Bookpleasures.com welcomes as our guest Cheryl Todd. Cheryl is a registered Yoga teacher based in San Diego who specializes in gentle, senior, chair, and adaptive Yoga. For the past twenty years Cheryl  has enjoyed teaching her classes and helping her participants learn how to feel their best through yoga. She is the founder of  Harmony Grove Yoga.

Norm:  Good day Cheryl and thanks for participating in our interview.

How did yoga come into your life and what has that journey been like for you?

Cheryl:  Thank you Norm for having me here and for the opportunity to share my work and my story with your community.  There are so many wonderful benefits of yoga and the good news is that anyone, regardless of age, condition, or physical limitations, can experience these benefits and improve the way they feel overall, simply by practicing a yoga style that blends with their individual needs.  I was fortunate to experience these benefits and the effectiveness of yoga first-hand in my life, so I can tell you truthfully that it works! 

For more than a decade, I had been dedicated to my work in the medical field as a front and back office medical assistant in urgent care and as a nurse assistant working mainly with seniors in their homes and in retirement communities.

I’ve always enjoyed helping people feel their best and I loved my work.  I was also raising a family and trying to keep a happy balance of work and home life. Over time, the joys of my life were fading as pain and unshakable fatigue started taking control of my body. 

At first, I thought I was just overworked but the aches and pain, fatigue, headaches and exhaustion were getting worse by the day. In short, I was eventually diagnosed with Fibromyalgia and could no longer work. 

This took a toll on my family as well.  It was quite a depressing time in my life.  I had such a wonderful, active life before this.  Now what?  Just when I was ready to give up and give in, an opportunity to participate in an 8-week pain management program was offered to me by my Physician and although I knew it would be a struggle, I jumped on the opportunity, because enough is enough!

The program consisted of several therapeutic modalities such as bio feed-back, physical and occupational therapy, and so on. In the 3rd week of the program, a yoga therapy session was introduced to me. It was my first experience with yoga and one I will never forget. That’s when that “ah-ha” moment happened, and my life with Fibromyalgia changed forever.  It started with learning to bring awareness to the inside, using my breath in stillness to relieve and let go of pain and stress in the body as well as the mind. Then to combine the breath and awareness into the body with gentle movement, again, to release tension from tight areas.

I was slowly opening up, getting stronger, and feeling a sense of peace and wellness. It was changing me physically as well as mentally as my attitude toward my pain was beginning to shift. My attention was moving toward the possibilities now, not the disabilities.  The more I practiced, the better I felt and the more I could move without pain.  By the end of the program, I knew I had to share the benefits of yoga with others.

Fibromyalgia doesn’t go away, but now I had the tools I needed to deal with it. 

Needless to say, I completed the program, continued practicing yoga and  became a yoga teacher so I could share the gift of yoga with others.  I received my first yoga teacher certification in classical hatha yoga in 2001 and went on from there to specialize and become certified in gentle, chair, senior, and adaptive yoga.

Over the years, I have enjoyed teaching in a variety of settings, including pain management centers, spas, senior communities, studios, and corporate offices, and now, online. 

I feel truly blessed that that my life and this journey turned out the way it did, and I have to think that Fibromyalgia was actually a gift in disguise.

 Norm: How has yoga changed you and what do you feel it creates in your daily life?

Cheryl:  Yoga has given me a new perspective on life. It keeps me grounded and moving freely.  It has given me more clarity and a better sense of awareness. It teaches me to  listen to my body and to know when it’s time to be still. It gives me great coping skills and the ability to help others going through similar situations, which I take great pride in doing.

Norm: Why do you practice and why do you teach Yoga?

Cheryl:  Yoga is such a huge part of my life.  I think now that I’m in my 60’s, it’s even more important to practice and  maintain  my strength, flexibility, balance, and clarity. I don’t know where I would be if I didn’t practice yoga regularly. 

My body tends to stiffen up quite quickly and those kinks, knots, and stressors build up fast.  For me, practicing yoga is a release and relief.  And it keeps me moving!  I find so much joy in teaching yoga, especially to our less-flexible communities. The comments I receive from my students about how these classes have benefited them in a variety of ways, is thrilling to me. I’m so happy and honored that they are reaping the rewards of their practice.

Norm: What do you consider to be your greatest success (or successes) so far in your career as a Yoga teacher?

