Meet Sarah Tiefenthaler of YOGAqua in Marina Del Rey

Today we’d like to introduce you to Sarah Tiefenthaler.

So, before we jump into specific questions about the business, why don’t you give us some details about you and your story.
Yoga became a passion of mine while I was working in fashion, it had become so much of a passion that I eventually left that career to free up flexibility in my schedule in order to pursue Yoga Teacher Training (YTT) courses. I first traveled to Costa Rica where I earned my initial 200 hour certification back in October of 2010. I spent a full month there enjoying nature and a simple way of living. When I returned home to Los Angeles I still longed for that presence in nature that I had in Costa Rica daily. I figured I needed to find some kind of activity that would keep me outdoors. As luck would have it, a Stand up Paddleboard (SUP) shop opened in Venice Beach while I was away and I was invited to join a free paddle demo in Marina Del Rey that very weekend I returned home. I knew then that SUP was going to be an activity for me! Before I even got on the board I made a comment about attempting yoga poses on it… and that’s exactly what I did. Before I even returned home to LA I had enrolled in my second 200 hour YTT locally. After my first SUP experience I developed a plan to create a yoga class on a SUP board. I applied all I was learning from my yoga courses on land and customized the poses to keep the student balanced on the board while still getting an effective workout. I offered my very first SUP Yoga class in Marina Del Rey in December of 2010. The response to this experience I created was amazing, so amazing that I knew I had to develop a business and that I should do it right away so that I could launch in the summer. YOGAqua was opened to the public in Marina Del Rey, CA on July 17th, 2011.

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?
I definitely believe that, for the most part, everything fell into place in a beautiful way but of course there are always going to be some bumps in the road. I never thought I would be a business owner so I didn’t know much about it. I didn’t know about permitting, I didn’t know how to be a boss! But I learned as I went along (because I had to) and I have grown so much. YOGAqua is not just a business to me, it’s a passion project. I often refer to it as “my first child”. I have so much love for this company i have created and I will always support it with care and see it through any bump in the road.

Please tell us about YOGAqua.
YOGAqua is a Stand up Paddleboard (SUP) Yoga Company. YOGAqua was established in 2011 and is the very first company to specialize solely in SUP Yoga. Being one of the leaders in this industry I have also taken on the role as SUP Yoga Project Coordinator for Wanderlust Yoga Festivals. YOGAqua offers SUP Yoga Teacher Training programs throughout the year both locally in Marina Del Rey and at other various locations both in the US and Internationally. I have been endorsed by Reebok and SUP Yoga specific items are now included in their Spring/Summer 2017 collection. YOGAqua has been included in countless publications, news programs and television shows. My goal is to see SUP Yoga become mainstream and this is becoming more of a reality every day.

Do you look back particularly fondly on any memories from childhood?
I grew up in Iowa and in the summer my dad would always take my brother, sister and I camping at “Little Sioux Park”. Dad would set up the tent and then we’d walk down to the lake to go swimming, canoeing or fishing. We’d go to the park and swing or we’d play baseball and towards the end of the day we’d make our way back to the camp site to get the fire going to make dinner and after, of course, s’mores. I absolutely loved these camping trips.

Pricing:

• Introductory 3 Pack $90
• Single Class $44

Contact Info:

• Address: 13977 Palawan Way
  Marina Del Rey, CA
  90292
• Website: www.yogaqua.com
• Phone: 805.283.9642
• Email: [email protected]
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/yogaqua/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/yogaqua/
• Twitter: https://twitter.com/YOGAqua
• Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/biz/yogaqua-marina-del-rey
• Other: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UColm1pmgzo9y4E3AXyuVY0g