Shop Talk: Prana Yoga Studio

April 26, 2008 07:57 am

— Shop Talk is a weekly column featuring locally owned and operated businesses. This week, we talk to Anna Siudy, proprietor of the Prana Yoga Studio of Oneonta.

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How long have you lived in the area?

Altogether, about 25 years. I've been here for the last 19 or 20 years, and I had lived here when I was younger.

Tell me about your business:

Prana Yoga Studio offers classes to people of all different levels in the practice of yoga. I have beginner as well as intermediate/advanced classes. I hate to call it "advanced," because I don't want people to be put off by that, but it's intended for people who have had more experience in their practice.

I don't belong to a specific school of yoga. I did do training at Kripalu (Center for Yoga and Health in Lenox, Mass.), but I don't actually belong to a tradition, or what you call a yoga lineage.

I occasionally do prenatal yoga classes, and I also lead meditation classes.

I have a very lovely space (in the studio), I think, with large windows that create an open feeling where people can relax and feel good about what they do here. I try to make it a safe space, where people aren't expected to compete to achieve some artificial goal.

Describe a typical day in your business:

Classes start at 5:30 p.m., so I come in right around 4 or so. It's very peaceful at this time of day, and this is when I do my practice. This helps keep me centered and able to focus more completely on the needs of my students. I also try to plan what I'd like to teach, but I have learned to be flexible and tailor it to my students.

Along with the classes, there's always paperwork and record-keeping to do as well, which is essential in any business. My husband helped me set up a system to use on the computer that makes that part easier. And I have a newsletter that I send out periodically. I also spend time keeping the studio looking and feeling fresh and welcoming.

How did you get started in this line of work?

I started practicing yoga as a teenager. My mother and I were in a health-food store, and I just happened to see this book about yoga. My mom asked me if I thought I would be interested in yoga, and I said yes, so she got it for me, and I just loved it. I was kind of a bookworm, so I think she kind of wanted me to get some exercise. Anyway, that book became like my bible. I just started teaching myself how to do some of these things, and I loved it. (Doing yoga) just always made me feel really good, so I've kept at it. After a while, I decided I would start teaching, which is when I did the training (at Kripalu), and I've studied with other teachers as well.

I'm also a registered nurse, so I've learned a lot about health and the body. I want to offer my students a safe practice where they can achieve the goals they want for themselves, whether purely physical, such as increased stability and mobility, freedom from pain, or increased peace of mind. Opening and running a studio was an extension of that.

Where do you see this business in five years?

I would like to offer more classes aimed at specific demographics, such as gentle yoga, chair yoga and that sort of thing.

I'm also working on becoming a certified yoga therapist _ I've just started the first workshop, and it will probably take me a year or two to complete the certification. This is a new field that many people aren't familiar with, which uses yoga to address specific health needs. It's specifically for people who already have a medical license. It's not just for musculoskeletal problems, as you might imagine, but can also address things like cancer, heart disease and autoimmune disorders.

What have you learned from your work?

I've learned to work with a lot of different people. To some extent, I already do that as a nurse, but it's very different interacting with people as a teacher. Especially with adults _ you don't teach an adult the way you teach a child. You have to meet them where they are. So I've learned to teach and explain what can be difficult concepts. Most importantly, I feel like I've learned how to see the different needs people have and identify that in my students. Also, I've learned a lot about how to run a business. There were a lot of things I didn't anticipate when I first thought of opening a studio, so it's been a learning experience.

What is the hardest thing you have to do?

A lot of people really don't understand what yoga is. Some people think yoga is some kind of secretive, esoteric religious practice, and it's not at all. Yoga is not a religion _ I can't emphasize that enough. It's a way to get healthy _ I know for me personally, it's the only exercise I can do regularly without getting bored. I never get bored of doing yoga. But on the other hand, there is a spiritual aspect to it. We're all so busy, we spend so much time running around, so if you have a few moments to slow down and create that peaceful space, you have room to reflect on your own personal beliefs, your own spirit, your own self.

People also think they have to be young and flexible to do yoga. I tell them, "If you're breathing, you can do yoga." You can do yoga in a wheelchair. Anyone can benefit from it.

At the very minimum, you can learn breathing techniques that calm the body and the mind.

The most enjoyable?

I love this. I love what I do. I watch people change, I see them move away from pain and stiffness and become strong again. I know that what they've learned in classes are practical techniques they can use for the rest of their lives. Working with people who have health issues, I've seen just amazing changes in their bodies, and that's so rewarding. That's part of the reason I went into nursing, but I get to see it here, too.

Especially with classes that come at the end of the day, I see people come in who are so wound up from their busy day and so jittery. When they leave at the end of the class, they're happy, they're peaceful, and they have energy for the rest of their evening instead of going home exhausted and stressed.

How do you define success for your business?

When you identify it as a business, certainly you want to stay out of the red so you can continue to offer a service to people and make it so people want to keep coming back. But what really defines it to me is just seeing the changes in people's lives. Part of that is being able to keep the doors open, so it's all connected.

What are some advantages/drawbacks of doing business in this area?

Oneonta is a pretty cool little city. We have a really interesting mix of people here. We have college students, we have professionals who have come to this area for jobs at the colleges or the hospitals, and we have local people who are born and raised here. I get people from all those different groups in my classes. And we're sitting in the middle of gorgeous countryside, which is just lovely.

Sometimes, though, I know it's difficult for people to drive long distances in the area. In the winter, the roads can be snowy and icy, and now, gas prices are so high, it can make travel less appealing.

What sets you apart from your competitors?

It's hard to think of yoga and competition in the same sentence! I know some of the other yoga teachers around here, but as far as I know, I'm the only dedicated studio in Oneonta. Some of the other teachers have done classes at the YMCA or other facilities, but I think there's something to be said for the atmosphere that a dedicated studio can provide.

Each teacher has his or her own focus _ I spend a lot of time on alignment and core strength. In my understanding, using alignment to build poses from the center out and from the floor up keeps students safe and unlikely to injure themselves. It is possible to injure yourself doing yoga, but as far as I know, no one has ever been injured in one of my classes.

As a health-care professional and a yoga teacher, I'm always using what I've learned and expanding it to share my knowledge in my classes. People are always asking their yoga teacher, "I have this pain here, what do you think it might be?" I never diagnose, but if I know about a health issue someone has, it definitely informs what we do.

Also, I don't think anyone else here does certified yoga therapy. It's not all that I do, I still use the traditions of yoga, which are thousands of years old, but being able to have that additional knowledge adds to what I can offer my students.

What advice would you give to someone trying to enter your field of work?

First of all, have a very strong personal practice. I think you have to teach yoga from your own heart, your own body, and that takes years to establish. There are plenty of places that will send you out as a teacher with six months of experience, but I personally believe you need to have spent more time on your own practice before you can teach.

Then you need to choose a teachers' training program that explores all aspects of yoga. Again, there are people who teach yoga without doing a teachers' training, but I think it's really important.

And you need to continue your practice. It's easy to think, "Oh, I'll just do my own practice while I'm teaching the class," but you need to be really aware of your students while you're teaching, and if your attention is focused on them, it won't be focused on your own practice.

And you just need to keep learning. Never think you have finished your studies. Always be open to new information, but be willing to test any new information you receive within the traditional wisdom of yoga and the wisdom that is deep within each of us.

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To suggest a business for Shop Talk, contact Emily F. Popek at 432-1000, ext. 255, or epopek@thedailystar.com.