Meet Tina Ardolino of Hapa Yoga in Mission Valley and Eastlake

Today we’d like to introduce you to Tina Ardolino.

Thanks for sharing your story with us Tina. So, let’s start at the beginning and we can move on from there.
I am the founder and CEO of Hapa Yoga. I had spent over 15+ years in corporate business, working for large Corporations such as Sempra Energy and KPMG in Financial Systems & Planning. I was always driven to succeed, like others, pressured by expectations to have a “normal” job that was 9 to 5 and had benefits. I have known from a young age I wanted to help others and be creative, but landed in very Type A roles. I balanced my work life with athletics, fitness, and yoga. I graduated from USC in 3 years and started my first Corporate career at age 20. No matter what job title or company I worked for I seemed unsatisfied, unhappy, and bored.

In 2011, I decided to start a family. Many colleagues mentioned that most Women will take a step back from climbing the ladder as the priorities change, and focus shifts to being a mom, and taking a less demanding job can help keep balanced. After having a baby, it was life changing. It was the first time since the age of 13 that I had a break from a job for more than 5 days. From a career perspective it felt very awkward and strange to not be answering emails and helping a corporation thrive. I also never had a hard time learning a new role, until becoming a mother.

Being a mother was the hardest job I have ever had. I was overwhelmed for the first time in my life. I was unable to multi-task, I cried daily and was irritable but no idea why. I had physical pain and exhaustion. I was suffering from Post Partum Anxiety.

It took several months to figure out what was going on with my moods, mental and emotional state. There was a big agenda in Southern California (and probably across the nation) to breast feed, not to take medications, and to be a “Super Mom”. Because of this pressure, I was against taking anti-depressants.

My OB asked what I was willing to do, and I said “Do Yoga”. And he replied “Then go to yoga.” And I then replied “I can’t because I have no one to watch the baby, and the yoga studios do not offer child care.”

So we compromised and I started taking an estrogen pill to stabilize the huge drop of hormones to help calm the symptoms. It felt great, however my milk supply had vanished, and I was not prepared for a back up plan of formula. Still being overwhelmed, I panicked with my baby being malnourished and lack of ability to problem solve. Not to mention, my then husband, also suffering from post partum, without either of us knowing, stated “BREAST FEEDING THE BABY IS MORE IMPORTANT THAN YOUR HEALTH”.

This statement haunts me to this day. I have never felt more kicked when being down. I was suffering alone, and now realized the one person who was supposed to take care of me, no longer gave a shit about me. So I went off the hormones and took a huge decline in my mental state. After 2 more months of suffering, the maternity leave was coming to an end, and I knew I would not be able to work in the hell I was living in, and with a brain that no longer functioned to perform, solve problems, multi task, let alone focus.

I decided to go on anti-depressants. And it saved my life, but not my marriage. Once the fog lifted and I found myself again, I started writing a business plan to open a Yoga And Fitness Studio with Child Care. This would be the haven I needed, and know that many women and families needed it to.

I started writing the plan Dec 2011, by Jan 2012 I started the groundwork, formed an LLC. FEIN number, Seller’s Permit, Company Bank account, By Feb I found the space, secured a SBA loan, cashed out my IRA, and by June 2010 I was handed the keys to start breaking ground to build the most beautiful and safe yoga studio with child care. While I was still working full time – with a newborn.

Hapa Yoga opened its’ doors by September 2012. Hapa was the first studio of its kind. We offered all my favorite styles of yoga (Heated Vinyasa, Hot Hatha, Prenatal, Yin), kids yoga, mom and baby classes, and fitness classes such as Barre, Bootcamp, Cardio Group Classes. The child care room made us unique.

The first year was a struggle. I was still working at Sempra full time, trying to run a studio on the side. I had a strong intuition that Hapa Yoga was my dharma (Life Purpose), so I fought for it. In Dec 2015, Hapa Yoga Eastlake studio opened. While building the second studio, my marriage crumbled when my husband started to abuse alcohol. At that time, Nicholas was age 4 and Dylan was 14 months old. I had 2 studios, an uncertainty for my financial future.

On top of owning and teaching at the 2 studios, I was taking MBA courses and had to go back to full time employment. I struggled with being a single mom, and did not have enough time or energy to start grieving the loss of my marriage. I look back on the last 2 years, and I am still in shock with how I got through it all. But I did, and it was because of yoga, the studio and community at Hapa Yoga.

There were times I felt as I was traveling backwards, but then realized I was, like a rock in a sling shot, I was being pulled backwards – but only to be released on a fast and fierce projection forwards. The studio started to have tremendous growth, media attention, and financial stability. I was able to quit working in Corporate by May 2015 and focus 100% on Hapa Yoga.

I realized how much success there was, but in the student’s transformations. The students and Hapa Yoga have turned to us to work through serious illnesses and situations, depression and suicide, family support, addiction, domestic violence, post partum, infertility issues and the list goes on.

Every day, I am filled with gratitude that I get to have this amazing job. The struggles I went through had a purpose and I would do it over and over again – to help the lives of thousands that have been through our doors. The staff at Hapa Yoga are the ones that have made everything possible, they are the most giving and talented group of instructors, child care providers, and support team.

We recently received the rights by the State of California to franchise. If I could share just a tiny bit of what I feel and experience with other communities, it would be a blessing.

Please tell us about Hapa Yoga.
Hapa Yoga specializes in vinyasa, heated vinyasa, hot hatha, prenatal yoga, yin yoga kids yoga, mat pilates, bootcamp, barre, and sculpt. We have child care onsite which is what makes us unique.

Our youngest client is 4 weeks of age, and our oldest is in their 80s.

I am most proud of our amazing staff for helping to share my dream. The entire Hapa Yoga staff have dedicated to helping others in their life journey, heal, recover, and transform.

What I hear most from people who have experienced Hapa Yoga, is that it holds a different energy, one that is more loving, caring and nurturing. When you enter through the doors, you can feel it and when you are not there, you miss it.

If you had to go back in time and start over, would you have done anything differently?
I wish I had more startup capital so that I could have left the Corporate career sooner to just focus on the studios. I wish I had a stronger base in my spiritual practice and faith, to limit my self-doubt.

I do believe everything happens for a reason, so I am grateful for all the mistakes, to learn from as they have humbled me, taught me forgiveness and patience, most importantly to persevere and be guided with love.

Pricing:

• Introductory First Class is Free
• First 30 Day Trial $45

Contact Info:

• Address: 4242 Camino Del Rio North #10, 92108
  2334 Proctor Valley Road #101, Chula Vista
• Website: www.hapayoga.com
• Phone: 6195042528
• Email: info@Hapayoga.com
• Instagram: @HapaYoga
• Facebook: www.facebook.com/HapaYoga

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