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OYSTER POINTER is a monthly publication about business in the Oyster Pointer area of Newport News, VA. More About the Oyster Pointer Publication Submit Your Ideas and Thoughts “Oyster Pointer Salutes:” Archives Request
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Business owner Courtney Cunningham’s Total Yoga Experience includes aromas that greet and envelop her customers at the front door. The spa-like atmosphere activates and engages the whole range of senses, as customers taste herbal teas, listen to soothing music, and take in laser lights on the studio ceiling that create a sense of running water. “It’s all about balance. Not just your body’s balance, but regaining balance in your life. Yoga is so much more than stretching, and relaxing is a learned experience,” says Cunningham, who was named by the Daily Press as one of Hampton Roads 2004 Top Ten Businesswomen Under 30. Self-motivated Cunningham, who also owns four Curves franchise locations in the area, disliked taking her own yoga classes in a typical fitness center environment. Looking for an outlet for greater creativity than franchising generally allows, Cunningham decided to fashion a yoga studio after spas she appreciated in Miami and New York. Besides overseeing the staffs of her five business locations and providing the creative energy behind the total yoga experience, Cunningham also finds time in her schedule to buy and invest in real estate. Almost a year ago, Cunningham recognized the classiness of the Port Warwick real estate development. She located the Zenya Yoga and Massage Studio on the first floor of her three-story “live-above” loft-style apartment. When asked about competition for the yoga clientele in this area, Cunningham reflected. “There really isn’t a competitor who offers such a diverse schedule of classes as ours in an atmosphere like this.” Her ten instructors offer a full range of classes and workshops, including beginner workshops, corporate workshops, body fusion classes, and power yoga for those inclined to want a fat burning, serious sweat generating experience. “Yoga is for everybody,” Cunningham emphasizes. Her clients travel from as far as Williamsburg and Virginia Beach, but Cunningham has no plans to extend the Zenya concept into more locations. “I’m not willing to compromise the effectiveness of what I’m already doing.” She notes that the studio also offers massages, facials, and has recently added an aesthetician to the staff. The front door of the studio carries the traditional yoga salutation Namaste. This greeting, in essence, means that when people bow to the divine in each other, it creates a divine world. Zenya Yoga and Massage Studio has carved out a niche that creates a bit of that divine, heavenly world on the corner of Herman Melville Avenue. And you don’t need a tornado to get you there—just a mouse: www.zenyayoga.com. |
Oyster
Pointer Salutes: Zenya
Yoga Studio: stretches mind and body