The Reality of Owning a Yoga Studio: Blood, Sweat, and Savasana

Dear Past Me,

I know you're excited. You have a vision, a dream of creating a space where people can find peace, healing, and community. You imagine days filled with flowing sequences, deep breaths, and meaningful connections. You think running a yoga studio will be the ultimate path to fulfillment, that it will give you the freedom to do what you love. And while that is true, I need to prepare you for what lies ahead.

You will be cleaning the toilets.

You will be in the shower when the phone rings, and you will have to answer it, dripping wet.

You will be on vacation in another country, laptop open, still working.

You will work 80+ hours a week. You will have to cancel family events because someone called out, and you need to sub their class.

You will have staff calling out while you are in knee surgery, and there will be no backup plan other than you.

You will argue with people about policies that exist to protect your energy, your sanity, and the small business you poured everything into.

You will have students tell you how they wish they had your job—just teaching yoga and then doing nothing. They won’t see the hours of admin work, marketing, scheduling, bookkeeping, and crisis management that happen behind the scenes.

You will barely pay yourself while working harder than you ever have. You will pour every ounce of your energy into this dream, and it will, at times, feel like it’s taking more than it’s giving.

You will cry from exhaustion, from frustration, from the deep responsibility you carry to keep the doors open and the lights on.

You will pour your savings into a business, taking leaps of faith and hoping each decision pays off. You will invest in teachers, equipment, and community events before you ever see a return.

You will lie awake at night wondering if you can afford to keep going, questioning whether your passion is enough to sustain it all.

But then…

You will witness transformation.

You will see a student walk through your doors in their darkest moment and find healing on their mat.

You will be a part of someone's first deep breath in years.

You will watch friendships form, confidence grow, and burdens lift.

You will have students tell you that your studio saved their life.

You will create a community that feels like home. You will be surrounded by people who believe in the power of movement, mindfulness, and connection.

You will have moments where the gratitude from a student brings you to tears.

You will see someone do something they never thought possible.

You will hear laughter, witness breakthroughs, and feel the collective energy of a room moving together in harmony.

You will succeed—not in the way most people define success, but in the way that truly matters.

You will wake up tired but fulfilled, knowing you are doing something meaningful.

Owning a yoga studio is not for the faint of heart. It is relentless, exhausting, and sometimes thankless. But it is also the most rewarding thing you will ever do.

For every toilet scrubbed, every call answered mid-shower, and every sleepless night, there is a moment of pure magic. And that magic makes it all worth it.

And at the end of the day, when you lock up the studio and step out into the quiet night, you will take a deep breath, knowing that you have built something that truly matters.

Something that changes lives, including your own.