Blog

6.10.2026

Hello Friends,

I have two exciting updates to share with you!

🌸 Blissful Blooms is now open for registration!

Join us on Saturday, July 11 from 7:00pm - 8:30pm for a special evening of yoga and flowers. We’ll begin with a gentle yoga practice at Lakeside Flowers, followed by time to wander among the blooms and create your own handpicked bouquet to take home. This unique event is designed to help you slow down, connect with nature, and enjoy the beauty of summer.

💆 Massage Therapy Appointments Are Now Available

After months of training and preparation, I am excited to begin offering massage therapy services through Iron Zen Yoga & Wellness. Available services include Therapeutic Massage, Deep Tissue Massage, Thai Yoga Bodywork, and the Iron Zen Signature Ritual.

Whether you’re looking to relieve tension, improve mobility, manage stress, or invest in your well-being, I look forward to supporting you both on and off the mat.​

Thank you for being part of this community and for supporting the continued growth of Iron Zen Yoga & Wellness. I look forward to seeing you soon.

With gratitude,

Hope Iron Zen Yoga & Wellness

6.1.2026

Hello friend!

The past 6 months have taught me a few lessons that I thought I might share with you today. You may already be familiar with one or all, but I wanted to sort them out this morning.​

• It's ok to slow down.

• Patience is a learned trait.

• Lean on your friends and family for support when things are heavy.

• Good things do come around quite often.

• Even with plenty of time on my hands, my coffee still gets cold most mornings.

• Some seasons seem longer than others.

That's probably plenty for this morning, but I may take a bit more time with my journal and write a longer list.​

I am about a week and a half out from what was hopefully the last surgery I will need to endure for a long while. I am feeling pretty good, but I do tire quite easily. I have spent a lot of time knitting, catching up on TV, and planning out some sewing projects. My doctor has strongly encouraged me to "not overdo it". Evidently, he could see the writing on the wall. This is so hard for me. When did sitting become so hard? If we were to ask my mom, I don't think I've ever been exceptionally good at just sitting around.

I want to try something new now that school has finished, I've passed my boards, and the medical drama (not nearly as exciting as House or Grey's Anatomy, btw) has settled (fingers crossed). I want to start sharing the newsletter with you more frequently and with a more personal touch. I have been terrible and sporadic about sending out the newsletter. Life gets busy, and we don't see each other for a while. I would love to stay more connected. One of the things I have missed most about being away from the studio is connecting with you! So, let's see if I can make this happen a bit more frequently. :)

Ok! Let's chat studio business for a few moments!

If you haven't heard the news, I graduated from the massage therapy program at Belmont College and passed my MBLEX!! This is the national exam required to obtain a massage therapy license in the US. It is incredibly difficult, and the pass rate is only around 50-60% on the first try. I am currently awaiting the review and approval of my state license application. I am hopeful that by the time I am released to come back to "work," my licensure will be in place. Who needs a massage?

I am looking at online booking sites that will incorporate all of my needs (yoga and massage) in one place and will begin accepting massage therapy appointments once the board issues my license. I will send out an update once I have things set.

This coming week, on June 2, I have been granted permission by my doctor to return to Chair Yoga! YAY! You'll find me at the Guernsey Co. Senior Center on Tuesdays at 11 am and at the studio on Thursdays at 10:30 am. As long as my body continues to cooperate with the healing process and there are no hiccups, I'll return to the studio on June 20th.

Thinking ahead to workshops for the second half of the year: I have Blissful Blooms with Lakeside Flowers on my calendar. What other collaborations would you like to see in our community? Any favorites from the first 3 years you would like to see back on the calendar?

I think that's all I have for today's update. I would love to hear back from you. Hit the reply button and send me a message!

I hope to hear from you soon! And mark your calendars, we'll be back in the studio together for class soon! xoxo

With the utmost gratitude,

Hope

p.s. What types of things would you like to read about in the newsletter? Stretches for home? Self-massage techniques? Recipes? Knitting and sewing updates? Gardening?

5.11.2026

This season of life has been full in every sense of the word. I have finished all of my treatments and can say I am cancer free!! WOO_HOO!! I have wrapped up my final weeks of massage therapy school, graduated, and I am now preparing for my licensing boards. It feels surreal to be standing at the finish line of one chapter while another is already beginning to unfold. I have mastectomy massage training and ashiatsu training on my calendar. I am so incredibly excited to begin offering massages once I obtain my license.

