Business of the Week: Milton Yoga

The discipline of yoga comes in a variety of forms. Originating in India over 5,000 years ago, it has always been associated with attaining a spiritual, mental and physical balance.

In the West, the study and practice of Yoga has been part of since the mid-nineteenth century but it wasn't until the 1960s that yoga became one of the most popular ways to maintain physical and mental fitness.

Becoming a yoga teacher also requires a dedication to the discipline, something that Sean McCarthy knows all about.

A former ski instructor and personal trainer, he fell in love with yoga and changed his personal path to the study of this original workout. After completing the 500 hours of yoga teacher training required, he now owns and operates Milton Yoga.

This week, Patch took some time with Sean to sit in the sun and discuss the exciting next steps for his business. 

Where are you from?

I grew up here in Milton. I lived out west for the last seven years and moved home a year ago. I was teaching yoga out west and wanted to move back to be closer to the family. There was a need for yoga here and I thought what better place to do something than my hometown.

How did you get involved with yoga?

I was introduced to it while living in Denver, Colorado. I was a ski instructor, then a personal trainer. A friend of mine brought me to my first class and I fell in love with it. Yoga goes back over 5,000 years and there is a lot of mind/body connections…it gives me peace of mind. I’ve found great peace in yoga.

Apart from the peace of mind, what else can Milton Yoga offer?

There are major benefits to yoga; strength, flexibility, cardiovascular health, weight management and stress relief. You are getting a full body workout by working on the mind and the body.

We offer 20 classes a week. At the moment we are located in a shared space on Randolph Avenue but we are hoping to be moving into a new space on Brush Hill Road at the end of May/beginning of June. It’s going to be around 1,700 square feet compared to the 500 square feet that we are working in now. It’s going to be awesome…it will be Milton Yoga, we won’t be sharing space and I am very excited!

What makes Milton special?

It’s my hometown and it’s where my family is. I have a lot of memories of good times here in Milton. There was a draw to come back to the East Coast and I think that the community in general made this a great place to grow up. Part of coming back was the draw of my family but knowing that there was a strong community that would support a yoga studio and would want to get involved... let’s just say we have had a great reception from the town (smiles).

Was the opening of a yoga studio in Milton always in the plan?

When I was first introduced to yoga, my thought wasn’t to open a studio. For me, it was more of a cross-training exercise alongside working out at the gym. But I decided to go to yoga teacher training and my final project was based upon opening Milton Yoga. At that time I had done the research and there were some places in town that were offering it but it seemed that there was a need for it here. Since graduating from teacher training, it has been my dream to open a yoga studio and everything I have done since training has aligned to get me here.

Why do you think that yoga remains so popular?

It has been westernized, that is for sure. The benefits of yoga have been demonstrated in medical and educational studies while there is a reason why it’s roots can be traced back 5,000 years. There is the mind/body aspect of it; you are getting the emotional benefits and the discipline. I will admit that it took me a couple of different friends to take me to my first class… originally I was against it! I thought yoga was for women, I didn’t want to be the only guy in the class and I didn’t think it was a proper workout.

Everybody has the idea in his or her head that yoga is purely spiritual and yes, there are aspects of that. But people who practice yoga have a different connection to it. People come to yoga for different reasons but I think that the popularity of yoga has a lot to do with the element of community. You are in a room of people with the same goal and the sense of working together. Having that connection and that shared sense of energy…people prefer to do things in a group rather than as an individual and I think yoga provides that outlet.

With the exception of the move to a bigger space, what is new at Milton Yoga?

We are offering ten consecutive days for $10 for new students. You can come for ten days in a row, as often as you like. You don’t have to come every day but you are more than welcome to. It gives you the opportunity to try out the classes and find a teacher that you like. I have five teachers working for me and I teach 14 of the 20 classes.

Do you use social media?

I’m all over it. Facebook, Twitter, Google Ads, Living Social…we even have a blog!

What would be the tagline for Milton Yoga?

I think I’m going to go with the one from the website…whether you live, work or play on the South Shore, Milton Yoga is the place to work…

Milton Yoga is currently located at 777 Randolph Avenue, Milton, but will be moving to larger premises on Brush Hill Road in late May/early June.