Suvita Hot Yoga in South Jordan, Utah is one of Manduka's top 100 studios in the country and a top 10 studio in the Western territory! We asked Suvita's studio manager, Amber Ascolese how she makes the retail area thrive and what sets Suvita Hot Yoga apart from other studios.
Naomi: Tell us about your studio, class offerings and the energy it brings to the South Jordan community. What is the goal or mission of Suvita Hot Yoga?
SHY: Suvita is a woman owned, and operated studio! Our goal is to provide a safe, supportive, and friendly environment for people of all body types to come together, and find an escape from the everyday stresses of life. Whether that is work, school, family, or any other daily stressor that interferes with someone’s mind and spirit.
Our main hot yoga class blends the Ghosh and Vinyasa lineages into a very challenging practice done in an intensely hot, and humid environment. This allows our students to challenge themselves both physically, and mentally. We truly believe the heat, and humidity is simply another tool to strengthen the mind, training your mind and body to calm itself, no matter the challenge. Our students are encouraged to find their edge in their practice while at the same time knowing when to soften and surrender. Practicing in this intense heat is not for everyone, but the people who are drawn to that type of intensity tend to become regular students. Over the past 5 years this has grown into a very close-knit supportive community of students, teachers, and staff. Suvita provides a space to challenge yourself physically and mentally, to simply quiet your mind, to let go. Learning how strong you are, and connecting with others helps guide your journey.
Naomi: What are some other key elements of your studio that enhance the practice of your students?
SHY: Our key element is the intensity of the heat and humidity. This is simply a tool to help focus your mind. Again, this is not for everyone. The classes that use this intense environment are always the same sequence. Our students come in knowing what to expect. This helps them quiet the mind, focus on the breath, and just move. They also learn how to calm themselves during chaos. Your mind cannot wander. The heat and humidity help keep that focus. At the same time, our yoga is very simple. No advanced head stands or postures that require super flexibility. The practice is designed to be done by all levels. Another element that enhances our students’ practice is we treat this yoga as sacred. We have a very strict policy in our hot room. Out of respect for the yoga and our student’s time. Our classes start on time (no late comers), end on time. We do not allow our students to wander in and out of class because it is distracting to others. If they leave during class, they cannot come back in until the teacher lets them in. We encourage our students to listen to their bodies by taking breaks on their mat and listening to the breath. There is no talking, no cell phones in the room even before and after class.
Naomi: The retail area at Suvita Hot Yoga is always fresh and updated. The hardgoods are exclusively Manduka and your towel sales have always been a huge success! What are your best sellers and do you have any suggestions for our readers on how to manage a successful retail assortment?
SHY: A yogi is only as good as their tools. We believe that the equipment we offer and encourage our students to use will only benefit their practice! Manduka makes that easy, We offer a wide variety of Yogitoes towels (when we can get our hands on them) – We offer our students rental equipment if needed or if they are considering a purchase on a Manduka item. All of our studio equipment is also exclusively Manduka, as we believe it’s the best in the business. Once they try it, they are hooked. Especially when practicing in such a humid environment. The grip a Yogitoes towel gives you is transforming on the mat!
Styling our retail wall has become a favorite pass time. Featuring hot sellers to draw attention. One thing we have been doing is marketing and displaying our Yogitoes towels a completely different way. We want our students to touch and feel the quality, be able to hold the product and see design before purchase! We un-roll and hang all our mat towels and have been doing it this way for YEARS! Allowing our students to feel the integrity of the fabric, feel the difference from the one they are using currently is enough to change their mind. No pressure is ever needed, and we encourage our staff to share their personal experiences with the product to ensure our students are comfortable and confident in their purchases. Our best sellers are the Yogitoes towels along with the entire Pro series yoga mats! We purchase only a few of every color to make the options more “exclusive & limited.”
WE LOVE A GOOD GIVEAWAY! Especially when it’s a giveaway for MANDUKA MERCHANDISE! We recently held a student appreciation day and did a “Yogi Essentials” baskets with everything you need to get started, we find this to be a fun and exciting way to promote our retail. We are still able to make our studio feel more “boutiquey” by offering a variety of goods from local companies, many women owned and operated right here in Utah! However, all equipment and yoga essentials do remain strictly Manduka.
