SPOTLIGHT
STUDIO SPOTLIGHT:
BODHI STUDIOS BY AMY ZELLMER (SHE/HER)
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estled in a small river town just over the Wisconsin border, Bodhi Studios is a brand new, state-of-the-art yoga studio that just opened in October of 2022. I sat down with owner Cortney Franklin to learn a bit more about her new studio.
“The strength I need to handle life’s ups and downs is fueled by the strength I gain and the release of emotion I experience on my mat.”
AMY: Tell us a bit about your background and how you came to yoga and teaching yoga.
CORTNEY: I spent the last 10+ years in the financial services industry. I have a bachelor’s degree in biomedical science and a master’s degree in healthcare administration. I started teacher training at the end of 2019. I was not 100% sure where it would lead me, but something inside of me called me to take the leap. So I did. I envisioned a yoga studio in my mind for several years, but was not sure
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I would or could ever make it a reality. Starting to teach was the first step for me. I practiced for several years and always loved the energy instructors brought to others. The ability to help them through the day-to-day, to inspire, to take care of them in a way I could 100% relate to spoke to my soul about teaching. I know the impact it had on me. The strength I need to handle life’s ups and downs is fueled by the strength I gain and the release of emotion I experience on my mat. I can’t imagine not practicing. It changed my life.
A: What inspired you to open (and literally build) a yoga studio in Prescott?
C: When covid hit in 2020, I was actually anxious about the studios closing. As a single mom, I felt a lot of fear around the shut downs, my kids getting sick, me getting sick, my family getting ill, and on top of it not being able to do something that was my outlet, stress relief, and reprieve. I continued to practice at home but it just isn’t the same as coming together with others. The support you feel in person is irreplaceable. I started teaching in June of 2020 at Freedom Park. I offered class on Tuesday and Thursday evenings. I started at the park because it was the safest place for us to come together; we could social distance and be outdoors. The community just really embraced the classes. When it started to get too cold to practice outside I searched for
MNYOGALIFE.COM
