Behind the Rebrand: Why Sobi Art School Was Born
- Michelle Rae Sobi
- 2 hours ago
- 3 min read
Edge presents Sobi Art School
Behind the Rebrand: Why Sobi Art School Was Born
If you look at my path in reverse, the story actually makes perfect sense.
Right now, I’m back at UC Berkeley’s Haas Business School, deepening my work in Visual Arts through AI and Visual Storytelling. It feels like the natural continuation of something that began years ago — a way of weaving together everything I love: yoga, creativity, technology, and teaching.
During the shutdown period, I enrolled in Visual Storytelling in UC Berkeley’s art department as a way to stay connected, grounded, and creatively awake. That experience opened a door I didn’t even know I was waiting for. It offered the space to reflect on the life I had built through
Power Edge Yoga Fitness and to ask myself not just what I wanted to teach, but how I wanted to teach it. The answer became clear: I was ready to move beyond a conventional studio model and explore the other limbs of yoga — meditation, contemplation, creativity, and the quieter inner practices that shape who we become.
But this evolution didn’t start there. It began back in 2008, when I first stepped into the role of teacher and lifelong learner. Those early years instilled in me a devotion to mindful movement, emotional wellbeing, and the transformative power of personal expression.
Then came 2015, when I opened my North Naperville studio — a place that truly illuminated my path. Students weren’t just practicing yoga; they were telling their stories through movement, reflection, color, and creative exploration. That studio revealed that yoga could be a bridge to something deeper: the art of understanding oneself.
Many of you have asked what happened to Power Edge Yoga Fitness. Like so many small studios, it was significantly affected by the pandemic era. When everything slowed down, I listened inward. I chose not to reopen in its traditional format because my teaching had shifted — and my heart was ready for a new chapter. That pause, though challenging, allowed the next part of the journey to bloom.
Sobi Art School, LLC is the natural flowering of all these moments. It honors the calling that began in 2008, the clarity that arrived in 2015, the transformation that unfolded during the shutdown period, and the renewed purpose that continues to guide my studies today. This rebrand is not a departure — it is a homecoming. A place where yoga, art, mindfulness, and expression live together as one.
And to be absolutely clear: Sobi Art School is not replacing Edge Yoga School. Edge continues to thrive as the home of our yoga teacher trainings, mentorships, and educational programs. Sobi Art School is its sister — expanding our world by offering a dedicated space for creativity, visual arts, storytelling, and the more intuitive side of the practice. Together, they honor the full spectrum of wellbeing: the structure of yoga education and the expressive art of being human.
Thank you for walking this path with me. What a joy it is to bloom, to evolve, and to share this next chapter with you. If you’d like to step into this creative new space with me, I warmly invite you to join one of our upcoming events on Eventbrite. It would mean so much to have you there.
— Michelle Rae Sobi