We just celebrated 10 years of holding this space of yoga in our community and I am reflecting back on the journey it took to get here. You know, I didn’t set out to run a studio.

In 2012 when we opened our original doors, I was simply an inspired student who wanted to contribute to providing a local space to share the transformational practice I believed (still believe!) in. As things often do, it didn’t all go as planned and after several years, in 2016, I found myself as the sole owner. I looked at the books of a studio that was now mine alone-and it was a sad state. Certainly not enough to support a staff, rent and all the other expenses that came with running a studio. I was SCARED. I had two young children and a husband who traveled each week. HOW WAS I GOING TO DO THIS?

The only way you can-one step at a time. I knew that my staff and our students were depending on me so there really wasn’t any way but forward. I soul-searched for a new name that would mark the evolution of the studio, what I wanted it to be-what would represent what I wanted everyone to receive from it going forward. THRIVE. That was it. Website redesign, membership redesign, space redesign, ATTITUDE REDESIGN. Our staff worked tirelessly together to triple the membership in 6 months. Things were looking up! I even was able to hire a manager- my yoga soul sister, Katie Falconer, so I could breathe a bit. Then in 2018 our new landlord raised our rent to a level that we couldn’t afford and gave us little time to find a new space. What now?

More soul searching, meditating on Clarity. That led me to ponder- Could I call the studio down the street? Our “competition?” Would they help? Help they did! I found an ally in Karen Burnett, who trusted me to take the reins of ownership of both of our communities and bring my students to her space. Another evolution of the studio. Thrive Power Yoga Palm Beach. I felt like things were divinely aligning…

Until… in 2020 the pandemic hit and shut everything down. I’m proud to say, not one day passed that Thrive didn’t provide yoga to our community via Livestream. Sixty days later we opened our physical doors once again to welcome our community back. Rehired our staff and slowly began rebuilding as students felt more comfortable returning to yoga classes.

Our membership now numbers in the hundreds-we are busier than we were before the pandemic- and I’ve learned enough to know the universe will continue to have our back. We just have to be open to the ways our evolution can unfold without being attached to only how we think it should. If you’re still reading (hey, thanks!), I’m sharing this not because I want to brag-though I’m damn proud of what we’re doing. I’m sharing because I want to inspire you to keep going! To stay to true to your intention and do the work not just to dream but to DO.

Know that it might not look like what you originally imagined. I never saw myself running a yoga studio, but my INTENTION was to provide the space for this practice. That evolved into me running it. To stay true to that intention, I had to do what was necessary. And I’m so happy I did. I can’t imagine doing anything else!

I’m so grateful to this staff of teachers and karmas who are elevating the lives of our local community through their teachings and their own example. I’m grateful to our students, who supported us though the pandemic, so many of them continuing to pay their membership dues just to help us. We would not be here without you. All of you-teachers, karmas and students. This is a collaborative effort of all-we walk this path of elevation together, in support of one another. I’m so grateful for this life and these opportunities that have empowered me to lead, when I never knew I even had it in me.

Thanks for reading friends, keep going, and as ever-NAMASTE.

Jill Romano