Meet Samantha Smigelski of Spirit Rising Yoga & Meditation

Today we’d like to introduce you to Samantha Smigelski

Alright, so thank you so much for sharing your story and insight with our readers. To kick things off, can you tell us a bit about how you got started?
When I graduated college in 201o, architecture jobs were very limited and didn’t pay well. I took a second job at a yoga studio to help make ends meet and to have access to a consistent workout. Little did I know that I’d completely fall in love with the practice, culture, and people. I told myself that when I was ready to retire from architecture, I’d open my own yoga studio so that I could share the benefits of yoga with others. Fast forward to 2020 and I was thriving in my architecture career. I was leading projects, traveling, working nights and weekends, dressing fancy and living out my dream as an aspiring architect. Even though it had become exactly what I’d hoped for, I did not enjoy the field. I was burned out, wanting to start a family, missing my friends, and neglecting my health. When covid hit and I got laid off, I used the time to reflect on my life and decided to take my Yoga Teacher Training at Spirit Rising Yoga & Meditation. After gratuating, I started teaching virtually and in my home. My passion for the yogic lessons grew. I was offered a place to teach at SRYM and my class sizes started growing. Meanwhile, I received weekly requests to interview at prestigious firms in the state and around the country. Each and every time I read a request, anxiety at returning to the corporate world crept into my body. Eventually I listened to the physical tension and knew it was telling me not to go back. Once I accepted this new reality, I began to wonder “but what will I do?”. Shortly there after, the owner of SRYM approached me with the information that she was interested in selling the business. She wanted to know if I would be interested in buying. It was the first thing that didn’t give me anxiety. Thoughts of buying the studio kept me up all night, not because of anxiety, but because I couldn’t stop dreaming of what could become of the studio I already loved. The vision grew, the plan developed, and when we decided to go forward with buying the studio, I was filled with hope for what the future could hold for the studio community and our future family. We bought the studio, updated the space, grew the community, and planned a big grand opening. Friends, family, local business owners, studio students, teachers, and the local Chamber of Commerce came to celebrate with us. It was a wonderful day kicking off the rebirth of a long time spiritual home for many. Since the celebration, we’ve continued to welcome in anyone looking to explore their spiritual growth and physical practice. Personally, my husband and I welcomed a beautiful baby girl in April of 2024, and because of the flexibility I get to have a business owner, we are able to spend a lot of time with her at home and at the studio. We are so grateful for the transition of my life’s circumstances so that I can live out my dream of owning a studio and sharing the wonders of the yoga practice while also being close to home, able to play with my baby girl and watch her grow. While there are things I miss about the corporate world, the joys of studio ownership far outweigh anything I miss. We are so grateful for my unexpected early retirement, our community, our family, and most importantly, our time that we can now spend together.

Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
No, it has not been smooth! There is always so much work to do. As a new business owner, I am always overthinking decisions, weighing options, and hoping that I don’t make a decision that leads to financial ruin. The small business world is struggling in our current economy, and while I respect and understand why everyone is so careful with their spending, it becomes very hard to stay above the rate of inflation and maintain affordable pricing while also making enough money to pay my team. I firmly believe I wouldn’t be here with out my great team of teachers, so anytime there is extra cash, I share it with them first or re-invest it into making the studio better. Having a baby a little over a year after taking ownership was a challenge, too. I had a c-section and the humbling recovery has prevented me from returning to my typical practice, so I have this mental war happening between my desire to be doing the strongest poses and remembering the yogic teachings that tell us to be present in our practice, strive for meditation and bliss, and not judge yourself. The innerstruggle has been a great lesson on pride and perspective, but a struggle nontheless. The addition of the baby exponentially increased our struggles with time management, but we are slowly figuring that out with the help of family and our amazing local community. Then, of course, business ownership is a juggle of many hats, some of which you’re good at and some you’re not. Because you’re not good at everything, and maybe don’t like doing everything, every day is an adventure stepping into the uncomfortable and either doing it anyway, or hiring someone who can do it. Hiring more people brings you back to the finiancial struggles we referenced earlier, and we’re back to playing the economoy, increasing prices just enough, and attempting to make a profit. Also: imposter syndrome is very real.

We’ve been impressed with Spirit Rising Yoga & Meditation, but for folks who might not be as familiar, what can you share with them about what you do and what sets you apart from others?
Spirit Rising Yoga & Meditation (SRYM) is a more traditionally focused yoga studio. We believe in all 8 limbs of yoga, so our classes do not only focus on the physical practice but also include breathwork, meditation, mindful awareness, an exploration of the senses, lessons on behavioral modifications, and a return to bliss. We explore these concepts in classes including some of our more unique options that include journalling, meditations, yoga nidra, and reiki. We dive a bit deeper into the 8 limbs through our monthly special events and workshops. We do deep spiritual work and really go beyond the poses, using the poses as a tool to help us sit in meditation and gain deeper understandings of ourselves in relation to the world around us. This personal work is ongoing, so we continually adjust our schedule to support students who have both been with us for many years and those who are new to a spiritual practice. Bridging the gap between new and existing students, we host a variety of community building events throughout the year and even offer a variety of yoga and reiki trainings in addition to our classes. Our current team works individually with those wanting deeper work by offering private reiki, hypnotherapy, ayervedic consultation, and trauma informed yoga sessions. For more unique opportunities, we love to work with other like-minded businesses to bring new events and opportunities to our students. In the past, we have welcomed in special guests to offer sound baths, cleansing breathwork, shamanic fire ceremonies, cacao journies, and more. We are a studio that welcomes students or all shapes, sizes, and backgrounds while supporting them on their personal journey. We aren’t just a yoga studio, we are a spiritual family.

What do you like best about our city? What do you like least?
I love Brighton! It’s conveniently located between Detroit, Lansing, and Ann Arbor and has easy access to nature and everything you need with in just a few miles are the original reasons we moved here. After being here for years, we also appreciate the tight community, the happy nature of the residents, and the thriving downtown. The Chamber of Commerce has been a great business asset helping our studio stay connected to the downtown area even through we aren’t located there. I wish there was more diversity and that the cost of living wasn’t so high. It’d also be nice to have more ride share programs!

Pricing:

• New students get to try 30 days of unlimited classes for $30
• To continue being unlimited, we offer a year upfront for $999, or paid monthly at $89

Contact Info:

• Website: https://myspiritrising.net/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/spirit_rising_yoga/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MySpiritRisingYOGA/
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@SpiritRisingYogaMeditation