The Alimond Show
Welcome to The Alimond Show --join us as we share our entrepreneurial guests' stories, uncover their secrets to success, and explore the unique paths they've taken to build thriving businesses in our community.
In each episode, our host, Aliyah Dastour, sits down with a diverse group of local business owners, from the corner cafe to the boutique shop, from tech startups to family-run enterprises. We peel back the curtain to reveal the trials, triumphs, and transformational moments that have shaped their entrepreneurial journey.
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The Alimond Show
Transformative Power of Yoga and Mindfulness with Gretchen Schutte
Have you ever felt like a moment of chaos could lead to profound change? Join us as we sit down with Gretchen Schutte, founder of Peace in the Pause, who shares her transformative journey into the world of yoga and meditation sparked by an everyday mishap. Gretchen opens up about how a spilled coffee incident became a turning point, leading her to embrace yoga and ultimately dedicating her life to guiding others through stress-reducing practices. She emphasizes the accessibility of yoga, meditation, and breathing techniques, offering simple methods listeners can try to bring more calm and presence into their daily life.
Gretchen also takes us on a journey through the history and essence of yoga, honoring its 5,000-year-old lineage while highlighting the benefits of yoga retreats. Get inspired by stories from retreats in Iceland and Bali, and hear about upcoming retreats in Virginia and Mexico, where mindfulness, community, and nature converge. The conversation touches on the unique tranquility found in nature and the power of embodiment practices to connect with our senses. Additionally, Gretchen discusses her collaborative workshops with the Loudoun County Library System, which focus on stress relief and meditation.
Transitioning from corporate life to entrepreneurship is no small feat, and Gretchen candidly shares her experience integrating wellness practices into corporate settings. From virtual sessions to on-site retreats, she reveals how breath, movement, and mindfulness can enhance employee well-being and productivity. As an international meditation teacher on the Insight Timer app, Gretchen offers a range of meditations designed to bring peace and calm into daily routines. Wrapping up the episode, she shares her empowering mantra, "I am here, this is now," encouraging us all to embrace the present moment as a precious gift.
My name is Gretchen Schuette and my business is Peace in the Paws, and I am a yoga and meditation guide that helps busy people create space to pause, breathe, add in some movement and be able to move through the world as a better version of themselves, and so I share yoga, meditation, breathing practices, and on a class level for individuals and in bigger programs like retreats.
Speaker 2:Nice. Tell me a little bit of a backstory of how you got into your industry and what led you here.
Speaker 1:Well, I like to say because it's true that I found yoga because I dropped my coffee. Oh, a long time ago, like almost 20 years ago, the one thing that would get me out of bed in the morning was to know that I could stop and get a coffee with a green label, let's say, and it was the motivating factor of getting my day started. And I had my very special coffee, made a very certain way, and I was making my way into the office where I worked and I dropped it and I became unraveled, I lost my stuff and was incredibly upset over drop coffee. And so I realized that there was something bigger that was wrong. There was a lot of stress in my life, a lot of dis-ease, and it was sort of the caveat of we need to figure out a way to make a change. And I had had folks tell me oh, you should try yoga, and I probably had some smart words for them at the time and I decided that maybe they're right. And so I walked into a yoga class and my very favorite thing about it and I still remember Wendy was her name and she taught out of her home. It's the one thing that I didn't feel like I had to be good at, and it's the one place I could go where I could turn down the volume of everything that was going on, and I wanted to know. One, how that worked. And two, can we have more of that please?
Speaker 1:Yeah, so almost 20 years later, I'm still practicing yoga.
Speaker 1:I've been teaching yoga for 11 years because I got to a point where I need to share this with others, because if I can change my life with this practice, I want to be able to give that gift to other people, and so I took a teacher training and learned how to teach, and that's grown from there.
Speaker 1:I've taken additional training since, and six years ago I left the corporate world, brought my coffee with me and I've been working for myself the owner of and founder of Peace in the Paws and, as I noted, I teach group classes, I teach private sessions and I keep looking for different ways to be able to bring these practices to people where they are. I really value meeting someone where they're at, and it can be as simple as making eye contact with someone at a coffee shop and intentionally breathing and just holding that space for them. It could be something bigger, like getting away for a day retreat at a out in the woods, and so it's been a delight to navigate this journey, a delightful challenge in some ways as well, and I'm looking forward to seeing how it continues to evolve.
