Today we’d like to introduce you to Abbey Garcia.
Hi Abbey, thanks for sharing your story with us. To start, you could tell our readers some of your backstories.
I started teaching in the Travelers Rest and Greenville area in March 2017. I mainly taught at a few breweries in town, and with that, I helped cultivate a new yoga community. My vision and fulfillment was to bring the heart of yoga into fun, social venues. This expanded to the TR Farmers Market, Camperdown, and other community spaces. I was sort of known as a nomadic yoga teacher. Everyone loved this, but my community continually encouraged me to open a studio.
With Travelers Rest being my home, and I knew how much we needed a yoga studio. So in 2022, I finally partnered with a friend to help create Travelers Rest Yoga. Because the community was so supportive of me and my vision, this was instantly successful.
However, I felt that our partnership was not best serving me or the business. And only 8 months later, I was faced with one of the hardest decisions of my life. I separated myself from the studio I had worked so hard to build. It was a difficult but necessary transition for me. But with the ongoing encouragement from the community, I new that I needed to open my own yoga studio. At that time, I had no idea how this would be possible. It was honestly because of the immense support and love from the community that all of the pieces fell into place!
The last day I taught at TRYoga was the same day I signed a lease for my current downtown location. Zen Rabbit Yoga had a home – 14 S. Main St. Travelers Rest. And from there, everything else came together seamlessly. From the little things, like a friend realizing she had a “zen rabbit” statue sitting in her home, still in a box, needing to find its forever home… to a moment when I was thinking, “I need to find an interior designer” and maybe 30 minutes later a friend texts me saying his wife is an interior designer if I need any help! When we intuitively flow with truth from the heart, beautiful things happen. And now, the connections being made, the growing friendships, and the spreading of joy are a wonderful, magical things to be a part of. Zen Rabbit Yoga is here as a safe, peaceful, and fun place for everyone in our community to gather, and I couldn’t be happier about it all.
Can you talk to us about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way? Has it been easy or smooth in retrospect?
As mentioned before, and as we see in many relationships, there were challenges in my former business, “partnership.” But with that, I learned that such a venture should not be rushed into.
However, these challenges or obstacles can be beautiful stepping stones to lead you where you need to be.
As you know, we’re big fans of Zen Rabbit Yoga. For our readers who might need to become more familiar, what can you tell them about the brand?
We are a yoga studio located in the heart of downtown Travelers Rest. We offer warm (not hot) yoga rooted in classical yoga, focusing on mindfulness and breath. Our studio has a variety of Yoga classes, some Barre classes, and even a Run/Walk & Stretch Group!
Zen Rabbit Yoga is a studio dedicated to cultivating a happy and healthy community! We wholeheartedly guide students to mind-body wellness by teaching mindfulness, breath work, and the ability to focus on physical alignment and mobility. The teachers at Zen Rabbit Yoga are highly-qualified and experienced. They genuinely care for their students. We offer to nurture and challenge classes to inspire students to live their best lives! Zen Rabbit Yoga strives to be an inclusive community, so its doors are always open to people regardless of age, faith, gender, color, or orientation. It offers classes for people of all yoga levels and experiences, from their first class to their ten-thousandth. Zen Rabbit Yoga seeks to embrace and nourish a community that uplifts and supports one another.
Do you have any advice for those just starting?
Follow your passion and stay in your truth, despite what others may try to do to disrupt your vision or your heart.
Pricing:
- Single Class: $15
- 5 Class Pack: $60
- Monthly Membership $90/month
- 3 Month Membership $240
- Kids Yoga Class: $10
Contact Info:
- Website: www.zenrabbityoga.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/zenrabbityoga/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/zenrabbityoga
Image Credits
Nicole Davis of Captured Iris Photography
