Throughout the years we have had the privilege of working with hundreds of yoga studios that have helped shape our business and become a part of our story. We want to give back to the yoga community and open up the floor for studios to share their stories with us. To do this we’ve launched a Yoga Studio Spotlight section on our blog. We will select a yoga studio we have worked with and invite the owners to share their story.
If you’re interested in having your studio featured please email evelyn@HeatingGreen.com We are thrilled to present Holly Bussmus and Jessica Bartley, Managing Members and Owners of Firelight Yoga, LLC in Portland, OR.
- Tell us a little about your background in yoga. When did you start and how did you progress to where you are now? Holly: We started a regular practice together at a hot yoga studio about 4 years ago. Shortly after that, we did teacher training together. During that time we started dreaming about our future Yoga Studio. It felt like a natural progression and flow for us.
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- What do you enjoy most about yoga? Holly: It doesn’t matter what you’re thinking about right before you start practice, or what you need to do following because when you are practicing, that’s it. None of that other stuff matters. For 60 to 80 minutes a day, the most important thing is this breath at this very moment. That awareness is something you take with you following practice.
- What inspired you to start a yoga studio? Jessica: We were both dissatisfied with our current careers and decided to take a leap of faith. We wanted our studio to become a community who would grow and practice together. We wanted to create a space where people could find the positive changes we had found through our yoga practice.
- Your studio obviously offers hot yoga. What are some of the benefits to practicing yoga in a hot environment? Jessica: The heat of the yoga room warms the body more quickly allowing for deeper stretching. As you sweat, your body detoxifies as well, cleaning out many impurities and leaving you feeling refreshed. The heat gets your heart rate up, turning the hot class into an effective cardio workout.
- What advice would you give to perspective students who are on the fence about trying yoga or making the switch to hot yoga? Holly: I think everyone should try something that is outside of their current comfort zone every day. It’s the best way to bring about change and growth. Even if you’ve tried hot yoga before and didn’t connect with it, try a different studio or type of hot yoga class.
- What are some characteristics you look for in a studio? Jessica: I have always loved music and to dance, so my favorite yoga classes are ones that incorporate music that I like to move to…or music that moves me. I prefer a clean and bright environment, with natural finishes, as we have at Firelight.
- What were some of the biggest challenges you faced with your studio? How did you overcome them? Holly: The first step for us was all about finding the right location. Once that challenge was met, the rest came naturally, but still with plenty of challenges. When starting any business, there should be a lot of challenges.
- If you had to do everything again would you make any changes? Holly: Well, they say “hind-sight is always 20/20” but I don’t believe that is true. If you could go back and start changing things, there is still no way to know exactly how that change would effect everything else. It’s okay to not know. It’s important to have faith that the decisions you’ve made are the ones that felt right to you at that moment.
- What has been the most rewarding part about the experience? Holly: Seeing our dream take shape. And observing how our dream has become a real thing that is now influencing and inspiring people in our community.
- What are your goals for the future of the studio? Jessica: We are excited to continue to grow our wonderful community of yogis in North Portland. So many of our clients live in the neighborhoods right around the studio, and it is amazing to be part of such a great group of people. We want to make a difference in our communities and bring yoga to as many people as we can.
