Lesley-Ann grew up in Kingston, Jamaica, where she attended high school before moving to Cleveland, Ohio for college. It was there that she met her husband, Sean, in the spring of 1992. They were married in 1996 and moved to Morgantown (WV), and then Indianapolis (IN) before finally settling in the Kingwood area in 2017 - just 10 days before Hurricane Harvey hit! They have 2 adult daughters, Rae is a nurse at Houston Methodist, and their youngest, Brianna, is in medical school at UT Southwestern in Dallas. They also have 2 adorable dogs, Arnie and Bella, who are both rescues.

 

Lesley-Ann has a PhD in Epidemiology and Biostatistics and an MBA degree. Most of her career has been in pharmaceutical research, but she has practiced yoga on and off for over 15 years and has a passion for it. “I truly believe in the benefits of yoga. Yoga helped transform my life in terms of work-life balance, mindfulness, the things that it does for my body, and how I feel when I practice. A few years after I started practicing, I decided that I wanted to do something to bring others to the practice; I think that everyone can use yoga!”

 

Lesley-Ann always wanted to start her own business and help others find balance in their lives so it made sense that she started thinking about yoga as a business opportunity. She looked into different franchise opportunities and settled on YogaSix. Xponential, the parent company for YogaSix, was growing at the time and she really liked the fact that despite the corporate branding, all of the locations are independently owned and allowed owners to bring a bit of their own local experience, culture, and feel to the studio.

 

YogaSix Kingwood is a heated yoga studio that offers six signature classes/formats and a full sensory experience - from lighting to sound to scents. It’s a whole vibe! There’s a mind-body connection with yoga. There are physical benefits like increased flexibility, muscle strength, energy, and improved cardiovascular health; but also mental benefits such as reduced tension, anxiety, and stress. In addition, you learn to use breathwork to create focus and mindfulness.

 

While yoga is viewed positively by most, getting started can be intimidating. “One of the things I love about our studio is that to me it represents yoga for all, meaning we make it accessible to everyone. We don’t use formal Sanskrit language when describing the poses and movements. Our instructors cue poses by telling people how to set up and achieve the pose by using simple English so people don’t feel overwhelmed. Another thing that is unique about our studio is that all of our classes are warm or hot. Your body is capable of more flexibility in a heated practice space.”

 

What truly sets YogaSix Kingwood apart is the sense of community! Lesley-Ann relays that the studio receives lots of positive feedback from folks who talk about how they feel when they come in. Everyone at the studio, from the front desk staff to the instructors, is very welcoming. Her biggest ask of her staff is that people feel “loved on” when they come into the studio. That is something that is promoted and encouraged at YogaSix Kingwood so that when someone comes to practice, regardless of whether they are a member, even if it’s their first visit, they should feel welcome and loved on within the studio. The hope is they will want to come and practice there again! “I believe everyone deserves to have a non-judgmental space to practice, that is welcoming to all, and to have that mind-body experience. Wherever you choose to spend your time, you should feel welcome, loved on, and appreciated.”

 

Lesley-Ann’s favorite quote is something that her Dad used to use to say all the time: “Service to others is the rent you pay for your room here on earth.” - Mohammed Ali. That has always been ingrained in her, and perhaps why she’s fueled by people being loved on. This idea of kindness, compassion, and giving back to others is one of the reasons that YogaSix Kingwood, has a “Flow for a Cause” every month. “We do a donation-based class where people can give something (it can be monetary or an in-kind gift) to support a community cause so that we can give back to others. It is a monthly event because I want our studio to be very involved in, and supportive of, our local community! I truly believe in giving back.”

 

Lesley-Ann emphasizes that mental well-being is just as important as physical well-being, which is why she loves the mind-body connection that yoga offers. “I think within our society, there is a lot of emphasis on the physical, on what our bodies look like, our weight, etc. There is also a stigma around mental health, that somehow focusing on mental well-being is weak. However, if we want to access the best of ourselves, we need to be able to transform negative thoughts into positive thoughts and behaviors. That’s what mental well-being is about, taking care of our mental health just like we take care of our physical health.”

 

“Self-care is critical to how we relate to ourselves; how we take care of ourselves - it means doing things to care for our body, our mind, and our soul. We talk about wanting to do things for and with others, whether it’s in the community, with our family, or in our work or business. Yet, if we are not taking care of ourselves, how can we expect to be there for others, or perform at our best? My advice is to make sure we are taking care of our whole self, and not just the physical aspect.”

 

Beth Worachek is the General Manager who handles the day-to-day operations at YogaSix Kingwood. She and the rest of the staff are wonderful! They have great instructors who will love on you and help you find modifications for any yoga pose, whether you are a beginner or advanced. The front desk and sales staff will always greet you with warmth and a smile. Come check it out for yourself! There is a very special offer of 30% off all memberships for Kings Point residents through the end of February to help you start off the New Year on the right note for both your physical and mental health.

 

YogaSix Kingwood

4625 Kingwood Drive, Suite 300, Kingwood TX 77345

Website: www.yogasix.com/kingwood

Follow us on Instagram: @yogasix_kingwood and Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/YogaSixKingWood