Today we’d like to introduce you to Tyler Cusick.
Hi Tyler, please kick things off for us with an introduction to yourself and your story.
Hom Yoga Collective was launched the second weekend of March 2019, literally days before the Covid-19 Pandemic. The initial plan behind Hom at that time was to run monthly yoga events to help support all the teachers in our area. The pandemic shifted those plans and turned Hom into something else altogether. When everything shut down every yoga student and teacher was left without any plan for how to move forward. Nobody knew how long we would be shut down for and our yoga community was left with a major void in their life – so we decided to stream a yoga class for our students. Immediately it was a hit and filled a sorely missed hole in all of our day-to-day lives. It was a piece of virtual normality. As things began to open up (briefly) in June of 2020, we began offering free, distanced outdoor yoga classes in a local park. That’s where Hom Yoga Collective really took off. Our students spread the word about our classes via social media and word of mouth and we began to grow and add more classes. We were running eight classes a week in different parks and were able to pay our teachers through donations and merchandise sales. Now we are in the final steps of opening a brick and mortar yoga studio in Westlake Village thanks to our amazing students and supporters.
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
Nothing about this has been smooth, but it all the twists and turns prepared us for where we are now. The initial outdoor classes were so much fun and so special, but to outsiders looked threatening to other people in the neighborhoods, and understandably so with Covid-19 and so much unknown. This obviously was stressful to manage but more often than not bystanders had the best intentions and just wanted to join. It was amazing to see the respect and care everyone took throughout to make sure others felt safe during our classes and events. The biggest struggle we faced was time and weather. You obviously can’t teach a class in the park when it’s pitch black at 5pm, and it’s really not enjoyable to be outside, barefoot on the grass on winter mornings. We tried to keep things going as long as we could outdoor, eventually it was just time to focus on normal life coming back and moving into the brick and mortar version of Hom Yoga Collective.
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
Hom Yoga Collective is a community-driven yoga concept. Every event we held last summer (2020) was strictly donation-based. We felt it was important to be in the community offering this service and the support from our student base, both fiscally and just in attendance has been amazing. We were able to pay a full staff of teachers a higher rate than any corporate studio based on the generosity of our students and followers.
We are proud of our ability to adapt. We have taught organized yoga across multiple parks in our area, we rented a pool house when indoor was able to happen in the fall. We taught at Sherwood Country Club through some connections. Beaches in Malibu first thing in the morning. Our ability to adapt and find places that fit our vision has been a big part of the allure and success of Hom.
What’s next?
We are currently in the process of opening a brick and mortar space in Westlake Village. This is a huge step for us but I think the next logical one. We never could have dreamed this was possible prior to the pandemic. The support of our students and followers has pushed us to make this happen and to create a space that accommodates all types of yoga practitioners. We will be offering a full hot concept, a meditation space as well as a non-heated space, even a space for children. We are excited about what is coming and can’t wait to see our students grow within it.
Contact Info:
- Email: [email protected]
- Instagram: @homyogacollective
Image Credits:
Tyler Cusick