Over the next two weeks, I’ll be back in the studio teaching classes and offering a few student massage sessions before I step away again for another surgery. After surgery, I hope only to need to be away from the studio for a week and slowly add classes back onto the schedule. Of course, only time will tell. Well, and what the doctor tells me I need to do. That will really dictate what I can and can't do as well. lol

I hope you’ll join me in the studio over the next couple of weeks. Your presence, support, and encouragement throughout this journey have meant more than I can fully express.

ALSO!! I’m also excited to share a couple of “save the dates” for Blissful Blooms Yoga with Lakeside Flowers in Norwich, OH.
🌸 Saturday Evening Session — July 11, 7 pm
🌸 Sunday Morning Session — August 9, 8:30 am 

These classes have become such a special tradition, and I cannot wait to practice among the flowers with all of you again.

Thank you for continuing to show up for this space, for one another, and for me during this incredibly transformative season of life.

With gratitude,
Hope

3.16.2026 

Hi! I wanted to let you know I am slowly returning to teaching classes after surgery. I’m continuing to heal while also preparing for the next steps in treatment, finishing my final weeks of massage school, and studying for the MBLEX exam. I still don’t have my radiation schedule yet, so the class schedule may be a little more fluid than usual until I have that schedule set. It's going to be important for me to listen to my body as I undergo treatment and may need to adjust the schedule based on my energy from week to week, possibly day to day.

If your body has been asking for a little attention lately, the studio doors are open whenever you’re ready to roll out your mat again.edule a class

I want to thank everyone who has continued to show up for the studio and for yourselves during this time. Your messages, encouragement, and presence have meant more to me than I can properly express.

On the education side of things, I’m also getting very close to the finish line of massage school. As soon as I’m cleared to return to hands-on work, I’ll be reopening Student Massage appointments at the studio while I prepare for licensing. I’m really looking forward to offering that work and continuing to support your wellness in another way.

For now, we’re keeping things simple. A few classes, a little movement, and space to breathe together when you need it.

I hope to see you on the mat soon.

With gratitude,
Hope

2.19.2026

I wanted to share a quick update and a heartfelt thank you. My surgery went well, and I’m now resting and healing at home. At this stage, I’m waiting on pathology results, which will help determine the final course of treatment. While there are still a few unknowns, I’m taking things one day at a time and focusing on recovery.

Your kindness, encouragement, and steady support mean more to me than I can express. Even from a distance, this community remains a source of strength.

Staying Connected at the Studio

While I’m away, the studio doors are still open and welcoming you:

• Spinal Health Yoga with Jen - Wednesdays at 6:00 PM
  Gentle, supportive movement to care for your spine and overall mobility.

• All Level Flow with Sara - Saturdays at 8:30 AM
  A balanced, accessible flow to start your weekend feeling grounded and energized.

Your presence in these classes helps sustain the space we’ve built together.ick here to schedule

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Forged at Home - A Home Practice Collection

If you’re not on social media, or if you’ve seen it mentioned and maybe need a reminder, the Forged at Home video library is now available. This collection of 10 classes was created to help you stay consistent in your practice while I recover and to keep our community connected beyond the studio walls.

You’ll have 3 months of unlimited access for $39, with classes ranging from gentle to restorative to chair to vinyasa flow. These are classes that I hope you will return to whenever your body and schedule allow.orged at Home

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Your participation not only supports your well-being but also helps support the studio during this recovery period; for that, I am deeply grateful.

Thank you for being part of this community; for showing up, for practicing, and for holding space with such care.

​With so much gratitude,

Hope

January 27, 2026

As many of you know, the current climate in the world feels heavy. Even when we limit what we take in, we still sense the impact through one another. In moments like this, I find myself returning to the yogic teaching of ahimsa.

Ahimsa, non-harming or nonviolence, is the first of the yamas in Pantanjali's eight limbs of yoga. It invites us to meet ourselves and others with care, restraint, and compassion. This does not require us to have answers or take a stance. Sometimes ahimsa simply asks that we pause, soften our inner dialogue, and hold space for what is present without adding more harm to ourselves or to one another.

At Iron Zen Yoga, the studio remains a place to land. A place to breathe, to move gently or strongly, and to reconnect with what steadies you when life feels uncertain. As we often close class with a metta prayer, I will offer it here as well:

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​May your life be free of struggles.
May your heart be open.
May your body be filled with joy and ease.
May you know your truest self in this lifetime.

I also want to share a few upcoming updates with clarity and care.

