Upcoming Courses:
200-Hour Yoga and Meditation Teacher Training in Cleveland, Ohio
***NOW ENROLLING***
Fall/Winter 2022-2023
October 1, 8, 15, 22
November 5, 12, 19
December 3, 10, 17
January 14, 21, 28
February 4, 11, 18, 25
Classes meet on Saturdays from 8am - 5pm
Lunch break from 10:45-12:15pm
Please email info@thestudiocleveland.com with inquiries!
***NOW ENROLLING***
Fall/Winter 2022-2023
October 1, 8, 15, 22
November 5, 12, 19
December 3, 10, 17
January 14, 21, 28
February 4, 11, 18, 25
Classes meet on Saturdays from 8am - 5pm
Lunch break from 10:45-12:15pm
Please email info@thestudiocleveland.com with inquiries!
YOGA & MEDITATION
TEACHING CERTIFICATION
PERSONAL DEVELOPMENT
COMMUNITY
This 200-Hour yoga and meditation teacher training is designed for the dedicated, curious, and open-minded yogi who is willing to do "the work" to dive deeper into their own personal practice, learn about the depths of yoga as an ancient science, and for those wishing to become registered and certified yoga instructors upon completion through the Yoga Alliance. This program doubles as both a teacher certification course, as well as an in-depth personal development, self-healing and quantum growth course.
Unlike most yoga teacher training programs, this 200 hour yoga and meditation teacher training heavily emphasizes the practice and teaching of meditation, which, according to is the ancient yogi sages, such as Patanjali, is the ultimate goal and practice to develop on the spiritual path. Nowadays throughout the west, the practice of yoga has been correlated to mostly body movements and postures. Some teachers may include a breathing exercise or two, or may include a couple of minutes of silence during class, but the practice of meditation seems to have been lost in the west.
The Yoga Sutras of Patanjali, which is an ancient text (with modern commentary), that provides the framework for the spiritual journey and spiritual path of yoga. Out of the 196 aphorisms mentioned in this book, asana, or the body postures, is only mentioned three times. This tells us there is a much more to the spiritual path than practicing the postures alone. Patanjali heavily emphasizes concepts of surrender, awareness, breath, concentration of the mind and mediation. He lays the foundation for the spiritual seeker to find their way to liberation through the culmination of these practices, which is not through asana alone. The asana helps keep the body healthy, pure, clean and strong, for without a healthy body (our spiritual vessel), it will be nearly impossible to do the more subtle work (meditation).
The Satya Meditation and Yoga Teacher Training goes above and beyond to ensure that each student has a working understanding and knowledge of the ancient sciences of both meditation and yoga in practical and applicable ways.
This teacher training program offers some of the most inclusive, accessible, extensive and authentic information available on this side of the globe. Inspiration from this course has been taken from the lineages of Hatha Yoga, Ashtanga Yoga, Vipassana Meditation, with content brought directly from India and Costa Rica. This course heavily focuses on the yin and yang aspects of the yogic practices, as well as philosophy and the unraveling of the spiritual journey in our modern society.
This training will provide its students with proper foundation for teaching yoga and meditation safely, confidently and knowledgeably with its comprehensive and hands-on curriculum. You will gain the tools and experiences needed to carry the torch of yoga into the world.
This course is equally appropriate for this who wish to teach yoga as well as for those who just want to deepen their practice and understanding of yoga and meditation.
Upon completion of the training, you will earn a 200-hour certificate and you will be eligible to register with Yoga Alliance, the international yoga accreditation board for yoga teachers, in the traditions of Hatha/Vinyasa yoga. This program will also prepare you for future study within a 300- or 500-hour advanced yoga teacher training. Participants of this teacher training program will receive unlimited access to yoga classes at The Studio Cleveland for the duration of the program. Students will receive life-long mentoring and guidance from Sara Syed, E-RYT 700, lead teacher of this teacher training program.
Read on to learn more about Satya Meditation and Yoga School's 200 hour curriculum and requirements for registration.
TEACHING CERTIFICATION
PERSONAL DEVELOPMENT
COMMUNITY
This 200-Hour yoga and meditation teacher training is designed for the dedicated, curious, and open-minded yogi who is willing to do "the work" to dive deeper into their own personal practice, learn about the depths of yoga as an ancient science, and for those wishing to become registered and certified yoga instructors upon completion through the Yoga Alliance. This program doubles as both a teacher certification course, as well as an in-depth personal development, self-healing and quantum growth course.
