Emma Barr tells us about the health of the Yogi Peace Club


Brendan: hello everyone. Welcome to Episode 6 of the Australian Health and Safety Business Podcast. I’m Brendan Torazzi the founder of the marketplace. Today we join you from Fiji. I’m here with Emma Barr. Hi Emma.

Emma: hi, how are you going?

Brendan: I’m well. I’ve just nabbed Emma before she rushes off to her next location. Tell us a little bit about what you do Emma.

Emma: I have a business called Yogi Peace Club. It is about four years old now. We focused on products that are not only beautiful in design but also have an ecological sustainability part of the business. We do whatever we can to try and minimize waste. We use compostable packaging when we ship out all our orders. We also buy products that have got more sustainable materials in them. The yoga mats are PVC plastic free. They’re made of natural, recycle tree rubber. The yoga clothings are made from certified organic bamboo cottons. Really just trying to push this emphasis about sustainability but also providing products that fit so good fit, quality, comfort and a bit of color. Real fun too.

Brendan: what got you into the yoga line? Tell me a little bit about your story how you got to where you are today and what was your inspiration in starting I guess a business that ultimately benefits people's health?

Emma: I have always been in the surf industry. I worked for Roxy for about 10 years. I was their Head of Women's for Australasia. That really put me in a good position to start my own business because I saw every aspect of working for a big brand like Quiksilver. Then working with Reef, that was also I supposed the catalyst for understanding more about what ecological products can do. You can choose materials that are not going to have as greater effect as some of the other brands that are using plastics.

Brendan: is that a big costing position to go that extra mile?

Emma: yes, absolutely even compostable bags are eight times the price but I choose them because they're made in Australia as well. It is a definite cost for business I see it as an important part of the strategy for the business going forward. The products have sort of evolved over time and I’m just getting better with it but going back in time to working for Reef and now four years into Yogi Peace Club I feel as though if you don’t have a sustainable outlook on your business you're going to be left behind in the next five years.

Brendan: you're finding that your customers are becoming obviously they're fairly health conscious to start with but they also care for the environment I take it.

Emma: yes, definitely but then in saying that too like from the health conscious perspective our products like I designed a mat that is thicker, wider, longer, super grippy so very supportive for people's practice so that when they’re on their mats they're not going to move. They’ve got all the support underneath to make sure that they're feeling confident to move with their asana practice and they’re not going to be slipping and sliding which can cause injuries.

Brendan: I understand that you had few injuries as well. Tell me a little bit about what happened and how that led you into to shape because you're teaching yoga as well right?

Emma: I’ve been teaching yoga for four years. I did it at the time of healthy yoga. My yoga teaching was changed when I had a serious accident. I’ve been practicing yoga since my teens. I supposed my practice was more on the physical side. Then I had a really serious back injury. I had a prolapsed disc, 12mm disc bulge which is pretty significant. I had physios look at me and say we don’t want to touch you. You probably won’t be able to yoga again. I had surgeons telling me this is a very significant situation you’re in. You're going to have to have surgery to go forward. I did not listen to that.

Brendan: Emma's way.

Emma: my invention. I’m always inventing things.

Brendan: Emma's invention. That is right. I remember you telling me this.

Emma: I just found someone that I felt very confident in them. I feel as though with any injury. I don’t know personally a lot of it is mental. I’ve been definitely reading a lot on pain management and how you can sometimes resolve issues if you're thinking in a positive mindset. I don’t mean to simplify things too much because pain is pain. It's horrible but when people tell you that you're not going to get better you can’t help but absorb that and think you're not going to get better. I just decided to find someone that had a great supportive I supposed initiative for me that this is what I needed to start with. She was a physiotherapist in a hospital close by to where I live. She’s got tons of experience but she believed that I was going to get better. That was the difference for me getting better. It just took time.

Brendan: how long did it take? Like what was the journey from being injured through to getting to a palace where you are happy with the level of pain or the pain went away?

