Today we’d like to introduce you to Jenny Normand.
Thanks for sharing your story with us Jenny. So, let’s start at the beginning and we can move on from there.
I am the proud owner of Shaka Power Yoga. Prior to opening our studio, I was a multi-store retail leader for a Fortune 500 company with about 15 years of retail leadership collectively.
I fell in love with Yoga during my early years in retail. I still remember my very first Yoga class at a local gym and the teacher instructed “chaturanga” or low plank, and I fell on my face. The teacher then said “bakasana” which is an arm balance and I was like, “What the heck? I want to do that.” My love for Yoga started as a very physical practice. I wanted to get “the pose” 10 days ago. What can I say, I am your typical type A person who wants to achieve things NOW!
Then, there was a time in my life when I did not get to practice Yoga for several months. I noticed an imbalance in my life, I was not being my best self at home nor at work. One day, I decided to show up on my mat at a studio named “Jenny Yoga” – not kidding! When we got to savasana, I had a sudden feeling of calm and peace, and that was the moment I fully understood the meaning of Yoga – the yoking of the body, the mind, and the soul. Since then, mindfulness has been a significant part of my Yoga practice, on and off my mat. In 2015, during a work assignment in Hawaii, I completed the 200-hr Yoga Teacher Training Certification through Power Yoga Hawaii. I initially went into the program simply to further my personal practice. Little did I know, at the time, that teaching and sharing my love for Yoga is my life’s calling, my purpose.
Back in Texas in August of 2016, during savasana on a stand-up paddleboard, the teacher had us visualize where we would be in 1,2,3 or so years. I then pictured myself teaching SUP Yoga back in Hawaii and I was like, “That’s it, I’m opening a Yoga retreat house in Hawaii.”
Though I only lived in Hawaii for a short time, I fell in love with the culture, the people, the mountains and the water, the food, and anything and everything about Hawaii and it’s ALOHA spirit. I had the chance to share this dream with my teacher, and with excitement, she asked, “What’s your timeline?” It was such a BIG question that I did not know how to answer her.
Well, goals are dreams with deadlines and one of my mantras in life is “carpe diem.” At the beginning of this year, I said goodbye to Corporate America and decided to write some deadlines, take steps in making my dream come to life, and open Shaka Power Yoga.
To date, our studio has now been serving the community for eight months. We offer in-studio classes and we also offer Stand Up Paddle Board Yoga (Shaka Kai SUP Yoga) during summer.
Shaka Power Yoga’s mission is to build a community filled with Aloha with Yoga at its foundation. I feel so alive that I get to live my purpose and share my energy, my faith, my ALOHA, and love for yoga with the community.
“Aloha deep in the heart of Texas.”
We’re always bombarded by how great it is to pursue your passion, etc. – but we’ve spoken with enough people to know that it’s not always easy. Overall, would you say things have been easy for you?
The road is never smooth which makes it fun and adventure-filled! You can plan all you want and anticipate some humps that might come along the way but life throws curve balls all the time.
In Yoga, we talk about being present which means not worrying but being a warrior for yourself. My advice to our young women out there is to truly enjoy the journey. Yes have a goal and reach for your north star, but be ok that the end goal might look different than the one you have in mind. The JOY is in the journey. Enjoy the wins and learn from the obstacles that you might encounter along the way.
We’d love to hear more about Shaka Power Yoga.
Why Shaka? Shaka means thank you, hello, love, family, community among other things. Shaka Power Yoga’s mission is to create a community filled with aloha founded through the practice of Yoga. For us, it’s all about the community or ohana (family). We have Yoga for the entire family! We offer Beginner Yoga, Non-Heated and Heated Yoga, Kids Yoga, Family Yoga, and Restorative Yoga. For individual attention, we also offer individual and group private classes. We also serve businesses and bring Yoga to the workplace.
We are also proud to share that we launched our first season of Shaka Kai (Ocean) SUP Yoga, our Stand Up Paddle Board Yoga (SUP Yoga) program, this summer. We regularly host our classes at Balmoral Lagoon and occasionally host events in other lakes in nearby communities. Our season has been a huge success will all our classes booking 2-3 weeks before the scheduled class. We can’t wait to host our SUP Yoga Teacher Training in the spring of 2020 and kick off next season even stronger.
As a business owner, my background in retail leadership has prepared me to make this dream come to fruition. I am active in the local community through the Chamber of Commerce and participate in other local networking groups. I also believe deeply in giving back and we host community pop-events free for the public from time to time and also volunteering our time to local non-profit groups.
As a leader in the community, I am proud to say that I have been accepted for the upcoming Leadership North Houston XXV. Big thanks for the support of the Cy-Fair Chamber of Commerce for nominating me and believing in me. It is a program that will help me learn more about the community, create lasting relationships with fellow community leaders. I can’t wait to bring back all that I will learn from this program back to my community.
What’s the most important piece of advice you could give to a young woman just starting her career?
To quote Jay Shetty, “When you use your passion to serve others, that’s your purpose”.
So, find your passion and never let it go. Your passion is what makes you unique. Never let anyone dim your light. Make it shine so bright with every breath.
Pricing:
- $49 – New Student Special, Unlimited Yoga for 30 Days
Contact Info:
- Address: 10611 Fry Rd. #250
Cypress, TX 77433 - Website: www.shakapoweryoga.com
- Phone: 832-413-3194
- Email: aloha@shakapoweryoga.com
- Instagram: ShakaPowerYoga
- Facebook: shakapoweryogaTX
Image Credit:
Jolene Kaneshige Photography, Sandra Doerpinghaus Photography
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