Unlike most yoga teacher training programs, this 200 hour yoga and meditation teacher training heavily emphasizes the practice and teaching of meditation, which, according to is the ancient yogi sages, such as Patanjali, is the ultimate goal and practice to develop on the spiritual path. Nowadays throughout the west, the practice of yoga has been correlated to mostly body movements and postures. Some teachers may include a breathing exercise or two, or may include a couple of minutes of silence during class, but the practice of meditation seems to have been lost in the west.
The Yoga Sutras of Patanjali, which is an ancient text (with modern commentary), that provides the framework for the spiritual journey and spiritual path of yoga. Out of the 196 aphorisms mentioned in this book, asana, or the body postures, is only mentioned three times. This tells us there is a much more to the spiritual path than practicing the postures alone. Patanjali heavily emphasizes concepts of surrender, awareness, breath, concentration of the mind and mediation. He lays the foundation for the spiritual seeker to find their way to liberation through the culmination of these practices, which is not through asana alone. The asana helps keep the body healthy, pure, clean and strong, for without a healthy body (our spiritual vessel), it will be nearly impossible to do the more subtle work (meditation).
The Satya Meditation and Yoga Teacher Training goes above and beyond to ensure that each student has a working understanding and knowledge of the ancient sciences of both meditation and yoga in practical and applicable ways.
This teacher training program offers some of the most inclusive, accessible, extensive and authentic information available on this side of the globe. Inspiration from this course has been taken from the lineages of Hatha Yoga, Ashtanga Yoga, Vipassana Meditation, with content brought directly from India and Costa Rica. This course heavily focuses on the yin and yang aspects of the yogic practices, as well as philosophy and the unraveling of the spiritual journey in our modern society.
This training will provide its students with proper foundation for teaching yoga and meditation safely, confidently and knowledgeably with its comprehensive and hands-on curriculum. You will gain the tools and experiences needed to carry the torch of yoga into the world.
This course is equally appropriate for this who wish to teach yoga as well as for those who just want to deepen their practice and understanding of yoga and meditation.
Upon completion of the training, you will earn a 200-hour certificate and you will be eligible to register with Yoga Alliance, the international yoga accreditation board for yoga teachers, in the traditions of Hatha/Vinyasa yoga. This program will also prepare you for future study within a 300- or 500-hour advanced yoga teacher training. Participants of this teacher training program will receive unlimited access to yoga classes at The Studio Cleveland for the duration of the program. Students will receive life-long mentoring and guidance from Sara Syed, E-RYT 700, lead teacher of this teacher training program.
Read on to learn more about Satya Meditation and Yoga School's 200 hour curriculum and requirements for registration.
Yoga is for EVERY BODY
"Peace comes not from doing, but from undoing; not from getting, but from letting go”
Swami Satchidananda
Read more about our training and read reviews from our graduates:
Yoga Alliance Approved Curriculum
Yoga Philosophy, Yoga Lifestyle and Ethics
Techniques, Training, & Practice
Teaching Methods & Styles
Anatomy & Physiology
Practicum
The Spiritual Entrepreneur - The Business of Yoga
Beyond the Yoga Alliance - Additional Areas of Study:
- In-depth study of the Yamas & Niyamas, the ethical guidelines for living a healthy and more peaceful life
- Study and learn how to incorporate the philosophy of India's medical system, Ayurveda, into your life and teaching
- Create a diet and lifestyle that will create optimal health in your life based on the gunas and Ayurveda
- Study the Yoga Sutras by Patanjali, the founder of modern yoga (2,500 BC)
- Discuss ethics of being a yoga teacher, including the teacher's role as a community leader, the value of selfless service, and practicing honesty and non-harm
- Learn how to live a healthy, vibrant, and spiritually-aligned life that benefits yourself and the relationship in your life
Techniques, Training, & Practice
- Safely practice and teach yoga postures (asanas)
- Learn the therapeutic and healing benefits of the various asanas
- Explore modifications for poses and the use of props to make yoga safe & accessible to all students
- Identify and cue proper alignment
- Offer safe and consentual hands-on adjustments and assistance
- Practice and teach various breathing exercises (pranayama) and meditation
- Create balanced, safe, fun and meaningful class sequences that emphasize your talents
Teaching Methods & Styles
- Experience various styles of yogic practices through experience: Hatha, Ashtanga Primary Series, Kundalini, Yin, Restorative, Pranayama, Yoga Nidra, and Meditation
- Teaching yoga for children, pre / post natal students.