Emma: the pain went away after about 15 weeks however the pain is always carried with me but it makes me a more mindful person. It definitely has given me so much more empathy to teaching yoga. I feel for example yesterday I was practicing in a room. There was a yoga teacher at the front and there was a person in the room that had a back injury. I was at the back. I could see that she was struggling and I would not normally do this but she was actually in a lot of pain. I just went over to her and adjusted her. I knew what to do because of my experience and gave her support through her lumbar, spine and showed her some simple exercises. That is sometimes all people need. They just need to know that they're supported in safety what to do. The journey can be transformative if you're surrounded by people that believe that you're going to be okay rather than okay, surgery, drugs. Don’t do this. Don’t ever do yoga again.

Brendan: that is sort of the way a lot of conventional care is going isn’t it? It’s just drugs, needles, surgery. It doesn’t make it better.

Emma: this is my second major back injury. I’ve had one prior to that as well which I self-managed through McKenzie’s which is one of the only I think certified physio practices they’re using in hospitals in Australia. They use the McKenzie's Theory. It’s basically just knowing these certain exercises to do to self-manager and to heal. With belief, time, patience you can certainly get there. I feel as though we live in a fast pace society so everyone just wants that quick fix. When there is a substantial back injury people think right, I want to get fixed. They go searching for someone that will fix them today. It’s a lot about acceptance and knowing this is a slow healing injury. It’s not going to be resolved with massage. it’s full and out of the disc so it needs to heal. It takes time. That acceptance and patience is where you get the healing.

Brendan: 15 weeks sounds pretty quick to me. You’re able to turn around really quickly.

Emma: people live with these for the rest of their lives. There’s just simple things that you can do like I always travel with a lumbar support. If I’m having any issues with my back I know the exercises to self-manage that. Travelling definitely exacerbates it. I flew here with my daughter sitting awkwardly in my lap so I came off the place I was like, oh my back is sore. I come straight into my McKenzie poses, some yoga of course and yes, just making sure that posturally I’m sitting well. I’ve always got those lumbar supports to keep my back in a neutral position. It’s all those small, little steps that you can get through life with spinal disc injuries. Don’t be too sad about it because it can really affect your mental state.

Brendan: that is amazing. There was a blog post that you were talking about. We might link back into that with the show notes. Was that like six tips?

Emma: I just have some tips. It’s just sharing my journey. I think I highlight a few points like of course slow healing, being patient. I feel a big one is acceptance to go yes, I do have this but it's okay. I will get better and always be grateful that whatever situation you're in you're still here so just take whatever you can and turn it into some sort of positive. For me the outcome was learning how to be more empathetic to people with injuries. As a yoga teacher that has taught me so much. I feel like I can confidently step into a class at the front of the studio. I check in with my students are there any injuries in the room before they enter then once again I’m at the front of the class before we go anywhere I want to hear your body. Check in with your body. If something doesn’t feel right don’t push it. If you've got injuries just notice them. Don’t attach to them too much but just notice that they're there and don’t push through anything.

Brendan: a lot of people these days want to go faster, harder over time and something ends up snapping.

Emma: totally and the two most common injuries in yoga would be hamstrings so a lot of people have that, a hamstring injury from all the forward foldings. Definitely there’s a lot of discal issues as well and then shoulder. They’re probably the three things that I was checking particularly with for example guys that surf. They are really stiff often through their shoulders so making sure that you're applying the right asana movement to their body rather than making them do something that is going to pinch and feel uncomfortable.

Brendan: what would you recommend for people fi they would just look, they're interested in yoga but thought it was a bit inaccessible? What is a good way of a start for people?

Emma: I think definitely finding the person that you can feel comfortable with because you don’t want to be going to a class that is too spiritual or on a different tangent. You’ve got to find that one person that you can connect with and probably with my teaching the main thing that I want is connection so connection with the body, breath and mind but then also connection with the student so whenever I am standing at the front I want to feel that that person feel like they’re supported and there’s a connected between myself and them. That is the number one thing. If you don’t feel like you're comfortable in a class you're not going to come back.

Brendan: that is exactly right.

Emma: probably that. I think just finding the right teacher because if you've got a good teacher they can attend to whatever situation you're in.

Brendan: I think it’s great that you're actually teaching yoga and have a yoga brand because I would imagine that would connect together. You get to see people using your products.

Emma: yes and the studio I teach at you walk into the room and it's filled with my mats. It’s like this is a proud moment.

Brendan: are they mats that your students have purchased?

Emma: totally.

