Meet Jana Rife: E-RYT 500 Yoga Instructor & Aromatherapist

We had the good fortune of connecting with Jana Rife and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Jana, what do you attribute your success to?
Building a community and a sense of belonging, has been the most important factor in building my business. My clients are like family and I want them to have the greatest and most memorable experience possible.

Can you give our readers an introduction to your business? Maybe you can share a bit about what you do and what sets you apart from others?
I really do have the coolest job ever; it’s my dream job! Hanalei SUP Yoga is a mobile floating yoga studio. We provide stand up paddleboard lessons, SUP yoga, and PaddleFit classes on the water for all experience levels. We also offer mini-vacations away from the typical stressful day with our day and weekend retreats. Our retreats always provide memorable experiences. Clients have the opportunity to explore waterways with new friends, slide down a rock water slide, take a nature hike and play in the waterfalls, enjoy a sunset boat cruise, relax in a floating meditation, and explore yoga poses in a playful yoga session on paddle boards. We watch our clients’ tension melt away through laughter, fun, challenging exercise, and a peaceful environment. They leave feeling empowered, balanced and energized. And for those that have a passion for paddleboarding and want to share it with others, we offer paddleboard instructor and SUP yoga teacher training certifications. These certification trainings are very important for safely guiding others on the water. We take pride in all of our training, waterway, and safety knowledge. We’ve earned our CPR, AED, and first aid certification through the American Red Cross. We are also both certified instructors through the World Paddle Association. I have over 500 hours in Yoga teacher training hours and over 2000 teaching hours. I also have additional certifications in Paddleboard yoga level 2, SUP and Yoga XPRESS and I’m a PaddleFit Pro Coach. My teaching experience and open water training help provide safe and memorable moments on the water.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
I love being outdoors in our beautiful weather and on the water. I would take my friend to Big Canoe for a paddleboard tour around Eagle Island. That is the best place to view bald eagles nesting and catching fish. After our paddle tour, I would take her on the jeep tour to the higher falls. The waterfalls are not only gorgeous to view but also fun to play in. We would finish the day by sliding down the rock waterslide and making a splash. That water would be refreshing and invigorating after the hike. A memorable but casual place to eat afterwards would be the Burger Bus in Ball Ground. The dining area is inside an actual 1950’s bus from Atlanta. You feel like you are stepping back in time while enjoying some great food. Of course she loves a good beer and her trip would not be complete without stopping at the new Reformation Brewery in Canton. They have an awesome assortment of beers on tap. I really enjoy the rainbow sherbet and orange sour beers, they remind me of tropical kombucha and are so delicious. Reformation sits right next to the Cotton Mill Exchange. That is a one-stop shop for home decor and more. It has over 200 vendors and my Hanalei Bath business is one of them. It is located in the historic district inside the 118 year-old cotton mill. She will see the history of the mill in the beauty of the old wood floors and brick walls. While in Canton, we would have to dine at Local on North. Seriously the best shrimp tacos ever. They also have live music on the weekend. That really finishes the evening off nicely.

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
I would like to dedicate my shoutout to my husband. He has always encouraged and supported me in all of my ventures. I really appreciate his hard work and the extra effort he puts into my business. He makes the perfect partner and coworker. He even went through SUP certification training so he could help teach some of my classes. My clients enjoy his sense of humor and his ability to make them feel comfortable. He has a way of putting everyone at ease while on the water. He is also an amazing sales person and that has made an impact on my business.