sometimes all it takes…
Sometimes all it takes is a burst of inspiration for a dream to become a pursuit.
For Ellen, Isabelle Tipton was that inspiration – the propeller that launched the idea of Zen Yoga Studio into a reality, just a few months later.
Isabelle is a 14-year-old from London, Ohio; about 40 minutes outside of Columbus. Isabelle was in town with her family for the Earth Day Festival in April. She had tried yoga a few times before without much appeal to it but gave it another go with the free class that Ellen was teaching at the festival.
She was looking for an activity that she would be motivated to stick to, and she found it on this day. Maybe she couldn’t stick with every yoga class but knew she could stick to Ellen’s. She has stuck with it ever since; her parents drive her to Grandview and back just to enjoy a class at her favorite studio.
From that first class at the Earth Day Festival, Ellen’s teaching was unlike Isabelle’s previous experiences.
It was noticeably infused with thoughtfulness and attention to every one of her students.
“I came back to the studio the next week for her class,” said Isabelle. “She remembered my name and was so excited to see me. I was so surprised how much she cared that I came, and she projects that energy through the entire studio.”
What Isabelle did not know at the time, was the stage of uncertainty that Ellen was in the depths of, and how her words and enthusiasm were enough to spark the pursuit of a dream. Her confidence in the power of Ellen’s energy and teaching abilities was something that Ellen had not previously considered.
Ellen was no longer working in the field to which she had previously devoted all her time and energy. She was teaching yoga-part time, while keeping the rest of her schedule open for other job opportunities. The balance was nearly impossible when factoring in the necessity of making a sustainable living.
She knew she needed to make a change but despite her passion for teaching, becoming a full-time yoga instructor would not be enough to support herself. And was she really a good enough teacher to just go out and open her own studio?
Isabelle made her feel she might be.
Part of what makes the studio so special is that the members who have been there from the start have been following along on this journey as a community. They know the story from day one; but the story goes further back than that.