- Find your voice; practice articulation, word choice, and mindful communication
- Customize your teaching to serve special niches or population of choice
- Practice savasana massage
- Hold space for a class and others; learn how to be the best teacher you can be
Anatomy & Physiology
- Explore the subtle body energy systems in-depth including the chakra systems, nadis, masculine/feminine energy and more
- Study anatomy and physiology of the physical body
- Learn how to be enhance your teaching with an understanding of the unseen body and how it works
- Therapeutics of yoga: learn how to work with pain, injuries, and many health conditions
Practicum
- Practice structuring, sequencing, and teaching yoga classes
- Give and receive constructive feedback to and from peers (in the program and outside of program) to enhance your teaching awareness and ability
- Receive personalized feedback from lead instructor on how to teach your best class
- Plenty of practice teaching!
The Spiritual Entrepreneur - The Business of Yoga
- Legal requirements as a yoga teacher
- Basic tax information related to yoga teaching income
- Learn marketing techniques, business exploration and more to help start a spiritually-focused and conscientious business model
- Learn about the Yoga Alliance registry and membership
Beyond the Yoga Alliance - Additional Areas of Study:
- Teaching silent and guided meditation (Anapana)
- Basics of Sanskrit & Sanskrit names of asanas
- Astrology 101 and how to incorporate moon cycles, retrogrades and eclipses into your teaching
- Sound Healing Mini-Course
- Seva - Selfless Service
- Create a sadhana that supports your life and practice
Requirements
It is important to realize the responsibility each student takes on upon completing a yoga teacher training. Being a yoga teacher is a full-time lifestyle choice; the yoga teacher does not simply "clock-out" and live a "regular" life and then "clock in" to teach yoga. Identifying as a yoga teacher is a commitment to living the yogi lifestyle (with best effort). It's a commitment to continuous learning, practicing daily healthy habits, increasing your awareness and consciousness, practicing seva and so much more. It's a commitment to a life of continual practice so you have experiential knowledge to pass down to the people you will one day call your students. If you are inspired and guided to take this course, please be mindful of our requirements for serious students:
- You have experienced the healing and transformative benefits of yoga and meditation first-hand in your own life.
- You can work diligently and be self-directed. Although you will be guided throughout this program, it is up to each individual student to show up and do the work. You will get out of this program what you put into this program. It is an investment in yourself.
- Make sure this is the right program for you! Read about our yoga teacher training and see if it resonates with you. Read about the lead teacher, Sara Syed; meet and speak with Sara. Make sure everything fits with you, including the time commitment to yourself and this program.
- Be open-minded. If we are lucky, not everything will go according to plan throughout this yoga teacher training! Our human plan can not compare to the Divine plan in store for us.
- You can communicate effectively. As the old adage goes, "ask and you shall receive." It is only when we communicate our needs, challenges, and intent that change and transformation can occur. The teacher can help you along your journey, but you must meet the teacher halfway.
- Read as many of the books from the text list as you can. Take as many yoga classes as you can (at least 100 throughout the program), with as many different instructors and varieties as possible. This will help you on your journey of becoming a yoga teacher.
Book List
Required Books:
Recommended Books:
(To be read during this lifetime)
- The Yamas & Niyamas - Exploring Yoga’s Ethical Practice - Deborah Adele
- Yoga Sutras of Patanjali – Swami Satchidananda
- Yoga Sequencing - Designing Transformative Yoga Classes - Mark Stephens
- Teaching Yoga - Mark Stephens
- The Key Muscles of Yoga - Ray Long
Recommended Books:
(To be read during this lifetime)
- Yoga Body - Judith Hanson Lasater, Ph.D., P.T.
- Light on Yoga - BKS Iyengar
- The Yogi Entrepreneur: A Guide to Earning a Mindful Living through Yoga - Darren Main
- The Subtle Body Coloring Book - Cyndi Dale & Richard Wehrman
- The Bhagavad Gita - Introduction and Translated - Eknath Easwaran
- The Art and Business of Teaching Yoga - Amy Ippoliti & Taro Smith
- Jivamukti Yoga: Practices for Liberating Body and Soul - Sharon Gannon & David Life
- Yogi Assignment - Kino Macgregor
- You Can Heal Your Life - Louise Hay
- The Alchemist - Paulo Coehlo
- The Seven Spiritual Laws of Success - Deepak Chopra
- The Celestine Prophecy - James Redfield
- Myths of the Asanas - Alanna Kaivalya & Arjuna van Der Kooji
- Ayurveda The Science of Self Healing - Dr. Vasant Lad
- Yoga & Ayurveda - Dr. David Frawley
- Eatern Mind, Western Body - Anodea Judith
- A Course in Miracles
Attendance and Participation Expectations:
Students are required to attend 100% of scheduled class meeting times**. Students are expected to not use their phones throughout the training. Students are expected to remain present and attentive. Students will arrive on-time for classes. This is an interactive course and students are expected to participate in discussions. Homework assignments and a volunteer project will be assigned during the course; the volunteer project will be completed during a scheduled class meeting time and homework is expected to be completed outside of the course. Homework will be periodic. Students will be required to track and record 100 practice hours (any style of yoga, including asana, meditation, seva, kirtan, jnana, pranayama, etc.). 100 Practice hours can be completed at our studio free of cost, or at a studio of your choice (you would be responsible for paying for out-of-studio costs), or at home. The 100 practice hours requirement will be discussed more in person. Students will also be required to practice teach for 50 hours outside of the course.
