The Zenko Yoga Story
Zenko yoga was founded by Lauren Verona in 2014 after selling her 2 yoga studios, Kozen in Melbourne and moving with her family to the Sunshine Coast for a lifestyle change.
Zen means the 'contemplative state’ and Ko is the Japanese word for child. The aim of yoga, and Zenko is to bring the mind back to a child like state, free of anxiety and concern. The name Zenko, was created, as most of Lauren's ideas were, through meditation. Her original studios were called 'Kozen' and the terms were reversed when opening up the 3rd and 4th studio in Queensland.
Zenko Yoga opened its doors with ten classes per week and have more than quadrupled with 4 studios across the Sunshine Coast (and perhaps more to come) offering over 20 classes each per week.
Zenko Yoga is often referred to by it's members as a healing sanctuary and the minute you step foot in the door, you discover that for yourself.
We support local businesses and schools, hold community events, exhibit at lifestyle expos, support charities, host workshops and invite guests to share our space. We offer a range of therapies in house for clients to complement their practice and growth as they enter the yoga journey. We hold retreats in house and internationally as an opportunity for our community and beyond to practice yoga in ways that will change their life forever.
What does Zenko mean?
ZEN: Contemplative still mind, pinnacle of achievement, inner peace.
KO: Child (Japanese)
Zenko: To achieve a child-like contemplative state of mind. That is what yoga is to us.
ABOUT OUR FOUNDER LAUREN:
From the moment Lauren found yoga everything in her life changed. Yoga awoke her soul and the spirit within her. Yoga to Lauren was about finding the joy in life and about being real and authentic to yourself and those around you.
Lauren used to often say that yoga saved her life! She discovered yoga while she was running a full time PR company in Melbourne. She fell in love with the practice and within months of completing her yoga teacher training she was teaching full time. She then became the sole owner of Zenko Yoga, two thriving studios in Buddina and Noosa on the Sunshine Coast of Australia.
In 2020 , the year she turned 40, Lauren expanded her studios to add Bli Bli and Maroochydore, devastatingly in 2021, after two years of lock downs and uncertainty Lauren was forced to close two of her four studios in order to keep the other two open. This downsizing was one of the most difficult decisions Lauren had to make in her life.
Over the years Lauren established four wonderful yoga communities through studios around the Australia. Her goal was always to take yoga further, to reach people all over the world. Which is why she launched A Live Yogi- Australia’s first LIVE online yoga studio! After launching and expanding A Live Yogi, Lauren sold the business to focus on her studios.
As one of Food Matters official experts, Lauren also streamed live and pre-recorded online classes, with over 10,000 viewers. She was also a motivational speaker, presenting at events such as Wanderlust festival, Sunshine Coast & Brisbane Yoga Fest, Mind Body Spirit events and hosting her own seminars and workshops at her Zenko Yoga studios.
After a lot of soul searching, Lauren changed her name to Lauren Verona. Verona held a special place in her heart when she travelled there and had a real moment, a connection when she was looking up to Juliette’s balcony. Verona means ‘True Image’ and is known as the City of Love. Those who knew Lauren, knew that she was all about filling up your Love Tank. But its more than just love, she saw it as a duty of care to fill yourself up first, before you can help others. If you can’t look at yourself in the mirror with kindness, then that’s where you must start, with gratitude and appreciation. You have to be comfortable in your own company and for many people this can be quite confronting. If you are willing to be comfortable with yourself, you’ll find that you begin to unveil the limiting belief systems that are stopping you from reaching your full potential. I’m here to help you knock down those barriers that are holding you back.
In 2020, Lauren connected with the love of her life, Ryan, in 2021 they announced they were expecting their first child and married in February 2022. In June 2022, tragically, Lauren passed away due to an extremely rare Amniotic-Fluid Embolism after giving birth to a healthy, happy, joy and LOVE filled daughter - Lucinda. Lauren's legacy and her studios live on through her daughters Allira, Evie and Lucinda, her husband Ryan and her community, her Zenko Yoga Tribe who continue to live, breathe and share the wisdom she shared with them in the short but abundant time she had in this world.
Join the Zenko Yoga Tribe and you will be a part of a community where you can discover your life’s purpose through yoga.
Lauren's dream…
Her dream was for every single person to do a yoga class. She wanted to inspire people to seek the change within and transform. For any transformational process to occur, it takes consistency and patience. Yoga is not something which we should have to do or need to do or even want to do but instead be something we just do as part of our daily lives…. like drinking water. The more you practice, the stronger you get. Your mind becomes flexible, as well as your body and eventually you find your flow effortlessly and that infiltrates all aspects of your life. This is when you just know you can’t live without yoga. It gives you the tools and techniques to breathe and remain calm through life. That’s the magic of Yoga.
Zenko Yoga is here to serve...
The health benefits yoga & meditation are well documented- from increasing strength and flexibility to improving concentration and reducing stress and anxiety. Through Zenko, Lauren wanted to bring back the laughter and fun of yoga. The enjoyment and pleasure of trying something new, pushing yourself outside your comfort zone, falling over and getting back up with a smile. Over the past ten years Lauren guided hundreds of people to connect with their true sense of purpose so that they can become the best version of themselves through the practices of yoga, and it is our intention to continue this legacy.
