Who is Sarah Shea?

I grew up in Coopersburg, PA and still live in the Lehigh Valley. By my education alone, you would have thought I'd go into music. I went to a performing arts high school for singing, I took vocal lessons for 8 years, and I even got into Lebanon Valley College to pursue a music recording & technology degree. Come graduation, I had a triple major in International Studies, Philosophy and Political Science. The change in interests and majors is another story, but in all of these years... where did yoga fit in?

Well, it didn't. Judging by my degree, you can imagine I had aspirations to go into politics, the government, policy. Maybe that was the case at one point, but instead, after graduation, I did what any slightly lost post-grad would do that was unsure of their path - I got a job. It only took a few customer service positions to realize what I actually enjoyed, and what I seemed to be good at, which was recruiting. Fast-paced, sales-like, constant movement. It was busy, but between the burnouts and long hours I latched on to those moments where I thrived.

Coinciding with finding a career path, by 2018, I found myself in a rocky relationship. Misery dragged me down mentally and physically. I gained weight, lived life in a fog, and if I wasn't working, I was eating or sleeping.

Then, a friend invited me to try some hot yoga. Why not? I had nothing to lose. It turned out to be one of the hardest hour-and-15 minutes of my life. Except - it sparked something in me. I was working towards a goal, not for my career, but for my personal well-being. It's thrilling to find that drive to better yourself if you felt it had long gone away.

I created a routine: going to class at least 4x a week while also practicing alone at home. My body became stronger, but my mind had awakened to a refreshed sense of self-love, peace, and the knowledge that everything I needed was already within.

October of 2022 had me juggling an 8-5 job and 8 yoga classes to teach, all Monday through Friday. Some days I'd wake up at 5AM, teach at 6AM, go to work by 8AM, and then be back at the studio for two more classes at 6PM and 7:30PM. It was a whirlwind, but I was content for now. That's when the recruiting agency where I worked full time started some very future-heavy conversations, instigated by me to be fair. However, the talk of my professional future made me realize that, as much as I knew I had stability, it wasn't what I saw for myself. My ambitions envisioned running a yoga studio. Thus, rather than pursue more money and a traditional career, I quit. Now, I pursue yoga full time, being as present as I can in the Valley so it will be no surprise when I one day open my own studio.

My goal in life is to show everyone the true wonders of yoga, to go beyond the physical and experience the transformative power behind each movement. It's a journey that is never ending. Even today, when I am stressed, heartbroken, or even just run down, I turn to yoga. I have healed and found my own inner peace time and time again, and if I can help someone else do that, too? That's one less hurting person in the world.

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What's my Practice like?

I am a firm believer in the phrase, "once a student, always a student." I don't know everything there is about each style of yoga, and I will always tell you if there is something I am not familiar with! Saying that, here's insight into how I was trained and what I offer.

My first yoga classes and trainings took place in the Lehigh Valley and focused mainly on the practice of Ashtanga, the most athletic style of yoga. This may be exemplified by certain details in my poses. For instance, I commonly demonstrate Chair Pose (Utkatasana) with hands together overhead, rather than them apart. I do not teach the Primary Series, but it is something I enjoy in my personal practice from time to time.

The most comprehensive training I completed was 1 month in India at Samyak Institute of Yoga & Ayurveda. This was an immersive training where participants stayed at an ashram. All meals were provided, training happened 6 days per week, and the hours of activity went from 5:30AM to almost 7:30PM at night (with one break in the afternoon). While the styles of yoga were Vinyasa, Hatha, Props Yoga, Yin, and Yoga Nidra, my teachers made sure to provide us with great historical and cultural insight surrounding the world of yoga. For example, we had philosophy classes, chanting practice, and asana clinics to ensure we were well-rounded as instructors.

All of this allowed me to complete a 500-hour Yoga Teacher Training. I am extremely proud of myself, but I am still eager to learn more in the future! In fact, I will never claim to be an "expert" in yoga or any particular style. Just as my own instructors did a great job of teaching me key identifiers and intentions for different classes, I do my best to represent these themes while also accommodating to my students' needs and abilities.

Many of my classes lean towards a specific theme, such as self-love, forgiveness, or creating one's life path. Themes can provide a bit of fun or light-heartedness to a class, especially if I am teaching beginners. Whether I have a theme or not, I always encourage my students to find their own meaning.

When I teach in-person, I make sure the energy I have is what I would want to impart on others. I like to push students to see their potential. Light meditations are common in my classes, because I will always emphasize mindfulness. Music may be playing, but I make sure it is low enough to still project my voice. If I make any adjustments, I ask for permission before any sort of physical touch. This includes when I provide aromatherapy and head massages towards the end of class!

With a completed 500-hour Yoga Teacher Training (YTT) in hand, I know my practice and teaching will keep evolving. However, my promise to you is that together, we can bring a bit more peace into our lives. We

breathe, we stretch, and we try to live graciously.

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