Cara Stewart

I spent majority of my time in grade school wrapped up in gymnastics, dancing, and cheerleading. As I matured, I found a love for sports and tried as many as I could - volleyball, softball, track & field, indoor rock climbing, ballroom dancing, and kickboxing to name a few. I spent many years doing theater and various types of movement expression. It seems I've always craved the marriage of movement, breath, and creative expression as both a way of staying physically fit and as a catharsis. In 2006, my aunt took me to my first yoga class at BYS Yoga Collective in Pittsburgh's Southside (then Breathe Yoga Studio). At the time I was a sophomore college student struggling with depression and anxiety. I had just gone through a difficult break-up, my self-worth had plummeted, and I was feeling very little sense of purpose or direction in my life. Yoga helped bring me back to life, getting me back in touch with my body and my breath. It taught me how to re-center myself as well as accept my body inside and out. It has strengthened me and increased my flexibility in more ways than one. And it has been a powerful tool in helping me to process difficult emotions. Over the last 13 years, I've had the opportunity to explore different types of yoga - Vinyasa, Bikram, Yin, Restorative,Buti, & Yoga Nidra. In the back of my mind, I always knew that I one day wanted to become a teacher, so that I could give back to my community and share the gift of yoga with others. In 2018, I finally took the plunge and began my yoga teacher training and completed a 100 hour power yoga training with Amazing Yoga in Pittsburgh. It was a transformative experience that left me hungry to learn and give more. I spent the next year teaching and building a yoga community at my workplace. In March 2019, I completed a 200 hour training with Amazing Yoga in Tulum which only sparked my passion for yoga further. I've been lucky to have learned from so many fantastic teachers including Jen Stratakis, Kristi Rodgers, Rebecca Casciato, and Sean & Karen Conley. Some of my favorite Pittsburgh studios include BYS Yoga Collective, Amazing Yoga, Salt Power Yoga, & Jen's Yoga Zen. In addition to my traditional teacher trainings, I've attended some continuing education workshops including An Introduction to Trauma-Informed Yoga with Elizabeth Haberer of THRIVE and Chakra Activation workshops with Brooke Smokelin.