Shannon Somogyi

My name is Shannon and I have studied yoga for 15 years. I didn't develop a strong or recurring practice with it until about 9 years ago. Yoga has touched me in so many ways that it has forever changed me. It made me a more "mindful" person in all aspects of life.  Since I had my son, Jaxon age 5, I became more appreciative. More thankful that not only did I have an amazing husband, but now we had a healthy and happy baby boy.

 I had been wanting to get certified to teach yoga, but could not leave my family for a month to do so.  So I continued my practice and continued my research. While practicing at home one day, Jaxon took an interest in yoga. He began to imitate me with breathing and postures. All while giggling in his silly way. Right then, it clicked! I knew that if he enjoyed it, so too would other children. I began to think about my own childhood and how if I had yoga, I could have and would have dealt with challenges in a much better way. 

I started to think about children today and how stressful life can be for them. Maybe at home, school, in health, and for those who struggle with being differently abled. Yoga is a way that children can not only have fun just being children, but they also increase self awareness, build self esteem, and strengthen their bodies. They learn how to quiet the mind and focus. 

After much research into children's yoga, I discovered Radiant Child Yoga. The instructor, Shakta Kaur Khalsa, was having a teacher training workshop over a 4 day weekend. I thought to myself, "What a great way to learn more about it!". So after some gentle convincing, my husband sent me away for 4 days to Asheville, NC. I got home and zeroed in on my practicum for finishing the requirements of the first module. I taught my first children's class for free to five 3-5 year old boys. I was hooked! I continued to teach a once a month FREE kids community class at a local studio to gain more experience and exposure.  I continued on with the Radiant Child Family Yoga Program to gain my 200 Hour Certification in Family Yoga with a concentration on children. This training took me to Clearwater, FL., Austin, TX., and then I finished up in the beautiful Blue Ridge mountains of VA. 

After returning from my final training with the RCFY program, I hit the ground running. As I continued my own practice I developed friendships with other yogis and began to spread my wings. Before long, I was being offered more adult yoga classes than children's and decided to let my love for yoga continue to grow through learning each and every aspect that I could. This led me to Yoga Therapy, where I attend once a month weekend trainings in Charlotte, NC.  With The Holistic Yoga Therapy Institute I am working towards my 500 Hour certifiction with a specialized 300 certification in Yoga Therapy. I will be finished with it in May of 2015. Whether it's teaching to infant, children, teens, adults, or seniors, it's all yoga, and I am in LOVE with it all!

In a world where people are overstimulated by everything around us, it's nice to be able to teach ourselves "HOW" to be quiet, so that we may listen. No one teaches us how to relax. Yoga does this through postures and breath work.  I have found myself here at this stage in my life to teach and share the pure joy of what yoga can do for everyone who is willing to stop and just "BE".