In Bloom Yoga rides the yoga boom

NEW HARTFORD — Which is your favorite: cat, dog (with or without hydrant), puppy, cow, or crane? The question is not directed to animal lovers, but rather, to yoga practitioners.

Yoga is sweeping the nation. According to a 2016 study by Ipsos Public Affairs, the number of American yoga practitioners increased from 20.4 million in 2012 to more than 36 million in 2016. The study also concludes that yoga is for everybody: The number of male practitioners has risen in four years from 

4 million to about 10 million last year, and the number of 50-plus practitioners has jumped from 4 million to just under 14 million in the same period. 

In 2012, yogis (male practitioners) and yoginis (female practitioners) spent $12 billion on items such as classes, clothing, equipment, and accessories. By 2016, such spending by yoga enthusiasts jumped to $16 billion. The study also confirms the recent, growing popularity of yoga: 74 percent of respondents have been practicing for fewer than five years and 9 of 10 are familiar with yoga, up from 7 of 10 in 2012.

Yoga comes in so many flavors that it’s catching up to Ben & Jerry’s. You can start with gentle postures called “Hatha” or “Ananda” or, if you prefer pairing alignment with a playful spirit, try “Anusara.” Need something more physically demanding, “Ashtanga,” “Power Yoga,” “Vinyasa,” and “Bikram” should fill the bill. Looking to add flexibility and endurance to your strength, there’s “Iyengarand.” If you are a dancer, try “Kali Ray TriYoga,” and if you practice yoga to develop spiritually, try “Sivananda,” “White Lotus,” and “Jivamukti.” Are you recovering from surgery, a recent injury, or joint pain? “Viniyoga” and “Yin” are two popular options. In yoga, there is no “one size fits all.”

“Yoga is for everybody,” says Gina Rossi, a yoga instructor at In Bloom Yoga in New Hartford. “In my class, I teach a [wide] variety of people from teenagers to MBAs. They attend to improve their health and to rejuvenate their spirit.” 

Martha Kodsy, the managing owner of In Bloom Yoga, points out that “… one of the practitioners is on the Utica College football team … [and adds] … that yoga is so popular we are planning to offer classes for pre- and post-natal women this fall. We’re also considering offering classes to those who are developmentally disabled.” The popularity of yoga includes 37 percent of practitioners with children under the age of 18 who have taken yoga classes or are regular practitioners.

While yoga is normally practiced either in a studio or a gym, one reason for its popularity is that it can be practiced anywhere. The Ipsos study found that 81 percent of practitioners had practiced outside a studio within the past year. For those who prefer communing with nature, there is yoga in the snow, in a hammock, or standing up on a paddle board. If you hanker for indoor variations, you can practice yoga at happy hour, using your dog as a prop (don’t try it with a chihuahua), in a salt room, in mass meditation, and as a couple.

The founder of In Bloom Yoga was Terra Meenan. 

“Terra developed a real passion for yoga,” opines Kodsy. “Her dream was to create a peaceful and non-competitive atmosphere for anyone to benefit from the healing effects that yoga has on the mind, body, and soul. Her passion took her to a number of cities in America and Europe, and she received her 200-hour, certification-training in Thailand. Terra returned to her hometown to share the benefits of yoga and to provide the opportunity to connect with our spiritual self and to enjoy the physical healing of this 5,000-year-old practice.”

In Bloom Yoga

In Bloom Yoga Center, LLC opened in New Hartford on Oct. 29, 2015. The business leases 1,800 square feet of space and employs nine contractors as instructors, all of whom are certified and each teaching a different variety of yoga. The studio serves between 400 and 500 practitioners and teachers, of whom 85 percent are women. Kodsy owns 60 percent of the enterprise and Meenan the remaining 40 percent. The company currently generates less than $200,000 in annual revenue at its sole location, but that is rising.

