Laurel Attanasio and Go With the Flow

Laurel Attanasio: Her yoga journey

Laurel Attanasio and her yoga journey is one that most people can probably relate to. Fifteen years ago, she was a stressed-out graduate student who was working full-time. A friend invited her to a yoga class, and the rest, as they say, was history. She fell in love with yoga, and noticed the difference it made in her physical and mental health as she made her practice a way of life. That wasn’t all. Then, at 25, her older yoga teachers, whom she admired, inspired her with the way they eased into yoga poses with grace. They looked amazing, too. She wanted to experience the joie de vivre that they radiated.

Fifteen years later

Fifteen years later, following life changes that included marriage, Laurel Attanasio and her perspective of yoga has evolved. She tuned out the voice of society—and her former boss—that told her to follow the crowd, and became a yoga instructor after a teacher unexpectedly asked her to conduct a Saturday class. “Yoga was something I did for myself,” she said, in an interview with Yoga Marketer, Patricia Bohl. With her thirst for knowledge, it was also another thing for her to learn and foster self-development, while being around like-minded people. Now, instead of focusing on the physical challenges and trying to attain “perfect” poses, she listens to herself, and asks introspective questions such as ‘How much longer can I sit still?’ and ‘Can I actually honor my body?’

Nutrition and Yoga

Nowadays, Laurel opts for a home-based yoga practice, instead of attending classes. Nutrition also goes hand in hand with her practice. She became a vegetarian when she was 15 and took the next step towards veganism around the time she started yoga. She shared that while it’s important to be a vegan, it’s even more important to be a healthy vegan. “If you’re not eating in a way that honors your body, it’s not as helpful. Food impacts how we feel,” she added. As such, she makes it a point to ask herself, ‘What makes me feel good?’ and ‘What makes me feel nourished?’ Doing this fosters her self-awareness.

First Yoga Retreat

From her early days on the mat to a yoga instructor and now, an experienced yoga retreat host was a wild, and sudden, leap of faith. While teaching yoga classes, she started a small marketing firm, helping small businesses with their marketing. One day, while out with friends, one of them suggested that they host a yoga retreat. She agreed, thinking that her friend meant several years later. It came together in a matter of months. She’s still amazed that, with a marketing plan that consisted of flyers and word-of-mouth, 25 people showed up. That was seven years ago. Now, armed with more knowledge and experience, she advises aspiring yoga retreat host to keep in mind that eight months to a year is a safe timeline to market an overseas yoga retreat. Also, from her experience, it’s best practice not to advertise your yoga retreat during classes at a yoga studio where you work. This is considered a conflict of interest and will cause friction between you and the owner.

Lessons Learned

One of the lessons, Laurel has learned from hosting yoga retreats is how draining it can be. It’s safe to say that it’s not a vacation. Quite the opposite. “It’s a lot of work,” she said. Another lesson is that you won’t be able to make everyone happy, no matter what you do.

At her original retreats, she would incorporate early morning activities, such as inviting attendees to join her on a morning run before the first session. Now, she doesn’t do that anymore, only with a few exceptions. She made that change to conserve her and the attendees’ energy. Now, she uses solitude to gather her thoughts and prepare herself for the day’s sessions. Depending on the size of groups, she’ll also bring assistants along for support.

Yoga Summit: Go With The Flow

Laurel and her partner with Get Lost in Greece are hosting a Yoga Summit, Go With the Flow. She developed this project because she wanted to make it possible for yoga teachers to host an affordable retreat without fulfilling the usual requirement by retreat centers to have 20 or 30 attendees. Yoga teachers will get a chance to go to Greece and take eight students with them. Also, the teachers’ trip will be free and they can bring someone along to room with. Everyone will meet for excursions and meals, but the teachers will have classes with their own students. It’s a great way to get yogis and teachers together.

Yoga teachers won’t have to deal with any planning details because Laurel and her team are handling all the logistics. They will provide marketing materials and coach the teachers on the sales process and how to develop a price point, so that they can mark it up as much or as little as they like for their earnings.

Interested persons can find more details on the Go With The Flow website or reach out to Laurel on her website. She also has her own upcoming yoga retreats, so if you would like to go to Amsterdam or Spain with her, she has a few available spaces left.

Yoga Teachers’ Retreat

There’s more. She’s also planning a yoga teachers’ retreat for Spring 2021. “I noticed that a lot of yoga teachers don’t have the skills and background to market themselves and their product,” she explained. This retreat will equip them with these necessary skills on how to sell their events and make themselves stand out. “Plus, yoga teachers don’t get a lot of time to go on retreats for themselves. This retreat is a way for them to connect with other teachers, brainstorm, and get creative ideas.”

Last words

Laurel Attanasio is living her dream, helping others to achieve theirs, and certainly radiating that joie de vivre she saw on her first teachers who inspired her current path.

Join the discussion. Share your thoughts in the comments.