Making a Different Kind of Difference
“I want to play up here for the rest of my life. How do I do that?” Kelsi Danielle Butler, originally from Iowa, found herself asking this question earlier this year. After some soul searching, what quickly followed was Wilderness Yoga Co.
Kelsi feels like her life in Boone, which began six years ago when she attended Appalachian State University, has always moved this quickly and smoothly. “Things seem to unfold really organic here.” Kelsi says, “When I moved here I found the perfect apartment, I found great roommates, I met my husband my second day in town.” It doesn’t stop there. “I got a professional job the week I graduated. Everything just flows so well here...”
However, in order to allow things to flow into place, we sometimes have to make a leap. And thus Kelsi leapt. “Like a trapeze artist, we must let go of one swing to reach the next. We can’t hold on to two swings, lest we exhaust and fall. As the old saying goes, ‘take the risk, or lose the chance.’” Kelsi spoke of leaving her incredible job at OASIS Inc. and starting a business from scratch. “Letting go of the part of myself that was determined to save the world through a particular calling in a particular setting was very challenging. I had to let go of the idea that I could only empower women or end violence in one way; I had to let go of the part that needed to be recognized for being ‘successful’ and in an ‘important field.’”
Officially launched in late May of 2018, Wilderness Yoga has been growing as more people learn about the experience. “Wilderness Yoga transcends the confines of a traditional yoga studio, connecting mind, body, and spirit directly to the natural world. So what that means is that we will go out on a guided hike or a serene walk,” Kelsi explains. “Once we reach the peak or the biggest opening or meadow, that’s where we flow through a yoga practice and mediation.”
She recognizes that Boone is the perfect place for such a business, and wants to share that with yogis and hikers alike. This past season she took locals, tourists, and students on hikes such as Moses Cone, Hawksbill, and Green Knob Trail. While her season has wound down due to the cold weather approaching, she plans to expand by adding new locations for trips.
“You can go to any tourist town and find the same kind of things, places, and people, but Boone is unique because you find a lot of different businesses beyond the typical tourist traps that are thriving. People care about what they do and they’re excited about the work. I think that Boone is just energetically different.”