Speaker 2:Yeah, so it sounds like you want to provide, like, bring your experience to their world on location, right? So that way they can have that ease of access to be able to experience yoga in their space as well as yours, if they wanted to.
Speaker 1:Yes, and I'm all for yoga studio. I'm all for having practices that are accessible to people to come in and step out of their world or everyday flow. I call it to enjoy space for themselves. But I also know that there are people that aren't comfortable, necessarily, or they just don't have the time, and so I've had the opportunity to, whether it's virtually or in person, connect with people, for, whether it's 45 minutes of movement or a 20-minute breathing break, that, I do believe, changes their trajectory of their day and makes the world a little bit better for them.
Speaker 2:Awesome. I love what you're doing. I love that you're offering those services and helping people be more in tune with themselves and the moment. Based on your experiences, what do most? Just because I'm curious and maybe some listeners might be curious too what do most people like to come in for yoga or are hoping to experience when they go there? Is it like some stressors in their life? Is it just breathing? Is it something completely that's like whoa, I didn't know yoga could offer this to me.
Speaker 1:Right, I think it's a little bit of everything. I think sometimes we walk into a practice or walk into a studio not knowing what we're looking for and we find so much more. I came in for stress relief. Other people come in for mobility and flexibility. They might be some kind of athlete or they just want to be able to get up and down off the floor and play with their kids. And then I find that when you begin that practice and you do find the things you're looking for like range of motion, flexibility, strength you also then begin to find ways that you can reduce stress, you can be more present with your family and just be a better version of yourself Awesome.
Speaker 2:Love that. What are some? Maybe breathing techniques or yoga techniques that just for anyone listening they could try with ease and maybe help their day be a little bit more calm or at ease for them.
Speaker 1:For sure. So one of the many things I have is a podcast, and I share a variety of breathing practices and things there and two of the easiest things we can do well, two of the simplest things we can do. They're not always easy, but the first one would be to simply pay attention to our breath, like how am I feeling right now? And can we gaze at the wall or close your eyes for a moment and feel into your breath and notice what it feels like, and the beauty of that is one you're checking in with yourself and your body's. Like, yes, listen, and it brings you to the present moment. Right, and so that breath awareness is a really beautiful thing that you can do. And then, from that breath awareness, a practice I use often, truth be told, I use it on the way over here.
Speaker 2:Okay, share it?
Speaker 1:Yes indeed and it's not rocket science, which is what I love it's a practice called balanced breathing Right.
Speaker 1:And so in Sanskrit, which is an ancient language of yoga, the Sanskrit name for it is Samavritti Pranayama, and so Samavritti is same fluctuation, and what you simply do is, as you're breathing, you get a feel for how long your inhale is.
Speaker 1:Let's say, the inhale is for a count of four, and then, when you pause, you begin to then find your exhale to match that. So you take an exhale of four, and maybe your number is three or five or something different, but we simply inhale and exhale at an even same rate. And what that does is that, when we focus on our breath and we bring balance to our breath, our breath influences our energy, our body and our mind, and so then the breath can be the guide to bring balance to our energy when we're feeling like we're spiraling out of control or we're like no more Right, so we can bring ourselves back to balance with the energy, with our body, and then the mind catches up and again becomes present and is able to navigate whatever situation you're in. So balanced breathing, which is equal fluctuation, and even just beginning with am I breathing?
Speaker 2:Yeah, that is really cool. Thank you for sharing that, and you mentioned your podcast. What is the name of it? So people who want more tips on that are interested. Check it.
Speaker 1:Indeed, the podcast is called Peace in the Paws. I kept things easy.
Speaker 2:Yes, you did Smart. And that brings me to my next question with marketing. So you're doing a podcast. What about online, like with social networking? Are you putting any tidbits of information out there online on like, instagram, facebook, tiktok?
Speaker 1:Indeed, indeed, I haven't grown into the TikTok world yet, you know, I feel like that's the next frontier, if you will, but I do have a presence on Facebook and on Instagram and my website also. All peace in the pause, because that's what I'm seeking and that's what I'm trying to offer people. People doesn't have to be elaborate, simply needs to be intentional, and so I put out short videos and tips. In addition to those platforms that are content to share, I also have a yoga and meditation library that people can subscribe to, and so there's over 100 classes of different styles, as well as meditations that are guided, and so you can bring me into your home and have a personal practice with me.