Brendan: it's got a loyal following.

Emma: most of the time I don’t know who they are and it's growing but it's organic growth. I don’t want to push that either. Just letting it unfold.

Brendan: what sort of things are you doing to get because I was really when I did a yoga class a couple of days ago I went and looked at one of your mats and I found out later oh my God. This is so beautiful. This is really striking. How did you come up with the design ideas?

Emma: I just have a love affair for patterns, color, print, tropical. It’s just me.

Brendan: it's an extension of your personality.

Emma: look at how I’m dressed. I dress like this. My hats look like this. This is just me. This comes very easily to me. A lot of things in life don’t come easy to me. I was thinking I wish I could do this better. I wish I could do that better. I do that all the time with my brand but at the same time I have a very clear vision and if I would just put it into one sentence I just want to make products that make people feel happy. That is it.

Brendan: that is very cool.

Emma: just to make them feel happy and that's it. If they're happy then I’m happy. If they're not happy then I’ll kill them with kindness and fix the problem.

Brendan: do you find that people are coming back and buy, repeat customers are huge and the word of mouth...

Emma: repeat customers is probably one of my biggest, actually sometimes I think no one will buy from me again. I want some new people. I’m just kidding. They come back and they love everything. I think they know that they're going to get those three things quality, fit, comfort and they're going to get this ecologically sound product as well. It’s not perfect but it's a work in progress. If anyone has got any ideas for me I’ll continue to become more eco with whatever I can do.

Brendan: that is fantastic. I’m just going to ask some question to wrap up the interview. These are kind of putting you on the spot so I hope it's okay.

Emma: yes.

Brendan: how old are you now? You could give me a low ballpark if you like.

Emma: I’m in my forties.

Brendan: you certainly don’t look that Emma.

Emma: 44.

Brendan: what do you do to keep fit?

Emma: yoga. I walk to Bells. I lived at Bells Beach.

Brendan: beautiful part of the world.

Emma: I walk to Bells. It’s up and down but yoga at least four to five times a week, home practice. That is basically all.

Brendan: how many hours sleep do you get on average?

Emma: definitely eight.

Brendan: that is fantastic. Have you got any personal goals that you're looking to achieve in the next 12 months?

Emma: I’m going to open my own yoga studio at my house as well as having where I teach. I teach at an amazing studio so I want to continue that but open my own studio from home to teach people that are just friends or like a more connected practice. Authentic, small class, eight people max. Just really soulful yoga.

Brendan: finally, what would you like to be most remember for on a business front?

Emma: to be authentic. Definitely to be authentic. That would be the main thing. Never fake it. It’s from the heart. I don’t want to pretend that I’m someone I’m not. It’s all me.

Brendan: that is fantastic. If people want to find out a little bit more about Emma, how do we find you?

Emma: I’ve got a little bit About Us page on my Yogi Peace Club website. There’s a little video of me and my other co-worker. I have two part time girls.

Brendan: your website address so people can link in.

Emma: it's YogiPeaceClub.com because I want to be for everyone.

Brendan: okay Emma, thanks for taking the time to come on the show.

Emma: all right. Hope to see you again soon. Yogis namaste.

Brendan: bye.

Emma: bye.

 

TRANSCRIPT

Brendan Torazzi
This is an ohs.com.au production Hello, everyone, welcome to episode six of the Australian Health and Safety Business Podcast. I'm Brendan Torazzi, the founder of the marketplace and today, we join you from Fiji. And I'm here with Emma bar. Hi, Emma. Hi, how are you going on? Well, I've just nabbed Emma before she rushes off to her next exotic location. And tell us a little bit about what you do what you you do.

Unknown Speaker
Yeah. Um, so I have a business called Yoky peace club. And it is about four years old. Now we focus on products that not only beautiful in design, but also have an ecological sustainability. Part of the business so we do everything we can to try and minimize waste, we use compostable packaging, and we ship out all our orders. And we also provide products that have got more sustainable materials in them. So the yoga mats are PVC plastic free. They're made of natural recycled tree rubber, the yoga clothings made from certified organic bamboo cotton's. So really just trying to push this emphasis about sustainability, but also providing products that fit. So good fit, quality, comfort, and a bit of color real fun, too.

