I am so happy to introduce Trish Washburn, an incredibly inspiring individual in our community! She is an adventure-seeking entrepreneur, mother, yoga teacher, and athlete. She radiates an infectious zest for life, brings a vibrant energy to everything she does, and inspires others to embrace their own unique journeys.
Trish is the owner of Soleil Lune Yoga Center in Oconomowoc, and is dedicated to guiding and watching her students become the best version of themselves and to create the change they want to see in the world. Her passion for transformation and unwavering commitment to community growth make her a truly remarkable individual. The yoga center offers classes, workshops, events and retreats. In addition to teaching yoga, she also created and offers a teacher training program in collaboration with other studios for a greater sense of community.
I walked away from our conversation feeling inspired, challenged, and excited. I hope you love reading about Trish Washburn and learning more about everything she has created in our community and beyond! – Jessalyn Rich
About Trish Washburn
Q: Please tell us a little bit about your family.
I have a his/mine/ours family that has 6 children and 6 grand children.
Q: Please tell us about your life and what you do (whether working in our community, a business owner, volunteer, etc.). How did you choose that path?
I am an adventure seeker, athletic, live music lover, and Harley rider; I have faith in God and always give the benefit of the doubt; I am a mother and an entrepreneur; I live to help people and I’m a swear-word-speaking yoga teacher; I am a hiker, surfer, and I love the ocean as well as the mountains.
I’m the owner the Soleil Lune Yoga Center and started it before yoga was cool. I didn’t necessarily choose it; it chose me. As I was going through a deep dark time in my life, I took my first yoga class. I hated it, but I liked the way I felt after. It connected me in a thick and tangible way to God and made my faith come alive. Yoga was cheap therapy and allowed me to navigate the storms of life. It helped me put the pieces back together again.
Q: What do you love most about what you do?
I love helping people and watching them become the best version of themselves in life, love and career.
Q: What was the most difficult challenge in getting to where you are now or in your life?
Yoga is such a different type of industry. A lot has changed since our start over 20 years ago. The industry today is focused on clothing, physical workouts and sweating along with gimmicks or add ons. Yoga just needs you to show up. Yoga is enough on its own. It’s hard. It takes discipline to show up every day for yourself.
Yoga is a lifestyle and the product is inner transformation. We have to create a sacred space that allows this process— safety, care and love for that to happen. Yoga changes everything about our existence—our bodies, our minds, and our hearts. It connects us to who we were created to be, makes us more confident, gives us super strength and control of body and, more importantly, our mind. Yoga helps us navigate life and gives us a roadmap for inner investigation. It helps us become a witness rather than active reactionary participant in this crazy life. We are all a mess, and yoga gives us a space to become a peaceful warrior in our own mess.
Q: What is the most rewarding part?
Witnessing the transformations of our students as they become the best possible version of themselves and create the change they want to see in the world. It is an honor to be apart of their process.
Q: What are some of your future goals? Do you have anything exciting coming up that you would like to share?
Future goals for us is to offer our 300-hour teacher training program in addition to our already offered 200-hour program. We thrive to continue to offer intelligent sequencing and hands on assists in all our classes, workshops, events and retreats. We really enjoy partnering with other studios to offer trainings, which allows everyone to have a deeper sense of community.
Exciting news: Our yoga studio is moving locations and we will be continuing to grow our community on Wisconsin Avenue in the soon-to-be-renovated 203 East Wisconsin Ave building on the third floor.
Q: What advice would you give to someone interested in doing something similar to what you have done/are doing?
Buckle up; shit is going to get weird! Befriend fellow yoga studio owners to create a cohesive community rather than silos. The more yoga, the better.
Trish Washburn & Our Community
Q: What is your favorite thing about our community, favorite thing to do, or something unique about our community that you love? (Feel free to share as much as you’d like!)
Lakes! Lakes! And lakes! We have water everywhere and fantastic parks and trails to take advantage of.
Q: Who is an interesting person you’ve met here in our community, and how have they inspired you?
Kate Yanke. She was a student and became a teacher for me in later years and now is my right hand. Kate co-teaches our teacher training program. She always challenges me to move up and to the right. Her humor matches mine as does her sarcasm. She has an investigative mind. Who she is as a person, a wife, and a mother inspires me to be better, do better, and laughter often. Life is too messy not to do your best, laugh a lot and help people along the way. We are all fellow travelers doing the best we can.
My other close friends (Jill, Emily and Serena) do the same. It’s a gang that inspires me for different reasons. They ask me the deeper questions and hold me accountable. I can’t imagine life without them and they are the ones who keep me going and sit beside me in the dark valleys. I couldn’t ask for anything more.
Q: Do you have a favorite coffee shop, cocktail shop, or restaurant?
Wine Maniacs — fantastic service and their food is exquisite. Great atmosphere.
Q: What 3 words would you use to describe our community?
Studio: loyal, family, accepting. Lake country: lakes, outdoors, adventure.
For Fun
Q: What is something interesting that most people don’t know about you?
I ride and own a Harley named Frank, and I used to be a professional water skier.
Q: What is your favorite book, TV show, movie, poem, or song? Why?
Favorite book: the Bible—life lessons, always something to learn and grow with. Another favorite is Untamed by Glennon Doyle.
Favorite film: Letter from an Unknown Woman— the cinematography and epic/tragic love story.
TV show: The Story of Us and A Million Little Things—the rawness of life is depicted.
Song: depends on my mood. Elvis’s “Bossa Nova Baby” and Glen Miller’s “In The Mood”— they make me happy from the inside out. Louis Armstrong’s “La Vie En Rose” — raptures my heart. I love rock and blues — they stir my soul.
Q: Who inspires you to be better?
My closest friends, as they challenge me to be better, ask clarifying questions and hold me accountable. My children also do because they are always watching, and we have very honest, crucial conversations
Q: If you were a drink (can be a coffee drink, alcoholic, non-alcoholic, etc.), what would you be?
Jalapeño margarita – 100%.
Q: If you could have lunch with anyone, who would it be with? Why?
Jesus….I have lots of questions.
Q: What is something on your bucket list?
Live in Nosara and visit France (I studied French since I was young).
Q: What makes you the happiest?
Being with my children. Doing yoga. Loving God. Being in nature. I have a love of water.
Q: Any general life advice you would like to share?
Embrace the mess of who you are. Laugh….all the time. Take an adventure and see what’s possible. Free fall full of grace into life…the safety net is always there…even when it’s not visible.
Where to Find Trish Washburn
Trish Washburn
Info@soleilluneyoga.com
(262) 206-1285
Soleilluneyoga.com
