Jeff Mah is easily one of the best yoga teachers I have ever practiced with.

He’s charismatic and funny, and he has a unique way of holding space in a yoga class that makes him a phenomenal teacher. He has a passion for movement and for helping people to feel better and stronger in their bodies.

The first time I attended Jeff’s class, I was amazed by how he took the time to find out every single person’s name in the room. Instead of leading at the front of the room, he roamed around (usually crawling), adjusting every single student, checking in to make sure everyone was doing okay, while giving clear and concise cues to the entire room.

He guided us into shapes that I had never been in before, and I felt into places of my body that I didn’t even know existed. I think we used every single prop imaginable in a 75 minute class, and at one point we even worked in partners.

By the time I left class, I felt both energized and exhausted from the work I had just done, both shocked and amazed by the quality of teaching I had just experienced. Nearly a year and a half later, I know I have Jeff to thank for a lot of the major improvements in my practice.

Jeff began practicing yoga in his mid-twenties after he suffered from a shoulder injury. He couldn’t do the activities he loved – snowboarding, climbing, mountain biking – so we decided to try yoga.

He was immediately fascinated by the practice, and by the end of his first class – post savasana – he was hooked.

After practicing consistently for about a year, a friend of Jeff’s asked him to complete a yoga teacher training with him and come teach for his studio. Jeff was a full-time engineer at the time, and he wasn’t interested.

“He kept asking me, so I decided to humour him and take his training,” he told me. I couldn’t help but laugh at this comment. Of course he did.

He completed his training and started teaching on the side. At some point he quit his job as an engineer, but still had no intentions of teaching full time. His full time teaching gig was a temporary way to make money while he took online courses and studied for his MCAT, with the intention of going to med school.

By this point in the interview, I was floored by Jeff. Engineer turned full-time yoga teacher turned doctor? If that’s not impressive, I don’t know what is.

Jeff wrote his MCAT exams and although he scored well, his biology grades weren’t high enough.

It was at that point that he connected with the fact that he had been dreaming of becoming a doctor and teaching yoga on the side. Down dog in the waiting room? Little bridge on the patient table?

He realized that this crazy dream just wasn’t feasible, so he decided to pursue being a full-time yoga teacher, and never looked back.

Jeff taught around Calgary and in Canmore, Alberta for the next few years, teaching at multiple studios and building a following for himself. At some point, he decided he wanted to take the leap into becoming a studio owner.

In this episode of the podcast, Jeff talks about all of the things he’s learned through his experience being a part owner in a studio, and then later owning his own studio.

Are you thinking about opening your own yoga studio? Are you curious about the struggles, hardships, rewards, and realities of being a yoga studio owner? Check out the episode & the show notes to learn more!