FBC TRAINERS
FOR FITNESS STAFF, INSTRUCTORS, PERSONAL TRAINERS & REHAB, SPORT & WELLNESS PROFESSIONALS
Community Connection
Grow the demand for your fitness business with this secret to success. BY DONNA HUTCHINSON
YYoga North Shore Elements studio in North Vancouver, B.C
M
ore and more people to- day want to feel like they belong to a community. The shift in consciousness
has been subtle, but fitness businesses would be wise to recognize this need for connection. It’s time to start think- ing about how you can build more community feeling in your facility. There’s a yoga studio in my neigh-
bourhood that truly understands what this concept is all about. Eighteen months ago, I walked into
the YYoga North Shore Elements studio in North Vancouver, B.C. and experi- enced it firsthand. The studio was pur- posely designed to be a hub or social centre for the yoga community. Warm, rich colours cover the walls, there’s a lounge for socializing before and after class, and the bright, modern change
22 Fitness Business Canada September/October 2011
rooms have large showers and a spa- like feel. I’m always greeted by name by a
friendly, helpful and informative staff member. And the teachers are terrific; during classes they take time to share their insights about yoga, motivation and community. A steady stream of regulars attends classes five to six days a week. I was curious to know how this little
yoga studio – which opened just four years ago – developed such a loyal fol- lowing and huge membership base. YYoga now has seven locations across B.C.’s Lower Mainland and plans to ex- pand into the Toronto market.
What’s its secret? According to studio director and partner Chloe Luce, the studio and
concept was the brainchild of Terry McBride, CEO of Nettwerk Music Group, and Lara Kozan, a yoga teacher. When McBride stepped onto a yoga mat for the first time, he realized that yoga offered him so much more than just a flexible body and mind. He was inspired by his practice, and along with Kozan decided to open a studio that went beyond the traditional yoga studio of the day. In their vision, YYoga would be a so-
cial centre that focused on health and wellness for the body, mind and spirit of the larger community. The start- ing point for this environment would be an abundance of yoga classes of- fered by the industry’s best teachers. The classes would be surrounded by spa-type amenities like saunas, loung- es and massage therapy to create an
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