“Business here is growing,” states Rossi. “The location is central to a number of activities, so our clients may piggyback on shopping in the area or conducting business. Yoga then becomes just part of their day. While the location is … [an asset] to attracting and retaining clients, I think more people are [finally] coming to understand that yoga complements other forms of exercise, supports a positive self-image, and offers stress relief. Through the relationships I have built with our … [practitioners], I also know they are far more active than … [non-practitioners].” 

Rossi’s observations are borne out by the Ipsos study. Thirty-seven percent of practitioners participate in other group exercises compared to only 9 percent for non-participants. Practitioners have a more positive image of themselves reflected in their mental clarity, good balance, physical strength, agility, dexterity, and range of motion. The demographics of the practicing community also includes better nutrition, living green, and donating time to the community. In addition, the report also indicates that the prime reasons people practice include improved flexibility, stress relief, meditation, and increased strength.

Building the business model

The Ipsos study found that only 11 percent of yoga studios generate more than $200,000 of income annually. The survey data shows that studio revenue streams typically include income from classes (34.5 percent), clothing (27.4 percent), equipment (21.4 percent), and accessories (16.7 percent). Some rely on income by renting part of their space. (Gyms offer other fitness or exercise options and may supplement this with wellness and health services.) On the expense side, the biggest costs are rent and instructors, followed by marketing, advertising, insurance, etc. “We depend primarily on income from our classes,” posits Kodsy, “but we have expanded our outreach to include events, free classes, and workshops, and we are exploring the idea of a retreat and selling yoga apparel, equipment, and accessories. I know that our success is based, in part, on the convenience of our location, comfort, and cost, but I’m convinced that our instructors are the most important factor. They are all certified, have years of experience teaching, and are committed to continuing education to improve their skills. That’s why we focus on the instructor’s knowledge of yoga, the quality of instruction, the personalities of the teachers, and the variety of classes offered. We also are careful to offer classes when they are convenient for our clients, whether it’s morning, afternoon, evening, or weekends.

“I’m convinced this business will grow,” avers Kodsy, referring to the pool of 

208 million Americans who are not currently practicing yoga. “Think of all those who are non-practitioners or … [lapsed] practitioners. In our area, we really don’t have much competition. One possibility under consideration is to open a second location.”

To get past the barriers to practicing yoga — it’s boring, only for women, a fad, just for young people, only spiritual, not physical enough — In Bloom Yoga has embarked on an aggressive marketing campaign. “We know that personal interest and family/friends are the top reasons people are motivated to take up yoga,” says Rossi. “We also know that they are motivated to start and continue practicing for the same reasons — a concern for their personal flexibility, stress relief, and general fitness. Practitioners’ concerns also include the cost of classes, convenience, and the quality of instruction.” So how does In Bloom Yoga address these facts?

“We start with our pricing, which is very competitive,” answers Kodsy. “We also offer a variety of membership options to respond to our clients’ needs. As for the quality of instruction, we hire only experienced teachers. And no one in the area has a more convenient location or more variety in programming. Our challenge is to get the word out and promote our brand. For that, we rely heavily on social media.” Ipsos confirms that Kodsy is in the mainstream of studios, relying on Facebook (In Bloom Yoga has 2,000 followers), Instagram, and Twitter as the primary vehicles. “In addition to posting online, we post tons of information on our website,” continues the managing owner. “The teachers always communicate before and after class as well as emailing students and other teachers directly.”

The managing owner developed her passion for yoga after meeting Meenan in 2016. Kodsy left her hospital-administrative position after nearly 25 years of service and took private lessons from Meenan, where she learned not only the physical benefits of yoga but also the power of mindfulness. Buoyed by her personal experience, Kodsy engaged Meenan to work with her special-needs son. When Meenan took a leave of absence, Kodsy stepped in to manage the business. A life-long resident of Oneida County, Kodsy and her husband have three children.

Kodsy feels that yoga in America is headed in the right direction. As for the Greater Utica area, she sees the potential to bring In Bloom Yoga to a larger audience. For her, yoga is not only a business, but it’s also a passion to which she is dedicated. The combination augurs well for the growth of In Bloom Yoga as it rides the booming, national wave.