At first, Amanda Brown felt this kind of nudge to teach yoga.

Over time, however, the feeling grew into a passion.

The Piqua natives first yoga experiences in the early 2000s left her satisfied with the workout and feeling relaxed and rejuvenated. She intended to take classes, but then a busy life as a professional, wife and later, mother absorbed her time.

A couple of years ago, Browns attention again turned to yoga. She studied for teaching certifications while continuing her full-time career as director of community resource development at the Tri-County Board of Recovery and Mental Health Services.

Last year, she decided to make yoga her full-time job. This April opened her own studio balanceYoga by Amanda in downtown Piqua offering classes for youth and adults.

This was what I was meant to do, to help people in this way, Brown said. I love it.

Brown and her husband, Dustin, have one son, Cohen, age 6.

Q&A with Amanda Brown

What is Your Business: balanceYoga by amanda (a studio for yoga and wellness), 312 N. Wayne St. Suite B, Piqua

Who: Amanda Brown, owner/teacher, balanceYoga, received 200 certification as a Nationally Registered Yoga Teacher (RYT) in April 2012 and certification as a Subtle Energy Yoga Therapist (SEYT) in May 2012 at elementsLife. She has a bachelor of education degree in Community Health from the University of Toledo.

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Piqua native turns passion for yoga into business

Paddleboarding is one of the hottest water sports of the summer.

You utilize 85 percent of the bodys muscle, said April Yakaboski, owner of Aerial Fitness Hot Yoga in Riverhead, N.Y. Youre constantly in a state of motion so youre constantly balancing and stabilizing.

However, for those who wanted an extra challenge, Yakaboski created a brand new regimen. The new workout, called Floating Yoga incorporates yoga moves on a paddleboard.

We do about 10 to 15 minute paddles, so you get that experience, Yakaboski said. And then we anchor down so our board is not going everywhere, and we do about 30 to 45 minute yoga exercises, and then we get up and we paddle back. So its a full experience.

However, there is one big obstacle when it comes to Floating Yoga: staying on the board.

Its challenging, and every week I think I get a little bit better, because you trust the board a little bit more, said Rachel Goodale, a Floating Yoga student. Youre unstable, and its bringing that balanceyour core is working twice as hard. I love it.

For more information on Aerial Fitness Hot Yoga, visit http://www.aerialfitnesshotyoga.com/.

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New 'floating yoga' workout combines yoga moves and paddleboarding

LOS ANGELES, CA--(Marketwired - July 25, 2013) - The British royals aren't the only ones with a baby announcement this week. Bendi Baby, of Topanga, California, is proud to announce its new line of baby and toddler yoga mats for newborns to age five. Designer and yoga teacher, Brooke Kochel, saw a need when her toddler started mimicking yoga poses and playfully hanging from her as she practiced at home each day. As a midwife and mother, Kochel understood the developmental needs of an infant and the everyday flow of life with children. Baby yoga is a simple and fun baby activity and bonding tool.

"People always ask me if babies really do yoga. I tell them if you watch a baby long enough, you'll realize yoga is all they do," Kochel said. Mommy and me, postnatal yoga and kids yogaclasses are popping up everywhere. Not only for yoga, the mats are multifunctional to be used for tummy time, infant massage, naps, physical therapy, baths and travel. Moms looking for interesting activities for toddlers will find these mats useful too.

Bendi Baby's eco-friendly mats, which come in sizes Baby and Tot, will be sold for $30 through an e-commerce website powered by Volusion and wholesaled to yoga studios, children and maternity boutiques and toy stores across the nation. The gender-neutral mats are reversible for both sedating and stimulating activities. A built-in antimicrobial, Microban, keeps the mat clean and makes it ideal for a child to nap on at daycare or diaper changes in public restrooms.

The mats' release follows the recent legal debate about yoga in schools, where a San Diego judge ruled teaching yoga in public schools is exercise, not religion. Kochel says it's the first time in history yoga has been passed down to another generation as a mainstream American activity: "A yoga teacher comes to my daughter's preschool and the kids love it. Yoga is not only a household name now, but a schoolyard name."

Bendi Baby, Inc. is a family yoga lifestyle company with headquarters in Topanga, California and Reydell, Arkansas. They are the first to feature a baby yoga mat. The CEO, Brooke Kochel, is a yoga teacher, midwife and mother of two. Please call 870-530-6110 or visit http://www.bendibaby.com. Join us on Facebookand Twitter at Bendi Baby Yoga. Email brooke@bendibaby.com.

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Bendi Baby Announces the Birth of a Baby Yoga Mat Company