I am three weeks out from beginning a medical leave. I will be taking a minimum of four weeks away from the studio, and class schedules will be lighter during this time as I navigate treatment decisions and necessary travel. Sara and Jen will be continuing to offer classes in the studio, and I trust them deeply. You will be well supported in their care.

To help maintain continuity while I am away, I am currently recording a library of classes that will be available for purchase around the middle of February. This will be an online library with full access to all new classes. More details will be shared soon.

For those of you from the senior center and my chair yoga community, I do not yet have a solid return date. I will be recording several chair yoga classes that will be included in the online library to help bridge the gap while I am away.

Thank you for continuing to show up with kindness, for yourselves and for one another. Your patience and understanding have meant more to me than I can easily put into words. Practicing Ahimsa in times like these matters, even when it looks simple and quiet. Especially then.

WIth gratitude, 

Hope

January 8, 2026 

It has been quite a while since I've written here. Probably because  2025 was a rollercoaster of events and emotions. I won't go into details here, but please know that I gave it all that I had and rolled with the punches to the best of my ability.

 This past fall, I enrolled in the massage therapy program at Belmont College. Things have been going amazingly well! I have enjoyed learning and applying new concepts into my class offerings. And just as I thought things were going to settle, I received a breast cancer diagnosis. I am scheduled for surgery on February 17th and will have a period of recovery followed by radiation treatments. There is still some uncertainty around the full timeline, and I won’t know whether chemotherapy is needed until the pathology results are complete after surgery.

Right now, my health must be my primary focus. I’ll need to step away from teaching for several weeks following surgery. I imagine I will need to adjust my teaching schedule and step back from some classes as treatment unfolds and navigate my health more in the moment for a while. All of this is, of course, dependent upon so many factors.

The studio will remain open and active. Now, more than ever, the time we spend together in community feels even more important. I’m grateful to have two trusted instructors, Sara and Jen, who will cover a few classes per week while I’m away from the studio. The schedule will be more condensed and intentional during this time. I will ask for your flexibility and support as we adapt week by week.

I’ll continue to share updates as I’m able. Thank you for your understanding, your steadiness, and the way this community shows up - quietly, genuinely, and with heart.

For now, January is business as usual.

I have made a small shift to the class schedule to accommodate my massage therapy program schedule. 

Our annual BINGO game is in full swing! Amie P. has already claimed the first BINGO of the game and won a t-shirt. Each BINGO earned adds you to a drawing at the end of the month for a 10-class pass. 

Speaking of class passes, I have extended the 10-class pass to a 6-month expiration rather than 90-days.

I'm excited to welcome Sara and Jen into the studio ahead of my scheduled leave and hope that you will join me in welcoming them back into the studio space. Registration is open now!

Jen Williams will be teaching a Spinal Health Yoga class beginnin next Wednesday, January 14th, from 6pm - 7pm.

Sara Flood is teaching All Level Flow on Saturday mornings beginning Jan 17, 24, and 31st.I am

 I am very optimistic about the future of the studio and my completion of the massage therapy program. I have an amazing medical team taking care of me, and the amazing support of this community.

With deep gratitude,

Hope

February 9, 2025

I thought it might be nice if I took time to make updates here on the studio website. There is a lot of chatter about people moving away from social media and perhaps this will be another way we can stay connected. You are always welcome to send an email to ironzenyoga@gmail.com

At the studio, we are halfway through the Beginner's Series. My new baby yogis are doing amazingly well!! I have had a few people inquire about the next session. Last year I only offered it one time, but it seems like we may have enough interest to host a second training this year. Would this be a class series you would be interested in attending? It's 8 weeks of breaking down sun salutations, common poses, and learning about the 8 Limbs of Yoga. If so, please send me a message and let me know you are interested! 

The days are beginning to grow a bit longer and that makes me feel better. I am longing for sun and green grass. We are in the thick of S.A.D. season and we have to do all that we can to combat it! How do you keep your spirits lifted during this season? I have been looking over seed catalogs and trying to jusitfy purchasing pink dandelion seeds. ;) Can you imagine my neighbors faces as the seeds land in their yards and they have pink dandelions too???  I jest. Mostly. I have been thinking about what I can grow that we will use and I can preserve successfully. Do you plant a garden or are you considering a patio planter of tomatoes and green peppers? There's something to be said about growing your own food and knowing where it came from! 

I wish you well and hope to see you out and about soon. Keep your chin up and know that you are loved! If you feel compelled to respond, send an email. I'll write back! 

With much love,

Hope