Meet Mary Kate Schuster | Yoga Instructor & Retreat Leader

We had the good fortune of connecting with Mary Kate Schuster and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Mary Kate, we’d love to hear more about how you thought about starting your own business?
I began teaching yoga in 2018, and having been in the yoga space since 2014. I’ve witnessed the incredible impact of the practice on students (myself included), and admired the leadership of the women who opened and ran the studios at which I worked and practiced. While the studios provided an inclusive and accessible environment to move and breathe as a community, I noticed a significant gap in the market for accessible yoga retreats. Most retreats were 7-14 days long and priced well into the thousands, often ranging from $3,000-$5,000 per person, not including the travel costs to fly to said destinations. Retreats like this seemed like incredible, life-changing experiences, but I couldn’t fathom affording them, much less taking off work for that many days in my early 20s, and I noticed many of my friends and colleagues felt the same. In late 2020, when the world had spent most of its year shut inside, I led my first retreat: a Friday-Sunday all-inclusive Yoga Retreat in Hot Springs, AR, starting at just $325 per person. The retreat sold out, and 16 women gathered for a weekend to relax, connect, and practice yoga. It was obvious to me then, and it remains obvious now that accessible yoga retreats are a healing and fun offering, and I am proud to be a part of filling the gap.

What should our readers know about your business?
Yoga retreats are less about yoga, and more about fostering an environment that allows individuals to step away from their day-to-day lives, whether that’s a busy work schedule or family commitments, to connect with themselves and other like-minded people, rest, move intentionally, and reflect.

Building my business at the intersection of travel and wellness provides challenges: maintaining a luxe, all-inclusive, and professionally led retreat, while keeping true to my mission of keeping costs affordable to students makes the behind the scenes work far more time consuming. I am proud to be able to maintain my own high expectations for a retreat experience, while keeping my promise to offer affordable experiences, making yoga retreats far more accessible to more women.

Marketing myself and my retreats has never come naturally, and I learned more from the retreats that did not come near selling-out, than those which filled every open spot. I learned, to me, the experience I’m sharing is not worth compromising to make more money, and I learned early on that I want to “work for myself” in the retreat leading space, but still work “for” other incredible studio owners to share the practice day-to-day.

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?
My hometown of Memphis is a diverse city full of culture, delicious food, history, and genuine people. My tops spots for dining (the list is endless, but, my most often recommended) include lunch at Libro (my all-time favorite chicken salad) or City Silo (the sunshine burrito is elite), cocktails at Bar Hustle, Hen House, and Belle Tavern and dinner at Hog & Hominy, Ecco, or Good Fortune. Despite all the recs, a very predictable Friday night out for me in Memphis is grabbing a beer at Hammer & Ale or Cooper House, cocktails at Alchemy, and late night bites at Young Avenue Deli. The views of the city from the Big River Crossing are not to be missed, and while the Bass Pro Pyramid is a total tourist destination, you kind of have to go at least once. Shelby Farms park is the best spot to bring your pups for a walk, and if you want to eat, shop, work remotely, or just hang out, Crosstown Concourse is a great spot to explore (great for a rainy day too).

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
My yoga journey and retreat leadership was made possible by the supportive, loving, and encouraging community at Hot Yoga Plus where I began practicing and learned to teach. I had the opportunity to lead students and form connections with future retreat-goers at Hot Yoga Plus, Mind/Body Haus, SANA Yoga Memphis, and Zen Studio Fitness, and I will forever be grateful for the women who own and pour their hearts into the studios and their students. To my friends and fellow teachers Kayla Sentell, Melissa Meadows, Tori Anito, and Mary Patrick for believing in my vision, and helping me share the practice and the retreat experience with over 70 women thus far : I love y’all! And to Country Santo, my student turned professor, turned friend who sparked my vision for leading retreats on my own, thank you for inspiring me to just go for it.

Website: https://www.marykateschusteryoga.com

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/marykateschuster/

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mary-kate-schuster

Image Credits
Headshot Image Credit: Laurynn St. Germain

All Other Images taken by me.