Discover Your Higher Purpose Through Yoga with Niki Leondakis
Niki Leondakis, the CEO of CorePower Yoga, shares her journey of personal growth and the impact of yoga on discovering a higher purpose.
This week, what steps have you taken to unwind or connect with your deeper self? Maybe you joined a yoga class or engaged in meditation — or perhaps you did both! The yoga scene is thriving everywhere — from studios to props, apparel, and luxury retreats. Currently, there are over 41,000 yoga studios across the U.S., with CorePower Yoga being the leading brand, featuring more than 200 locations.
Niki stepped into the role of CEO at CorePower in January 2020 and has successfully guided the brand through the challenges posed by the pandemic. With over 30 years in building lifestyle brands, she's been recognized as one of the “100 Most Influential Women” by the San Francisco Business Times since 2002.
Through her own regular yoga practice, Niki found resilience during some of her toughest moments. When she was approached for the CEO position in 2019, she had recently faced devastating losses: her home was destroyed in California wildfires, and she lost her husband unexpectedly. Despite the opportunity of a lifetime, she initially declined the offer.
“Yoga helped me remain present, shifting my perspective from what I lost to what I still had, which was significant,” Niki reflects. “I had my health, loved ones, a supportive community, and valuable experiences to contribute meaningfully.”
When the CEO role was offered again in January 2020, she recognized it as fate, only to confront the immediate challenge of leading CorePower as the pandemic prompted nationwide studio closures. Under her guidance, CorePower adapted by providing on-demand online classes, which continue to be available to yogis globally. Niki's ongoing mission is to enhance accessibility to yoga, empowering individuals to uncover their own higher purposes.