Helping Restaurant Staff Relax, Recharge, and Reinvigorate

Amelie Kang found a way to combine her passions in cuisine and yoga for the betterment of the restaurant community in Ridgewood, NY and the surrounding environs. 

The co-founder of Sichuan restaurant MÁLÀ PROJECT as well as co-founder of Everyone Yoga decided to host the restaurant’s monthly manager meeting at the studio, transforming it into a relaxing retreat. The four-hour event began with a 20-minute meditation session and finished with an hour-long yoga class

“I was amazed at how meditation and yoga positively impacted our meeting,” said Kang. “Our managers were more open, engaged, and productive. We plan to offer more opportunities like this to our employees, recognizing the tremendous benefits it brings.”

Anna Sofia Ibarra, a Reiki Master, yoga teacher, and co-founder and creative director of Everyone Yoga said attendees shared that during the manager's meeting, thanks to the breathwork and meditation right at the start, they were able to get significantly more insightful when talking about important business matters. 

Hospitality workers endure long hours, late nights, and physically demanding tasks, often resulting in burnout and physical strain. Yoga offers a powerful remedy, helping to alleviate stress, reduce tension, and promote overall well-being.

“Everyone seemed more relaxed and open to discussing from an honest and proactive perspective, so it made the meeting more dynamic and smooth. Finishing with a yoga class was the cherry on top; they all left feeling relaxed even after a long meeting.”

Everyone Yoga also collaborated with Rolo’s, a Ridgewood mainstay, to host a class and offer Rolo’s employees a permanent 10-percent discount on drop-in classes and class packs.

“Yoga provides hospitality workers with a much-needed escape from their hectic schedules,” added Ibarra. “It helps them release built-up tension and find balance, which is essential for their mental and physical health.” 

Everyone Yoga envisions uniting small businesses in the surrounding neighborhoods, particularly providing a space for restaurant workers to unwind.

“We aim to create a network of local businesses that support each other’s staff’s wellbeing,” Kang explained. “We invite more restaurants to join us in this mission, partnering with us to host retreats, events, and classes for their employees, and offering partnership discounts to one another.”

“Hospitality workers endure long hours, late nights, and physically demanding tasks, often resulting in burnout and physical strain,” added Ibarra. “Yoga offers a powerful remedy, helping to alleviate stress, reduce tension, and promote overall well-being.”

She added that  it’s important for local businesses to find ways to collaborate.

“We believe that businesses thrive only in community,” Ibarra said. We believe that growth isn't individual but collective; the more we connect with other businesses and find crossovers and ways to interact, the more diverse and fruitful the experience will be for the overall community. Growth is meant to be shared amongst institutions, as it is only that way that the actions of these can be truly for the good of the whole community.”