Brendan Torazzi
And so what got you into the yoga line? Like Tell me a little bit about your story, how you got to where you are today and what what was your inspiration in starting, I guess a business that ultimately benefits people's health.

Unknown Speaker
So I have always been in the surf industry, I started. I worked for Roxy for about 10 years. And I was the head of women's for Australasia. So that really put me in a good position to start my own business because I saw every aspect of working for a big brand like Quicksilver. And then working with reef, that was also, I suppose the catalyst for understanding more about what ecological products can do for the market, you can choose materials that are not going to have as greater effect is some of the other brands that are using plastics.

Brendan Torazzi
And is that a big cost imposition to go the extra mile to

Unknown Speaker
Absolutely. Even like for the for instance, a compostable bags are eight times the price. But I choose ones that are made in Australia as well. So it is it is a definite cost of the business. But I see it as an important part of the strategy for the business going forward. And the products have sort of evolved over time, and I'm just getting better with it. But going back in time to working for Roxy, and then for Wraith and now four years and God peace club. I feel as though if you don't have a sustainable outlook on your business, you're going to be left behind the next five years.

Brendan Torazzi
Fair enough. So you're finding that your customers are becoming like, obviously they're fairly health conscious to start with, but absolutely, they also care for the environment. I'll take it Yeah, definitely.

Unknown Speaker
But then in saying that to like from the health conscious perspective, I products, like I designed and Matt that's bigger, wider, longer. Super, super grippy, so very supportive for people's practice. So that when they're on their max, they're not going to move like they've got the old support underneath, to make sure that they're feeling confident to move with their asana practice, and they're not going to be slipping and sliding, which can cause injuries.

Brendan Torazzi
So yeah, and I understand that you had a few injuries, as well. And yes, tell me a little bit about what happened and how that led you into shape. You're teaching yoga as well, right?

Unknown Speaker
So I've been teaching yoga for four years, and I did it at the time of hatha yoga. My yoga teaching was changed when I had a serious accident. So I've been practicing yoga since you know, since my teens and I suppose my practice was more on the physical side. And then I had a really serious back injury I had a prolapsed disc 12 millimeter disc bulge, which is pretty significant. I had physios look at me and say we don't want to touch you, you probably won't want to do yoga again. I had surgeons telling me this is a very significant situation you're in and we you're gonna have to have surgery to go forward. I did not listen to that. I

Brendan Torazzi
am his way. Are you telling me this?

Unknown Speaker
So I just found someone that I felt very confident in and I feel as With any injury that I don't know, personally, a lot of it is mental. And I've been definitely reading a lot on pain management and how you can sometimes resolve issues if you're thinking in a positive mindset. And I don't mean to simplify things too much, because Pain is pain is horrible. But when people tell you that you're not going to get better, you can't help but absorb that and think that you're not going to get better. So I just decided to find someone that had, like a great supportive I suppose initially, for me that that's what I needed to start with. And then she was actually she's a physiotherapist at an a&e in a hospital close spot earlier. So she's got tons of experience, but she believed that I was going to get better. So that was the difference for me getting better. It just took time. And how long

Brendan Torazzi
did it take, like, what was the journey from being injured through to getting to a place where you were happy with the level of pain or the pain went away,

Unknown Speaker
so the pain went away after about 15 weeks. However, the pain is always carried with me. But it makes me a more mindful person definitely has given me so much more empathy to teaching yoga. I feel very, for example, yesterday, I was practicing in a room, and there was a yoga teacher at the front. And there was a person in the room that had a back injury. And I was at the back, I could see that she was struggling. And I would not normally do this, but she was actually in a lot of pain. So I just went over to her and adjusted her. And I knew what to do because of my experience and gave her support through the lumbar spine and showed us some simple exercises. And that's, you know, that's sometimes all people need. Like they just need to know that they're supportive and safe and what to do. Like the journey can be transformative if you're surrounded with people that believe that you're going to be okay. Rather than it's like, okay, surgery drugs. Don't do this. Don't ever do yoga again. I mean,

Brendan Torazzi
that's sort of convinced the way a lot of conventional I guess. Care is going isn't it? That's just drugs. Needles. Yeah. Surgery surgery. Yeah, that'll fit No, doesn't make it better.

