagram.com/horizonhealingcenter
- Facebook: www.facebook.com/HorizonHealingCenter
- Other: Online Workshops: https://broadenyourhorizons.teachable.com/ Online Workshops: https://hannah-hutcheson-s-school.teachable.com/ Yoga Shirts: bonfire.com/store/horizon-healing-center-yoga–connection/ Another Yoga Podcast: https://open.spotify.com/show/2ENPzKlivrhr8Sw2e0eTuT?si=e6219930e0f64581
Image Credits
Kaitlin Coleburn