MEDIA CONTACT:
Helen Stutchbury
214-675-7198
This email address is being protected from spam bots, you need Javascript enabled to view it

Sunstone Yoga® Announces 8 new studios in First Quarter

Dallas, TX -- May 14, 2007 --  Dallas based yoga company Sunstone Yoga® is proud to announce the sale of 8 franchise studios in 2007, including in 6 units sold in 6 weeks during February and March, bringing the total number of Sunstone Yoga studios to 12 since they began offering franchise opportunities last summer.

The Dallas Fort Worth area, where the original studios are located, is filling up fast, with 9 studios now in the Metroplex, including new locations coming to Southlake, Las Colinas, Flower Mound, Frisco and Lakewood.

“I’ve got some great locations left in DFW,” says Allison Strickler, who heads up the franchise sales team, “but not for long! I’m working with some dynamic, passionate people all around this area, as well as the state and the country, helping them realize their goals of owning a business and bringing more of the powerful benefits of yoga to their communities.”

“I love yoga because it makes me feel so good,” says Houston studio owner Bobbi Nguyen. “When a chance came to open a franchise and be in this environment, to share yoga with as many people as possible, I grabbed it without hesitation.”

Houston will open its first studio this summer, on Beltway 8 and Bellaire, and Austin will have its 2 new locations shortly after. The original Dallas studios are in Uptown, Plano, Preston & Forest, and the first franchise location in North Dallas since August of 2006.

Frisco studio owners Thad and Stephanie Toups say, “From the first day we sweated through the Fire class at Sunstone, we knew this was a product everyone should try. We’d been looking to own our own business for over a year, but nothing felt like a good fit. Once we learned Sunstone was offering franchises, we knew we had found the one! It’s a great business model with a truly life-changing product that we are proud to be a part of.”

Operating since 2002, Sunstone Yoga is a leading, innovative, cutting-edge center for fitness yoga with franchise opportunities available across the country. The company offers the highest quality of fitness-oriented instruction and teacher training available, with a dedication to superior operations and facilities, innovation and customer support. Sunstone Yoga’s facilities are well-lit, large studios with state of the art heating and ventilation systems, and a retail display area that contains an outstanding line of quality yoga and yoga-related products. Students are provided with complementary mat and towel service, separate changing areas, and triple filtered water throughout.

“Sunstone takes a unique approach to providing customers a physically demanding and mentally challenging workout, yet the products are so well perceived by people of all age groups and genders, because it is such an un-intimidating atmosphere,” say Amanda MacLeod and Jami Upton, the proud owners of two locations, in Las Colinas and Flower Mound. “It’s a great place for anyone to come together and gain exposure to a healthier, happier lifestyle. We’re honored to be a part of the Sunstone Yoga family, and embrace the opportunity to open multiple locations.”

With opportunities for franchising a start-up location or converting an existing studio, Sunstone Yoga is finding strong partners among its teaching staff, student community, and from people who have never visited a Sunstone studio, but simply recognize a strong business model when they see it.

Elizabeth Rondeau, owner of the first franchise in North Dallas, says, “Anyone who is looking to become a great yoga teacher and/or own their own studio, Sunstone Yoga is by far the best and surpasses any other model available today.”

“It’s incredibly satisfying to have people from our existing community and from the business community recognize that we’re doing a lot of very unique, very positive things for the fitness and yoga industries, and the franchise industry,” says Brandon Hartsell, founder and CEO of Sunstone Yoga.

“In New York, L.A., San Francisco, and other major cities, yoga is becoming more mainstream all the time, while in the middle of the country, there are millions of people who could benefit from yoga, but find the traditional approach less approachable.” Hartsell adds, “We’ve made yoga un-intimidating in Texas; we believe we can do that anywhere.”

A variety of different fitness yoga classes are offered at all Sunstone Yoga locations, each with its own focus and all geared toward the benefits of improved overall health, strength and flexibility, cardiovascular and mental fitness, increased vitality, reduced stress and improved mental clarity. As yoga continues to grow so dramatically, with nearly 20 million practitioners in the United States, more and more research findings suggest that a regular yoga practice may include such benefits as increased flexibility, muscular strength and endurance1, weight loss2, and relief for chronic back pain3.

With its focus on safety and approachability, Sunstone Yoga’s classes are geared toward the first time visitor, yet continue to challenge and motivate dedicated athletes years later. Pain Free Yoga strengthening and stretching methodologies are the most recent product innovation the company has introduced, with classes and techniques designed to shore up the body’s core strength, balance, and stability in all ranges of motion. “We believe that muscle tightness is caused by muscle weakness,” says Derrek Taber, a Master Yoga Specialist and one of the developers of the Pain Free Yoga methods. Taber’s background in kinesiology and physical therapy lead him to conclude that many yoga practitioners who once found relief from pain in yoga were in pain again, often because they were pushing themselves to maximum flexibility without the strength to support themselves.

“We offer the safest, healthiest techniques and postures to the widest possible audience,” Hartsell says. “People do yoga to feel good. They don’t care about extreme postures; they want safe, quality instruction and a good workout. We provide that at Sunstone. It’s real yoga for real people.”

Franchise opportunities are available for enthusiastic individuals with a passion for yoga, and Sunstone Yoga’s excellent support system includes hands-on franchisee training; an exceptional teacher training program with 3 study options: weekend, intensive, or correspondence training; information sharing through a cutting edge, centralized web portal; complete operations manual; excellent marketing assistance, and ongoing guidance and support.

“It’s wonderful to see people evolve from student, to teacher, and now to studio owner,” says Nicole Shaw, the senior instructor of the teacher training programs and one of the cofounders of Sunstone Yoga. “I want to welcome anyone who loves their yoga practice, and wants to share that with others, to consider teacher training. You never know where it will take you. For me, it’s the best job in the world.”

More information is available at 214-764-2119, or by email at This email address is being protected from spam bots, you need Javascript enabled to view it
1, 2, 3. “Yoga in America,” A Market Study, Yoga Journal, February 7, 2005

###