Speaker 2:Nice and I know that you do some retreats. Talk to me about that and the workshops and the history behind yoga and the practice. Share all of that good stuff with us.
Speaker 1:There's a lot there and it's great, and so I guess I'll take a step back and say that the history of yoga itself is deep and rich. It's over 5,000 years old, and I do my very best to honor the lineage of that practice and honor the teachers I've had and to be the best version of the teacher that I share with others. I have one moment.
Speaker 2:Yeah.
Speaker 1:I'll breathe in, yes, and then I'll breathe out. I got a lot of thoughts in my head. That's why I do yoga. So one of the things I do is lead teacher trainings to share the depth of yoga right and so from these ancient teachings that I'm able to share with groups of people as they dive into it, but also to layer into stepping away for a day or a weekend, once a quarter, I do a day retreat where, from like 10 to four, you can step out of the everyday flow, go someplace in nature, practice yoga, practice mindfulness, come together in community and then just enjoy unplugging.
Speaker 1:In the fall, I'll be leading a retreat in the fall of 2025, a local retreat in Virginia, and I more recently began leading international retreats. I took a group to Iceland my dream, it's my favorite place and it's amazing because it's so quiet and peaceful and so I was able to take a group there in 2022 and had an amazing time. I bet I supported a retreat that we went to Bali in 2023. And then I'll be going back to Mexico in March of 2026. There's ample time for investigating, signing up, getting an early bird special and what's great, it's a short flight, it's a chill area, it's a beautiful space we get to stay in. We're two blocks from the beach and we have yoga, relaxation and then local adventures like swimming in cenotes, going snorkeling.
Speaker 2:Sounds so cool man.
Speaker 1:Yeah, and so we start the day with yoga, we start the day with meditation and practice and watching the sunrise, and then we carry that mindfulness with us through all the different activities that we do. One of the practices that really came through to me during the sheltering of our pandemic was practices of embodiment. And so embodiment the definition, if you will is to be attuned to and inhabiting our senses, and so the natural world is welcoming us to see and to hear and to taste and to feel and to smell, and so when you're out in the woods and you're breathing, you're breathing in all the benefits of being out with fresh air, things that are called phytocides, seeing the colors, not having your phone in front of your face.
Speaker 2:So when I go places for retreats whether it's a weekend, you know, or a day which is totally worth unplugging, or longer we're able to be with yourself and nature and the people around you, all having the same experience without your phone right there, right to know what's going on everywhere else, like focus on you and right now. Yes, I think that is so incredible. Like this is cool. This is this is your job.
Speaker 1:Like this is awesome there's moments I have to stop and and literally stop for and say I get to do this right, I get to go visit. So one of the things I do with workshops again to help expand, to share tools so the Loudoun County Library System. I've been working with them since 2017, perhaps, and through the pandemic, we had virtual sessions so we were able to do things. We got on a platform like WebEx and offered meditation and calming practices for people that were stuck at home, and since then we've now been able to get back together and so I lead monthly workshops. The one that's coming up soon is one on the benefits of stress relief that come with breathing practices and meditation, and in the fall, I'll be leading practices that have some gentle yoga and then some breathing practices and meditation as well.
Speaker 2:Oh, you sound booked and busy. That's awesome. I had a question about the places that you are selecting to do these retreats. Do they have like a special significance or maybe a community there with yoga, like I'm just curious, like how do you pick your places you go?
Speaker 1:So when I began leading retreats, the first one was in 2018. And it was local, and so I found a retreat center, and what I look for with a retreat center is to have a space that has nature involved, has good food and has the ability to have a large yoga space that we can get together and practice. And I came across a space just south of it's in a town named Madison, and it's a beautiful space. There's a river, that, or a creek, depends on the size, but there's water. That's what matters. Listening to water, side note listening to water.
Speaker 1:Right, and do you know why?
Speaker 2:No.
Speaker 1:Okay, so one is. I believe that listening to water taps into our primal senses, our amygdala, our downstairs brain. When water's moving, something deep inside us knows that the water is safe, because stagnant water can hold disease. But flowing water means that it's safe to drink, it's clear, it's safe to use. The other thing that studies have shown is that the sound of moving water is relaxing to your cardio system, and so if you're ever at a doctor's office and there's a water feature, it's to help calm the body and mind, because that sound of water calms our cardio system.
