{"id":21290,"date":"2024-06-21T16:22:29","date_gmt":"2024-06-21T20:22:29","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.wellnessliving.com\/blog\/?p=21290"},"modified":"2026-02-06T11:36:05","modified_gmt":"2026-02-06T16:36:05","slug":"a-women-owned-non-profit-mission-the-journey-to-soul-friends-yoga-center","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.wellnessliving.com\/blog\/a-women-owned-non-profit-mission-the-journey-to-soul-friends-yoga-center\/","title":{"rendered":"The Journey to Soul Friends Yoga Center with WellnessLiving"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-by-dorsa-gholibeigi\">by Dorsa Gholibeigi<\/h4>\n\n\n\n<p>As a novice to yoga myself, I\u2019ve always been inspired by the unique journeys of those who are more experienced in their practice. Meeting with WellnessLiving customer Susan Meymand of <a href=\"https:\/\/www.soulfriendsyogacenter.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Soul Friends Yoga Center<\/a> in Dallas, Texas, was an incredible opportunity to learn how a group of women combined their independent experiences to give rise to a beautiful community.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-key-takeaways\">Key takeaways: <\/h3>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Soul Friends Yoga Center was founded as a women-owned nonprofit to build community and make yoga accessible to all. <\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>The center emphasizes inclusivity, offering classes and programs that support both physical and emotional well-being. <\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.wellnessliving.com\/yoga\/software\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Using WellnessLiving software<\/a> helps the team manage scheduling, communications, and community engagement more effectively.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"30-Years-of-Yoga-Experience:-A-Journey-of-Transformation-and-Community\">30 years of yoga experience: A journey of transformation and community<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"Early-Beginnings-and-Personal-Growth\">Early beginnings and personal growth<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Yoga has been a transformative journey for Susan Meymand, spanning three decades of exploration, growth, and community building. Susan&#8217;s initial exposure to yoga was in a college class, followed by a free session at a local Indian restaurant. She was immediately drawn to the peacefulness that yoga offered. Her newfound inspiration led her to begin studying poses and meditation techniques from books. Then, to gradually integrate yoga into her daily life.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Despite pursuing various careers (from metalsmith to Montessori teacher to office manager at a chiropractic center), Susan felt a persistent urge for change. Yoga emerged as her calling during a pivotal moment, despite societal pressures that it wasn\u2019t a conventional career choice.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"The-Journey-to-Soul-Friends-Yoga-Community\">The journey to the soul friends yoga community<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Susan\u2019s journey took a significant turn when the yoga studio she frequented abruptly closed, leaving a void in her community. Banding together with a group of committed yogis, a new studio emerged. Together, these strong women founded Soul Friends Yoga Community (<span data-highlighted=\"true\"><span class=\"_11q710hx _5pioz8co _189eyh40 _1il9nqa1 _19lc184f _d0altlke acronym-highlight\" data-testid=\"acronym-highlight\">SFYC<\/span><\/span>) in late 2022 and gained nonprofit status in early 2023.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The establishment of <span data-highlighted=\"true\">SFYC<\/span> was not without its challenges. Susan explains that a major hurdle was defining the organization\u2019s mission. By drawing on the diverse experiences and intentions of each instructor, <span data-highlighted=\"true\">SFYC<\/span> found its core purpose: to make yoga accessible to all, treating it not as a luxury but as a vital tool for mental and physical well-being.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"The-Philosophy:-Connection-as-the-Cure\">The philosophy: Connection as the cure<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Central to <span data-highlighted=\"true\">SFYC<\/span>\u2019s philosophy is the belief that &#8220;connection is the cure.&#8221; Rooted in Vedic teachings, this principle emphasizes that suffering arises from a false sense of separation\u2014from others, nature, and oneself. <a href=\"https:\/\/www.wellnessliving.com\/blog\/how-be-one-yoga-studio-turned-a-passion-for-connection-into-a-thriving-studio\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Yoga helps people<\/a> reconnect with themselves and others by providing an opportunity to step away from life\u2019s chaos and slow down.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"Embracing-Yoga-as-a-Pathway-to-Healing-and-Growth\">Embracing yoga as a pathway to healing and growth<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>For those curious about yoga but hesitant to start, Susan offers reassuring advice. Yoga, she explains, is a break from the chaotic pace of today\u2019s modern world. A practice inviting individuals to step back, breathe, and gain perspective. She encourages new yogis to welcome imperfection, and emphasizes that being afraid of failure should not stop you from trying. It\u2019s how we learn!<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"The-Future-of-SFYC-and-Beyond\">The future of <span data-highlighted=\"true\">SFYC<\/span> and beyond<\/h4>\n\n\n\n<p><span data-highlighted=\"true\">SFYC<\/span> hopes to continue to evolve as a beacon of inclusivity and accessibility. Through donation-based classes and outreach programs, <span data-highlighted=\"true\">SFYC<\/span> strives to ensure that everyone, regardless of background or income, can benefit from yoga.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>In essence, Susan\u2019s journey through yoga encapsulates not just personal growth but a profound commitment to building a supportive community. As she reflects on her 30-year odyssey, it\u2019s clear that for Susan, yoga is not merely a practice; it\u2019s a philosophy of connection, healing, and embracing the fullness of life.