**(Although 100% attendance is strongly recommended, we understand that life is real and things happen; If there are any scheduling conflicts that arise during the course, discuss with the lead instructor, Sara Syed, as soon as possible to discuss modifications. If you are running late, you are expected to inform Sara as soon as possible).
Students are required to attend 100% of scheduled class meeting times**. Students are expected to not use their phones throughout the training. Students are expected to remain present and attentive. Students will arrive on-time for classes. This is an interactive course and students are expected to participate in discussions. Homework assignments and a volunteer project will be assigned during the course; the volunteer project will be completed during a scheduled class meeting time and homework is expected to be completed outside of the course. Homework will be periodic. Students will be required to track and record 100 practice hours (any style of yoga, including asana, meditation, seva, kirtan, jnana, pranayama, etc.). 100 Practice hours can be completed at our studio free of cost, or at a studio of your choice (you would be responsible for paying for out-of-studio costs), or at home. The 100 practice hours requirement will be discussed more in person. Students will also be required to practice teach for 50 hours outside of the course.
**(Although 100% attendance is strongly recommended, we understand that life is real and things happen; If there are any scheduling conflicts that arise during the course, discuss with the lead instructor, Sara Syed, as soon as possible to discuss modifications. If you are running late, you are expected to inform Sara as soon as possible).
Tuition Options:
PayPal.Me/MeditationandYoga
Included in the Course:
Graduation:
To qualify for graduation, students will:
Cancellation Policy:
We can refund your payment 100% up to one month prior to the course start date. One month prior to the scheduled course start date, there will be no refunds issued.
If for some reason you cannot complete the course, we can roll your payment over to be used for a future teaching training course at The Studio Cleveland
**Please email info@thestudiocleveland.com with any questions and inquiries or call/text Sara at 440-429-6914
- Early Bird - Paid In-Full Cash/Check/PayPal (friends & family with no fee) (Register before May 15, 2022): $2,950
- Early Bird - Paid In-Full Card (Register before May 15, 2022): $3,050
- Paid In-Full Cash/Check (Before course start date): $3,200
- Payment Plan and/or Card Payments: $3,500
- $500 Deposit (non-refundable; goes towards balance)
- Six payments of $500
- To be paid in-full prior to graduation
- You may be removed from course if monthly payments are not received.
PayPal.Me/MeditationandYoga
Included in the Course:
- Access to one of the most inclusive, extensive and authentic yoga teacher training educational experiences available in the area
- 200-hour yoga teacher training education and Yoga Alliance certificate eligible for Yoga Alliance registration upon completion of course
- Unlimited access to yoga classes at The Studio Cleveland for the duration of the course
- Life-long mentoring from Sara Syed, E-RYT 700, lead teacher of this program
- 200-Hour Yoga and Meditation Teacher Training Manual
- T-Shirt
- Healing
- A lifetime of memories
Graduation:
To qualify for graduation, students will:
- Attend all classes (unless when there is a permitted, excused absence)
- Be punctual for classes (unless when there is a permitted, excused tardy)
- Complete the final exam, final paper and presentation
- Teach a yoga class
- Balance paid in full prior to graduation
Cancellation Policy:
We can refund your payment 100% up to one month prior to the course start date. One month prior to the scheduled course start date, there will be no refunds issued.