Cheryl: I feel that my greatest success was getting my life back through yoga. I have come a long way from those days.  Receiving my nursing and yoga credentials, teaching yoga and raising my family are all part of it. To me being successful is being happy and well, and I am definitely feeling that!

Norm: What has been your greatest challenge (professionally) that you’ve overcome in getting to where you’re at today? 

Cheryl: This would have to be going to online teaching. I started teaching online with live, private classes and Youtube videos before the pandemic, so I was used to all the glitches by the time we were in lock down. 

I’m not that tech savvy so I had to learn the ins and outs of cameras, mics, lighting, editing, virtual platforms, social media, etc.  I’m still not great at it but somehow, it’s working, and at least I’m able to reach my global community. 

Norm: Could you tell us about people and/or books you have read that have inspired you to embark on your career as a Yoga instructor?  

Cheryl:  My first yoga teacher’s teacher was Indra Devi. She was 92 years old when my  teacher trained with her. She was still teaching until her death at 102 years old and an inspiration to many.

She was known as the 1st lady of yoga and pioneering teacher of yoga as exercise and stress relief, and for bringing yoga to Hollywood, subsequently the first women to bring yoga to the west.  I also admire Judith Lasater who has written numerous books and articles on the therapeutic aspects of yoga.  She holds a doctorate in East-West psychology and has been teaching yoga since 1971.

One of her books in particular, Renew and Relax was of great help me.  B.K.S. Iyengar and his book, The Path to Holistic Health was also very informative, inspiring and eye opening.  And then there are my students, all of whom have inspired me.

Norm: How do you respond to the following- For many people, the main concern in a yoga class is whether they are breathing correctly or their legs are aligned. But for others, there are lingering doubts about whether they should be there at all, or whether they are betraying their religion. 

Cheryl:  There are many types of  practices, branches and styles of yoga.  Some are quite spiritual while others are focused only on fitness, but yoga in itself is not a religion. 

To quote Gary Kraftsow the founder and director of the American Viniyoga Institute, 

“Yoga was never secular, traditionally.  It was always connected to spirituality, and spirituality was never separated from religion.  But the spiritual dimensions of yoga were used by many different religions. 

Although religious-specific faiths taught yoga, the actual yoga teachings were used by many different religions.”  So, I think this distinction between yoga as a spiritual journey that supports religion verses yoga as a religion is very useful. 

Yoga does not consider any particular religious belief as a requirement and one does not need to forgo any faith to benefit from yoga.  As they say in India, Yoga is a marriage of spirit and matter, a scientific system designed to bring one back to his/her original self.  

Norm: Please briefly describe the program you followed to become a certified Yoga instructor?

Cheryl: First, I did a lot of research to find the right programs for me, with each certification. My first teacher training program in classical hatha yoga was my foundation. 

It was a 12-week, 200 hour intensive program which included teaching methodology, anatomy and physiology, philosophy, ethics, lifestyle, practicum, self-directed research and essays, attending outside workshops, classes, retreats and learning the asanas, (physical postures and breath work). We had to learn the names of these asanas in English and Sanskrit and each benefit, and contraindication of each pose.

Gratefully, Anatomy, physiology, and certain medical conditions came fairly easy to me since I already had a medical background.  With the certification I received upon graduation, I met the requirements to become a registered yoga teacher and was ready to begin my teaching career. 

The programs that followed were advanced trainings, more in-depth, and focused on my interests in teaching to special demographics.  Some of the topics in these curriculums included learning to teach to certain groups and individuals with special needs, limited mobility, chronic health issues, certain medical conditions, pain, depression, and so on.   

Norm: In your opinion, what is the most difficult part of teaching chair Yoga to seniors?

Cheryl:  Before the pandemic, I would normally have 30 to 40 class attendees.  It was wonderful to see that many devoted students.  The hard part was keeping an eye on everyone, making sure they were always safe.  I encouraged them with frequent reminders that they are their own best teachers so listening to their bodies became the theme. I continually give cues to be mindful when they move and to stop when they needed to, and don’t forget breath! It’s a job well worth all of the challenges.  

Norm: My wife and I have attended for many years chair Yoga classes and now with the pandemic we have been following these classes, particularly yours, online.  What we noticed is that there are far more women that follow

these classes than men. How do you explain this phenomenon?

