Yoga in Sewickley fosters wellness and community

Yoga in Sewickley is a place to relax the body and the mind.

Sharon Beddard Hess always tries to start each class with an intention, something to focus on because, to her, teaching yoga isn’t just about “going in there and exercising.”

“This is a body, mind, practice,” Hess said. “I teach people, not poses.”

Through her instruction, Hess incorporates the basics of yoga, including “Namaste,” a greeting accompanied by a slight bow, hands pressed together with palms touching and fingers pointed up in front of the chest.

Her interpretation of the word is “the light within me honors the light within you.” Yoga embodies respect and kindness, Hess said, adding there is something universal about yoga.

“Yoga is for everyone in some way, shape or form,” said the Sewickley resident. “Yoga will take you through every stage and season of your life. That is what it has done and still does for me. It grows with you.”

Hess, 73, has been doing yoga since she was 22. She became certified in her 20s and began teaching. She’s continued to take classes to sharpen her skills over the past five decades. She has taught yoga throughout Sewickley. Yoga in Sewickley has been in its current location for 11 years.

Hess offers 10 classes a week at all levels, including chair yoga, where participants use chairs while doing certain movements, yoga with weights and gentle yoga, where movements are slower paced.

Online classes are available upon request and Hess does private instruction using yoga with a therapeutic approach.

“Sharon is very kind and insistent on doing the right things,” said Theresa Schroth of Leetsdale. “She knows what she is doing. You feel like you can do it because she is so encouraging. She takes care of us. This is super beneficial. It is calming.”

Hess said she tries to create a calming setting. Her voice is low and steady as she leads the class. She invites participants to feel the movements of their bodies and to breathe.

“I try to promote it as leave the outside world outside,” said Hess, who also taught elementary school in the Quaker Valley School District for 35 years.

“Sharon is an extraordinary teacher,” said Yvonne Tomayko of Harmony Township, Beaver County. “She has an overall broad knowledge of not just yoga but of the body and how it moves. She gives attention to each of us as individuals.”

Hess said the goal is to take care of each individual who knows how their body feels. There are modifications that can be done to accommodate everyone. She encourages her classes to incorporate yoga into daily life, from breathing and stretching to posture.

Hess said she loves watching her clients who may not have known each other before taking a class but who connect through yoga.

“I love that the people in these classes love being here and being together,” Hess said. “I believe I’ve created a safe space. Some of them have become friends. It truly is a community here in Sewickley. I love Sewickley because I can walk everywhere. Everything is right here. I think it’s hard to find small towns like this anymore.”

Hess suggests people dress comfortably to do yoga. It is best done barefoot. She incorporates flexibility, strength, balance and agility and breathing practices into her classes.

“All of these are critical as we go through our lives,” Hess said. “I want to help them take care of themselves. I am here to guide them. I want them to listen to their mind and their body.”