Speaker 2:Whoa, now I know no, seriously, whenever I hear water, I have to close my eyes and I'm just like well, listen to it. Even just seeing the water I don't know if you put it through a light or through a window or a source the wave. When you just stare at them it just like I could stare at it all day. I don't know if that's some freaky stuff I'm sharing, but I don't know.
Speaker 1:We put ourselves in boxes not that long ago and live in boxes, which I love. The box I live in, I like the couch, I like the electricity, I like the air conditioning. But when we separate ourselves from nature, we kind of lose track of ourselves, and so when we see these things that remind us of who, we truly are right. And so I find these spaces like the one in Virginia. There's another one in West Virginia Again. It's on the Potomac River. It's a beautiful space to spend time in. When I led a retreat there, the gentleman who owns that retreat center has a retreat center in Mexico, and I enjoyed the experience so much that that's the location that we went to when we went to Mexico. We geeked out on Iceland earlier. Iceland is one of my favorite places. I went for the first time the year I turned 30. So not that long ago.
Speaker 2:Long enough. Congratulations to that. That's awesome yeah.
Speaker 1:And so I've been. My retreat that I led has been my fourth trip to Iceland, and I love that. It's very accessible to get to. It's a short flight and it's the youngest piece of land on the planet in relationship to the other continents and bodies of land, and so there's this raw energy that is there that we were able to experience and tap into, and then things that you can't see anywhere else. Oh I believe it.
Speaker 1:Yeah, else, oh, I believe it. Yeah, you know, between the fissures in the land and literally you can stand with one foot on the North American continent tectonic plate, yeah, and one foot on the Europe, oh my gosh. And I was like I've been to places at once. Look at me. Yeah, so the places I go to it's energetic or it's nature-based, which really is the same thing, yeah, and places that I get to go and enjoy and then also share with others.
Speaker 2:Yeah, no, I think that's great. You definitely aren't going to be missing out on, like good food in Mexico, because that's big, be careful, it's really good. Where do you hope to see yourself and your business in the next five years? Maybe expanding?
Speaker 1:You know and that's, and so as I continue to navigate this and figure out, you know and that's, and so as I continue to navigate this and figure out you know, truth be told, when I left corporate, I had an opportunity that, in fact, I manifested the opportunity. So you have to be careful what you ask for, or know what you're asking for. When I stepped into working for myself as an entrepreneur, frankly, I didn't really know what I was getting myself into and I'm just continuing to figure that out. But one of the things that I'm continuing to grow and leaning into is how can I continue to offer practices of breath, movement and mindfulness and bring them to people within the corporate setting? Simply from how I felt, you know, 20 years ago and even in the last 10 plus years. I'm still a human. I'm still navigating life as it is as a business owner.
Speaker 1:And then there's folks that have jobs that they may not be able to get away from their desk and they have valuable things that they do, and I've had the opportunity several times to go to offices and be in a conference room and share practices, times to go to offices and be in a conference room and share practices, and then other instances where I connected with the state of Maine has a health department and the director brought me in via a virtual platform and we had a session daily to support their healthcare people during the Healthcare Awareness Week, which was great, because then I'm in Virginia, they're in literally the state of Maine and we're connecting and breathing and helping each other out, and so, as I continue to do that, I'm just looking for partners and people that want to bring wellness into their workplace so that I can offer things, and you know, what I love is that it could be as simple as a 15 minute virtual session to calm the mind and to become more present.
Speaker 1:It could also be something a little bit more like a 30 minute class or a 45 minute class, or I come into there for leading a corporate retreat and they want to have a morning session to begin each day. That would be something really great to be able to be involved in again supporting the people that need these practices, you know, wherever they may be, so that they can be more focused. You know those things like they can be more productive but also just be healthier and happier people.
Speaker 2:Absolutely For anybody. Maybe who's listening and is inquiring about maybe doing yoga or curious about it? Do they have to be like an expert? Do they have to be anything like a prerequisite before they jump in and join the party?
Speaker 1:That's an excellent question. I've had lots of conversations where it starts out with I would do yoga, but and I understand where people are coming from right I would have never thought that yoga would have been something that I would have enjoyed, and so I'd say the only thing that someone needs to do is breathe, and that's what I tell every class I start any day that I teach. And so if you can breathe, you can do yoga, because it can be done sitting in a chair here where we are. It can be done sitting on the floor, it can be done standing in your office, yeah, and so if you're open and willing to try something and breathe and give yourself that gift of presence, you can do yoga absolutely that's so cool, like I feel present right now and your voice like something about it like also helps.
