Leah Tennyson Rodgers always knew there was a reason she was so inclined to the arts, but she didn’t know how or when doors would open in a way that she could share her passion with others. When she and her husband, Bryan Rodgers, spotted a vacant church building in Pass Christian, the vision for her dream became a reality and Selah Yoga and Selah Arts Collaborative, LLC opened in December.
Selah offers a dynamic blend of yoga, adult ballet and fitness classes inspired and taught by certified and degreed staff that specializes in these areas, including Pilates.
“My hope is to create a centrally located space in the community and beyond where anyone can join to feel fit and nourished on a mind, body, heart level,” Leah says. “There is a lot of misunderstanding about yoga out there and/or people do not think they are physically able to do yoga, Pilates, fitness, etc. Selah meets people where they are in life! It is a great place to either to get started or progress and advance.”
Leah very intentionally created this space as a calming, welcoming and artistic atmosphere.
Even the name is purposeful.
“I just love what Selah means in the Bible,” Leah says. “It’s a ‘reflective pause’ — a time to really chew and marinate on what was just spoken or sung. Yoga and great art is like that for me. It helps me feel connected to God and mankind in a way nothing else has besides nature. I love that!”
The experience Leah brings to Selah is impressive. She received a B.A. in Performing Arts (vocal performance, theatre and dance) from Centenary College of Louisiana, was a film actor in New Orleans and Shreveport for a while, and is a trained dance instructor and trained opera singer. You could say the arts are part of her DNA and her multidisciplinary approach to yoga because of her degree background is the first way Selah incorporates a collaborative element. For her, dance and yoga are interconnected.
“I try to do everything with a yoga mindset, meaning the mind, body and heart connection is always there for me,” Leah says. “In the same way, I try to bring that synchronicity into my arts performance work. Whether I am performing, creating or singing, I want the work I do to have a mind, body and heart connection as well.”
A few years ago, a hip and back injury sidelined her ability to teach so she needed to find other ways to nourish her body physically, and that’s when she turned to Pilates and yoga. Ironically, these were avenues she used to crosstrain as a dancer, but then it became a lifeline of healing and eventually became the cornerstone of Selah.
Leah completed a 200-hour yoga instructor certification through the reputable Dragonfly Yoga and River Rock Yoga Teacher Training program and became certified in Progressing Ballet Technique.
“Selah truly is a culmination of my life experiences,” Leah says. “I have always been drawn toward the artistic and creative process. The years of dancing, choreography, movement, singing, etc., have helped me to approach things like yoga with a unique perspective.”
The second collaborative element is the arts side. The long-term vision for Selah is to be a place that will host performances, provide visual artists with a place to showcase their work, and offer a venue for visual and performing artists to come together to create authentic, original multi-disciplinary works for the public through “art that touches and heals hearts.”
The third element of collaboration is all about community.
“My husband and I both strive to support and collaborate with other businesses who are in the general networking area that share the same rapport and heart for local businesses as we do,” Leah says.