Unknown Speaker
Yeah. And this is my second major back injuries. I've had one prior to that as well which I self managed through Mackenzie's, which is a one of the only I think, certified physio practices they're using and hospitals in Australia. They use Mackenzie's theory. And I, it's basically just knowing the certain exercises to do to self manage and to heal. And yeah, it with belief, time, patience. You can certainly get there. I feel as though that we live in a fast paced society. So everyone just wants that quick fix. So when there's a substantial back injury, people think, right, I want to get fixed. So they go searching for someone fix them today. It's a lot about acceptance. And knowing this is a slow healing injury. It's not only resolved with massage, like the annulus is it's fallen out of out of the ditch so that it needs to heal, and it takes time. And that acceptance and patience is where you get the healing.

Brendan Torazzi
Yep, like 15 weeks sounds pretty quick to me that that the Turner tied around really quickly. Totally.

Unknown Speaker
I mean, people live with this for the rest of their lives. And there's a simple things that you can do like I always travel, travel with a lumbar support. Yep. If I'm having any issues with my back, I know the exercises to self manage that. Because traveling definitely exacerbates it. And I flew here with my daughter sitting awkwardly on my lap. So came off the plane. I was like, Oh, my back's sore. So come straight into my McKenzie poses. Some yoga of course. And then yeah, just making sure that posture Lee I'm sitting well, I've got, you know, always those lumbar supports to keep my back in a neutral position. And this is all a small little steps that you can get through life with. Yeah, spinal disc injuries. Yeah, not too sad about it, because it can really affect your mental state.

Brendan Torazzi
Yeah, that's amazing. And there was a blog post that you're talking about, we might we might link back into that with the show notes. But yeah, there was like six tips or

Unknown Speaker
Yeah, I just have some tips. Just sharing my journey and I think a highlight a few points like, yeah, of course slow healing, being patient. And I feel is a big one is acceptance to go. Yeah, I do have this but it's okay. I will get better and always be grateful that whatever situation you're in, you're still here, like so just take whatever you can and turn it into some sort of positive for me the outcome was learning how to be more empathetic to people within injuries. And as a yoga teacher that's taught me so much like, I feel I can confidently step into a class. At the front of the studio, I check in my students, are there any injuries in the room before they enter? Then, once again, I'm at the front of the class before we go anywhere on your body. Check it out with your body, if something doesn't feel right, don't push it. And if you've got injuries, just notice them. Don't attach to them too much, but just notice that they're there. And don't push through anything.

Brendan Torazzi
Yep. Yeah, I think we, a lot of people these days, when I go, you know, faster, harder totally, all the time, and something ends up snapping totally, totally.

Unknown Speaker
And the two most common injuries in in yoga would be hamstrings. So a lot of people have that. A hamstring injury, from all the forward foldings definitely has a lot of distal issues as well. And then shoulder shoulder. So they're the probably the three things that I always check in, particularly with, for example, guys that serve you know, they are really stiff, it's often through their shoulders. So making sure that you're applying the right Asana movement to their body, rather than making them do something that's going to pinch and feel uncomfortable.

Brendan Torazzi
So and what would you recommend for people that are, you know, if they were just, look, they're interested in yoga, but thought that was a bit bit inaccessible? Yeah, what's a good, good way to start for people,

Unknown Speaker
I think definitely finding the person that you can feel comfortable with. Because you don't want to be going to a class that's too spiritual or on a different tangent, you've got to find that one person that you can connect with. And probably with my teaching, the main thing that I want is connection. So connection with the body, breath and mind, but then also connection with the student. So whenever I'm standing up in front, I want to feel that that person feels like they're supported. And there's a connection between myself and them. So that's number one thing if you don't feel like you're comfortable in a class and

Brendan Torazzi
then come back. Yeah, that's exactly right. Yeah.

Unknown Speaker
So probably that I think, just finding, finding the right teacher. Because if you've got a good teacher, they can they can attend to whatever situation you're in.

Brendan Torazzi
I think it's great that you're actually teaching yoga and then have a yoga brand, because they would I would imagine, though we connect together you get to see people using our products using your products.