Speaker 2:I wonder if that has like a thing like the way you talk, right, do you have to think about like be calm and like doing that? As opposed to like sounding like. All right, everybody, let's get on up and stretch it out.
Speaker 1:You know, I have my moments. I was, and there's instances hertz of tone and I've been talking since birth is what my parents say. I've had the opportunity through education, with a marketing degree and then I did Toastmasters for several years to be able to organize my thoughts and thankfully, you know, I feel comfortable sharing information with people. But a gift of the universe is the tone of my voice and I'm grateful for that, because it's something I can't teach people, and when I know that someone needs space to be held for them, that's what I offer, and part of it is the energy I bring to the space and it gets reflected in my voice and how I hold space in the room itself. And so one other thing that I have, because I have a lot of different things yeah, I love it. I am published, so technically I'm an international meditation teacher, I know right.
Speaker 1:A little flex right there. So, frankly, it was scary to start because people chose to come to take practice with me locally, so it was their decision, yeah Right. And a friend of mine suggested that I record meditations and publish them. And I was like oh no, no, no, no, that's me putting myself out there really far and that seems kind of scary. And so that was like six years ago and I thought, well, why not? Right? And so I recorded meditations and there is an app called Insight Timer, and so it's an app that's expansive.
Speaker 1:It's got teachers from all over the world. They have meditation, they have talks, they have yoga, and I'm one of the teachers, and so I have a handful of meditations. Some are two minutes to regroup, some are 10 minutes to do a short relaxation. And then I have a practice that is one that helps you fall asleep at night. And so if you go to Insight Timer, which is a free to download app which is awesome with a ton of great content, and you search my full name, gretchen Schuette, you can come to my profile and see what meditations may help invite a pause for peace in your day.
Speaker 2:I love that you mentioned that, because I literally was going to tell you like your voice is so calming that I'm probably going to listen to this podcast, like to listen to your voice again, Because I mean, I guess maybe I do like ASMR or something, but something about a soothing voice or water, Not like the tap, tap, tap, scratchy things, but like anything, water, or like a gentle voice. Oh, I just love it. So now that I know we, the listeners too, know that you have an app with that and what is the app called?
Speaker 1:again, so the app is called Insight Timer.
Speaker 2:Okay, and we just got to look up your name.
Speaker 1:Yeah, and then you can search for my name on that app and, truth be told, there's a lot of excellent content. I use the app myself for a variety of things, but, yes, you search my name on Insight Timer and that's a way you can access meditations that I've recorded and share.
Speaker 2:Perfect, Good to know. Thank you for sharing that. All right. So one of my final questions is since I have you here, did I touch on everything that maybe you wanted to share with our listeners? If you need a moment to think on that, let me know. Making sure we got everything good.
Speaker 1:I think so.
Speaker 2:Okay.
Speaker 1:I sometimes forget how much I do and the joy that I have with what I'm able to share. You know, locally and two hours from here and a plane ride from here, and whether you know I meet the people face-to-face, like you, and thank you again for having me.
Speaker 2:Girl, thank you for coming.
Speaker 1:And or I get a note from someone that I've never met that said thank you for helping me fall asleep. It's a joy to be able to do this, and I continue to find opportunities to share these practices to help busy people find a way to pause, to breathe and to be able to navigate the world as the best version of themselves.
Speaker 2:Beautiful. Now my real last question. You're like I'm scared. No, it's not that scary, I promise. I hope If you could leave our listeners with maybe a message, anything that may be in your mind or heart that you want to share, or even just a mantra that you like to live your life by and share that with them, what would that be?
Speaker 1:My go-to mantra is as I breathe in, I say to myself I am here, and as I breathe out, I say to myself this is now. And it reminds me to welcome myself to the present moment. My breath reminds me that I can celebrate this present moment, the present moment. My breath reminds me that I can celebrate this present moment and with every moment we have as a gift. And so I am here. This is now connects us to the present moment, connects us to ourselves and allows us to be embodied and enjoy our lives.
Speaker 2:Beautifully well said. Thank you so much.
Speaker 1:Thank you.
Speaker 2:It's been a pleasure.
Speaker 1:Indeed, it's been super fun. Yes.