Written by Jennifer Compston-Struff
CLAIRSVILLE, ST. — Nicole Bucky Snodgrass started Restore Yoga + Wellness in 2018. There’s one reason for that. She recognized a need in the community and wanted to fill a void in the area.
Raised in Flushing and a graduate of Union Local High School, she first became involved in yoga and wellness 23 years ago. She decided to dabble in yoga using videotapes and take an actual live yoga class. She said her experience was “terrible.”
That’s what she thought at that moment. She really had something great to offer. ” There she began her first round of serious training in yoga and yoga teaching.
Today, she is the founder and CEO of Restore Yoga + Wellness, located on the top floor of 150 W. Main St. in St. Clairsville. She is a Yoga Alliance Certified Instructor and an Experienced Registered Yoga Teacher, which means she is an E-RYT. She is also studying for her 500 hour certification at Stone Yoga School. Additionally, she has been a certified health coach through her Institute for Integrative Nutrition since 2005.
She said Restore is the only yoga and wellness studio in the Ohio Valley, offering massages, bodywork therapies, sound baths, facials and a variety of yoga classes for people of all skill levels.
“The studio experience is what I wanted in this field,” Snodgrass said. …A place where people can come and do what they need to heal. A peaceful place. A place to relax. It’s a place to relieve stress. ”
Although her company is the only local business of its kind, Snodgrass believes there are many bright spots in the local area for the public, especially women. One of them is the increasing opportunities available through local universities. She cited her massage therapy training at Belmont University as an example. She also believes the region offers women the opportunity to earn income to support their families in unique ways, such as running her own business online.
She has one piece of advice for women who want to start a business similar to hers. That means hiring a consultant. She pointed out that a person may know everything about how to teach yoga, but that doesn’t mean they know how to run an independent business. After she hired a consultant to get her business off the ground, “everything changed,” she said.
That’s not the only lesson she’s learned as part of running a business. In fact, she said she is still studying all the time.
“I learn every day from my clients and students,” she said. “I learn humility. I learn to be a better teacher, a better person. I learn to listen to their needs. They are my best teachers.”
She stressed that “there are no prerequisites for coming to yoga,” adding that the physical, mental and spiritual practice, which has its origins in ancient India, is always becoming more and more accessible to locals. . She said she has seen more women become yoga teachers in the past three to five years, and she has noticed yoga classes being offered in new spaces such as churches and community rooms. .
Snodgrass said she lives by the motto, “Always go to bed with this motto.”
“I learned to listen to the needs of others before making decisions,” she said.
Restore Yoga + Wellness is open Monday through Thursday from 8:30 a.m. to 8 p.m. Friday and Saturday from 8:30 a.m. to noon. Sundays from 9:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. Snodgrass and his staff offer group classes, private and semi-private sessions, and special events. For more information, visit restoreyogaandwellness.com or find the studio on Facebook.
