Yoga center gets room to breathe

College settles in permanent location

Karis and Troy McFadden met at a yoga studio in Portland several years ago and it was love at first sight. Unfortunately, Troy was just visiting from Thailand where he had established a spa and wellness center on a tropical island. Karis was headed for a Bikram Yoga school in Los Angeles where she graduated at the top of her class. When they finally met again, a year later, the love story had a happy ending. They both moved to Thailand and taught at Troy’s resort.

America was drawing them back, however, and the terrorist attacks convinced them they needed to be close to their families. Bikram’s Yoga College of India – Bellingham started life in temporary quarters on Cornwall Avenue, but has now secured a permanent facility next to The Bagelry on Railroad Avenue. The new location offers over 3,200 square feet of heated and carpeted studio/practice space, a stage area, large changing rooms with showers and a massage/natural health office.

Yoga is a 5,000-year-old system of body and mind maintenance. Bikram Yoga, also known as “Hot Yoga,” was developed much more recently and has enjoyed phenomenal growth over the past few years.

“Bikram is an incredibly well-packaged, comprehensive and accessible yoga system,” Karis said. “It’s designed to benefit every muscle, tendon, ligament, joint and organ in the body.”

This particular discipline is performed in a heated (90-105F) studio in order to promote detoxification and increase flexibility.

“The current American population suffers from many ailments due to unhealthy living habits. Eighty to ninety percent of the most prevalent diseases can be prevented or effectively treated naturally using the methods we offer,” Karis said

Karis is the director and head instructor at the school, while Troy is the manager and massage therapist. Marney Sullivan, Fred Currin and Amy Ball will also teach at the school. The new business also offers a retail line of specialty yoga clothing, mats, books, and supplements.

Bikram’s Yoga College of India-Bellingham is the latest milestone in the continuing revitalization of both downtown and Railroad Avenue.

 

Lakeway business seeks hard drinkers

No, a Smoothie is not a glib used car salesperson. It’s a blended fruit drink that comes in a dazzling array of flavors with your choice of nutritional supplements added. The idea began in the south Sound area and has now spread to Bellingham.

Torrey Speer is a Western Washington University graduate with a degree in marketing. He was working for an ad agency in Seattle, but itching to start his own business. After meeting the originator of Emerald City Smoothie (ECS), he took a voluntary layoff and has now opened the 12th ECS store.

Smoothies are the primary product, but Speer carries a complete line of nutritional supplements as well. The store has vitamins and minerals for general nutrition, sports nutrition products for body builders and other athletes, low fat snacks, all-natural products for those concerned about additives, and natural energy supplements.

Some of the Smoothie flavors will give you an idea of what makes the drinks special: Blueberry Blast, Carbo Pump, Immunity Builder, Marionberry Fuel, Peanut Power, Rejuvenator, and Zip Zip. In addition to choosing the flavor, you can choose one or more nutritional supplements to tune up your mind and body. Say you’re trying to lose weight and need an energy boost to get you through a rainy afternoon at work. Torrey can mix you the perfect combination.

Emerald City Smoothie may provide some basic recipes and the buying power of 12 stores, but Speer says he has the freedom to run his own business. Lakeway Center was his first choice of locations because it’s close to schools, gyms, and a busy shopping area.

 

Locals simplify e-commerce

Do it yourself platform helps small businesses

“Simple, reliable Internet help” is the motto of uncomplicated.net, a new firm that gives small businesses an affordable way to create and maintain a Web presence. Owner Laurie Grey has the background to understand customer needs.

“I was a customer of an ISP (Internet Service Provider),” said Grey, “when I learned they needed help with tech support. I didn’t really have the answers, so I learned right along with the callers.”

She learned system administration and managed tech support for the company. Grey found that dealing directly with business customers was the most fulfilling part of her job. When a large corporation bought out her company, Grey decided to use her experience to help businesses navigate the rocky shoals of the high-tech sea.

“Businesspeople are too occupied with other things to have to be techies as well,” Grey said. “Sometimes they don’t know the right questions to ask.”

Uncomplicated.net can help them with the questions and has some, if not all, of the answers. For those of us who don’t have the time or expertise to maintain a Web presence and can’t afford to hire a pro, Grey has a solution.

“Web Everything” offers small businesses a Web-based management console that allows users to avoid costly custom designs and create their own Web presence. It features online tools such as appointment scheduling, message forums, full shopping cart and catalog, automated shipping calculator and a host of other nifty gadgets.

Because the service is Web-based, there is no need to purchase or learn software. Hosting and e-mail are included for a single monthly fee.

The package is template-driven and offers a selection of text and graphics tools. Customers can use the samples provided or plug in their own material. Basic word processing tasks can be accomplished in each window and there is a public access library of graphics available. The help menus are task-specific and are designed to walk a novice through the design process. All you need to get started is a computer and Internet connection.

“This package,” Grey said, “won’t provide you with a site that’s whiz-bang fancy, but it will give you a well done Web presence at a very affordable price.”

Grey suggested that her service might be a big help to nonprofit organizations such as churches and schools, which need a simple, inexpensive way to get on the Web. She pointed out that the package is just as adaptable to posting information as it is to selling.

“Our goal is to help businesses make the most of their Internet dollars,” Grey said. “Now you can create and update your site without a consultant or specialized software.”

 

Board shop surfs new wave

Family oriented sport grabs big air

Kathy McGuire first got interested in wakeboarding when her son took up the sport. Soon, she was doing it as well and saw it as a golden business opportunity.

Wakeboarding is now doing for water skiing what snowboarding did for snow skiing: injecting new enthusiasm into a sport that had leveled out.

Wakeboarding started in the 1980s with the advent of something called a Skurfer, which, like snowboarding’s precursor the Snurfer, is now regarded with fond amusement.

At most major water ski venues, wakeboarding is making more and more inroads. Much of its popularity lies in the fact that it requires less expensive boats and slower speeds than water skiing. Its popularity in the northwest is confirmed by Western Washington University’s wakeboard team, which recently placed second in a nationwide competition.

McGuire opened up Bellingham Board Sports at 930 State Street in May and business has been very good. While she specializes in wakeboards and accessories, McGuire also carries snowboards.

State of the art wakeboards are thin, light and at least as high-tech as the top water skis. Current designs are either surfboard shaped or have twin tips. Wakeboard bindings (footstraps or boots) are built on plates, which are interchangeable on most quality boards. This allows the rider to choose from many bindings independently of the choice of board.

If you want to achieve some degree of comfort in northwest lakes, some sort of thermal protection is desirable. McGuire carries wet and dry suits in many configurations. A shorty wet suit may be adequate for hot summer days, but a full dry suit enables hard-core boarders to pursue the sport year-round.

Bellingham Board Sports carries all the gear you need for riding wakes or half-pipes including boots, bindings, goggles, and helmets. Board sports have also spawned a distinctive look in clothing and McGuire offers several lines, specializing in a local label called Burly Girls.

“We offer excellent customer service and solid guarantees,” McGuire said. “We want our customers to be happy and satisfied.”

To that end, the shop offers a demo program so that riders can try out new equipment before purchasing. It’s enough to warm the heart, if not the toes, of those who enjoy the ride.