Sandra Griffiths, also known as Subhadra, is the founder of the Yoga Angels Group of Companies which specialises in yoga and event management.

The yogi who migrated from Jamaica as a teenager has reconnected with the island through her new Yoga Angels Foundation and also through her newest company Conscious Superstars Entertainments.

Yoga Angels Foundation, a non-profit arm, was registered in Jamaica. Yoga Angels International and Conscious Superstars Entertainment are based in California in the USA.

In the family-run business, Subhadra and her four children, ranging in ages from 17-32, are the primary employees. As she outlines, each of the young adults grew up as an entrepreneur assisting with classes and event productions throughout their entire lives.

“They have all taught peer-teaching yoga since the tender ages of five and currently work actively in merchandise, graphics, teacher training, workshops, and classes,” she shared.

Subhadra describes the Yoga Angels Group of Companies as a minority and female-owned wellness and entertainment company “with a strong history of providing services to historically underserved communities”.

She outlined, “In the US and abroad, we have facilitated yoga and wellness interventions in various settings, including schools, community centres, correctional facilities, churches, and other venues, ensuring diverse populations get introduced to the power of yoga.”

Through the Yoga Angels Foundation, community activities give diverse communities access to yoga, health, and wellness. Yoga Angels International, Subhadra said, also has a proven track record of training a diverse cohort of practitioners to become certified yoga teachers.

Products and services are yoga studio classes/lessons, private classes/lessons, 200 hours of teacher training, 300 hours of teacher training, 500 hours of teacher training, kids/youth yoga, daily yoga classes, mental health awareness seminars and events, corporate and residential wellness, retreats, yoga and wellness in churches, community and wellness programmes, yoga and wellness in schools, and wellness and entertainment events.

Subhadra asserts, “Yoga Angel’s teaching techniques and intimate service are second to none. Our way of teaching has depth and our community practices a supportive and healing method while still keeping the fun and lightness, raising everyone’s positive vibration.”

Challenges

Subhadra has been operating and doing yoga in schools and communities since 1997. Challenges experienced over time include not being able to sustain the physical locations, having to work as a one-woman show before gaining momentum, and being able to hire help. She said that she is still working with limited resources “until we can afford to hire more staff”.

Earlier on, another challenge was managing the business while attending to family. Now that the children are young adults and involved in the business, life is easier.

The Yoga Angels group, which operates with an administrator and marketing director has 500 teachers trained and 205 certified spread across the world in California, Jamaica, Switzerland, Cayman, Kenya, Europe, South Africa, and other countries.

The Yoga Angel or YA Group is programme-based, bringing its programmes to locations where they are contracted to provide services. YA might also rent a location for the duration of the course, class, or event.

Subhadra’s newest project, Conscious Superstars Entertainments (CSS Ent) was registered in California, born out of conditions caused by the advent of COVID-19.

Conscious Superstars Entertainments is a digitised one-stop production house for entertainers to learn, grow, and earn while being supported in all areas of the entertainment business, Subhadra says.

“CSS is the place where Conscious Superstars are reborn. We value entertainer’s lives and with positive guidance and wellness tools applied, entertainers are pulled away from the use of damaging external substances, guiding them to an inner quest for wholesomeness. “

“We recognise and develop talents from a desire to be in the entertainment business to making it their reality. Talents are supported in all foundational and fundamental aspects of the journey of their career. The application of a myriad of life skills programmes leads the artist to be a disciplined working entertainer in their respective field.”

Subhadra’s fusion of wellness and entertainment, the founder asserts, “is a unique combination that we are certain is a key to saving our entertainers’ valuable lives, giving them the tools they need to live and maintain a healthy and positive lifestyle.”

YA targets people who need self-development and wellness. The group estimates the value of this market to be US$1.5 trillion, with YA having unlimited room to grow.

Subhadra said, “I believe we will have whatever percentage we are willing to work and attain.”

The family has invested above US$3 million in value over the years. Subhadra admitted, “I have not yet recouped my financial investment; however, I have recouped my investment millions of times over in wisdom and understanding of life and how to live it with ease and love.”

The business has annual revenue of US $1 million.

YA hopes to sell more programmes and merchandise and also host events that will yield enough revenue to move into 2023 with larger profit margins. Strategies to drive growth are increasing social media presence, advertising, selling services, and continuing to build the YA brand and culture.

YA will also train more teachers to teach Yoga Angels programmes worldwide and then franchise programmes. Subhadra shared, “We plan to have training in Africa, Switzerland, Cayman, California, and Jamaica, making 2023 our year for spreading our wings.”