Today we’d like to introduce you to Lindsey Butcher.
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?
I believe I have spent most of my life cultivating this studio as my journey began back in 2004. I was introduced to chiropractic care and worked as an assistant where I gained a true understanding of the human body, anatomy, and its functions. My journey continued into the physical therapy world, where I worked as an assistant, and I gained a deeper understanding and learned how to treat and care for people with injuries. I then attended Irene’s Myomassology School, where my wisdom, knowledge, and abilities continued to grow. In 2012 I graduated from an intense Yoga Teacher Training at Center For Yoga with Jonny Kest. This was life-changing for me as I learned way more than how to teach yoga here. I was introduced to meditation and learned how to quiet my mind, be still, and reroute my nervous system amongst other things.
Although I had tapped into yoga before, this was different. I developed my own personal practice and stayed committed. There was absolutely a physical change within my body. I was lighter. My posture had become confident. Aches and pains dissipated. Inflammation diminished in my face and throughout my body… But beyond the physical, I noticed areas of my life began to change. I was peaceful in my mind for the first time in my life. I began to handle situations gently. I had developed a nonreactive mind. My relationships had more depth. I started to walk towards challenges instead of run from them. Over time, I learned that this practice is more than just movement, more than just exercise. It is an internal practice as well. When we take what we learn on the mat and apply it to our lives, our lives change.
Over the years, I have taught yoga at multiple studios. I have witnessed the fruit of this yoga practice not only in myself but in many other students as well…
Yoga Onyx has been my dream for the past ten years. I had spent all this time visualizing this studio, so I knew exactly the location I desired, what I wanted it to feel like, look like, etc… It is a safe place. A place where students can come to honor their own body, whatever that looks like- the tired new mom who just needs an hour to lay on her mat alone to breathe, cry, or just be. Or the person having a tough day gets to show up and take it out on their mat in a hot vinyasa class. Whatever it is, we have cultivated a safe place for each student to show up as they are. Whatever that looks like… so they can move, breath, cleanse, detoxify, be in stillness, free of judgment free of criticism.
I am also a wife and mother. My husband and I have a blended family and together, we have six kids.
I’m sure you wouldn’t say it’s been obstacle free, but so far would you say the journey has been a fairly smooth road?
I think because I had spent the past ten years or so cultivating this when the time came, I knew exactly what to expect for the most part as a business, so I feel like I had prepared myself as much as possible.
I think the only real challenge was being patient and waiting for the right time for my family and I. Although I have felt called to open Yoga Onyx for some time, I needed to be super mindful of my children and family. We had gone through some changes over the past few years, and before I stepped into this role, my husband and I needed time to breathe breath into our blended family. We needed time and space to cultivate a loving nurturing atmosphere as a family of 8, a structure that works for all 6 of our kiddos, and a foundation built on love, joy, and a harmony. When the timing was right, my husband and children met me with an abundance of love and support, the pull towards the studio became palpable, and there was such a sense of peace that washed over us a family; there was no denying it.
As you know, we’re big fans of you and your work. For our readers who might not be as familiar, what can you tell them about what you do?
I am the owner of Yoga Onyx. We are a Yoga studio and are known for being a super safe place for everyBODY. You do not need to be a gymnast, or dancer, or super fit, or have any background at all to walk into our doors and feel safe. We encourage all to come as they are and simply begin. Our teachers encourage and hold space for you to truly honor yourself while you are here. If that means spending the hour laying on your mat with your eyes closed because you may be a tired new mom, and this is the only time you get to be alone, then that’s ok. Or maybe you are going through some hard times and need to let some aggression out; we invite you to come take it out here on your mat in a vinyasa class and healthily release that aggression here instead of on your loved ones… This is a place where we know trauma. We know addiction. We know hard times. We know good times and everything in between. People are going through things, and we have cultivated not just a safe place but a community here where we are encouraged to feel the feelings and rub up against those feelings instead of run away from them; you may come here for movement, yes, but also to breathe, and also to be still depending on what you need that day.
In addition, we are also set apart because we are an infrared heated studio.
Our teachers lead and encourage students to learn and connect to their own bodies, and we hold space for students to freely move intuitively.
We’d be interested to hear your thoughts on luck and what role, if any, you feel it’s played for you.
I believe there have been many circumstances in my life in which I have had to go through, rub up against, learn from, and grow through in order for me to be hold such a safe, tender space here. Looking back, each event or circumstance in my life shaped me and got me to this place in my life, and I am forever grateful for God’s hand being all over my journey. I know my circumstances and trials are being used to help others go through theirs, and I feel called to do that at this point in my life.
Pricing:
- First Class is FREE
- New Student Offer- 1-week unlimited yoga for $25
- New Student Offer- 1-month unlimited yoga for $59
Contact Info:
- Website: https://yogaonyx.net/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/yogaonyxlo/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/yogaonyxlo