Zen means the 'contemplative state’ and Ko is the Japanese word for child. The aim of yoga, and Zenko is to bring the mind back to a child like state, free of anxiety and concern. The name Zenko, was created, as most of Lauren's ideas were, through meditation. Her original studios were called 'Kozen' and the terms were reversed when opening up the 3rd and 4th studio in Queensland.
Zenko Yoga opened its doors with ten classes per week and have more than quadrupled with 4 studios across the Sunshine Coast (and perhaps more to come) offering over 20 classes each per week.
Zenko Yoga is often referred to by it's members as a healing sanctuary and the minute you step foot in the door, you discover that for yourself.
We support local businesses and schools, hold community events, exhibit at lifestyle expos, support charities, host workshops and invite guests to share our space. We offer a range of therapies in house for clients to complement their practice and growth as they enter the yoga journey. We hold retreats in house and internationally as an opportunity for our community and beyond to practice yoga in ways that will change their life forever.
What does Zenko mean?
ZEN: Contemplative still mind, pinnacle of achievement, inner peace.
KO: Child (Japanese)
Zenko: To achieve a child-like contemplative state of mind. That is what yoga is to us.
ABOUT OUR FOUNDER LAUREN:
From the moment Lauren found yoga everything in her life changed. Yoga awoke her soul and the spirit within her. Yoga to Lauren was about finding the joy in life and about being real and authentic to yourself and those around you.
Lauren used to often say that yoga saved her life! She discovered yoga while she was running a full time PR company in Melbourne. She fell in love with the practice and within months of completing her yoga teacher training she was teaching full time. She then became the sole owner of Zenko Yoga, two thriving studios in Buddina and Noosa on the Sunshine Coast of Australia.
In 2020 , the year she turned 40, Lauren expanded her studios to add Bli Bli and Maroochydore, devastatingly in 2021, after two years of lock downs and uncertainty Lauren was forced to close two of her four studios in order to keep the other two open. This downsizing was one of the most difficult decisions Lauren had to make in her life.
Over the years Lauren established four wonderful yoga communities through studios around the Australia. Her goal was always to take yoga further, to reach people all over the world. Which is why she launched A Live Yogi- Australia’s first LIVE online yoga studio! After launching and expanding A Live Yogi, Lauren sold the business to focus on her studios.
As one of Food Matters official experts, Lauren also streamed live and pre-recorded online classes, with over 10,000 viewers. She was also a motivational speaker, presenting at events such as Wanderlust festival, Sunshine Coast & Brisbane Yoga Fest, Mind Body Spirit events and hosting her own seminars and workshops at her Zenko Yoga studios.
After a lot of soul searching, Lauren changed her name to Lauren Verona. Verona held a special place in her heart when she travelled there and had a real moment, a connection when she was looking up to Juliette’s balcony. Verona means ‘True Image’ and is known as the City of Love. Those who knew Lauren, knew that she was all about filling up your Love Tank. But its more than just love, she saw it as a duty of care to fill yourself up first, before you can help others. If you can’t look at yourself in the mirror with kindness, then that’s where you must start, with gratitude and appreciation. You have to be comfortable in your own company and for many people this can be quite confronting. If you are willing to be comfortable with yourself, you’ll find that you begin to unveil the limiting belief systems that are stopping you from reaching your full potential. I’m here to help you knock down those barriers that are holding you back.
In 2020, Lauren connected with the love of her life, Ryan, in 2021 they announced they were expecting their first child and married in February 2022. In June 2022, tragically, Lauren passed away due to an extremely rare Amniotic-Fluid Embolism after giving birth to a healthy, happy, joy and LOVE filled daughter - Lucinda. Lauren's legacy and her studios live on through her daughters Allira, Evie and Lucinda, her husband Ryan and her community, her Zenko Yoga Tribe who continue to live, breathe and share the wisdom she shared with them in the short but abundant time she had in this world.
Join the Zenko Yoga Tribe and you will be a part of a community where you can discover your life’s purpose through yoga.
Lauren's dream…
Her dream was for every single person to do a yoga class. She wanted to inspire people to seek the change within and transform. For any transformational process to occur, it takes consistency and patience. Yoga is not something which we should have to do or need to do or even want to do but instead be something we just do as part of our daily lives…. like drinking water. The more you practice, the stronger you get. Your mind becomes flexible, as well as your body and eventually you find your flow effortlessly and that infiltrates all aspects of your life. This is when you just know you can’t live without yoga. It gives you the tools and techniques to breathe and remain calm through life. That’s the magic of Yoga.
Zenko Yoga is here to serve...
The health benefits yoga & meditation are well documented- from increasing strength and flexibility to improving concentration and reducing stress and anxiety. Through Zenko, Lauren wanted to bring back the laughter and fun of yoga. The enjoyment and pleasure of trying something new, pushing yourself outside your comfort zone, falling over and getting back up with a smile. Over the past ten years Lauren guided hundreds of people to connect with their true sense of purpose so that they can become the best version of themselves through the practices of yoga, and it is our intention to continue this legacy.