If for some reason you cannot complete the course, we can roll your payment over to be used for a future teaching training course at The Studio Cleveland
**Please email info@thestudiocleveland.com with any questions and inquiries or call/text Sara at 440-429-6914
Teachers
Lead Instructor:
Sara Syed, Owner, The Studio Cleveland, 700 E-RYT, Masters in Education in Curriculum & Instruction, Bachelors of Science in Psychology, Thai Yoga Massage
Owner, The Studio Cleveland - Wellness Center, Cleveland, Ohio, 2018
200 Hour Registered Yoga School Lead Instructor, 2019
Yoga Alliance Continuing Education Provider - YACEP, 2019
700 Hour Experienced Registered Yoga Teacher, 2014
Master's of Science in Education; Curriculum & Instruction - The University of Akron, 2016
Bachelor's of science in Psychology - John Carroll University, 2013
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Sara started her yoga practice during high school in 2008, while struggling with drug & alcohol addiction, anxiety, eating-disorders, trauma and depression. After a few years of consistent meditation and yoga, Sara discovered a glimpse of healing while meditating on her chakras and practicing yoga; Sara found herself crying in savasana after every yoga class finally processing emotions left unacknowledged for so long.
To Sara's surprise, this was only the beginning of Sara's healing journey.
Sara learned how to use crystals and studied the chakras intensively on her own (she had no chakra teachers as this was not mainstream information yet). Through her study of the chakras, Sara learned how to access the root cause of her addiction, mental disorders and overall mental chaos and suffering.
Sara discovered that her addiction was simply a symptom for an inability to cope, process and handle hard emotions. Sara realized she had not allowed herself to feel up until this point in her life.
She truly experienced an ego death; what she thought was her truth and her life crumbled before her eyes. She used imagery of the transformative process of the life cycle of a butterfly to give her strength--she knew she was evolving from her centipede self to a beautiful butterfly, but at this time, she felt very much like she was in a dark and scary cocoon of the unknown.
Sara realized that yoga helped silence her problematic ego. She used yoga as a means to clear out the baggage she had been carrying around for her entire life. She emptied herself and her vessel to carry out the higher power's will instead of her own. Sara realized that not being able to do certain poses in yoga was humbling. She learned about ethical living, making amends with her past and the people she had hurt (including herself). She learned to live authentically and with integrity.
It was a long, arduous and deep inner journey.
This path eventually led Sara to attend her first yoga teacher training in Cahuita, Costa Rica, in 2014. She shared yoga freely (without charge) for a solid year after yoga teacher training to the students and staff at The University of Akron. This helped her immensely as a new teacher so she could have students to practice her newfound skill of teaching what she had learned. Sara believed in giving back what yoga gave to her. Since then, Sara has spent thousands of hours teaching yoga and meditation at elementary schools, high schools, universities, fitness centers, local festivals, and at yoga studios. Her most meaningful experience has been teaching under-served populations such as in inner city schools in Akron and in Cleveland, at juvenile detention centers, drug and alcohol treatment centers, and at mental health facilities.
Professionally, Sara worked as a mental health case worker for two different organizations. She saw that yoga would be a viable solution to help the clients, but these organizations were not yet open to offering holistically-oriented solutions so Sara instead pursued teaching High School English. Sara found that the high school students suffered from mental disorders such as anxiety, depression and low self-esteem. The public schools at the time were more concerned with the common core and standardized testing than with helping the students develop real-life personal development skills, so she left the public sector to study yoga more in-depth.
Sara knew that self-study was an important factor in being able to help and serve others, and she knew she had a lot more she needed to learn still, despite her already adventurous travels and studies throughout Mexico, Belize, Costa Rica, Guatemala, El Salvador and Nicaragua. Sara had spent all of her free time volunteering with children in these countries, teaching English, volunteering with animal rehabilitation sanctuaries, and of course, teaching yoga to locals and other travelers. in 2016, Sara left for a three-month solo journey to India where she completed an advanced 300-hour yoga teaching training program at Yogadarshanam Ashtanga/Hatha yoga school in Mysore, India. Sara also studied at the K. Pattabhi Jois Ashtanga Yoga Institute under Saraswathi Jois for half of a month. She spent the rest of her time in India studying the culture and practicing to surrender to the divine.
In 2017, Sara's spiritual development took a whole new route; she started practicing Vipassana meditation in the lineage of the Buddha as taught by S.N Goenka. These courses require its students to practice silent meditation from 4:30am - 9pm, with few breaks throughout the day. This is a completely silent course with the last meal being at 11:00am. Sara lived like a partial monk at these retreats. Since, she has completed three 10-day courses, one 8-day Satipatthana Suta course, and she has selflessly served for one 10-day course, spending a total of almost 50 days of her life in complete silence, introspection and meditation.
