Today we’d like to introduce you to Anne-Marie Corley.
So, before we jump into specific questions about the business, why don’t you give us some details about you and your story.
Samarasa was born from sister-brother duo Susan and Nick Marrufo. I think they’ve already sent you their stories. I joined the team through Susan. Three years ago, we both lived in Dallas and she was my teacher for Yoga, Sex + Death. I felt drawn to her take on yoga and the spiritual journey, and it was exactly what I needed at the time. Now, the chance to work with both Susan and Nick to open this space for deep inner work, through yoga and pilates and also through workshops, conscious communication, and community, is a dream come true for me.
Great, 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?
As a native Texan who’s lived all over the world, I never expected to move to LA. In fact it was one of the last places I ever thought I’d live – smog + traffic = no thank you, is what I thought. When I got here, I fell in love with it! I’d been living in the woods in East Texas for a few years, so the big city is a huge change, and I’m loving it. So I guess one obstacle was expectation, but it turned out great. We had the usual challenges with getting construction done, how to advertise that we’re open and offering our brand of inner exploration to the public, how to find our tribe… and we are still in that process for sure.
Samarasa – what should we know? What do you guys do best? What sets you apart from the competition?
I like to think of us as a center where we do deep work together – from the front desk and teaching teams, to the daily class schedule and workshops, and always in relationship with our clients and community. We teach yoga and pilates as well as deep dive workshops where we explore the inner self and the integrated self – the physical, emotional, energetic, mental and spiritual bodies – in order to evolve in this lifetime. I’m proud of the beautiful physical space we offer and the teachers who share their personal style and practice with our clients. We’re building a community, not just a place for people to come and work out and leave, but a place that transforms and opens hearts and minds – through relationship with each other, with our bodies, with our inner experience, with our community and the world. And we have free parking. 😉
What moment in your career do you look back most fondly on?
When my mom took my fundamentals class and said at the end, “I’ve never felt so relaxed sitting in my wheelchair.” This is why I do what I do – I teach fundamentals and yoga for veterans to help people relax and de-stress from their hectic and often traumatized lives. I’d never imagined what my mom might feel like in a wheelchair, so hearing that she felt at ease for the first time, and being able to offer techniques to ease that tension… Wow! What a gift. .
Pricing:
- Yoga intro offer: 3 weeks for $50 (or $80 for 3 weeks of yoga + 3 pilates classes)
- Pilates intro offer: 10 classes for $100 (includes 3 yoga classes)
Contact Info:
- Website: www.samarasacenter.com
- Phone: 213-375-7503 or 1-833-4AWAKEN
- Email: info@samarasacenter.com
- Instagram: @samarasacenter
- Facebook: @samarasacenter
- Twitter: @samarasacenter
- Yelp: samarasa center
Image Credit:
Anne-Marie Corley, Anna Cantwell, Jenifer McNeil Baker
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