Today we’d like to introduce you to Mardy and Jeff Chen.
Hi Mardy and Jeff, it’s an honor to have you on the platform. Thanks for taking the time to share your story with us – to start maybe you can share some of your backstory with our readers?
I (Mardy) have been practicing Hot Yoga since 1998, It healed physical injuries from running long distances and gave me relief from depression and anxiety. Living and working in NYC during 9/11, I decided that day that I was going to live my purpose in my life – to help others feel half as good as I did after my yoga practice. I received my certification from Bikram Yoga College of India in the Spring of 2002 and opened our original Westlake (Davenport) location in 2003.
I am dedicated to bringing the original “Hot Yoga” to Austin in its purest form. The greatest reward of being a studio owner is witnessing the startling transformations in beginning students and helping them motivate themselves to develop long-term yoga practices to reap and maintain the health benefits of this unique system of hatha yoga.
(Jeff) After my first Bikram Yoga class in New York City in April 2000, I found immediate relief from a nagging ankle injury from the 1999 NYC Marathon (my only race!). I found the physical intensity and emphasis on self-discipline and concentration resonated with my martial arts practice (Kendo, the Japanese “way of the sword”). My aches and pains whittled away and my mental clarity and focus outside the yoga room improved. After 19 years of working in the NYC financial industry, I became a certified Bikram Yoga Teacher in 2008 and joined Mardy in spreading the Original Hot Yoga throughout Texas.
I am fascinated with the health benefits of the “Original Hot Yoga” and all of its offshoots / variations. I participated in yoga championships, yoga research, and regular advanced yoga asana practice. Mardy and I traveled to Calcutta to study yoga therapy at the Ghosh Yoga College of India. I am fascinated with other systems / styles of yoga. I studied hot power vinyasa yoga with Roger and Albina Rippy and completed two Ashtanga Primary Series Teacher Training with David Swenson.
Above all, I am inspired by student testimonials we hear on a daily basis. I love the yoga community. Musicians, artists, athletes, moms and dads, students and seniors, high techs and corporate execs—all stand side-by-side in class—improving their daily lives through yoga practice. Seeing every smiling, happy face leave our studios energizes me and is my constant source of inspiration.
We exist to serve a unique community of yoga practitioners who seek a deeply transformative experience. Recovery from addiction, depression, physical injuries, and poor health conditions are the stories that fuel our team. Every story we hear is what makes us proud and sparks joy in us! We know that when people make themselves better, there is a strong ripple effect throughout their family, work colleagues, and the rest of society.
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
Owning and operating a yoga studio is indeed a business. Many small business owners go into it because they love yoga! That’s a great start, but having some business know-how is so important. Both of us were raised in entrepreneurial families, so risk-taking and operations management were natural to us. It didn’t hurt that we both were accountants and financial professionals in our pre-yoga work careers.
The most important behavior of our team that brings success to our brand and reinforces our story is “true grit.” Hot yoga practice is not necessarily easy. Teaching consistently is not easy. Striving for excellence is not easy. Operating a yoga studio is not easy! Knowing that what you do every day helps others is the gratification we receive. Sure there are challenges thrown in the way, but there is nothing like grit that will get you through.
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your business?
While we are world-famous for our Original Hot Yoga (aka Bikram Yoga), we offer so much more (and they’re all HOT), including Ashtanga, Power Vinyasa, Yin, Inferno Hot Pilates and Yoga HIIT Fusion.
Cultivate the virtues of patience, concentration, focus, determination, and self-control with the practice of HOT YOGA.
With three studio locations in Austin & Cedar Park and one location in Dallas, you’ll find your place to find your freedom and transformation alongside an extraordinary group of like-minded people.
Our people are behind our brand’s success. To be a “PURE Yogi,” our teachers and staff value courage over comfort. Original Hot Yoga is a challenging and confronting practice, with rooms set to 105+ degrees. Students are vulnerable; physically, mentally and emotionally. For our teachers and staff to guide students through this transformative process, they must exemplify what it means to nourish and grow and strive for excellence. Our recruitment and retention of staff are centered around our brand’s core values. When the team is aligned, the brand succeeds!
We help people find their “YES.” We help people find freedom and transformation through the practice of yoga. Twenty years ago, we taught yoga to students. Now we are partners in our clients’ transformation.
We’d love to hear about any fond memories you have from when you were growing up?
My favorite childhood memory was the birth of my sister, Macey, when I was 16 years old. I realized in that moment what a miracle life is and should not be wasted. Life is too short to be in suffering.
Contact Info:
- Email: info@pureyogatexas.com
- Website: https://pureyogatexas.com
- Instagram: @pureyogatexas
- Facebook: pureyogatexas
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/c/pureyogatv
- Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/biz/pure-yoga-texas-downtown-austin-austin-3?osq=pureyogatexas
Image Credits
@FreeFlowFotography
