Meet Chelsea Winters | Yoga Studio Owner & Retreat Leader

We had the good fortune of connecting with Chelsea Winters and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Chelsea, can you share a quote or affirmation with us?
“And forget not that the earth delights to feel your bare feet and the winds long to play with your hair.” — Kahil Gibran

This is one of my favorite quotes and one that I often incorporate in to my week long retreat planning. It is so easy to get wrapped up in the everyday minutia, so it is important to have reminders to pause, come back to our natural state, check in with nature, ground down and slow down. At least once a day I try to take a pause outside and just breathe, and reconnect with my breath and the beauty of nature around us.

So much can be learned from nature, and this quote has often been the inspiration in planning my yoga retreats, where I know my soul is happiest when the sun is on my face and I’m standing in bare feet on wet sand, or dry earth. I like to take that nourishment and draw it in when I am planning my retreats, to give my yogis a chance to reconnect with themselves and nature, and really truly nourish from the inside out.

I also like to take this reminder into my daily life- a reminder to take time to get out and hike, or sit by the river, and slow down. Making the practice of yoga, not just a practice on the mat, but also one that weaves into our daily lives and allows us to become more present. It is really easy to get wrapped up in work and in life, and this quote is a nice reminder to pause and take moments for the things that are truly important and fill me back up.

What should our readers know about your business?
Anahata is the energy center of the heart (or heart chakra), and when it came to naming my yoga and wellness studio, Anahata felt the right fit. Yoga is a practice of the heart and taking the leap of faith to commit full time to owning my own business took not only energy of the heart but also trust. Everyday, I pour my heart into the business and I hope my yogis feel that when they step in to the studio and experience a class or workshop. At Anahata, I strive to make all feel welcome, and my philosophy is to always have you feel better when you walk out, than how you did when you came into the studio… not just on a physical asana level, but addressing the breath and then most importantly the mental, emotional and energetic bodies.

When I decided to start my own business, it was a bit serendipitous. I was teaching throughout the Vail valley and hosting yoga retreats, but knew I had more to give and wanted to teach more. The thought of opening a yoga studio crossed my mind, but was not necessarily on the immediate horizon. I was working in real estate when the studio space became available, a business that is very head driven and often lacks gratitude, I could feel the burn out and I knew my days in that industry were becoming numbered, so when the studio space became available within walking distance of my house, I knew I needed to trust the universe and take that leap of faith to shift gears.

Owning a yoga business is one of the most difficult but also most rewarding things I have ever done, and I am constantly learning new lessons every day in the business, in the practice, learning more about myself and about how to show up in this life. Having never owned a business before, I was not 100% sure what I was getting myself in to, but I knew for certain that it if I did not move forward and at least try, it would be something that I would surely regret, and always wonder what if…

I knew I needed to make that jump, trust my gut instinct and heart, and give it my all! Owning a yoga studio is a business of both heart and head, but when it came to making that initial decision to move forward, it was certainly one of the heart.

Yoga is a constant practice, we need to keep showing up for ourselves and others so that we can continue to evolve. Yoga and life has taught me that everything is always constantly changing, and the more we can allow ourselves to grow and to adapt, the more in flow we become and life becomes a little easier. The lessons that continue to show up for me in the business and in daily life are to slow down, lead from a place of love, to be present and be grateful.

3.5 years into the business, I am most proud of the fact that I am still persevering. I opened the studio in May of 2019, less than a year before covid, so we were just starting to get things going and then covid hit and we were forced to close our doors for 13 weeks. Operating a small business during covid was by far the most challenging thing I have ever done, and we are still very much in what feels like a building phase. Even through all of the hard times though, I am really grateful for all of the lessons that this covid journey has taught me, not just on a business level but on a personal level as well. The journey reinforced the notion that personal energy is not infinite and we need to be mindful about how we spend our time and where we direct our resources. Covid forced me to pare down energetically and really focus on where I want success, while also allowing for a bit of a shift in energy and priorities. This idea of how are you going to spend your time, and what type of an impact are you looking to make?

At Anahata, I like to think that we are making small, positive energetic impacts or shifts throughout the day. The physical practice is what first drew me to yoga, but two decades later, the asana practice has become secondary to the breathwork (pranayama), meditation, mantra and kriya. It’s a way to tap in to this infinite universal source of energy and fill ourselves up- to take pause, to tune in to how we really feel. Anahata allows me to give back to the community whether it is in small one hour bites as folks come in for a studio class, or in week long transformational sessions on retreat, or in offering a free sound bath to those undergoing cancer treatments. Owning a small business is a labor of love and gratitude, and then on some days it is just a labor. It’s hard work and requires heart and soul, but because of that, at the end of the day I feel proud of where I have come from and excited about where I am going.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
Minturn is a small town and has that small town feel, which is why I love it so much! Almost all within walking distance of my house and the studio… we would go for a hike or two and check out the wildflowers which have been amazing this summer.  We would go whitewater rafting on the Eagle River or the Upper Colorado and possibly camp out somewhere beautiful.
It is always fun to grab a margarita at the Minturn Saloon, dinner at Thai Kitchen, or lunch at Rocky Mountain Taco. We would walk around the Minturn Farmer’s Market, check out some live outdoor music at Little Beach Park or Ford Amphitheater- there are so many fun outdoor summer activities here!  If it was the winter, we would go backcountry skiing or ski the resort on Vail Mountain or Beaver Creek and apres somewhere in Vail Village.  We live in a small mountain community that really has a lot to offer!

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
My biggest thanks goes out to my husband, Jordan, and my family for supporting me when I decided to take an unconventional route. To leave a lucrative (but also soul draining career), to follow my heart and and choose a path less traveled. To my sister, Shaina for always encouraging me, and reminding me that this life is too short to not chase your dreams. A thank you to my teachers at Yandara Yoga Institute for giving me the knowledge when I first started this journey and all of my mentors, teachers and friends along the way, reminding me that I am a life long student, always learning.

Website: www.AnahataYogaCo.com

Instagram: @anahatayogacolorado

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/anahatayogacolorado

Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/biz/anahata-yoga-minturn

Other: anahatayogacolorado@gmail.com Please register for in person, or virtual live zoom classes on the Mindbody app

Image Credits
Photo Credits: Jon Resnick (when noted in the image name)