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\"\/>\n\n\n\n<p>This blog post celebrates Susan\u2019s remarkable journey through yoga and highlights how the passion of several committed women transformed into a thriving community dedicated to making yoga accessible to all. It serves as a testament to the enduring power of yoga as a pathway to community building.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\"\/>\n\n\n\n<p>If you own a yoga studio and want to see it blossom into a center of community and health, you need the support of partners like WellnessLiving. Our all-in-one platform is affordable for small yoga studios and can support you as you grow or choose to franchise. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.wellnessliving.com\/blog\/top-reasons-to-choose-wellnessliving-for-yoga-studios\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Check out this article to learn more about how we can support your journey<\/a> just like we do Susan&#8217;s. Or you can <strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.wellnessliving.com\/yoga\/software\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">book a free, no-commitment demo of WellnessLiving today<\/a><\/strong> to get started!<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>by Dorsa Gholibeigi As a novice to yoga myself, I\u2019ve always been inspired by the unique journeys of those who are more experienced in their practice. Meeting with WellnessLiving customer Susan Meymand of Soul Friends Yoga Center in Dallas, Texas, was an incredible opportunity to learn how a group of [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":23,"featured_media":21291,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"disable_featured_image":false,"_lmt_disableupdate":"","_lmt_disable":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[1184],"tags":[2275,2277,17858,2294],"class_list":["post-21290","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-yoga","tag-branding","tag-expert-advice","tag-yoga","tag-yoga-studio"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO Premium plugin v22.4 (Yoast SEO v26.0) - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<title>The Journey to Soul Friends Yoga Center with WellnessLiving<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"We talk with Susan Meymand of Soul Friends Yoga Center to learn about her journey to create a nonprofit yoga center in Dallas, TX.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.wellnessliving.com\/blog\/a-women-owned-non-profit-mission-the-journey-to-soul-friends-yoga-center\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"The Journey to Soul Friends Yoga Center with WellnessLiving\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"We talk with Susan Meymand of Soul Friends Yoga Center to learn about her journey to create a nonprofit yoga center in Dallas, TX.\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/www.wellnessliving.com\/blog\/a-women-owned-non-profit-mission-the-journey-to-soul-friends-yoga-center\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"WellnessLiving Blog\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2024-06-21T20:22:29+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2026-02-06T16:36:05+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/www.wellnessliving.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/SFYC.png\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"1200\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"800\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/png\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"Jonathan Murray\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"Jonathan Murray\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"4 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.wellnessliving.com\/blog\/a-women-owned-non-profit-mission-the-journey-to-soul-friends-yoga-center\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.wellnessliving.com\/blog\/a-women-owned-non-profit-mission-the-journey-to-soul-friends-yoga-center\/\",\"name\":\"The Journey to Soul Friends Yoga Center with WellnessLiving\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.wellnessliving.com\/blog\/#website\"},\"primaryImageOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.wellnessliving.com\/blog\/a-women-owned-non-profit-mission-the-journey-to-soul-friends-yoga-center\/#primaryimage\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.wellnessliving.com\/blog\/a-women-owned-non-profit-mission-the-journey-to-soul-friends-yoga-center\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\/\/www.wellnessliving.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/SFYC.png\",\"datePublished\":\"2024-06-21T20:22:29+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2026-02-06T16:36:05+00:00\",\"author\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.wellnessliving.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/person\/8dc17a2eed7f6d306913580a35d0f20a\"},\"description\":\"We talk with Susan Meymand of Soul Friends Yoga Center to learn about her journey to create a nonprofit yoga center in Dallas, TX.\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"ReadAction\",\"target\":[\"https:\/\/www.wellnessliving.com\/blog\/a-women-owned-non-profit-mission-the-journey-to-soul-friends-yoga-center\/\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.wellnessliving.com\/blog\/a-women-owned-non-profit-mission-the-journey-to-soul-friends-yoga-center\/#primaryimage\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.wellnessliving.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/SFYC.png\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/www.wellnessliving.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/SFYC.png\",\"width\":1200,\"height\":800,\"caption\":\"Susan Meymand, owner of Soul Friends Yoga Center in Dallas, TX.\"},{\"@type\":\"WebSite\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.wellnessliving.com\/blog\/#website\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.wellnessliving.com\/blog\/\",\"name\":\"WellnessLiving Blog\",\"description\":\"WellnessLiving Blog\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"SearchAction\",\"target\":{\"@type\":\"EntryPoint\",\"urlTemplate\":\"https:\/\/www.wellnessliving.com\/blog\/?s={search_term_string}\"},\"query-input\":{\"@type\":\"PropertyValueSpecification\",\"valueRequired\":true,\"valueName\":\"search_term_string\"}}],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":\"Person\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.wellnessliving.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/person\/8dc17a2eed7f6d306913580a35d0f20a\",\"name\":\"Jonathan Murray\",\"image\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.wellnessliving.