Shelethya “She” Toles

I came to yoga in 2001 with a strong desire to learn the discipline as a safe alternative to “working out” while travelling extensively for work.  I was also experiencing a health challenge that prompted me to seek more holistic ways to stay healthy.  In the beginning, yoga was nothing more than a workout, a physical activity.  Over time, it became a philosophy and a way of life.

Once I started doing yoga, my goal was to get as many people as possible to do it - or at least try it - especially people of color, who are not only under-represented as yogis but who, more than most, could benefit greatly from what doing yoga has to offer.  In 2005, I was certified as a Hatha yoga instructor.  I have taught in studio and non-studio settings, including a local Reiki shrine.  I also conducted yoga classes at a local beach.

Through asanas, pranayama, laughter and love, I show my students (including my 70+ mother) that yoga is accessible and that yoga is for everybody and every body.  “Can’t” is a bad word in my class.  My motto to those I teach is this:  Don’t focus on what you can’t do; do what you can.  And breathe.