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.
In this special edition of our Yoga Studio Spotlight, Heating Green talked to Ashley Dean, the General Manager of Sports Academy, located in Thousand Oaks, California.
- First off, Sports Academy isn’t just a yoga studio, and wouldn’t be properly classified as a gym. How would you describe what kind of organization Sports Academy is to those who have never heard of it before? It also opened recently, when did doors open? Sports Academy is a 96,000 sq. ft. multi-purpose training facility. We take a multidisciplinary approach to developing one’s mind, body and spirit through athletics, leadership and education. Our Centers of Excellence are designed to help athletes of all ages and all skill levels reach their goals; whether it be through competitive sports, physical training, skills coaching, mental acuity, leadership, or empowerment. Our doors opened in May of 2016.
- Yoga is offered in the Mind Body Fit Club, which offers both yoga and cycling. Is that intended because the benefits of each support each practice? Do students tend to take both of those classes? Yes, The two compliment each other and many of our athletes will participate in both throughout the course of the week on a consistent basis.
- There are different types of yoga classes offered, are all of them heated classes? What type of classes are offered? We have an array of classes, which include Yoga Basics, Vinyasa for Intermediate and Advanced level practitioners, as well as Yin Yoga.
- Are athletes from other programs take yoga classes in addition to their sport specific training? Are they encouraged to? We are constantly encouraging our athletes who are training for a sport to incorporate yoga into their regular routine. There are incredible benefits to doing so. Ultimately, our clubs, camps and clinics will build yoga into the programs. We will introduce yoga in the earliest stages of an athlete’s development – in particular at the elementary and middle school ages, ultimately creating long-term healthy habits.
- Yoga is different than many programs at Sports Academy because it’s not a sport. Why was it decided it should be included in its program offerings? Yoga will be a critical complement to all of our athlete’s training. Yoga offers wonderful enhancements to an athlete’s full circle training which includes mindfulness, recovery and rehabilitative benefits, relaxation and meditation. We will encourage all of our sport’s programs to offer yoga in conjunction with the sports specific skills training the athletes are traditionally accustomed to.
- What do you hope Sports Academy accomplishes in its first year? And for its yoga program? Sports Academy is focused in year one on educating our athletes of all ages and abilities on the value of full circle development. Full circle development is defined by us as a balance of the mind, body and spirit. We will facilitate and lead an athlete through their development process, forging their character with positivity and resilience to effectively lead themselves and others to achieve their highest goals. In addition, our efforts are to be engaging and differentiating members of the community, adding value through comprehensive programming offered in a family-friendly environment – to thousands of families in the Great Conejo Valley and LA County.
- Do you participate in any of the offered programs? Yes. I, myself, am a yogi at heart and have had the pleasure of taking classes from each of our instructors, prior to each of them joining the team. In addition, I am an avid cyclist and participate in many of our cycling classes in Mind Body Fit Club. It’s a great option when I can’t get outside for a ride.
