Julie Ann Yoe is the small business owner of Storybook Yoga Balanced Minds & Bodies llc, located at 8791 S.FWY Dr, Macedonia, OH. She has been a yoga instructor for five years and an educational teacher for long before that. She tells Nordonia Hills.News of her personal journey, in an exclusive interview about her yoga studio ownership and her newest non-profit yoga studio; “Mindful Yoga & Beyond”, offering yoga and mindfulness to those in financial need. Julie Ann has spent almost two decades in public school teaching. During that time, she found that many of her students were affected by emotional distress. Many were also affected by traumas, homelessness, educational deficits, financial hardships, and more. Julie Ann wanted to do so much more for her students and others she knew were struggling. Thus, she began offering occasional yoga in the academic classroom while being a public school teacher.
When asked what made Julie Ann get into yoga instruction and studio ownership, she responded with, “It was during my 17th year of teaching in the Euclid City School District that I began exploring strategies to help my students with self-regulation, focus, and overall improvement of mental health. During the last year of my teaching profession I switched from teaching kindergarten after 16 years and took a second grade position. I began to incorporate daily yoga practice and the students truly enjoyed it. It was a great way to begin the day as well as use before tests and in time of emotional distress. During my 18 years teaching in public education I developed meaningful relationships with children who were experiencing trauma, homelessness, behavioral outbursts, educational deficits, as well as many other negative environmental situations. Incorporating yoga, mindfulness, and other self-regulation strategies helped these students manage their BIG emotions. It gave them strategies to use during time of crisis to help regain control and be more successful at school. In 2019 I took a year off from teaching and I truly believe God had a different plan for me.
In January 2020, Julie Ann opened her small business, “Storybook Yoga Balanced Minds, llc”, to provide yoga, mindfulness, and literacy to children ages 6 months-16 years. She was able to use her years in education to help educate the body, mind, & soul. Once her small business was established she had planned to provide outreach yoga for children with financial barriers. Three years later through hard work and determination, Storybook Yoga has shown growth, paving the way for Julie Ann’s original goal of establishing an additional yoga studio that is non-profit.
Julie Ann always wanted to provide yoga to children experiencing homelessness, trauma, and/or any life crisis that impacts their overall well-being, and to most importantly remove any financial barriers. Thus, began the launch of her nonprofit organization, “Mindful Yoga & Beyond”. Julie Ann adds, “The name was chosen carefully, ‘Mindful Yoga & Beyond’, which encompasses the mission to provide yoga, mindfulness, and creative ways to help children self-regulate & balance their mind & body while transferring these practices to daily life.”
Individuals or businesses can offer their financial support to Mindful Yoga & Beyond llc, 501(c)(3), a public charity by visiting https://mindfulyogabeyond.org/ and https://givebutter.com/mindfulyogabeyond. There will be social media posts listing donors/supporters posted on the website. There will also be a designated space in the studio where donors/supporters, & businesses are highlighted.
The non-profit, “Mindful Yoga & Beyond” will soon offer 1 free weekly class for families experiencing financial hardships which is projected to launch in January 2024. They will also offer free events at the studio and student scholarships to use for classes and camps. Most importantly they will offer outreach yoga to child-centered organizations (not limited to but mostly nonprofit organizations) to help some of the most at-risk children and adolescents. Currently, a partnership has begun with Laura’s Home- a nonprofit that provides housing/community for women & children experiencing homelessness and other trauma & crisis. Julie Ann leads a yoga and craft session every Monday with approximately 15 community members (ages 5-13 years).
*Donations from businesses/supporters will help with the transportation costs, instructor fee, and other supply costs for the outreach yoga. Donations will also be used to provide in studio class and camp scholarships as well as free events.
