Meet Cyndi Bulka

Today we’d like to introduce you to Cyndi Bulka.

Hi Cyndi, so excited to have you with us today. What can you tell us about your story?
I began my journey as an entrepreneur in 1999 when I opened my first Yoga Studio in North Raleigh, NC. I was a busy Mom to two children, loved Yoga, and wanted to have a business that aligned with my values and my schedule. A Yoga studio was a great fit. I had a partner in the first studio but decided rather quickly our goals were not aligned, so I opened my own independent studio called Moving Mantra Yoga on September 11, 2001….yes, that was a now infamous day! I canceled classes and had open studio for meditation all day so people could come and share in their shock and grief and send positive energy to those suffering in NY. Although it was a hard time to open a business, it actually served in building a community of like-minded people. Moving Mantra thrived. It won the Metro Magazine Bravo award for “Best Yoga Studio” for eight years. We had a great community of teachers and students… I offered classes, workshops, teacher training and retreats. I had a blast!

When my youngest child went to university, I decided I was ready for something new, so I closed the studio and transformed it into Zakti Health. I had finished training at Duke Integrative Medical Center as a Health Coach and wanted to put those skills into practice. I wanted the freedom from having a payroll and the overhead. Zakti allowed that. I taught classes at a local Buddhist temple, turned my spare bedroom into a therapeutic studio for small workshops, private yoga and Thai massage. I built a coaching clientele to help people learn a healthier, happier way of living. I continued to lead Yoga and wellness retreats near and abroad. The pandemic turned everything on its head. After the shock of losing 60% of my biz in a single day, I decided to reinvent my business once again. I have built out a great digital program called Healing Your Hunger and am poised for launch and rebranding as Wise Women and Wellness. Wise Women and Wellness takes the best of what I love to do and enables me to reach a broad audience. I teach live streaming classes, am building a Yoga and Meditation subscription service, offer individual coaching and will resume leading Yoga and Wellness retreats in Fall 2021.

I’m sure you wouldn’t say it’s been obstacle free, but so far would you say the journey have been a fairly smooth road?
The journey of the last 20 years has had its ups and downs, but thankfully, the downs never lasted long and I was often able to bounce back and better. 9/11 and opening day for Moving Mantra coincided, and the uncertainties 9/11 brought with it required me to pivot quickly. I offered programs to help people cope with the stress and anxiety and created a scholarship program to help those who need support but could not afford to pay. The financial crisis of 2008 also dealt a blow. I was able to hang on because I had developed a core of loyal students (and I’m very creative when it comes to saving!) When I first opened, there were very few other options for Yoga study in the area. But in just a few years, there were a plethora of studios popping up all over the place. That forced me to think about how I wanted Moving Mantra to be different. So I branded the studio as a more therapeutic program and decided to stay true to Yoga’s spiritual tenets and philosophies. That was a good move as most of what was opening around me focused more on the physicality of yoga asana instead of the bigger blueprint of what traditional yoga offers.

My struggles were mostly in figuring out how to evolve with changing markets and economies. Sometimes finding quality teachers was a challenge, although I had several that worked with me for very many years.

Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
I think I’ve always been known for my healing energy and for being true to the tenets of Yoga as a blueprint for healthy living, mind, body and soul. I know I’ve helped many, many people over the years. These days I am focusing on the coaching aspects of my work, with Yoga and meditation services and the retreats as a support for that. I specialize in working primarily with women these days and specifically with helping women of all ages overcome their battles with body image and chronic dieting. What I teach is a reflection of my own healing journey with body image issues, a chronic health challenge and overcoming anxiety. What sets me apart maybe that I am willing to be real and vulnerable by sharing my personal journey. I’m very proud of the work I’ve done to heal myself and the fact that this makes my teaching and coaching so authentic.

Is there a quality that you most attribute to your success?
Humility and authenticity and tenacity.

Contact Info:

• Email: [email protected]
• Website: www.zaktihealth.com

Image Credits
Julie Williams Dixon