We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Rachel Brooks. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Rachel below.

Rachel, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today Let’s start with the story of your mission. What should we know?

Rachel Brooks (she/her), owner of Yin Yoga Space (home to SIN Yin(tm)) and Seeking Space Yoga in SW Portland.

Rachel has worked in the service industry for 18+ years, both in nightclubs, dive bars, restaurants, as well and strip and s*x clubs. After several years, the industry started to take a toll on her and she realized that the lifestyle she was living was not sustainable. She was always tired, and not prioritizing her mental, physical, or emotional health.

SIN Yin is a passion project close to Rachel’s heart that’s five years in the making.
It was created with the service and s*x industry in mind, knowing how valuable it would be to have something healthy and holistic to do after a shift, rather than drinking or whatever else we do to wind down. The only options are to go home, overstimulated, to try and come down from a long shift, or drink – that’s it. We want to change that. We want to create a healthy option, and a safe space for us.

SIN Yin is a passion project close to Rachel’s heart that’s five years in the making. It’s time for those of us who are constantly serving others, to finally have a place to go to take care of ourselves. Whether you’re a bar back, sous chef, bartender, or stripper, SIN Yin is for you!

Rachel, love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?

I have always had a heart of service for others. Some of my earliest jobs were in restaurants as a hostess or server. Once I turned 21 I started bartending in various venues. I found yoga in 2015. I was looking for a way to feel better as the night life was taking a toll on me in every way. After starting a consistent practice, i was approached about becoming a yoga teacher and decided to go through the 200 hour training. I fell in love with it. Once I graduated from the training, I started teaching right away at the studio I had been practicing at. After about 6 months, the studio had to close it’s doors due to financial burden. Myself and one of the students I had taken my training with discussed how we could save the space and community, and decided to take the leap and start Seeking Space Yoga. I became sole proprieter of Seeking Space in July of 2020, just a little into the pandemic. Keeping the business and community alive during It was the hardest thing I’ve ever had to go through. And we made it. I am so proud of that. I think what sets us apart is the wide range of people that are in our community, and we are down to earth and not pretentious. We truly strive to make yoga accessible to everyone that we can.

I opened up Yin Yoga Space in October of this last year as a way to bring more awareness to the practice of Yin that has done so much for me and my students. Yin is truly magic. I also wanted to have a central dedicated space to run SIN YIn ™, my passion project, which is now 5 years in the making. Access wellness options should be available to people who work in the service and s*x industry at a time that works for their lifestyle and schedule. That is what we are providing. I am really proud of this work and program.

Can you share a story from your journey that illustrates your resilience?

Once I took over as sole proprieter during the pandemic, it was up to me to figure out how to keep my community and business alive. Reserves were running low, and memberships were dropping drastically every month.

I had to dig deep and get resourceful. I was scared and worried, but I just kept moving forward and trying every day. The business was on my mind all day everyday, and I exhausted every idea and possibility that I could think of. I just never gave up, and it wasn’t an option to me.

Can you tell us about a time you’ve had to pivot?

The biggest pivot I had to do was moving from in-person classes to virtual during COVID. I am not savvy with sound and video equipment and had no idea where to start. The business went completely dark for two weeks while we figured it out. Eventually I was able to set up a virtual space with the proper equipment and programs to facilitate a consistent virtual schedule.

Contact Info:

• Website: seekingspaceyoga.com yinyogaspace.com
• Instagram: @seekingspaceyoga @yinyogaspace @sinyinyoga

Image Credits
Kat Berbari Photography