Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Steph Bertsch. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Steph , 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?

As a queer person and queer yogi, visibility is essential to me. When I was considering opening a yoga studio way back in 2016 I made a list of things that were important to me and yet missing from the studio where I was currently teaching and practicing. Mainly, it felt like there was very little LGBTQ+ representation. The workshops, retreats, and trainings I was attending were not led by folks who had similar life experiences as me, which led to feelings of isolation and a separation between my practice and my identity. As one of the meanings of the word yoga is union it felt very imperative to address this misalignment. Yoga is a practice of coming home to yourself and it’s impossible to do that if you’re left unseen. So I decided to create a yoga space that welcomed and centered my community and other marginalized communities too.

Steph , 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 started practicing yoga in 2007 as a way to manage the stress of my job and honestly to have something to do other than work. I often prioritized the needs of other people over my own and practicing yoga started to reveal that to me in a real way. It was like a much needed catalyst to change how I showed up in the world. I started to value my time, my energy, my relationships in new ways. I feel like I woke up from a really long nap.

I wanted to share with others the power of this practice so I started teaching yoga in 2009. The practice of loving presence, believing in your worthiness, and connection to yourself and others has changed the trajectory of my life. It’s a practice of coming home to yourself–an antidote to the messaging out there that you don’t belong, there’s something wrong with you and that you’re not enough. I am forever grateful to be a student of these ancient practices from India.

What do you think helped you build your reputation within your market?

It’s very important to me that people feel seen and feel included. When anyone new comes to the studio I make sure to connect with them and let them know that it matters to me that they are there. They belong right from day one. Also, I’m not interested in a hierarchical teacher/student relationship. I’m sharing a practice that is important to me in hopes that it reaches others in ways that are meaningful and impactful to them. Everyone’s journey is different and yoga can give us amazing tools to navigate our very unique paths. I think demystifying the practice by showing people that yoga is an approach to living an inspired and intentional life rather than a fitness regimen has led a lot of people to heart fire yoga.

Can you open up about a time when you had a really close call with the business?

When COVID hit I was just barely a year into business. I was terrified. How was I supposed to run a business that was built on in-person connection? When I began to explore taking things to a virtual platform I was concerned my resistance to technology would be my downfall. Would I be able to navigate Zoom and integrate it with my software? Would I be able get my teachers on board? Would people still want to practice as a virtual studio? There were a lot of unknowns but people showed up for the business in huge ways. Whether folks were helping me move past my technophobia, inviting their friends to try out a class or renewing their memberships– the support was critical. The studio was important to people. They were invested and wanted to see it survive. Understandably, some people did leave…but an overwhelming majority stayed. And then more people found us! People from other cities and states joined the studio and continue to practice with us. That was an unexpected silver lining to the pandemic. Though we are fully back to our in-person daily classes we still offer virtual services to this day with no plans to stop.      

Contact Info:

• Website: www.heartfire-yoga.com
• Instagram: @heartfireyoga
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/heartfireyogabuffalo