Woman-owned business celebrates grand opening in newly renovated Boardman studio
Yoga Element celebrated the grand opening of their newly-renovated Boardman studio down the road from their old spot with a full day of community wellness.
This trauma-informed yoga studio is owned by Mandy Hinkle and Jenna Forte whose team of teachers is trained to focus on fortifying mental health.
In May, co-owners Mandy Hinkle and Jenna Forte at Yoga Element hosted eight 30-minute classes throughout the day, with a local vendor sale at 6961 Market St.
“Community is an important aspect of yoga. We all co-exist and we can all support each other and be of service for the wellbeing of our neighbors and new friends,” Hinkle and Forte said. “We were honored to have so many fabulous local vendors in attendance. Some people stopped by with no intention of participating in classes, then quickly changed their minds as soon as they saw what we had to offer.”
Other students took almost every class offered during the grand opening.
“There were many friends and family who came by to support us in other ways by enjoying the vendors, purchasing apparel and entering our raffles. We are truly so grateful for the love shown that day,” the owners said. “We hope to provide a safe space that feels like a sanctuary from the stressors of the outside world where absolutely everybody is welcome and supported. You can come as you are.”
Yoga Element relocated to Larsen Plaza from their former spot where they’d been for seven years, sharing space with Fred Astaire at 5090 Market St. in Boardman.
“We absolutely love Larsen Plaza where we’re located,” Forte and Hinkle said. “You can take a yoga class, stop by Pop! Art Books Culture and grab a coffee from Slow Hurry Coffee all within close walking distance. Plus, our kiddos love the arcade next door.”
Yoga Element’s first class at 6961 Market St. in Boardman took place on Feb. 4.
“We love that Boardman is a central location for our wide range of regular yoga practitioners. We have students who have practiced with us for years coming from Poland, Struthers, Canfield, Niles, Warren, Girard and Hubbard. We also really love how dynamic and lively Boardman is for our community,” the owners said. “We enjoy the enthusiastic energy of so many businesses working together to cultivate a thriving and fun environment.”
The owners described the relocation as a full year of collaboration between Forte, Hinkle and Hinkle’s husband, Brian, and a “labor of love completing the build-out and renovations.”
“The unit had been vacant almost six years, and we used this opportunity to completely transform the space into a cozy healing sanctuary with vibrant art and locally-crafted holistic products. We didn’t hire any outside construction workers. We chose, designed and renovated every inch of the studio to make it our own,” Hinkle and Forte said.
Forte started Yoga Element in early 2019, which grew out of a consistent following for her previous classes around the area. She said until joining forces with Hinkle, she had no intention of Yoga Element taking off like it did.
“We still laugh about how this all happened to this day,” the owners shared. “The efforts in growing this community have been non-stop ever since. Yoga Element grew slowly, but loyally. Mostly by word-of-mouth, it started getting around that Yoga Element was this ‘hidden gem’ located in the basement of Fred Astaire Dance Studios. Although we didn’t have a sign out front for all to see, those who needed us always made their way down those steps on a regular basis.”
At first, it was only Forte and Hinkle teaching classes at Yoga Element before the team grew.
“We only had evening classes and one weekend class. We also only advertised yoga and hadn’t yet incorporated other mindful practices outside the realm of the traditional yoga class,” Forte and Hinkle said. “Now, we have a big beautiful sign and a gorgeous storefront to call our own. We proudly provide a variety of healing offerings such as Qigong, mobility-focused and functional movement, breathwork, yin yoga paired with Reiki and Thai Massage, seasonal sound baths and also workshops in cyclical living, meditation and traditional Ashtanga Yoga. We are also very excited to offer morning and afternoon classes, and have multiple classes happening every day including several weekend class options.”
The owners said attendees don’t need to bring any fancy yoga clothes or study up on anything about yoga prior to coming in to class.
“We give very detailed instruction and we help you every step of the way. We look forward to serving the community with a wide variety of classes for somatic healing. We also look forward to offering more day retreats in-studio as well as yoga & holistic healing retreats on location in nature,” Hinkle and Forte said.
Hinkle and Forte describe yoga as “a ‘work-in,’ not a workout.”
“Our students practice yoga and meditation daily as a dedicate self-study lifestyle that keeps them coming back for more,” they said.
Hinkle shared that she completed an intensive mentorship with renowned trauma therapist and author Dr. Jamie Marich co-facilitating workshops on uniting trauma recovery with yoga.
“‘Trauma’ means ‘wound,’ and this refers to both physical and emotional wounds,” she said. “These wounds create energy blockages where individuals can get stuck in fight-or-flight mode. When we focus on linking our breath with our movement in trauma-informed yoga, we clear out that blocked energy and we can shift into ‘rest and digest mode’ which recalibrates the nervous system.”
Trauma-informed yoga soothes an overactive nervous system by lowering stress hormones like cortisol.
Hinkle said this is an empowering and holistic approach to safely reconnect with one’s body, mind and spirit, “encouraging agency and prioritizing nervous system regulation over perfecting physical postures.”