Sara purchased The Studio Cleveland, a wellness center located in the heart of Downtown Cleveland, in September, 2018. Sara's goal was to extend The Studio Cleveland's existing reach so that more people could benefit from its spiritual and healing offerings. Sara strives to make The Studio Cleveland an inclusive and authentic resource for any human seeking inner peace.
Sara started hosting 200 hour yoga and meditation teacher trainings in April 2019. Since then, her trainings continue to grow and evolve with each cohort. She now offers a 50 meditation intensive and teacher training continuing education program as well as various other workshops & events throughout the year. Sara has a special place in her heart for traveling so she honors that by hosting regular, semi-annual wellness retreats both locally and internationally.
Sara has also grown and developed an accessible, donation-based yoga for every BODY beach yoga offering throughout the summer months in Cleveland, Ohio, where thousands of students receive donation-based teachings outside in nature in the most beautiful parks throughout Cleveland, where Sara lives.
200 Hour Registered Yoga School Lead Instructor, 2019
Yoga Alliance Continuing Education Provider - YACEP, 2019
700 Hour Experienced Registered Yoga Teacher, 2014
Master's of Science in Education; Curriculum & Instruction - The University of Akron, 2016
Bachelor's of science in Psychology - John Carroll University, 2013
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Sara started her yoga practice during high school in 2008, while struggling with drug & alcohol addiction, anxiety, eating-disorders, trauma and depression. After a few years of consistent meditation and yoga, Sara discovered a glimpse of healing while meditating on her chakras and practicing yoga; Sara found herself crying in savasana after every yoga class finally processing emotions left unacknowledged for so long.
To Sara's surprise, this was only the beginning of Sara's healing journey.
Sara learned how to use crystals and studied the chakras intensively on her own (she had no chakra teachers as this was not mainstream information yet). Through her study of the chakras, Sara learned how to access the root cause of her addiction, mental disorders and overall mental chaos and suffering.
Sara discovered that her addiction was simply a symptom for an inability to cope, process and handle hard emotions. Sara realized she had not allowed herself to feel up until this point in her life.
She truly experienced an ego death; what she thought was her truth and her life crumbled before her eyes. She used imagery of the transformative process of the life cycle of a butterfly to give her strength--she knew she was evolving from her centipede self to a beautiful butterfly, but at this time, she felt very much like she was in a dark and scary cocoon of the unknown.
Sara realized that yoga helped silence her problematic ego. She used yoga as a means to clear out the baggage she had been carrying around for her entire life. She emptied herself and her vessel to carry out the higher power's will instead of her own. Sara realized that not being able to do certain poses in yoga was humbling. She learned about ethical living, making amends with her past and the people she had hurt (including herself). She learned to live authentically and with integrity.
It was a long, arduous and deep inner journey.
This path eventually led Sara to attend her first yoga teacher training in Cahuita, Costa Rica, in 2014. She shared yoga freely (without charge) for a solid year after yoga teacher training to the students and staff at The University of Akron. This helped her immensely as a new teacher so she could have students to practice her newfound skill of teaching what she had learned. Sara believed in giving back what yoga gave to her. Since then, Sara has spent thousands of hours teaching yoga and meditation at elementary schools, high schools, universities, fitness centers, local festivals, and at yoga studios. Her most meaningful experience has been teaching under-served populations such as in inner city schools in Akron and in Cleveland, at juvenile detention centers, drug and alcohol treatment centers, and at mental health facilities.
Professionally, Sara worked as a mental health case worker for two different organizations. She saw that yoga would be a viable solution to help the clients, but these organizations were not yet open to offering holistically-oriented solutions so Sara instead pursued teaching High School English. Sara found that the high school students suffered from mental disorders such as anxiety, depression and low self-esteem. The public schools at the time were more concerned with the common core and standardized testing than with helping the students develop real-life personal development skills, so she left the public sector to study yoga more in-depth.
Sara knew that self-study was an important factor in being able to help and serve others, and she knew she had a lot more she needed to learn still, despite her already adventurous travels and studies throughout Mexico, Belize, Costa Rica, Guatemala, El Salvador and Nicaragua. Sara had spent all of her free time volunteering with children in these countries, teaching English, volunteering with animal rehabilitation sanctuaries, and of course, teaching yoga to locals and other travelers. in 2016, Sara left for a three-month solo journey to India where she completed an advanced 300-hour yoga teaching training program at Yogadarshanam Ashtanga/Hatha yoga school in Mysore, India. Sara also studied at the K. Pattabhi Jois Ashtanga Yoga Institute under Saraswathi Jois for half of a month. She spent the rest of her time in India studying the culture and practicing to surrender to the divine.
