Studio Spotlight: AOU

This International Yoga Day we had the pleasure of having some light enter our lives by the way of AOU studios.

Three friends, Jemma, Rylee and Sar, recently embarked on a business journey together to bring Sunshine Coast its first ever modern yoga studio.
Merging their love of yoga, passion for meditation and their creative energies they have created an inclusive space that has been curated with the perfect blend of masculine and feminine - sounds, tones and scents to provide a space to their community which is supportive for their mental, physical and emotional bodies.

Rylee tells us more.

Tell us about your studio, what was the inspiration behind it?
AOU was inspired by us. Jemma, Rylee and Sar to bring a strong vision of all the dualities that make yoga, meditation and creativity a complete experience. We were inspired to elevate the balance of this in both masculine and feminine and share a motion of movement for everyday people.

What type of yoga practice do you focus on and why?
We wanted to create offerings for the modern mind, offering flow, slow, vinyasa, YIN, VINYIN, sound and meditation - frequent workshops for mental health, breathwork and functional range conditioning. The belief behind this is yoga as we know it holds many traditions and philosophies, a practice so aged that some teachers encourage outdated methods that are no longer proven safe for our human design or our bodies. It’s a studio focussed on inclusivity and offering to centre all individuals' physical, mental and emotional bodies.

What can people hope to find in the space you’ve created?
The space is open with a large airy feel, we wanted to curate a studio of lightness with a strong feeling towards purpose and practice. To be known as a HQ of rest and hope people can remember to celebrate the little things or the slow moments in life… like a quiet moment breathing, or reading a book under a tree in the middle of the day as it’s these moments that allow us to re-centre and lead us into our bigger achievements.

What is unique / different about your studio?
Our visuals were different, we wanted a balanced space, a light filled area and a studio that brought purpose. To us the decision to bring quality and a healthy interior area to practise in was utmost important. Fresh energy, studio sounds and a timeless and minimal design to lift the everyday life. We wanted a feeling of the finer details to celebrate the slow.

Tell us how you each ‘Own The Morning’ ?
Mornings for us come with such a fresh and light energy, we love to use this time to check in with each other sharing new visions and fresh insights. All three of us hold a deep passion for creation and life. Starting our day inspired is an essential part of the brand we've created. Every morning ritual may feel varied by mood or habit, ultimately we all see the world as exploratory and we're here to share it.

On this international yoga day, what is a message you would like to share with people?
Embracing individuality and honouring your own truths, we encourage our teachers and students to hold space in their classes to what feels most real to them. Acknowledge what your truths are today and practise them.

How did you each find yoga and what led you to it?
We are all very naturally inquisitive minded, our curiosity led us into deep trainings of yoga and its philosophies we have definitely dived in and had desire to keep learning more, we all met through practising and teaching yoga and were super excited for continuous sharings of our insights and offering our teachings with unique touch. Creating AOU STUDIO only felt natural to launch in our hometown on the Sunshine Coast.

What does practising yoga mean to you?
Living in this fast paced world of technology, practising yoga feels unwinding from the outside noise. it's a practice of focus, learning to be a little bored, a little uncomfortable, Practice is a sincere form of dedication to yourself to come back to reality.

If you would say something to someone who hasn’t found their groove yet in practice / looking at giving yoga a go, what would you say to them?
Like anything, giving it a go never hurts, people can decide for themselves if it's not their cup of tea or it might be their hot chocolate. There is always a different yoga teacher or class style to try and we bring something for everyone within our space.

Why does yoga on social media look like Olympic gymnastics?
haha! Let's just forget the ideal of yoga and thoughts of ‘perfect’ alignment i.e “touching your toes”. We're all just people doing yoga. Understanding your unique body and how we/you create yoga postures differently. Let’s Re-learn to alternate, find variations and question your yoga teacher. Knowing the whys behind the movements you're being taught. Let’s keep it simple, stretching your body feels really good when you remove expectations.

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