Unknown Speaker
Yeah. And the studio I teach that, like you walk into the room and says films my, like,

Brendan Torazzi
proud moment they met you. Students have purchased. Oh, wow. most loyal following Yeah,

Unknown Speaker
most of the time. I don't know who they are. And yeah, it's, it's, it's growing. But it's organic growth. I don't want to push that either. I just letting it unfold as it Yeah. And

Brendan Torazzi
so what sort of things are you doing to get? Because I was really, when I did a yoga class, a couple of days ago, I sort of went and looked at your one of your maps that I found out later went, Oh, my God, this is so beautiful, really, really striking. How did you? How did you come up with the design ideas,

Unknown Speaker
I just have a love affair for patterns, color print, tropical, tropical bait, it's just me, like, if you saw,

Brendan Torazzi
I mean, you looking at this extension of your personal dress,

Unknown Speaker
like I dress like this I have looks like this, I this is just just me. So this comes very easily to me. And a lot of things in life don't come easy to me, like I'm always thinking, I wish I could do this better, I was gonna do that better. And I do that all the time with my brand. But at the same time, I have just a very clear vision. And if I was just putting it into one sentence, I just want to make products that make people feel happy. That Wow, that is very cool. Very cool, just to make them feel happy. And that's it. If they're happy that I'm happy. And if they're not happy, then I'll kill them with kindness and fix the

Brendan Torazzi
problem. Right? So do you find that people are coming back and buying? Yes, my repeat customers so huge. It's huge word of mouth.

Unknown Speaker
repeat customers is probably one of my biggest I'd actually suddenly think, oh, no, no, buy for me good. Where's I wasn't up, you know, just getting, they just they come back and they just love her again. But I think they know, you're gonna get those three things a quality, fit comfort, and then they're gonna get this ecologically sound product as well. It's not perfect, but good work in progress work in progress. And if anyone's got any ideas for me, I'll continue to become more eco with whatever I can do.

Brendan Torazzi
That's fantastic. Yeah. Okay, well, I'm just gonna ask some questions to wrap up the interview. These are kind of putting you on the spot. So I hope it's okay. Yeah. Okay, so how old are you now? Oh, she give me a low ballpark. If you're like, Oh, I'm like, in my 40s. Okay. Well, you certainly don't look that fast for years. I think What? So what what do you do to keep fit?

Unknown Speaker
yoga yoga? I walked bowels. I live at Bell's beach. Oh, wow,

Brendan Torazzi
beautiful, beautiful part of the world. It's beautiful

Unknown Speaker
parts I walked about, like, it's up and down and but yoga at least four to five times a week home practice. Yeah, that's basically all.

Brendan Torazzi
Okay. How many hours sleep do you get on average?

Unknown Speaker
Oh, definitely a. Wow, that's fantastic. Yeah, yeah. Yeah.

Brendan Torazzi
Okay. Have you got any personal goals that you're looking to achieve in the next 12 months?

Unknown Speaker
I'm going to open my own yoga studio at my house as well as having this where I teach because I teach it amazing studios. I want to continue that but I'm in my own studio from home to teach people that just a friend's or that just want to any like a more connected practice

Brendan Torazzi
connected. Very authentic,

Unknown Speaker
authentic small class eight people, Max. Just really, you know, soulful yoga.

Brendan Torazzi
Okay. Okay. And finally, what would you like to be most remembered for on a business front?

Unknown Speaker
To be authentic? Definitely be authentic. Yeah, that would be the main thing. Never fake it. It's just, it's from the heart. Yeah, I don't want to pretend I'm someone I'm not. Yep. Just it's all me.

Brendan Torazzi
Oh, that's fantastic. And then if people want to find out a little bit more about Mr. Yeah. How do we find you?

Unknown Speaker
Oh, I've got a little bit about us page on my yogapeace Club website. And there's a little video of me and my other co worker. So I have two part time girls.

Brendan Torazzi
Okay. Sorry. And your website address so people can link in Yes,

Unknown Speaker
it's Yogi peace. club.com. Okay, so it's Yogi peace as in peace out and then club because I want to be for everyone. Yeah,

Brendan Torazzi
yeah. Awesome. Okay, Emma, thanks very much for taking the time to come on the show. All right. Hope to see you again soon. Yeah, these numbers Day. Bye Bye.

 

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