With a new year and new goals in mind, we recently consulted with several wellness professionals around the South, and one resounding theme has emerged from their advice — “find a form of movement that you love.” Jocelyn Brunotte and Rachel West, co-owners of Cooper-Young’s Mind/Body HAUS, were fortunate enough to have found a love of movement at a young age. Today, these lifelong athletes share that passion with Memphis through various yoga, pilates, and cardio classes, regular retreats, and a yoga teaching program designed to inspire a new batch of teachers in the community. Get to know these inspiring FACES of Memphis!
Meet Rachel West (left) and Jocelyn Brunotte (right), the very talented co-owners of Mindy/Body HAUS in Memphis! Image: Ziggy Mack
Tell us a bit about your relationship with the South — are you both from Memphis?
Jocelyn: I grew up mostly in Tupelo, MS, but my mother moved to Memphis when I was a child, so I was always back and forth. After college, I lived in New York City for eight years and moved back to the South in 2016 to settle in Memphis with my husband.
Rachel: I was born and raised in Memphis. I lived in Oxford, MS, attended Ole Miss for four years, and then moved back to Memphis after college.
Can you tell us about your backgrounds and what led you to develop Mind/Body HAUS?
Jocelyn: My mother was a dance and gymnastics teacher, so I grew up in a studio. I have always loved movement, whether it was dance, musical theater, or tumbling … I went to Birmingham-Southern College to study ballet and left with a BA in dance and a BS in business. After college, I moved to New York City to pursue a dance career, but the auditioning grind was grueling.
In the meantime, I picked up a few cardio dance classes in gyms around the city. I fell in love with teaching, leading me to explore other fitness modalities. Eventually, I went through a 200-hour YTT (Yoga Teacher Training). I taught yoga and group fitness classes full-time for about seven years before moving to Memphis. I always knew I wanted to open my own studio, and when I met Rachel, everything came together.
Rachel: I was a competitive gymnast and cheerleader growing up and became a runner in college. Yoga has been therapeutic for me physically and mentally since beginning the practice in 2006. Since then, I have been passionate about sharing the benefits with others, which led me to teach and eventually open Mind/Body HAUS.
Rachel and Jocelyn share a background in dance and gymnastics, a love of yoga, and a passion for teaching. Image: Jenny Anderson Photography
As lifelong athletes-turned-instructors, what advice would you offer to someone just beginning their fitness journey? (Or working to renew their commitment to fitness?)
Jocelyn: Find a way of getting exercise that you enjoy. When starting, it may take a few attempts to fall in love (or re-fall in love) with a class or sport, but eventually, a pattern emerges, and it starts to become enjoyable — addictive even. So, don’t give up too soon. Having a friend or accountability partner join you can help keep it fun and consistent. Working out shouldn’t have to be laborious or dreadful, so don’t punish yourself by doing something that doesn’t light you up!
Rachel: As a working mom, I understand the tendency to put yourself last. Self-care is vital to being the best version of yourself. It’s never too late to start again or make time to take care of your body and mind.
At Mind/Body HAUS, you can participate in group classes, including hot yoga and pilates, or sign up for private instruction. They will also be adding barre classes to their lineup in early 2023! Image: Sarah Luscombe
What’s the greatest challenge you’ve faced as small business owners?
Jocelyn: Hands down, the greatest challenge for me is juggling being a mother to small children and having a business that never sleeps. Our business is open pretty much all day, every day, so it’s nonstop. It’s hard to catch up on bigger goals because we constantly put out little fires daily. However, we recently hired a manager, Victoria Wood, who has been an absolute godsend! We have reached a point where we can now confidently delegate other tasks to our team, so Rachel and I can spend our time and energy on overarching projects like our training programs and things we really love.
Rachel: COVID was a huge challenge, and like other small businesses, we had to quickly adapt to keep our business running. Since reopening, juggling the business and teacher training program growth with being a mom has been the greatest challenge. Learning to delegate and put the right people in place to help us run the business has been a huge growth area for us this year.
Mind/Body HAUS is located on South Cox Street in the hip Cooper-Young neighborhood. Image: Mind/Body HAUS
What’s next for Mind/Body HAUS? Any lofty goals for the new year?
Jocelyn: We are excited to offer barre fitness classes this year! We have wanted to do it for a long time, and we hope to roll it out in early 2023. We also will be hosting our fourth yoga retreat in Florida this April. We have so much fun on retreats!
Rachel: Along with rolling out our new barre classes, we are excited to pour into our teachers with increased educational opportunities and continued growth of our teacher training program.
Jocelyn and Rachel are especially proud of their HAUS Yoga School, a teaching program they plan to expand in the future. Image: Elyssa Anne DiMento
What are your current favorite sources of inspiration?
Jocelyn: Books, podcasts, and social media are always helpful when feeling uninspired, but daily inspiration comes from being in class and learning from our teachers and students. Our YTT program is led by brilliant educators who inspire me every time we go through new training.
Both Rachel and I love taking classes at other studios when we travel. As business owners, it’s so interesting to see how other studios work, look, and what they offer. As a dancer, there is nothing more inspiring than seeing live dance and musical theater performances in town. And, of course, music is always one of my biggest sources of fuel for movement.
Rachel: Other teachers are my greatest source of inspiration. We have a wide variety of unbelievably talented teachers with unique gifts to share. Travel is also super inspiring to me. Seeing new places, getting out of my comfort zone, and visiting local businesses recharges me. It gets me excited to continue making Mind/Body HAUS the best it can be for our Memphis community.
What are your favorite places to eat, shop, and work out in Memphis?
Jocelyn: My favorites are Acre and Catherine and Mary’s for a date night. For casual dining Maciel’s, Rawgirls, and City Silo. For shopping, you’ll find me at Shelby Jewel, Madewell, Kittie Kyle, Athleta, and City & State for gifts. Working out … Mind/Body HAUS!
Rachel: Yoga and hot pilates at Mind/Body HAUS are my main sources of movement. I’m excited to add barre to my weekly routine in 2023 when we launch that program. A few of my favorite local restaurants are Bishop, The Second Line, and Acre. Shopping favorites include Indigo, Athleta, and Shelby Jewel.
Even if they’re not instructing, you might spot Rachel and Jocelyn in your classes at Mind/Body HAUS — it’s their favorite place to work out! Image: Ziggy Mack
What’s the best piece of advice you have ever received?
Jocelyn: Have a mentor. Get experience by showing up and doing the work. Never stop learning, and know the difference between being an instructor and a teacher.
Rachel: My dad has always been a mentor to me and a source of inspiration. Since I was a child, he’s encouraged me to never give up and to remain steady and true to myself through the highs and lows of life, business, and relationships.
Beyond faith, family, and friends — name three things you can’t live without.
Jocelyn: I’m currently pregnant with my third, so watching TV in bed is an excellent source of joy for me at the moment. My husband and I love to travel, and I’m a total foodie, so both cooking and eating out.
Rachel: My puppy Farrah, daily movement, and Epsom salt baths
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