The Teachers
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Yoga is an opportunity to reconnect. It incorporates breath, postures, chanting, and meditation to build strength, create flexibility and open the energetic centers of our hearts and minds. Yoga teaches the art of relaxation and self-healing. The Sweetwater Yoga Teachers Collective is a group of volunteer, YTT certified yoga teachers. Our current class offerings are centered around Hatha flow and Yin Yoga. Classes are mixed level, suitable for beginners as well as seasoned practitioners.
Classes are held on select Sundays on the Farmhouse porch, a screened enclosure, surrounded by native trees, permaculture food trails, crooning roosters and curious farm cats.
Discover and expand your yoga practice on Sunday mornings from 10:30 am – 11:30/11:45 am. Please look for our schedule on below and in our emails. Classes are offered free of charge with donations being greatly appreciated. 100% of your contribution supports Sweetwater Organic Community Farm.
Participants are encouraged to bring their own mats. Registration is not required. Space is on a first come, first serve basis. We look forward to seeing you at Yoga on the Farm Porch! Please contact us with any questions.
Feel free to reach out to Stacey (Yoga Coordinator) at 813 – 792 – 1633.
** Parking **
PLEASE DO NOT ENTER THE FARM FROM THE MAIN GATE. (@ Sawyer & Comanche) These are designated handicap spaces and are reserved for those that genuinely need them, not for convenience sake! There is ample parking on the west side of the farm over the footbridge.
From the intersection of Hillsborough and Hanley, head north on Hanley. Turn right onto W Comanche Ave. (Sweetwater Cafe will be on the right and St Joseph Vietnamese Catholic Church will be on your left.)
Park along the left side on the grass area. There is a footbridge over the canal that leads to the farm entrance. The main farm house is to the left of the large open barn.
Yoga classes are held on the porch. Come on in!
October 6, 2024 – Chad ** CANCELED ** Weather
October 13, 2024 –
October 20, 2024 – Savannah
October 27, 2024 – Palan
November 3, 2024 – Chad Stacey (** daylight savings**)
November 10, 2024 – Savannah
November 17, 2024 – Cara
November 24, 2024 – Palan
December 1, 2024 – Chad
December 8, 2024 – Cara
December 15, 2024 – Savannah
December 22, 2024 –
December 29, 2024 –
** Please continue to check for updates.
We are refining our schedule for 2024 and occasionally make last minute changes. **
The Teachers
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My introduction to yoga began in my early 20s, in Nairobi, at a time when yoga teachers were few and very far between. I was exceedingly fortunate, then, to have had an experienced instructor with a dynamic skill set that enabled me to excel in my practice for several years. With that experience serving as my foundation, I have gone on to explore several styles of hatha (physical) yoga and raja (meditative) yoga. It wasn’t until 2012 / 2013 that I completed my Yoga Alliance accredited 200-hour Yoga Teacher Training. Immediately thereafter I went on to train with internationally recognized instructors throughout the US acquiring additional certifications along the way. (700 plus hours and counting). Some 30 + years later, my first instructor is still the measure by which I judge all others, including myself!
I am excited to be able to use my experience and training as my way of giving back to my community and, when needed, as a visitor in other communities. I have worked with underserved populations, children, LGBT+ youth, and prison populations. I have taught – and continue to teach, at community fundraising events, community awareness projects and various special events. I have a professional degree with a background in international law/international relations and real estate. I have pursued formal classroom studies and hold certifications in areas of advanced yoga studies & teaching techniques, yoga for trauma and anxiety, yoga for social justice, reflexology, pranic healing, homeopathy and more recently, advanced permaculture studies. I am honored to be able to teach, share, build, structure and otherwise contribute towards those things that create a healthier, vibrant and more sustainable human experience! I look forward to seeing you in class! NAMASTE.
My journey with yoga began around 10 years ago, with a dedicated yoga and meditation practice beginning in earnest 7 years ago. After discovering the physical and mental benefits I gained from this practice, I decided to enroll in a yoga teacher training course. From there, my passion for yoga teaching grew and I found myself specializing in teaching classes focused on relaxation, awareness, and self-care, including Yoga Nidra. I received my in-person 200 hr certification in 2019 and followed it up with my 300 hr training in 2022. I also received my Yoga Nidra certification in 2022 and will complete a Master Nidra training in March of 2023.
Since then, I have dedicated my energy and time to developing my yoga teaching and yoga Nidra skills. My classes are focused on creating a safe and comfortable space while promoting the utmost respect for students and their individual needs, beliefs, and capabilities. I integrate both Eastern and Western techniques, using a combination of traditional yoga poses, meditation, and guided imagery to foster healing and transformational growth.
My classes are designed to nurture a deeper connection to oneself while guiding students to embrace positive change and transcend into a more empowered state of being. I combined my knowledge of yoga, meditation, and Yoga Nidra to create seamless and graceful classes that encourage immediate and lasting transformation.
I am deeply honored to be able to offer my teachings to my students. I am passionate about yoga and helping others to discover the many avenues which this beautiful practice can bring us all.
I was reacquainted with yoga right before C-19 hit, mostly as a means to regain a sense of mindfulness in my day to day living. I would go to class everyday, sometimes two or three times a day. Although classes were great, I wanted to know more than just asana. In 2020 I moved to Land O Lakes and enrolled in the Pose by Pose 200 hour YTT program. It was there that I learned about the 8 limbs of yoga, learned a therapeutic approach to yoga practice and trained in a number of practices including Hatha, Restorative, Kundalini, Nidra and Sivanada. In the fall of 2021 I graduated with my certification. In my free time, I was (guest) teaching at Sweetwater Organic Farm as well as private sessions in the Tampa area. I primarily teach slow-flow and Yin Yoga. Many of us are constantly on the move and are not used to sitting and being patient with ourselves. Yoga has taught me to listen to my body while honoring the self. My intention is to guide you on your own individual yoga journey and help foster your ideal practice. I am excited to now be a permanent instructor on the farm.
I began my yoga journey with my mom in 2018 and together we attended a yoga retreat in 2022. While completing my occupational therapy degree, I became a 200 RYT at Yoga Pod in Gainesville. Yoga continues to be a way for me to connect with friends, family, and strangers and has expanded to mean much more to me. Through yoga, I have learned to move through life mindfully, find meaning in daily activities, and appreciate the here & the now. My ultimate goal is to help you build a strong mind-body connection that will carry over into your daily life. I enjoy teaching a vibrant vinyasa experience with breath-synchronized movement. When I’m not on my mat, you can find me playing pickle-ball or tennis.
Hello, my name is Palan! My yoga journey began during the pandemic. With gyms and businesses closing I tried to find ways to entertain myself at home. I explored a few different hobbies (cooking, painting, drawing, etc) but yoga made me realize the reasons I was grasping for things to distract myself; it changed my perspective of myself.
In January 2023, I became an RYT-200 through Bella Prana’s yoga teacher training program where my passion for rest and mindful movement developed. Throughout my training, I cultivated an understanding of yogic philosophy, anatomy, and various yoga styles. Now, as a certified yoga teacher, my mission is to share the power of restorative yoga and mindful movement with others.