My yoga journey…

Hi, I’m Cheryl.

Yoga is all about discovering yourself, and being comfortable with you you are. It’s not about touching your toes, it’s about touching your heart.

I was a relatively late “yoga bloomer,” starting in earnest at age 34. I was a stay-at-home mom. I was stiff and tight, and could barely touch my toes. I had no stamina, no upper body strength, and no good sense of who I was or what my purpose in the world was.

When I started a consistent yoga practice, I felt myself begin to expand. Yoga helped open me up to deeper parts of myself that I had closed off. It allowed me to take delight in the movements of my body. It awakened my mind to thoughts of spirituality, which I had long since dismissed. And it opened my heart to the possibility of truly loving myself for who I am, and not who everyone else thought I should be. (I’m still working on it!) Yoga helped me show up more fully for my family, and more importantly, it helped me show up for myself. I became inspired to become a yoga teacher, which I did in 2006. I’ve taught at the YMCA, at community centers, gyms, elementary schools, metaphysical stores, festivals, and yoga studios. I love connecting with students of all ages and abilities.

I’ve been the owner/director of a successful yoga studio in Sarasota, FL, (Garden of the Heart Yoga Center) for the last 10 years. With the arrival of Covid-19, I took my teaching out of the studio and online, where I’ve been happily connecting with people who have found that yoga has been a saving grace throughout the pandemic- it’s a beautiful way to stay focused, calm, and connected.

Back in 2016, I became a licensed Ashaya Yoga® Teacher Trainer. I’ve studied with Todd Norian, the founder of Ashaya Yoga for over 12 years and have always been impressed and inspired by Todd’s integrity, attention to detail, professionalism, and his ability to help students reach for and realize their full potential. It’s a real honor to be one of his trainers. (Learn more about Todd here).

In 2020, I founded bodymindheartyoga as a way to fuse my passions of yoga, meditation, chanting, vegan cooking, and Ayurveda. I envision it as a place for you to come, feel at home, explore some practices, learn some philosophy and yoga technique, and take what works for you and leave the rest. You don’t have to be flexible, strong, or particularly new-agey. You don’t have to be young or skinny. You can come to class in your pajamas! I teach with a pragmatic approach, based in sound biomechanics. I draw upon the Five Elements and The Four Essentials™ of Ashaya Yoga, and I invite you to come into your heart in every class.

If you’re new to yoga, or if we haven’t met before (or if it’s just been a long time since we’ve talked), I’d love to connect with you. Email me and we’ll set up a time to chat. I’d love to have you join me in my living room (virtually) for a yoga class soon!