How We Got Here Part 1: Patrick’s Story

If you’ve ever wondered whether it’s really possible to turn a love of yoga into a meaningful career, you’re not alone. It’s one of the questions we hear most often from aspiring yoga teachers and students considering a yoga teacher training.

Many people imagine that successful yoga teachers have practiced since childhood, always knew they wanted to teach, or somehow stumbled into the “perfect” opportunity. In reality, the path is rarely linear.

For YogaRenew Co-Director Patrick Franco, becoming a full-time yoga teacher wasn’t part of a carefully crafted career plan. It began with curiosity, a search for purpose, and one unexpected college yoga class that would change the direction of his life forever.

On this episode of the YogaRenew Podcast, Patrick sits down with Co-Director Kate Lombardo to share the story behind his yoga journey—from curious college student to studio owner, teacher trainer, and educator who has helped train thousands of yoga teachers around the world.

Whether you’re considering a 200 Hour Yoga Teacher Training, wondering if you could teach yoga professionally, or simply looking for inspiration on your own yoga path, Patrick’s story is a reminder that every teacher starts as a student.

The First Yoga Class That Changed Everything

Like many people in their late teens and early twenties, Patrick found himself asking life’s bigger questions,

“What am I supposed to do? What career should I pursue? What gives life meaning?”

While many of his peers were focused on choosing majors or planning careers, Patrick found himself increasingly interested in spirituality, meditation, and personal growth. Those questions eventually led him to enroll in a college yoga class—not because he planned to become a yoga teacher, but because yoga seemed like another avenue to better understand himself.

Unlike many modern yoga classes that focus primarily on movement, this college course introduced students to multiple aspects of yoga. Each week explored a different topic, including:

• Yoga philosophy
• Meditation
• Breathwork (pranayama)
• The physical practice of yoga asana

This yogic experience really touched Patrick in a special way. Beyond the physical aspects of yoga being good for stretching and moving your body, Patrick experienced it as a complete system for personal development.

Then came the class that truly shifted everything.

During the asana portion of the course, an Ashtanga yoga teacher guided students through several rounds of Surya Namaskar A (Sun Salutation A). It wasn’t an advanced practice, but it left an unforgettable impression.

“After just a few Sun Salutations, I felt completely transformed.”

This would be the experience that shifted everything for Patrick and laid the groundwork in his yoga career for years to come.

Finding Yoga as More Than Exercise

One of the biggest misconceptions about yoga is that people begin practicing because they’re looking for flexibility or fitness. While those benefits certainly exist, many long-term practitioners discover something much deeper. For Patrick, yoga became a way to explore questions about purpose, identity, and self-awareness. Even after finishing the college course, yoga stayed on his mind.

Like many college students, however, money was tight. Studio memberships weren’t always realistic, so his practice became largely self-guided. He attended one memorable Mysore-style Ashtanga class, purchased yoga books, and practiced at home using Rodney Yee DVDs.

This is when he learned one of the most valuable lessons any aspiring yoga teacher can learn:

Consistency matters far more than perfection.

You don’t need the perfect studio, the perfect schedule, or the perfect circumstances to begin building a meaningful yoga practice. Showing up—even imperfectly—is often enough.

Why Great Teachers Matter More Than Great Studios

After graduating from college, Patrick accepted a full-time position as a city planner. For many people, this might have marked the end of their yoga journey. For him, it was the beginning. With a steady income for the first time, he finally had the opportunity to practice in a yoga studio regularly.

But then there was one obstacle…

Like many men entering yoga at the time, Patrick felt intimidated walking into a studio. Taking matters into his own hands, he decided to buy his girlfriend—who would later become his wife—a yoga gift certificate for Christmas. The gift was partially for her…but mostly so they could attend together, making Patrick feel more comfortable.

This studio experience would become another turning point. Although he found himself in a room filled primarily with women decades older than him, none of that ultimately mattered. What stood out wasn’t the demographic. It was the teacher.

Patrick credits his first consistent teacher, Liz, with shaping the course of his yoga career. Her welcoming nature, depth of knowledge, kindness, and encouragement kept him returning week after week. Years later, that same teacher would officiate his wedding—a testament to the lasting relationships that yoga communities often create.

This is a powerful reminder that students rarely remember every pose you teach. They remember how you made them feel. Great yoga teachers don’t simply deliver well-sequenced classes—they create spaces where students feel supported, challenged, and inspired.

When a Teacher Sees Something in You

As Patrick continued practicing, his teacher began lending him books, encouraging his curiosity, and recommending workshops. Eventually, she offered a suggestion that would completely change the trajectory of his career. She told him he should consider doing a yoga teacher training.

At the time, Patrick wasn’t planning to become a professional yoga teacher. Like many future instructors, he initially viewed teacher training as an opportunity to deepen his personal practice rather than prepare for a new career.

But sometimes the people around us recognize our potential before we recognize it ourselves.

That encouragement eventually led Patrick to Laughing Lotus in New York City, where he enrolled in his first 200 Hour Yoga Teacher Training—a decision that would ultimately transform both his career and his life…

Listen to the full Podcast episode, here:

In Part 2, Kate will tell her story on how she became a Co-Director of YogaRenew alongside Patrick after years of a strong business relationship together!