Meet Jennifer Safrey of Emerald Yoga Studio

Today we’d like to introduce you to Jennifer Safrey.

So Jennifer, before we jump into specific questions about the business, why don’t you give us some details about you and your story.
I have practiced yoga for more than 20 years and I can say that yoga truly saved my sanity. In my early twenties, when I was working the night shift as a copy editor at the Boston Herald and existing on caffeine and sugar in a deadline-driven newsroom, I began my yoga journey with ashtanga yoga.

I would practice before work each day. The irony is that at first, I thought I hated yoga. I had lost my athletic teenage flexibility and yoga only highlighted that for me. I felt lightheaded partway through the practice and I was frustrated it didn’t come easily to me. To be honest, I’m not entirely sure why I went back the second time, but I did, and then I did and did and did until my resistance melted and I learned to give myself over to the practice. I also realized years later that it hadn’t been the yoga itself I hated that first day; it was the suspicion that yoga would break me down and build me up again, and my need to surrender to that.

After a few years, I branched out my practice to learn vinyasa yoga, and its creativity and go-with-the-flow beauty took me over. I realized that although I loved the people I worked with and the importance of journalism, this frenetic life of moving from crisis to crisis wasn’t serving me, and it wasn’t allowing me to serve others in a way that I found powerful. I no longer wanted to be in the business of delivering bad news. I wanted to create real-life happy stories.

When I opened my studio, I was a yoga instructor but I wasn’t a businessperson. I had a big learning curve, but once I committed myself to becoming a businessperson, things started to pick up for me and the studio. Emerald Yoga Studio now has a thriving community of fun, interesting people who love yoga, and I couldn’t be happier.

Great, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
Owning a business is never a smooth road. We have been open more than seven years now, but I had to hold down a full-time job the first five years of that. It was very difficult trying to grow a business while earning eight hours a day for someone else (flex time). But I was a single woman supporting myself, and I needed to be able to pay my bills and eat while I grew my studio.

My other big struggle was that when I began the studio, I was the only instructor. I simply couldn’t afford a payroll. I have no idea how small little studios open their doors with a full roster of teachers. As my student membership base grew, I added teachers organically, as I could afford to pay them, which is how I still do it. I now have a full team of teachers and subs and though that first year of teaching every single class every single day was exhausting, I know I did the right thing by growing as I could afford it, and not hiring a big team of people I needed to pay from day one.

Alright – so let’s talk business. Tell us about Emerald Yoga Studio – what should we know?
Emerald Yoga is the student who lifted into her first crow pose after more than a year of practice, and called, “Look, look, look!” as she hovered. Emerald Yoga are the students who applauded.

Emerald Yoga are the yogis of all levels who crowd the Thanksgiving morning charity class, giving themselves peace and poses before the holiday rush.

Emerald Yoga is the student whose longtime chiropractor was amazed at the positive changes in her body.

Emerald Yoga is the teacher who soothes with aromatherapy, the teacher who rejoices on the grass in the summer sun, the teacher who leads by warm candlelight, and the teacher who tries to make the students laugh as they precariously balance on one foot.

Emerald Yoga are the students who gathered for 108 Sun Salutations and by round 75 had surrendered themselves to the sweat and the flow — to their yoga. They shed their outer selves, their resistance, and they emerged beautiful.

Emerald Yoga are the students who playfully offer up some back talk in the toughest classes, but meet every challenge anyhow.

Emerald Yoga is the team we send every year to Yoga Reaches Out, where we raise thousands of dollars for charity.

Emerald Yoga is creative vinyasa yoga for all levels and ages and sizes. Emerald Yoga has Warrior Princess Training for girls 9-12 to help them become confident and positive. Emerald Yoga has Voluptuous Women for curvier women who want to learn yoga in a room full of women who look like them.

Emerald Yoga is my proudest achievement and my most beautiful journey.

Is there a characteristic or quality that you feel is essential to success?
My personal success? I feel my authenticity is what I strive to share and what my students feel. I’m not a woo-woo teacher. I laugh in class and try to make everyone else. I tell dopey jokes and silly stories. I play music that people know and makes them want to move.

I created a studio so I could make friends and share yoga and its benefits. I want people to see if yoga asana and philosophy could change the life of a normal girl from New York, it can help anyone. I do my best to share wisdom I gain from my own struggles so that we can all learn together.

I think people see the real me because I put it out there, and I’m really privileged that they keep coming to my classes.

Pricing:

• NEW Student Special for first-timers: 1 Week Unlimited for $20
• Jewel Membership is SO affordable: $79 per month for unlimited classes

Contact Info:

• Address: 15 Columbia Road, Pembroke, MA 02359
• Website: www.emeraldyoga.com
• Phone: 781-826-9624
• Email: jennifer@emeraldyoga.com

Getting in touch: BostonVoyager is built on recommendations from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you know someone who deserves recognition please let us know here.