Cheryl:  It’s true!  I really can’t figure it out either! When yoga originated, it was for men only!  I have a hard time myself getting my husband to practice with me.  His thing is walking and push-ups!  Over the years I have in-listed several women in my classes to recruit their spouses, boyfriends, brothers, and male friends and now have about 40% more, devoted male participants!  I think that men just aren’t as willing as women to give it a try.  In my opinion, they don’t know what they’re missing!

Norm: Why do you believe Chair Yoga is beneficial for our well-being? Do you feel anyone can enjoy and gain from yoga?  Do you believe it is an alternative form of healing and medicine?  

Cheryl:  Chair yoga is a gentle, modified form of yoga that almost anyone can do and benefit from while seated or even standing with the chair’s support. I think chair yoga gives people a sense of safety and that feeling of complete support while exercising. 

In combination with the breath, it improves circulation, flexibility, balance, and strength. It helps with boosting your mood and immune system, reduces stress and pain and for some provides better sleep, and an overall sense of wellness, among other things!  Some people do use yoga as an alternative to other treatments, but I believe that yoga is not a cure all by itself, but works well in combination with traditional medicine as an integrative and complimentary therapy.

For myself, yoga took the place of any medication or further treatment for Fibromyalgia, so yoga is an alternative therapy for me in that way.

Norm: What is  Harmony Grove Yoga all about? How did it start and where is it located? What is the derivation of the name?

Cheryl: After years of teaching in various locations to a variety of people,  I saw the need to expand my teachings to reach more students who weren’t able to travel, but wanted to attend, and who could benefit by practicing from home or wherever they happened to be.

I also wanted to form a community of wellness and spread the word of the benefits of yoga to a wider range of the population.

In 2011, I formed my online business and founded Harmony Grove Yoga with the goal of making yoga more accessible for all abilities and to bring yoga to our senior and wellness communities through in person and online classes.

I Included teaching private and small groups from my little Harmony Grove Yoga home studio.

As my mobile, onsite and online classes grew, I gave up teaching from the home studio and there is no longer an actual brick and mortar studio. However, Harmony Grove Yoga is still alive and doing well!  The name, Harmony Grove Yoga was derived from a beautiful place, an area located near my home in a rural setting with lots of walking trails and surrounded by nature.  It has always been a place of peace for me. 

Norm: When you are instructing a chair Yoga class, do you follow some kind of a plan? As a follow up, what type of yoga do you teach? 

Cheryl:  In my early days of teaching, I would prepare for each class by writing down everything that I was going to do.  The sequencing, theme, which asanas to present, everything was on paper!  Now, with experience, I lean toward reading my audience and I seem to pick up on their vibe and what they need for that day.  It definitely comes easier when you’ve done it for a while.

I teach a gentle, eclectic style of yoga.  I like to bring fun and fitness together in my classes.  For instance, in my chair yoga classes we do things like picking apples, stir the pot, row the boat, etc.  We laugh and smile a lot as we move!  I end each class with a short relaxation so that we can absorb everything we just did and so my students have time to feel the effects of their practice.

Norm: If someone wants to participate in chair Yoga, how often should they practice it every week?

Cheryl:  Of course, it depends on the individual, but I think that to really benefit, one should make a commitment to practice at least once a week, and increase slowly to 3 days per week, evaluate after that and see if you can increase to your maximum at 5 days per week.  You will feel and see the difference overtime.  

Norm: Are there any current projects you’re working on that you can tell us about?

Cheryl: Right now, my biggest project is staying safe.  The pandemic has put a stop to most things but I’m fortunate to be able to go to my local senior chair yoga classes and teach outside with small groups. 

I am also blessed with having online classes that keep me busy.  I am working on presenting more Youtube videos as well.  In the midst of this, we are remodeling our home, which is quite a project in itself!

Norm:  Where can our readers find out more about you and your classes?

Cheryl:  You can visit my WEBSITE.   You can also view my videos and practice with me at YOUTUBE    

Norm: As our interview comes to an end what advice would you give to someone who is just starting out on their yoga journey?

Cheryl: Start slow.  Research to find the right teacher and appropriate class for your needs. Commit to your practice and be kind to yourself, always.

Norm: Thanks once again and good luck with all of your future endeavors.

Thank you, Norm.  It was my pleasure to be here.  I hope this engagement has brought some awareness to the many benefits that yoga provides. Thank you again, stay well, be safe, and keep moving!  Many blessings to you and to your community.