Today we’d like to introduce you to Arielle Kahn.
Hi Arielle, we’re thrilled to have a chance to learn your story today. So, before we get into specifics, maybe you can briefly walk us through how you got to where you are today?
I fell in love with yoga over a decade ago. When I was much younger, I struggled with chronic pain. Along with chronic pain, I also dealt with anxieties and depression that over coincided that. Throughout my medical care, my team encouraged me to explore the tools of yoga. I found yoga initially through Yoga Nidra which allowed me to find peace and calm and to cope with the trauma that can be associated with chronic illness and pain. After two brain surgeries in my early adult years and a decade of chronic pain, yoga has been my strongest form of calm and grounding. It’s a practice that’s stayed with me for over a decade.
As I matured, and my health improved, I decided that I wanted to find a career to give back. I initially went to school with intentions to healthcare and to join the frontlines of medicine. After a few years of inpatient work deep into the pandemic, I realized that while I wanted to serve others, the hours were not for me and it took quite the emotional toll on me. I still longed to serve others, but I was in need of an alternative way to do so. A year later, I was fortunate to find Willow Street Yoga, a studio with over 31 years of traditional yoga experience to practice with as well as to join as the studio manager to lead the studio into many years ahead.
Additionally, after a life of health struggles both physical and mental, I picked up ultramarathon and marathon running as a form of strength and perseverance. This career has allowed me to finding ground in my life in forms of my mental and spiritual health; it’s allowed me to grow stronger as a runner; and it’s allowed me to advocate and encourage others to put themselves first and find the benefits of yoga. As a young woman passionate about serving her community, getting to serve the students at Willow Street has been a privilege. While, I don’t teach, due to my running commitments and trainings, I’ve been able to practice the deepest and richest yoga techniques under our lead yoga teacher and director, Joe Miller, who has taught in this studio alongside his mother for decades.
Getting to serve this community has been a true pleasure. Not only do I get to advocate for others and make yoga more accessible, but I also get to deepen my own spiritual, mental, and physical journey. Unfortunately, not many people get the pleasure of saying that they get that out of their careers, and I only hope more do as generations go on. I’m a strong advocate for others putting themselves first, and since we’re located in the DMV/Baltimore Metro area, we’re surrounded by those serving in high stress roles. We’re here to help people take time to themselves because it is so hard to forget to do so. I used to forget to show up for myself when I was once in a high stress role.
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
It has not been a smooth road. Due to my past health struggles, I find that I never did anything the traditional way. My life has not been linear, and I find my entire life has been begging for someone to take a chance on me. Due to my health struggles, “traditional” college has never been an option, and I was forced to do classes here and there, missing out early on with college experiences most have. I had to pave my own journey, and again, this is how yoga kept me grounded amidst the highs and lows.
I trialed my time in health care, but I found myself burnt out from overnights and working upwards of 80 hours a week. My body couldn’t handle it, and I fell into a depression where I lost touch with myself. I neglected my own mental and physical health. I spent a whole summer off of work to just regain touch with myself and love for myself again. Again, yoga amidst the therapy and coping, was one of the things that still kept me hanging on. Following my short lived, and once thought of as dream career in healthcare, I found myself passionate for small business and the local heroes. I thought to myself that I could still give back to those and do it whilst not on the frontlines and burnt out. Many people do, and maybe now was my time to explore other alternatives for serving others. I found myself working in small business in careers such as run specialty, as again, I am an avid runner. However, one day after a relocation to Montgomery County, I was exploring the new area, and I had been on the lookout for new opportunities closer to home if one came up. One day when I entered Willow Street Yoga, I met with our lead yoga teacher and founder, Joe Miller, and that was the day that everything changed.
Again, I’m used to my not linear life path, and being rejected. However, I always held my head up high and never let myself get too discouraged for being underqualified. Willow Street was looking for a studio manager and marketing professional, and I was willing to take a chance with hopes someone would do the same for me. Surely enough, Joe did, and it’s now been over a year of growing the yoga community in Takoma Park and beyond.
Stepping into this studio, which has been around for 31 years, was not easy! It’s daunting to come in and take charge of a studio with such a loyal following and years of history. I was nervous for how I would be received, but I had a few goals in mind. Of course a major goal was to grow, but also, I wanted to learn from those who came from before me, and from Joe, himself. I wanted the team and community to have a say in the future and allow for me to help the studio alongside them. I wanted to tighten the relationship between teachers and work-studies, as well as as make our community feel heard and seen too. At the end of the day, it’s our students who allow for us to grow as they choose to practice with us. Many who have quite literally practiced with us for our entirety which is such a beautiful thing to witness. I am currently still focused on making new partnerships with other organizations as well as advocating the importance and benefits of the tools of yoga for those around us.
Willow Street Yoga saw in me that I wanted to show the love of yoga with others that quite literally saved my own life in my darkest times of depression and pain. I’m here to spread my own love for yoga and making it more accessible for those that wish to try it from the physical benefits, spiritual, and mental. I’m able to combing this love with my marketing background and networking skills to grow this studio that felt like an instant home to me. And since has stayed my home, and I hope will for many years ahead alongside the beautiful team of work studies, teachers, and students.
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know?
Willow Street Yoga is a traditional yoga studio in Takoma Park, MD. We were founded over 31 years ago by Suzie Hurley, and now her son, Joe Miller, is the lead yoga teacher. We specialize in traditional and alignment based yoga. We offer a variety of workshops and specialty classes from Pre/Postnatal, Tai Chi, Qi Gong, Sound baths, Perimenopausal and pelvic floor health, acupuncture, and beyond.
Here, you will find the traditional tools of yoga that were founded thousands of years ago. You won’t find the more common hot yoga or power classes here, but you will gain tools that will allow you to truly invest in longevity through the mind, body, and soul.
Our community is also a safe space. We welcome all individuals to our studio from young to older, experienced or non experienced yogi to come practice with us.
We want our readers to know that now more than ever is the time to invest in yourself. Allow yourself to grow deeper among yourself and get to know you. Connect with your breath and enjoy yoga beyond the stereotypical down dogs (which we do, too, of course, ha), but also invest in the soothing and grounding aspects of meditation.
We hope to see you visit us online or in person to practice with our director, Joe Miller, and other incredible teachers here at Willow Street! We have a wide variety of offerings from beginners to advanced or to those in need of a gentler practice. There truly is something for everyone here. Joe, the Willow Street Yoga community, and I can’t wait to meet you and grow with you!
Where do you see things going in the next 5-10 years?
We want just what most people want. We want to grow, but most importantly we want to continue to help people invest in themselves and connect to themselves. We want people to find Willow Street Yoga and the benefits of yoga as a way to decompress from the unfortunate every day stressors of life and work. We want people to discover a new habit that can help ground them in times of struggle and heal them. We want to continue to serve our community, but expand while doing so. We hope to build strong partnerships, do more corporate events and retreats, and to continue growing our teacher training program while continuing to offer rich and healing yoga. Fun fact, you don’t need to teach to do teacher training. Many people sign up as a way of self growth and to deepen their own practice!
Pricing:
- Everyday Practice (unlimited monthly membership access to in person and online classes; 20% off boutique and workshops) $122/o
- Ten Class Pass (limited to ten classes with 6mo expiration can use inperson or online) $200
- New Student Special (2 weeks unlimited yoga in person and online) – $29
- First class $10
- Drop in Rate $25
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.willowstreetyoga.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/willowstyoga/?hl=en
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/willowstyoga/
