Inspiring Conversations with Debra Smith of Blue Lotus Yoga & Wellness

Hi Debbie, please kick things off for us with an introduction to yourself and your story.
In January 2019, a co-worker introduced me to my first yoga class through an Employee Wellness offering, which ran over an eight-week period. At the third week point, something inside me shifted. It was a shift in mindset, as well as body. A fire was lit, and I found myself yearning to learn more and more. I wanted to share this newfound passion with others who could benefit as I have. I left my employment and began focusing on more training to help me share the positive energy and wellness I gained through yoga. I enrolled in a 200-hour certification training through my local college so I could become an instructor. I completed certifications for teaching Trauma-Informed Children’s yoga, Chair Yoga, 300-hour Kundalini, and a Reiki Master Teacher program. While enrolled in an Ayurvedic Health Counselor program, I moved to Saint Cloud, Florida, with my family. A dream of opening a yoga studio became a reality when the storefront on the corner of 10th Street and Pennsylvania Avenue became available for lease. We signed the lease in July of 2022, spent the summer renovating the space, and soft opened on October 8th. Our official ribbon cutting took place this past Friday, December 9th.  Blue Lotus Yoga & Wellness is blessed to have nine instructors offering yoga, meditation, sound healing, breathwork, reiki, and Ayurveda. A free community book club is offered on select Tuesday evenings and various informational workshops each month; the studio also hosts a beautifully curated storefront offering wellness products, spiritual literature, jewelry, and yoga accessories.

Alright, 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?
The biggest hurdle we have encountered has been the downtown reconstruction of roadways in the historic district of Saint Cloud.  The project was slated to be completed by October and currently has a projected completion date of February 2023. It has deterred parking, making it difficult for clients to locate or even reach the studio and caused a great amount of dust and debris outside our doors.  The building we lease was built in 1915, as we were attempting to create a warm and inviting space inside the historic walls we uncovered a few areas that needed more attention than we initially thought would be necessary.  There also were many steps along the way that did fall into place at their proper timing and set-backs we encountered  always found a way to smooth themselves out.