In 2017, Sara's spiritual development took a whole new route; she started practicing Vipassana meditation in the lineage of the Buddha as taught by S.N Goenka. These courses require its students to practice silent meditation from 4:30am - 9pm, with few breaks throughout the day. This is a completely silent course with the last meal being at 11:00am. Sara lived like a partial monk at these retreats. Since, she has completed three 10-day courses, one 8-day Satipatthana Suta course, and she has selflessly served for one 10-day course, spending a total of almost 50 days of her life in complete silence, introspection and meditation.
Sara purchased The Studio Cleveland, a wellness center located in the heart of Downtown Cleveland, in September, 2018. Sara's goal was to extend The Studio Cleveland's existing reach so that more people could benefit from its spiritual and healing offerings. Sara strives to make The Studio Cleveland an inclusive and authentic resource for any human seeking inner peace.
Sara started hosting 200 hour yoga and meditation teacher trainings in April 2019. Since then, her trainings continue to grow and evolve with each cohort. She now offers a 50 meditation intensive and teacher training continuing education program as well as various other workshops & events throughout the year. Sara has a special place in her heart for traveling so she honors that by hosting regular, semi-annual wellness retreats both locally and internationally.
Sara has also grown and developed an accessible, donation-based yoga for every BODY beach yoga offering throughout the summer months in Cleveland, Ohio, where thousands of students receive donation-based teachings outside in nature in the most beautiful parks throughout Cleveland, where Sara lives.
Assistant Instructors:
Shannon Carlin, 500 RYT
Prenatal Yoga
Restorative Yoga
Trauma Sensitive Yoga
Anatomy and Physiology
Shannon visited ashrams with her parents as a child and then many years later, found herself in a yoga class one day.
Though unfamiliar with the poses, the breath, and of course-sanskrit, she immediately felt a sense of belonging and of coming home.
The experience resonated so deeply with her that she knew she had taken her first steps on a life-long path of study, practice and devotion.
She has completed her 200hr certification with Bernadette Birney, Restorative training with Jillian Pranksy, Prenatal Certification with Sue Elkind and her 500hr advanced training with Tiffany Cruikshank of Yoga Medicine. She also continues to study yoga philosophy with Dr. Douglas Brooks and is working on her 1,000 hour training with Yoga Medicine.
Shannon is also a certified lifeguard, PaddleFit and Stand Up Paddle Board Yoga Teacher. She has also completed Trauma Informed and Yoga Activist training with Off The Mat and Into The World with Sean Corne, Suzanne Sterling and Hala Khoury. She is a also Lululemon Ambassador.
Restorative Yoga
Trauma Sensitive Yoga
Anatomy and Physiology
Shannon visited ashrams with her parents as a child and then many years later, found herself in a yoga class one day.
Though unfamiliar with the poses, the breath, and of course-sanskrit, she immediately felt a sense of belonging and of coming home.
The experience resonated so deeply with her that she knew she had taken her first steps on a life-long path of study, practice and devotion.
She has completed her 200hr certification with Bernadette Birney, Restorative training with Jillian Pranksy, Prenatal Certification with Sue Elkind and her 500hr advanced training with Tiffany Cruikshank of Yoga Medicine. She also continues to study yoga philosophy with Dr. Douglas Brooks and is working on her 1,000 hour training with Yoga Medicine.
Shannon is also a certified lifeguard, PaddleFit and Stand Up Paddle Board Yoga Teacher. She has also completed Trauma Informed and Yoga Activist training with Off The Mat and Into The World with Sean Corne, Suzanne Sterling and Hala Khoury. She is a also Lululemon Ambassador.
Lisa Turner, 200 RYT, Astrologer
Integrating Astrology into Yogic Teachings
For as long as I can remember, I have loved bodies in motion. As a young girl, it manifested itself in ballet, studying under two exceptional teachers, Marguerite Duncan and Nancy Arcury of the North Coast Ballet Company (formerly known as The Cleveland Civic Ballet Company, Cleveland’s first professional ballet company). Yoga found me years after dancing had ended. I knew I had an inner calling but was unaware as to what was calling me. Yoga finds most of us when we are in need of change and transformation and I was no different. When I stepped into my first yoga class with Jane Ruddy, I knew life had set a new path in motion. I studied with Jane for a few years building the foundation of my yoga practice. But it was a move to Medina and finding Joanie Andrews of Half Moon Yoga that elevated my practice to new depths of awareness, philosophy and brought new challenges to my physical practice. On and off the mat my practice has flourished over the last several years at Half Moon. As a born seeker, I constantly strive to expand my knowledge and learn. The Russian Ballet technique ingrained as a dancer carries over into my individual yoga practice and teaching. I aspire to bring awareness to alignment, breath, musicality, and sequencing in each class. As an avid astrologer and student of astrology, my classes mirror the energy of the cosmos while rocking out to music ranging from: Zen, Classical, Oldies, Disco, Pop, Rock and Alternative Artists.
