Toula Turns 12!
In yoga, we are often invited to rest fully in the present moment—acknowledging that the past cannot be changed and that the future need not be chased. Yet when meaningful milestones arise, mindful reflection becomes an act of honoring rather than dwelling. To look back is to recognize how we arrived here; to look forward is to acknowledge the intentions and dreams still unfolding.
The number twelve carries significance across many cultures, symbolizing completeness, harmony, and divine order. It reflects a balance between spiritual wisdom and earthly stability, a quiet unification of seeming opposites. In this way, it mirrors the essence of yoga itself—derived from the root meaning to yoke, to unite—reminding us that wholeness emerges when we bring all parts of our journey into conscious connection.
We invite you to help us celebrate Toula’s 12th birthday with us this month! As you visit the studios or our social media pages, we would love to hear your memories or reflection on this community that supports and invites us all to continue to grow with it.
With Love and Light,
-Natalie and All of us at Toula Yoga
An Interview with Andrea Parks
What better way to honor Toula this month than by a Q&A session with owner, Andrea Parks. Read below to learn more about Andrea’s inspiration for the studio and her hopes for it’s growth.
What inspired you to want to open your own studio?
I heard about a studio in Madison, Wisconsin that was for families. As someone with a young family I wanted a space of my own to offer kids yoga, prenatal yoga, chair yoga and other special classes to better serve the community.
What does ‘Toula’ mean and please explain the significance of the name?
It took me a lot of thought and many months to decide on the name. It was like naming my fourth child!
At first I wanted the Sanskrit word Tula because that means ‘Balance’ & going to yoga classes really helped me so much with balancing my busy life. There was already a studio not to far away with that same name so that was out. A friend was helping me with names and found the name Toula which is pronounced the same way and is shortened from Fotoula which means Light. In the movie, My Big Fat Greek Wedding, it’s the name of the main female character and when she describes what her name means she says it means “light of God”. It seemed perfect to me, was easy to say and combines my love for world languages. I was a world language teacher for 8 years in Dubuque before I moved back to my hometown of Cedar Rapids again.
What have been your guiding principles in creating this space?
Be welcoming and nurturing and have the intention that the person feels better after class than before class.
Each of the studios have their own personality. What inspired each one?
The original studio’s aesthetic was inspired by a hotel room I stayed in during a yoga retreat in Mykonos, Greece. It has a sunny, beach, water and drift wood theme.
The second studio is earthy and grounding. It’s darker and smaller and great for meditation.
The third studio, Toula Sol, is the heated studio. It is modern and clean and represents fire.
What are some of the most memorable moments in the studio’s history?
Our last photo shoot was so fun! To see almost all of the teachers together in one space was humbling to me. There is so much talent, passion and expertise from our teachers!
How does Toula expand in the community, outside of the walls of the studio?
You’ll find our teachers sharing yoga in nursing homes, churches, libraries, and community centers. Volunteering at Prairie Creek Nature Center and NewBo, Green Square Meals, food banks, Kid’s First Law Center, Tanager Place, and donating to schools and numerous non- profits. (Just to name a few- I’m sure I’m forgetting some!)
What are your hopes for the future of the Toula community?
I’m hoping to have more classes on weekends for people looking for healthy things to do. I’d love to have a once a month gathering for the community to get to know each other better.
Lemon Blueberry Ricotta Pound Cake
It’s Spring! That means that I start craving lemon and berry anything! There are more ingredients in this recipe than I would typically like to share but the extra fanciness is perfect for Toula’s birthday and all ingredients are common.
Pound Cake Ingredients:
- 1 1/4 cups sugar
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter at room temperature
- 3 eggs at room temperature
- 1 cup ricotta cheese
- 1TBS lemon zest
- 2 1/2 TBS lemon juice
- 1/2 tsp almond extract
- 1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
- 2 cups all purpose flour
- 2 tsps baking powder
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1 1/2 cups frozen wild blueberries
Directions:
- Preheat oven to 350 F and grease a 9×5 loaf pan. Lining with parchment paper will help!
- Whisk flour, salt, baking powder together and set aside
- Add sugar to the bowl of a stand mixer and rub the lemon zest into the sugar with fingers.
- Add the butter and beat until light and fluffy on medium high.
- Add ricotta and beat until mostly smooth
- Reduce speed to low and add eggs one at time, followed by lemon juice, almond and vanilla extracts.
- Add dry ingredients and fold by hand.
- Fold in frozen blueberries
- Pour into pan and bake for 55-65 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean.
- Cool for 10 minutes before removing from pan.
Lemon Icing Ingredients
- 2/3 cup powdered sugar
- 1 1/2 TBS lemon juice
- 1/4 tsp lemon zest
- pinch of salt
Directions:
- Mix powdered sugar, lemon zest, salt and juice together. Add small amount of extra juice if needed to make pourable
- Pour over top of cooled cake
- Lick the bowl…quality control!
Recipe Notes:
- It’s okay to use fresh berries. Wash, dry and roll in a TBS of flour before adding to batter.
- Using a hand mixer is just fine
- Adding a 1/2 tsp of lemon extract is a nice extra kick
Spring Time Simmer Pot
Simmer pots are such a wonderful way to invite fresh energy, a little intentional magic and invigorating smells into your home. It helps to usher out stale air and can be completely customized to your own intuition.
Below is a simple simmer pot recipe for the Spring, utilizing fresh herbs and citrus. I used left over lemon from my pound cake recipe and both fresh and dried herbs.
Ingredients:
Simmering water
Citrus slices of any kind
Apple slices
Fresh Rosemary
Clove
Additional Options:
Essential Oils
Flowers
Teas
Fresh Herbs
Dried Herbs
Fruits
How To:
Stove Top – Bring water to a boil and add your ingredients. Reduce heat to low and allow mixture to simmer and infuse through your home.
Warming Lamp- Place ingredients in heat safe vessel, add boiling water and place under a candle warmer light.
12 Year Anniversary Sale
Click the links below to take advantage of these anniversary deals!
One year unlimited $1149.12
Buy 10 get 2 free $150
3 month unlimited anniversary sale $297
One year unlimited $1149.12
