It seems as natural a pairing as any, a yoga studio and a vegan restaurant.

In these days of COVID-19, with all of the hardships faced by small business owners, partnering together and sharing resources and customers can be as powerful a survival strategy as any.

Meet Bodhi Yoga and Chive Kitchen, like-minded neighbors in downtown Farmington.

The two are partnering together on Nourish + Namaste, a Slow Flow yoga class in nearby Shiawassee Park that ends with an entree salad and drink on the patio of Chive Kitchen.

The event is scheduled for Wednesday, July 22, from 6 to 9 p.m.

"This is a perfect opportunity. Suzy [Silvestre, chef and owner of Chive] and I would call each other and discuss different business ideas since we have similar customers," says Alana Abdal, teacher and owner of Bodhi Yoga.

"Yoga helps us to connect with the mind and body and food helps us to nourish it. It seemed like a natural partnership, and especially during this time."

For Bodhi Yoga, the coronavirus forced the studio to shut its doors back in the middle of March. Since then, they’ve moved courses online to host virtual yoga sessions.

Once the weather broke, Bodhi was able to start hosting sessions in nearby Shiawassee Park. That came as a relief to newer students, Abdal says, who tend to prefer in-person instruction.

For Chive Kitchen, the vegan restaurant made their own adaptations to the pandemic. Chive began offering prepared vegan meals and vegan groceries to-go. They are now also offering limited on-site seating.

This is not the first local partnership that Abdal has forged. She’s hoping to soon renew a Bodhi-Farmington Brewing Company partnership similar to that with Chive, as well.

"Small businesses are the backbones of communities," Abdal says.

"With the two of us coming together, we hope to strengthen downtown Farmington."

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