Karen Patton Brings Life to Her Community and Edge to the Industry With Peach Out Power Yoga

Image Commercially Licensed from: Depositphotos
Image Commercially Licensed from: Depositphotos

In this day and age, yoga proves to be more than a pastime or physical activity. Aside from being a great way to move the body, it also serves as an effective tool for relieving stress and alleviating tension. For this and many other reasons, Karen Patton decided to become a certified yoga instructor after many years of being a practitioner. She decided before her training was even complete, that she wanted to share her arsenal of ideas with the world, and bring together the perfect mix of talented and unique instructors, and open her own studio. She knew that there was so much opportunity to offer the benefits of yoga to the community, but she also knew there was an enormous opportunity to offer it in a way nobody else had. 

Hailing from Chicago, Illinois, Karen Patton graduated from the University of Arizona and set out to pursue her dreams in Southern California. She spent her post-college years working her way up the corporate ladder in the apparel industry, and eventually got married, had kids, and gave up the career she had built, to be a stay-at-home mom. During those years she struggled with her identity and looked for ways to keep busy outside of momming, by volunteering at her kids’ schools, coaching cheer, or being a room mom. As the kids got older and more self-sufficient, she started to want to do more and eventually decided it was time to embark on a new adventure.

Karen received her yoga certification in March 2018 and opened her studio, Peach Out Power Yoga, in August of 2018, at age 47. Her staff now consists of thirteen experienced and talented instructors and a killer community. “I absolutely love what I do. I’m not your typical yoga teacher. I march to the beat of my own drum by taking risks and having fun. Above anything else, I’m always a hundred percent myself,” she said. 

Determined to make her mark in the community, Karen Patton harnesses her inner leader and sheds light on the multiple facets of what she thinks a yoga studio should be. This visionary, proving to be different from other instructors, decided to do things her way and has definitely put her own twist on the craft. By integrating some of her unique ideas, she has definitely inspired other teachers to have fun and not take teaching yoga so seriously. She encourages new teachers to be themselves, to focus on authenticity, and celebrate their individuality. At the end of the day, yoga should be all about being free with oneself and being happy with the person you are, and your clients will respond to you. 

As a yoga teacher, Karen is definitely known for breaking the rules, and her class attendees are always prepared for surprises. A new and unexpected flow, a crazy contest during class, a fun playlist theme, or a choreographed dance, you never really know what you’re going to get, but you can almost guarantee that some part of the class will certainly be entertaining. During the pandemic last summer, Karen was one of the first (possibly THE first) studios to offer socially-distanced outdoor yoga classes. These classes were full of smiling yogis who were so happy to have a safe place to exercise and even socialize, 10 feet apart. 

Besides being a pretty remarkable instructor, Karen has become a voice of leadership and empowerment without making any effort to be in that role. She has turned heads and raised eyebrows with her bold and confident moves, and she has managed to do it in a pretty likable way. Although the yoga industry is saturated with established authorities, this natural-born leader refuses to be dictated by norms and standards and isn’t intimidated by those who have been around the block much longer than her. In fact, she hardly knows who most of them are. She encourages new teachers to stay in their lane, and not get wrapped up in what everyone else is doing. “You can draw strength and success from your own uniqueness, and should never sacrifice who you are because of what others are doing or how they are doing it.” No book or training is going to teach you to be authentically you. People want to see and hear YOU.”

In the coming years, Karen intends to stay committed to the growth of her studio, and possibly more?? Although she wouldn’t reveal any details, we are fairly sure one yoga studio isn’t the end of the road for this entrepreneur. Although she is turning 50 in June, you’d never know it looking at her, and she has as much energy and determination as any 30-year-old. If we had to bet, this dynamic and business savvy yogi is going to find more and more ways to inspire other yoga teachers and studio owners to follow her lead and revolutionize the entire yoga industry one day at a time. 

Learn more about Karen Patton and Peach Out Power Yoga by visiting their website.

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