28/05/2021
When Paris Parle made the big decision to create an app for their yoga business after their Birkdale studio had to close, she had no idea if it would work.
But almost a year later, Paris Yoga has subscribers from all over the world who take daily classes and have become part of the yoga community Paris built.
“At first it was really about what I can do to survive,” she explains. “I took classes seven days a week and did absolutely nothing without notice, and we had no idea then how long it was going to take.
“I know how much the class helps people not only physically but also mentally, and obviously we were going through a difficult time and that was on my mind too. People used it as a coping mechanism for stress, fatigue, anxiety and I just wanted to find a way to keep practicing with them. “
Originally from Walton, Paris began setting up a recorded classes website before adding a few donation-based classes to raise funds for the Refuge Domestic Violence Charity.
“It opened up this whole new reach for me because it was being shared on social media and I was able to connect with people all over the world, which was amazing.
“I was faced with a decision at the time because there was this whole community that was behind the classes and asked if they could find them anywhere else because they loved them and wanted to move on.
“Zoom was great, but I couldn’t see how I could do it in the long run, so I decided to make the app. I hired a team of app developers and had this very clear idea of what I wanted based on the feedback I got from people who had taken the courses. “
Paris, 31, was keen to get it out asap. He worked 14-hour days for three weeks and filmed all classes so that it could be published on the App Store and Google Play in July.
“I describe the app as Netflix for Wellbeing because it’s not just a series of yoga classes, but yoga, meditation, and podcasts where guests talk about things like developing strong mindsets and resilience.
“The range just got bigger and we now have users as far as Australia, the USA, Dubai and Costa Rica.
“When we got our first Australian user I put him on my Instagram and within 10 minutes I had a DM and she said, ‘It’s me, I listened to your mindset podcast and was so inspired, I love your app and me I told my friends. Suddenly Australia kept popping up, I couldn’t believe it.
“I actually check every day because it’s so exciting to see a new flag showing where someone is from and I have a little mini ball that I stick little pins into!”
The majority of app users in Paris are women between the ages of 18 and 50.
“There is a large section of women who have come forward and said they came to class early but had babies and can no longer go to the studio. Now they make the app when their kids have gone to bed. Or people who work from home and don’t have time to go to the studio in the morning but can practice at home.
“People are very keen to step on their mats, but it can be a huge commitment if you have a busy life so my classes are tailored to all different time scales. I always emphasize that it doesn’t matter if it’s 6 minutes or 60 minutes, it just matters that you show up. “
Paris admits that launching the app in a crowded market was a leap in confidence, but believed in the positive feedback it had after those initial zoom exercises.
“I had a belief that these people would support me and I am so proud of them. We now have an amazing community of people who have supported me from day one and they love to see it grow the way it is I.”
Since July, Paris has published a new class every week on a Sunday with a theme for each month – May is meditation month, the last month was focused on sleep, and the previous month was yoga for anxiety.
“I’ve tried to tailor it to what people are going through and I’ve added features to let them choose favorite classes and stream them straight from their phone to their TV to create a little zen cave at home.”
Paris adds that their goal is not only to add more pens to their user globe, but also to connect with as many people as possible and teach them yoga and meditation in a kind and compassionate way so that they can face it know what they go through in their day – daily life.
“I love the idea that when someone is having a stressful day that they can think of, I’ll be done in 10 minutes and then open my app and everything will be fine.”
