Our Salty Journey.

So many of you have been asking, so here it is!

How did this salty journey begin? Every story has a beginning. This one started one Monday evening at a local yoga studio. I was sitting on the counter chatting, laughing, and checking clients/friends in as they arrived for class. In walks Michelle Fail, she glided in, almost floating. Her face radiated kindness, and her smile immediately drew me in. Throughout her practice, her angelic flow was inspiring.  After class, she approached me and expressed similar sentiments of love and energy. We were connected from that moment on. She began attending all of my classes and it wasn't long before I was sharing my love of yoga and breath with her and her family inside the Fail home.

I arrived one morning for our routine private yoga session, I am still uncertain who loved those yoga sessions more, her or I. Michelle has poured her love over me from the very moment I met her and has continued to do so. I am so humbled by her grace and humility. Teachers... They show up in all forms if we are willing to keep our hearts, ears and eyes OPEN.

Ok, ok back to the story :)

Michelle asks me, "Have you ever thought of opening your own studio?" My eyes get big, my heart begins to throb.. "Of course! I have the entire studio planned out and decorated already in my head!" (I think every teachers envisions this at one point or another.)

A few weeks after talking and texting late night about our visions for the space, playing with studio names but no real commitment, I receive a call from Michelle, "Are you sure you want to do this?!" she says. 

"YES!" I said with great excitement! “Well good because I found a space in UTICA SQUARE and pitched them our idea, they loved it and we are doing this!"

Neither of us had ANY idea what this picture looked like but that didn't seem to matter. We just moved off of pure faith. It didn't long before this news was swimming ALL over the yoga community. I made the choose to expand my journey, knowing my personal end result would be a grander opportunity to LOVE. This choice did not come without its heartaches. The hardships this choose brought me has done nothing but broaden my compassion and expand my heart.

The Salt ball begins to roll and in rolls Teresa Gawey! A near and dear yogi friend of Michelle's itching to a part of something so magical. Another Salty girl is on board! I now have TWO graces women loving and supporting me! How lucky can one girl get in this lifetime?! Our communication and mutual love is unmatched. Every "peppery" conversation we have had has only made us saltier. 

Demo, demo, demo! Building our Salt family, picking out flooring and OHHH the surprises and joys of construction! I will give Utica Square props as they have been a joy to work with. It is truly no wonder why the Square has become what it is today.

As the walls were coming down inside our studio space we were defining our vision and making plans on how we were going to love and serve the Tulsa community. This is the one thing that didn't need much planning. Loving and serving comes easy to the Salt family. 

For those of you that know me, you know I have a gypsy soul and LOVE to travel the world. This was the single reason I never moved to open a studio on my own. I have truly loved my path over the last 5 years. I have never committed myself full time to any one studio and have LOVED my path of creating FUN and PLAYFUL ways to fall in love with yoga and our bodies. Come to find out, this was exactly what Michelle loved most about me. Actually, something corny I do is save text, emails, and I often quote what people say to me that touch my heart. My phone and journals are full of inspiration that my friends, students, and family have filled me with. These are Michelle's words she sent to me in. (from October, 2012) "I love you because of your.. Compassion, the way you push people beyond their limits in a dignified way. You explain and TEACH the postures without sounding like a "know-it-all", you have a true servants heart, your classes have good pace, you teach that life is about the journey not the destination- your transitions and flow in class reflect that. Your fun, playful, and you don't take yourself too seriously, oh, and you praise us yogis during class, we love that!" 

Why share this? So you can see how blessed this journey has been for me. Michelle stepped in and reaffirmed my hearts desires. She validated my journey and wanted to bless my journey even more... This is example ONE to the hearts rewards to living open. If I didn't choose to connect with her that ONE night at class last spring.. this story would have never been written. You never know who holds the key to your next journey.. So love everyone! 

Here we are, weeks away from opening our doors at Salt Yoga Utica Square... The excitement and support from the Tulsa Yoga Community has been abundant. Why can’t the most playful yet sophisticated yoga studio be here in Tulsa, Oklahoma?!  We have done our research practicing in studios from New York, Dallas, San Diego, and LA and have yet to find the visions that we have created here at Salt Yoga for our Tulsa family. The intentions of love were set from the beginning of our Salty journey and we have yet to divert from those intentions. This has had a major impact on the energy in our space at 1708 Utica Square, and we KNOW you will feel that the moment you walk in. 

               

                                              We are here to serve you. Namaste~