Photo by Leah Ingram Eagle.
Nancy Rhodes and Sarah Dunn stand in front of their new space for Abundance Yoga in the Bazaar 280 Center. They plan to have the studio open the end of July.
After spending the past three years at The Village at Lee Branch, Abundance Yoga will soon be moving into a new space in Bazaar 280.
Nancy Rhodes took over the former space at Lee Branch from the previous owner in 2017 and went through the Create Birmingham co-starters program.
“This is the first business I’ve ever owned,” Rhodes said. “They were amazingly helpful and wonderful people who help small business owners get started with everything from how to get a business license, finding out what the break even point is and offering resources to help your business grow. I graduated from that program about the same time I signed the lease.”
Rhodes knew she was planning to move after the three-year lease was up. While the business was growing, there wasn’t much room for growth in that space, so she planned to finish up there when the lease was up in March.
When she began looking for a new space in August, one of her students, Sarah Dunn, asked if she needed a business partner, to which Rhodes said yes.
“Running a yoga studio is a labor of love,” she said. “Sarah actively jumped in, so we changed the business to be co-owned. She jumped in as a partner. We looked at spaces and settled on the space in Bazaar 280."
During this time, Rhodes also finished massage therapy school and is excited to be able to offer that service at the new location.
They had initially planned to open at the beginning of April, but then the COVID-19 pandemic hit, and their plans were pushed back several months. During that time, they offered classes on their Facebook page. They now hope to open the studio by the end of July.
Rhodes has been teaching yoga for eight years. While she may not fit the stereotypical yoga type, she wanted to provide an atmosphere for all body types. She even started teaching a class called Fat Girl Yoga to open a space up for women to their body in a way that feels good for them.
“I was always the largest body in the room when I started practicing yoga,” she said. “You hear yoga and you see thin, flexible women. I kept finding women who said they would practice with me, but not go into the studio.”
That class is where Dunn met Rhodes for the first time. She has been practicing more than nine years and used to weigh 400 points. She said she knows about the loose skin problems post-weight loss and what it’s like to be overweight and learning yoga.
“That class was exactly what I needed,” Dunn said. “It gave me my practice back, and I really appreciate that.”
Rhodes said her mission is not one kind of yoga, but to help people find a practice that feels comfortable for them. Abundance Yoga classes will offer a little bit of everything. They will offer classes seven days a week. Due to COVID-19 restrictions, class sizes will be smaller, and the space will be thoroughly cleaned between classes.
“In smaller classes, we can give more attention to people’s needs during the class,” Rhodes said. “We have a lot of people who are different in how they practice and what they need. We can tailor classes for them to get what they want out of it.”
Dunn added: “My opinion is that yoga is for everyone: everybody and every size. We will do everything we can to help someone who is just starting out find their practice.”
For a while, clients will pay per class and can schedule on Schedulicity. Both Rhodes and Dunn are excited to get into the new studio and interact with their clients again. Updates will be posted on their Facebook page at facebook.com/abundanceyogastudiobirmngham.
