Unlocking the Unexpected: Kari Bayha of Union Yoga Co.

This story is brought to you by Live in Everett Member Juanita "Nita" Dawson LMT/MMT

You get the keys to your new business- the keys to your dreams.

And then the world swiftly shuts down.

Ouch.

We did our last story on Union Yoga Co. soon after they opened in 2020.

I’ve recently become a member at Union Yoga Co. and gotten to know its owner, Kari Bayha a bit. Turns out we grew up around the corner from one another. Small world.

I caught up with Kari to see how things were going with the business.

On top of owning and running Union Yoga (along with some awesome instructors that also teach there), Kari works a full-time day job. Sometimes teaches corporate yoga classes on the side. And cares for five dogs; four of which are elderly rescues.

She’s busy.

Thankfully, we still found some time to chat.

We sat criss-cross applesauce one night on a long padded bench in the colorful, plant-filled lobby of Union Yoga while the 6 p.m. yoga class went on next door.

Union has a pretty large lobby, I learned because originally Kari intended on a smoothie bar being in the space. “Perhaps some acai bowls and organic coffee offerings, as well,” Kari shared.

Which this seasoned yogi would have been just as qualified to pull off given her background in the beverage industry. Before a bad car accident in 2019, Kari ran one of the busiest beverage retailers in Washington for 3 years, so she knows the beverage space well.

Kari had already been teaching yoga, but ironically, she never realized how physically demanding her job in the beverage industry was until after the car accident when she had to go on disability.

Being off her feet made her miss yoga even more. She used the time to work on her business plan, feeling like it was her calling to start her own studio.

After getting a SCORE Mentor and high praise from the bank that approved her business loan, Kari felt confident. “I’m going to crush this,” she thought to herself.

“I literally got keys to take possession of the building February 4, 2020. It was just two weeks later the schools shut down. And I had just signed a personal guarantee that if anything went wrong I would personally pay the lease.”

After overcoming the car accident - onto her dream - and into the next “accident.”

“I did start out pretty optimistic and positive, but then when the 2nd Delta wave variant hit, I was like “F*ck me, when is this ever going to get better?”

Kari went on to share, “It’s just been one punch after the next. It’s been hard to grind it out and stay excited. But at one point I got fired from my job, because I just couldn’t handle balancing it all. In the last two years, I’ve been on a roller coaster; feel so good, then crashing and burning. There were times where I’m like, “I’m all in, this is my dream for life.” And then I’m researching, “how to get out of a lease early?”

Kari Bayha, Photo Courtesy of Union Yoga

Needless to say, Kari had to forego using her business loan for the smoothie bar to help keep the studio open. I appreciated Kari’s openness and honesty in sharing about her experience.

Thankfully Kari has yoga, “to clear my mind and drown out everything else,” she shared.

Her favorite style of yoga?

“Vinyasa. One breath, one movement. You can teach it in so many different ways. It's the root of the style we teach here. And it’s a full range. My favorite style is a slow flow style, it gives you time to dig into the range, learn your body, and see what’s possible.”

Speaking of range, Kari doesn’t think she is personally very flexible and believes that’s one of the primary misconceptions people have about yoga in general. “I always hear from people, I’d love to do yoga but I’m just not flexible - Yeah, me neither,” Kari says.

The other common misconception she hears is, “that you have to know what you have to be doing to take a class.”

“I really want people to know we are a 100% inclusive welcoming space. That our yoga is for everyone. It’s not just for the active lifestyle or meditative style, we have that full range. It’s for everyone. And that we’re fun. At least I think so. When I don’t have my depressing business owner hat on, we’re fun.”

I affirmed, “yes - I have fun here.”

I could hear the yoga class next door coming to an end.

Lastly, I asked Kari kind of an odd question. “If we thought of the whole of collective humanity as a single person, how could yoga benefit that one person?”

“There’s so many layers to it,” Kari shared, “but obviously you know it just teaches you to be in the present moment and enjoy the experience, give yourself grace and space to just be where you are at today.”

Kari may not have realized how difficult achieving her dream would be when those keys to her new studio landed in her hand just over two years ago. But I for one am thankful Union Yoga Co. is here in Everett, and I believe it’s a space that holds many more dreams worth unlocking.

No matter how flexible you think you are.