Towne Lake Business Association Member Spotlight
Mind, Body and Spirit Yoga Studio

From the

Towne Lake Business Association

Summer seemed like a blur and now it's back to school for our children. As business owners, it's back to business and time to brush up on some of our skills. Perhaps you are looking to improve your company's customer service or increase the number of customers or clients. The Towne Lake Business Association (TLBA) may be just what you need. We offer a venue through which you can attend monthly Lunch 'N' Learn Workshops and Quarterly Business After Hours. These events can provide opportunities for enhancing your business and creating new relationships with other area business owners.

Leeann Desprez

Leeann Desprez opened Mind, Body and Spirit Yoga Studio in October of 2001. In the wake of 9/11, while the entire world was in shock, Leeann and former business partner Michelle Risley were already hard at work designing a place of peace. Their vision was to create a welcoming studio, where they could help beginners get started.

Leeann found her way to yoga in 1997, as a way to reduce the stress of her busy management job. She became certified to teach in the fall of 1999 and began teaching at several gyms in the area. Leeann's teaching style is based in Anusara yoga. Yoga is a holistic approach for reducing stress and instilling a sense of balance in one's work and personal life. Yoga strengthens the immune system, energizes the mind and body, and rejuvenates the whole being.

Today, in addition to regular classes, the studio has an even bigger focus, Yoga-To-Go. With Yoga-to-Go, the studio offers people the opportunity to take a yoga class with friends, co-workers or neighbors, in their environment. Yoga-To-Go takes the fear out of the picture. In addition to small groups, the studio offers yoga to businesses and corporations. Combine yoga with a business and you have Yogazation. This program offers businesses a way to improve the health of their work place. The benefits of yoga are extraordinary, especially for those who work long hours and have sedentary jobs. Classes can be taught in sessions or as a one-time event, and can be specially designed to meet the needs of the group.

Mind, Body and Spirit regularly donates gift certificates to local schools and charity events, including the Fur Ball, Bascomb Elementary Spring Fling and Boy and Girl Scout troops. The studio is involved with local animal organizations as well, and Leeann teaches free yoga classes at the Cherokee Family Violence Center.

The studio is located at 6683 Bells Ferry Road in the Parkside Plaza across from Hobgood Park. They can be reached at (770) 516-9245, or you can visit them online at www.yoga4mindbodyspirit.com.

Left to right: Ken Bharadwaj, Michael Strakes and Marc Replogle at the TLBA Business After Hours held at Cedars Taverna.

In July, a Business After Hours Event was held at Cedars Taverna in lieu of our monthly Lunch 'N' Learn Workshop. We want to thank all those who attended and in particular, Ken Bharadwaj, owner of Cedars Taverna and fellow TLBA member, for providing a sampling of great Mediterranean and Indian Cuisine. Please take a look at our calendar of upcoming events.

Lunch 'N' Learn Workshops

Tuesday, August 16, 12:30 - 2 p.m.Positioning Your Business for Your Exit Strategy, presented by Tom Cramer of Tom Cramer Companies

All Workshops are held at Featherstone's Grille at Towne Lake Hills. Please R.S.V.P. to (770) 517-8210, ext. 550.

Annual TLBA Golf Tournament

Tuesday, September 27, 2005 - Eagle Watch Golf Club. Please contact the TLBA Hotline at (770) 517-8210 ext. 550 to play, sponsor or volunteer. The net proceeds will benefit the TLBA Entrepreneurial Scholarship Fund.

Welcome New Members:
Tad Ryals
Advanced Home Services

Jason & Colin Morris
Seattle Sutton's Healthy Eating

As always, we thank you for supporting our community and our local businesses, and thus "Keeping Towne Lake Dollars in Cherokee."

Visit us at www.tlba.org.