Exploring Life & Business with Heather Blanchard and Loretta Jo Schlatzer of Cary Yoga Collective

Today we’d like to introduce you to Heather Blanchard and Loretta Jo Schlatzer.

Alright, thank you for sharing your story and insight with our readers. To kick things off, can you tell us how you got started?
We are a community studio dedicated to sharing yoga practice with all. Cary Yoga Collective (CYC), powered by Yoga-Mojo & Yoga Garden, offers authentic and mindful yoga classes, teacher training, and special events that support the mind, body, and spirit. CYC is a true “collective” of dedicated and soulful teachers and methods rooted in serving our community throughout the Triangle and beyond.

Yoga Garden of Apex and Yoga-Mojo of Cary was boutique and unique yoga studios that served the Triangle Area for a combined 18 year before coming together last fall. Loretta Jo Schlatzer of Yoga-Mojo and Heather Blanchard of Yoga Garden were studio owners with similar Hatha Vinyasa offerings practiced at their respective studios. In 2021, they met to discuss how best to serve these local and growing yoga communities while maintaining their roots. Discussions led to the desire to open new, bigger spaces and bring their students together to cast a wider net to reach more people.

The name “Cary Yoga Collective” surfaced, and the vision – To Provide Yoga for All – was created. We are so pleased to share the gifts of yoga with others and provide a sacred space where guest teachers and artists come to provide mindful classes and events like Sound Baths, Reiki Shares, Tai Chi and Kirtan.

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?
Over the past two years, many local, long-running studios were forced to close their doors due to the pandemic. Though we all went online in the spring of 2020, many studios struggled to keep their student base while rents stayed high. We were indeed fortunate to be able to keep our doors open and even to see the need for MORE space last year. The word “Yoga” literally means “To Yoke or Union” in Sanskrit – it’s all about the magic of that mind, body, and soul connection and the connection to others within the micro-community of a class. People truly missed going to their studio and moving together, and while practicing yoga online has its unique benefits, it wasn’t the same. As we learned to navigate the pandemic and vaccines became available, the desire for a bigger, brighter space and a partnership to combine our communities into a new “Collective” came to light. Loretta Jo scouted various locations and shared the site of Lochmere Pavilion with Heather. Working with Lochmere Pavilion and the Town of Cary, coupled with the support of family, friends, students, and our excellent CYC teachers, we could up-fit our new studio and open in February 2022. We are so grateful to be in our beautiful bright space; we love all our neighbors and growing community!

Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know?
We are a small, locally owned boutique studio in Cary offering over 25+ classes in various styles each week from highly skilled and dedicated teachers ~ we offer practice for everyone – a practice for all. We host guest teachers and artists who share their talents each month and offer series and events like Yoga Therapy, Tai Chi, Sound Baths, Kirtan, and Reiki. Additionally, we are an internationally registered Yoga Alliance Teacher Training School for aspiring teachers. Our goal is to support everyone in their wellness journey. We are a true “collective” of teachers and practices rooted in serving our community throughout the Triangle and beyond.

Our Mission: To provide a safe and supportive community where the wisdom of yoga, meditation, and wellness is shared. A collective community that supports all in their yoga practice, both on and off the mat. Focused on providing mindful classes, workshops, special events, and teacher training that deepen each student’s connection to their luminous spirit.

About Loretta Jo & Heather:
Loretta Jo Schlatzer is the owner/founder of Yoga-Mojo, LLC (2006) and the founder/co-owner of Cary Yoga Collective, both based in Cary, NC. She is happily obsessed with exploring and sharing many different aspects of yoga and is a master of yoga sequencing. At her core, Loretta Jo is a teacher dedicated to helping students and yoga teachers to confidently and consistently experience the uplifting magic that occurs within the practice, the unified mental, physical, and spiritual “mojo” that moved her to begin her journey. Pursuing her passion, she has provided 12,500+ hours of teaching and training to students, delivered deep from her heart living and sharing her belief that yoga can be both a positive means for personal transformation and a path to joy. Professional, authentic, and relatable, she provides a variety of classes, training, educational events, workshops, and retreats in the US, abroad, and online.