For as long as I can remember, I have loved bodies in motion. As a young girl, it manifested itself in ballet, studying under two exceptional teachers, Marguerite Duncan and Nancy Arcury of the North Coast Ballet Company (formerly known as The Cleveland Civic Ballet Company, Cleveland’s first professional ballet company). Yoga found me years after dancing had ended. I knew I had an inner calling but was unaware as to what was calling me. Yoga finds most of us when we are in need of change and transformation and I was no different. When I stepped into my first yoga class with Jane Ruddy, I knew life had set a new path in motion. I studied with Jane for a few years building the foundation of my yoga practice. But it was a move to Medina and finding Joanie Andrews of Half Moon Yoga that elevated my practice to new depths of awareness, philosophy and brought new challenges to my physical practice. On and off the mat my practice has flourished over the last several years at Half Moon. As a born seeker, I constantly strive to expand my knowledge and learn. The Russian Ballet technique ingrained as a dancer carries over into my individual yoga practice and teaching. I aspire to bring awareness to alignment, breath, musicality, and sequencing in each class. As an avid astrologer and student of astrology, my classes mirror the energy of the cosmos while rocking out to music ranging from: Zen, Classical, Oldies, Disco, Pop, Rock and Alternative Artists.
Ashley McKay, 200-Hour RYT, Nurse, Ashtangi
Hands-On Assists and Adjustments
Ashtanga Primary Series
In 2009 Ashley was living the stressed out lifestyle of restaurant management. This high intensity work life called for some spiritual balance -and having always felt connected to the universal life force and eastern philosophy, Ashley decided to try yoga! On a whim! Never expecting it to become such an important aspect of her life. Patthabi Jois believed that to be a yogi in this life, one must have walked the yogic path in past lives, creating a never ending, soul searching desire for the yogic lifestyle in each and every incarnation. This is certainly the case for Ashley, whos life has never been the same since that first yoga class! After diving into the 8 limbed path, Ashley's life began to change all around her. Saying good bye to restaurant management, Ashley followed her healer's heart and chose a life of health and wellness. Now an Ashtanga yogi, Registered Nurse and wellness enthusiast- Ashley wants nothing more than to help others achieve optimal health and realize their true potential! Her ultimate goals include a master's degree in integrative health, and further blending her knowledge as a yogi and nurse! Ashley believes in yoga as a healing modality as well as a spiritual practice and physical exercise. Yoga has the power to make us strong on the inside and on the outside! "Practice and all is coming" ~ Sri K Patthabi Jois
Ashtanga Primary Series
In 2009 Ashley was living the stressed out lifestyle of restaurant management. This high intensity work life called for some spiritual balance -and having always felt connected to the universal life force and eastern philosophy, Ashley decided to try yoga! On a whim! Never expecting it to become such an important aspect of her life. Patthabi Jois believed that to be a yogi in this life, one must have walked the yogic path in past lives, creating a never ending, soul searching desire for the yogic lifestyle in each and every incarnation. This is certainly the case for Ashley, whos life has never been the same since that first yoga class! After diving into the 8 limbed path, Ashley's life began to change all around her. Saying good bye to restaurant management, Ashley followed her healer's heart and chose a life of health and wellness. Now an Ashtanga yogi, Registered Nurse and wellness enthusiast- Ashley wants nothing more than to help others achieve optimal health and realize their true potential! Her ultimate goals include a master's degree in integrative health, and further blending her knowledge as a yogi and nurse! Ashley believes in yoga as a healing modality as well as a spiritual practice and physical exercise. Yoga has the power to make us strong on the inside and on the outside! "Practice and all is coming" ~ Sri K Patthabi Jois
Geoff Knox
Dharma Yoga
Inversions and Arm Balances
Nutrition
Yoga Nidra
Geoff Knox is an acclaimed teacher in Cleveland, OH. He completed his teacher training with Sir Dharma Mittra in New York City.
Inversions and Arm Balances
Nutrition
Yoga Nidra
Geoff Knox is an acclaimed teacher in Cleveland, OH. He completed his teacher training with Sir Dharma Mittra in New York City.
Testimonials:
