Meet Tracey Ulshafer

We recently connected with Tracey Ulshafer and have shared our conversation below.

Tracey, we’re thrilled to have you sharing your thoughts and lessons with our community. So, for folks who are at a stage in their life or career where they are trying to be more resilient, can you share where you get your resilience from?

I come from a long line of strong women.

My Grandmother, Rachel, was born with polio. She was hospitalized as a child for months away from her family. She walked on crutches until she was wheelchair bound. She was told that she would never be able to drive a car, so she taught herself how to. She was told she would never be able to have children, so she had two. She even ran a successful business as a seamstress, teaching herself how to sew when she was kicked out of school because she couldn’t do the fire escape. She never took “No” for an answer. If there was a way, she would find it. She lived to be 95.

My other Grandmother, Geneveice, raised three boys on her own when her husband left her. She ran a popular restaurant in the Trenton, NJ area and never complained. Although she didn’t have much, she always had little gifts for her grandchildren. She lived to be nearly 103.

Now my Mother, Georgian, lives with me because she has a rare condition where her blood oxygen drops when she exerts herself. She needs a lot of help, but she will try to do it herself first, every time. She refuses to give up, believing she can somehow conquer this syndrome. And, if anyone can, she will find a way.

I learned early that when the spirit is willing, there is always a way. I learned this from strong women. And I continue to learn more about this every day since moving my Mom in with me.

Let’s take a small detour – maybe you can share a bit about yourself before we dive back into some of the other questions we had for you?

After 22 years running a successful yoga and wellness studio in New Jersey, I closed my doors to contemplate my next phase of life. During that time, I wrote several books, some of which are still in the process of being published. One of them is my doctoral thesis, “The Modern Mystic’s Wheel of the Year – a Multi-Faith Path to Living in Harmony.” Although I received my Doctor of Ministry in 2020, I felt a need to review the capstone project again this year. In revamping the thesis, I managed to create a book, workbook, and oracle deck, which will be presented as a Mystery School this winter.

Although I stepped away from teaching yoga for a couple of years, diving into this project has brought me back to teaching with a new online class, “Yoga for Precarious Times.” I found that during this chaotic time that we find ourselves living in, we need connection, community, and support more than ever. Since I no longer have four walls for a studio, I decided to move my sacred space online to offer something to those in need.

I consider myself a “Master of Service.” Over the past 25 years, I have been helping others to heal their lives through the many holistic methods that have helped me. Whether I help them relieve stress or strain through a therapeutic massage or Reiki session, assisting them in connecting with their True Self through a yoga practice, or being a stable foundation and trusted ear as a Chaplain, I look to see where I can be of service.

I am currently in my second unit of Chaplaincy training, and hope to offer more of these services in the future.

If you had to pick three qualities that are most important to develop, which three would you say matter most?

1. Trusting my Intuition
2. Being True to Myself
3. Having Integrity and a Good Work Ethic

When I wanted to break away from my corporate job and begin my holistic career, I didn’t have much support from family and friends. I knew that my previous job was not serving me, and that I had more to offer the world, but nobody else understood. I had to trust my gut, listen to my heart, and follow my own path. Once I was successful, people were very proud of me, and I continue to be told by many people that they consider me to be one of the strongest people that they know. Certainly, I have my moments, but I appreciate their kind words.

Once you decide what you want to do, do it. Do it with every fiber of your being. And when you’re tired, take a little break, then come back and do it some more.

What is the number one obstacle or challenge you are currently facing and what are you doing to try to resolve or overcome this challenge?

Marketing myself is not my strongest trait. Others may disagree, but I could use some help.

I have recently started using AI tools, and am looking to learn more about how they can assist me in this arena. I am also starting to branch out in collaborating more with like-minded others. I feel that we are stronger together, and I love working with and promoting other small business owners.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.oneyogacenter.net
• Instagram: @tulshafer, @onewellness1111
• Facebook: @tulshafer
• Linkedin: Tracey L. Ulshafer
• Youtube: @tulshafer