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/person\/image\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/26be2c68e8720653e539dd063a43d7222c1881e8cc3a60b765067383d53b035a?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/26be2c68e8720653e539dd063a43d7222c1881e8cc3a60b765067383d53b035a?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"caption\":\"Jonathan Murray\"},\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.wellnessliving.com\/blog\/author\/jonathanwellnessliving-com\/\"}]}<\/script>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO Premium plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"The Journey to Soul Friends Yoga Center with WellnessLiving","description":"We talk with Susan Meymand of Soul Friends Yoga Center to learn about her journey to create a nonprofit yoga center in Dallas, TX.","robots":{"index":"index","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"canonical":"https:\/\/www.wellnessliving.com\/blog\/a-women-owned-non-profit-mission-the-journey-to-soul-friends-yoga-center\/","og_locale":"en_US","og_type":"article","og_title":"The Journey to Soul Friends Yoga Center with WellnessLiving","og_description":"We talk with Susan Meymand of Soul Friends Yoga Center to learn about her journey to create a nonprofit yoga center in Dallas, TX.","og_url":"https:\/\/www.wellnessliving.com\/blog\/a-women-owned-non-profit-mission-the-journey-to-soul-friends-yoga-center\/","og_site_name":"WellnessLiving Blog","article_published_time":"2024-06-21T20:22:29+00:00","article_modified_time":"2026-02-06T16:36:05+00:00","og_image":[{"width":1200,"height":800,"url":"https:\/\/www.wellnessliving.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/SFYC.png","type":"image\/png"}],"author":"Jonathan Murray","twitter_card":"summary_large_image","twitter_misc":{"Written by":"Jonathan Murray","Est. reading time":"4 minutes"},"schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/www.wellnessliving.com\/blog\/a-women-owned-non-profit-mission-the-journey-to-soul-friends-yoga-center\/","url":"https:\/\/www.wellnessliving.com\/blog\/a-women-owned-non-profit-mission-the-journey-to-soul-friends-yoga-center\/","name":"The Journey to Soul Friends Yoga Center with WellnessLiving","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.wellnessliving.com\/blog\/#website"},"primaryImageOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.wellnessliving.com\/blog\/a-women-owned-non-profit-mission-the-journey-to-soul-friends-yoga-center\/#primaryimage"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.wellnessliving.com\/blog\/a-women-owned-non-profit-mission-the-journey-to-soul-friends-yoga-center\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/www.wellnessliving.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/SFYC.png","datePublished":"2024-06-21T20:22:29+00:00","dateModified":"2026-02-06T16:36:05+00:00","author":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.wellnessliving.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/person\/8dc17a2eed7f6d306913580a35d0f20a"},"description":"We talk with Susan Meymand of Soul Friends Yoga Center to learn about her journey to create a nonprofit yoga center in Dallas, TX.","inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"ReadAction","target":["https:\/\/www.wellnessliving.com\/blog\/a-women-owned-non-profit-mission-the-journey-to-soul-friends-yoga-center\/"]}]},{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/www.wellnessliving.com\/blog\/a-women-owned-non-profit-mission-the-journey-to-soul-friends-yoga-center\/#primaryimage","url":"https:\/\/www.wellnessliving.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/SFYC.png","contentUrl":"https:\/\/www.wellnessliving.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/SFYC.png","width":1200,"height":800,"caption":"Susan Meymand, owner of Soul Friends Yoga Center in Dallas, TX."},{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https:\/\/www.wellnessliving.com\/blog\/#website","url":"https:\/\/www.wellnessliving.com\/blog\/","name":"WellnessLiving Blog","description":"WellnessLiving Blog","potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https:\/\/www.wellnessliving.com\/blog\/?s={search_term_string}"},"query-input":{"@type":"PropertyValueSpecification","valueRequired":true,"valueName":"search_term_string"}}],"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/www.wellnessliving.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/person\/8dc17a2eed7f6d306913580a35d0f20a","name":"Jonathan Murray","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/www.wellnessliving.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/person\/image\/","url":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/26be2c68e8720653e539dd063a43d7222c1881e8cc3a60b765067383d53b035a?s=96&d=mm&r=g","contentUrl":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/26be2c68e8720653e539dd063a43d7222c1881e8cc3a60b765067383d53b035a?s=96&d=mm&r=g","caption":"Jonathan Murray"},"url":"https:\/\/www.wellnessliving.com\/blog\/author\/jonathanwellnessliving-com\/"}]}},"modified_by":"Rayne W","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.wellnessliving.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/21290","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.wellnessliving.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.wellnessliving.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.wellnessliving.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/23"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.wellnessliving.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=21290"}],"version-history":[{"count":17,"href":"https:\/\/www.wellnessliving.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/21290\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":27874,"href":"https:\/\/www.wellnessliving.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/21290\/revisions\/27874"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.wellnessliving.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/21291"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.wellnessliving.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=21290"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.wellnessliving.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=21290"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.wellnessliving.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=21290"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}