Loretta Jo’s classes incorporate an abiding love of the Sanskrit language, mantras, mudras, and yoga mythology – her classes weave in symbols, themes, storytelling, and a bit of humor to enhance the practice experience. Before embracing yoga as her full-time calling, Loretta Jo gained significant interpersonal and business experience as an executive in a global technology firm. She has a deep affinity for animals, trees, our earth, and its environment, sincere empathy for the struggles of the humans inhabiting it, and a strong belief in the common good.

Loretta Jo is registered with Yoga Alliance as an E-RYT500, RYS200, RYS300, and Yoga Alliance Continuing Education Provider® (YACEP)– and is a recognized Yoga Teacher Central Authorized Trainer. She completed Integrative Yoga for Seniors professional training at Duke Integrative Medicine and is a certified Thai Yoga Bodywork Practitioner.

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Heather took her first yoga class in 1995 at a local fitness club where she worked. At the time, her passion for movement stemmed from a lifelong love for dance, and she was fond of the lengthening and alignment yoga provided. Upon being asked to add yoga to the fitness classes she offered, Heather worked with a local instructor to learn some simple Hatha sequences. Soon, yoga became her favorite class, and she searched for a deeper understanding of the tranquility found through her physical practice. She had the pleasure of working overseas from 1996-1997, teaching yoga and fitness classes for Club Med, and in 1998 was trained by Triangle Yoga to teach special populations at Duke’s Diet & Fitness Center. Their vast knowledge inspired her to explore many different styles of yoga, and she began a regular home practice. In 2005, Heather took a hiatus from her corporate sales job and from teaching fitness and yoga classes to care for her aging parents and young children. During that time, she took courses at various small studios and gyms but truly missed her community of students. So, she was ecstatic to renew her certifications in 2012 and began studies with Dharma Richards, the Founder of Yoga Garden in Apex. She truly loved the rich history, Holy Science, and various styles taught through Yoga Garden’s school and found it encompassed far more than other programs.

Heather joined the staff in 2013 and continued their studies with Dharma for over seven years. Heather is a self-described yoga, anatomy, and essential oils geek. “After years of teaching yoga, I yearn to expand the benefits of this ancient practice, both mentally and physically, to students everywhere. I’m passionate about sharing knowledge while continuously learning. Each moment spent on a limb of yoga is a gift that translates off the mat to our everyday lives. It’s a privilege to share that with students and to follow my Dharma of giving back to others.” Heather lives in Cary with her husband, Eddie, and has three daughters that are the light of their lives. She was truly honored and grateful when Dharma approached her to talk about transitioning. The Yoga Garden into new hands in 2019 and is excited to continue offering the nurturing training and classes the community has come to love with Cary Yoga Collective’s exceptionally trained and dedicated teachers and to partner with Loretta Jo.

Heather has nearly 20 years of experience teaching various fitness and yoga classes and is a certified 200 E-RYT and 500-RYT yoga teacher, AFAA Group Fitness instructor, and is certified to offer Reiki and Yoga Alliance Teacher Training.

What do you think about happiness?
Loretta Jo – Family, Mother Nature, Wildlife~ Sunshine. Trees. Breath. Spirit. Happiness is a state of being~ When we pause and listen in~ Gratitude. Sharing the practice of yoga brings me joy and makes me happy. Seeing how the approach inspires others on their unique path brings me joy.

Heather – My family, traveling, and this studio! Expand the benefits of this ancient practice, mentally and physically, to students everywhere. I’m passionate about sharing knowledge while continuously learning. Each moment spent on a limb of yoga is a gift that translates off the mat to our everyday lives. It’s a privilege to share that with students and to follow my dharma of giving back to others. When the opportunity to continue the legacy created by Dharma Richards at Yoga Garden came up, it was indeed the realization of a long-time dream. I feel blessed to be able to step away from the corporate world and work full-time doing something I love!

Pricing:

• New Students: 1 $10 Class Pass or 3 for $30
• We offer 10 & 20 Class Passes
• We also Offer Mini Memberships and Unlimited Monthly Memberships

Contact Info:

• Website: https://caryyogacollective.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/caryyogacollective/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/CaryYogaCollective/
• Other: https://www.yoga-mojo.com

Image Credits
The first picture is one taken by Jessica Woodall Photography, however, we purchased it for our use. The other pictures were taken by either Heather or Loretta Jo.