The Details Behind My New Logo

Happy Hump Day!

It's no joke, starting a small business or a side gig is a lot of work. I've been pretty busy lately trying to learn the in's and out's of what it takes to become an "official" small business and hit the ground running.

So far, Yoga With Kay has registered with the state of Iowa to become a Limited Liability Corporation, or LLC for short. This would allow me to finally accept Venmo as a form of payment, instead of being cash only. I've also finalized some marketing materials and the new logo with DesignCrowd, which is what you see in the photo above. There's a lot of symbolism to unpack in the logo, so I wanted to write a post to introduce it to my friends and explain it. Here goes!

The Lotus: The lotus flower is everywhere in the world of yoga. I mean, everywhere. Not only is their natural symmetry aesthetically pleasing, the way the lotus flower grows provides some additional inspiration. Lotus flowers are able to blossom in even the murkiest of waters. They have come to resemble resilience and power, as well as a reminder that one can bloom in even the darkest of circumstances. A grown lotus is easy to spot in its natural habitat - its stalk can grow to be over one meter above the water! Many relate this to the common desire in yogis to rise to a higher purpose or state of being. There is also a yoga asana, or pose that honors the symbology of the lotus. More to come on that later...

The Hands: You may have also noticed the hand gesture the yogi in my logo is doing. The movements of our hands and fingers in yoga are called Mudras, which translates to "seal" or "gesture" in Sanskrit. It is believed that these Mudras help us connect the mind and body by activating energy flows. Each hand gesture locks or directs energy differently. The Mudra in this logo is a common one used in Western yoga today, especially beneficial during meditation or Pranayama, or breathwork practices. It is the Gyan Murda, which promotes inner stillness, connects users to a higher consciousness and relaxes the mind and body.

The Yogi: At first glance, the yogi is sitting in a cross-legged posture. Really, this is the Lotus pose, or Padmasana. This seated posture is a foundational pose in yoga practice. It stretches the ankles and legs and provides flexibility for the hips. It also activates the relaxation response and deactivates the stress response. But most importantly (in my opinion) it provides the practitioner with an essential foundation for a meditation practice that allows them to feel grounded and connected to their surroundings. This is a great position to come to if you are feeling overwhelmed and need to take a moment to check in with yourself and reset your intentions. And who doesn't need that from time to time? 

As for the colors in my logo, well. I just really love purple and teal. I hope this short read provided some information about the logo and maybe a little bit about what inspires my yoga classes. Namaste!

-Kay

Speaking of classes, check out the dates and times I'm teaching at Yoga & Co. throughout the month of July below. I hope to see you at one of them!

• Friday, July 15th at 6 p.m.
• Sunday, July 17th at 4 p.m.
• Thursday, July 21st at 6 p.m.
• Friday, July 29th at 6 p.m.