Meet Christy Lynn Hicks | Holistic Yoga Teacher & Educator, Wellness Advocate, Artist & Entrepreneur

We had the good fortune of connecting with Christy Lynn Hicks and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Christy Lynn, what was your thought process behind starting your own business?
In my last year of college I worked as an intern at a small television station and worked my way up the corporate ladder from entry level to high level management over the course of 10 years.

Although those years were filled with misaligned values, chronic anxiety & overall dissatisfaction in my work, I am very grateful for what I learned about running a business and managing people.

A couple of years into my corporate journey, I discovered Yoga. It was the first time that I had ever truly felt lit up by something that I could see myself doing long term. I dove in deep, inspired to learn as much as I could.

I knew early on that I wanted to open my own Yoga studio one day so I could run my own business while immersing myself full time in the practice that was helping me so much and have the opportunity to share it with others.

But I knew I had work to do in order to create and sustain a business that was aligned with my values and successful in the way I wanted to success to feel.

I got to work, determined to learn all that I could in order to really understand the ins and outs of running a business. I have deep gratitude for all the wonderful and inspiring mentors I encountered along the way that offered such powerful and positive examples of what it looks like to be a good leader.

I’m also grateful for all I learned about what not to do and what I didn’t want in my business, even though those lessons often came at a very unhealthy and stressful price.

It took me 8 years to gain the clarity, confidence and courage to finally take the leap to open my studio in March of 2005.

I consciously set out to create an environment for people to thrive, whether they were an employee, student, vendor, client, colleague or friend. I wanted to do things according to what I was learning in Yoga about kindness, honesty, strength, boundaries, flexibility, life force, integrity, communication, presence, authenticity, focus, commitment and more.

I was very clear from the beginning that I wanted to run a business based on the principles of Yoga and that I would always put people before profits. I trusted that the profit would come as a result of putting people first.

And it did.

I had a lot of success in the ways I define success which is a healthy working environment that positively impacts others while also offering me the opportunity to do what I love, support my family, learn, grow, travel, teach, write, and know that I am making a difference in the world.

When my business was forced to close in 2020, I came back to my hometown just outside of Nashville to start a new business, Elevation Central which is a Wellness Retreat & Integration Center in Mt. Juliet, TN.

Although I have evolved since 2005 and this reiteration looks different than the Yoga Studio, the essence very much remains the same. I look forward to its unfolding as I continue to refine what I find most valuable and incorporate that into my business and my work with others.

Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.
I always wanted to live a creative life but it was not something that I was exposed to growing up nor was it something that was encouraged so I didn’t know how or where to start.

Instead, I ended up following the status quo and doing my best to be ‘normal’ because that was what was most sought after and celebrated where I grew up.

I chose classes and ultimately a career that I thought would earn me a good living, even though I wasn’t passionate about any of it. I ended up working very hard and climbing the corporate ladder simply because I didn’t realize I had options. I wasn’t an ‘artist’ in the way that I thought an artist should be.

In my corporate ascent, I was unhealthy, unhappy and unfulfilled. Then, I discovered Yoga and my life begin to change. Slowly, but surely.

I started to understand myself better and as such, started to become more creative in all aspects of my life. It was a journey of unraveling of what I thought I knew into an unknown world of curiosity and discovery.

I found myself surrounded by more and more creatives and started to see the limitless possibilities of living artistic life that I had only dreamed of.

Life is my canvas and living is my medium. I love living in a creative way, whether through teaching yoga & meditation, doing energy work, authentic relating and communication, writing, teaching, chanting, dancing, festivals, sacred ceremonies, painting, DJing, fire-spinning, energy work, sweat ceremonies, music, sound healing, etc.

I have a Wellness Retreat Center, Elevation Central, just outside of Nashville in Mt Juliet, TN where we do all of the above and more.

As an entrepreneur of almost 20 years, it is my passion to inspire and encourage others with a blueprint for what creative, authentic & empowered living can look like.

I love helping people connect to their inner wisdom and strength in ways that are practical, accessible, light-hearted, empowering and supportive so that they feel confident in their ability to shine bright and live a life of their own design.

Has it been easy? Absolutely not. There have been more challenges than I can name but each one taught me something valuable about who I am, who I am not, and who I am becoming.

Every obstacle offered me an opportunity to remember just how capable I am and gave me the courage to stretch myself into the unknown knowing that I can and will overcome whatever shows up, just as I always have.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
I would definitely take them to some waterfalls! Waterloo being one of my favorite. Rutledge is also a great one. And then we’d go on one of my favorite hikes at Edwin Warner Park. Then perhaps a half day float down the Duck River. There is so much natural beauty to explore in TN!

We would definitely go see some live music. Depending on who was playing, my top choices would be the Ryman, The Basement East or 3rd & Lindsley.

I would also take them to Ecstatic Dance which is one of my favorite movement modalities.

As for places to eat, there are so many! But two of my favorites are Greko Greek Street Food and The Treehouse, both in East Nashville.

We’d definitely go to the downtown farmer’s market and Bicentennial Mall which is such a beautiful and historic location.

Then, perhaps a little mini-festival, pop-up or craft market, like the Goddess Craft Market or whatever happened to be going on that week (there are so many of these that pop up regularly!)

I would also likely host some type of wellness event at my wellness center, Elevation Central, so I could introduce my friend to the amazing Nashville conscious community!

So much to do and see in this amazing city!

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?

My sister, Taylor Mirror Adams. The best sister I could ever hope for. She reminds me of who I am over and over again just by being her most authentic self.

The father of my son, Jason Marsden. He has always believed in me and my ability to positively impact the lives of others. He was the one that encouraged and supported me in opening a Yoga studio in Burbank back in 2005. He is also an incredible father and a great community leader and loves to support local talent.

It’s hard not to mention all the incredible Yoga Teachers, Mentors, Coaches and Guides I have encountered along the way, but I always want to acknowledge my very first Yoga Teacher, Betty Larsen who I studied with at the Yoga Room in Nashville in the 90s. She is the one that inspired me and encouraged me to become a Yoga Teacher which changed the course of my entire life. So grateful.

Website: www.elevationcentral.com and www.christylynnhicks.com

Instagram: @elevationcentral and @christylynnhicks

Image Credits
Ben Caron, Christy Hicks, Jenn Cutliffe