My Story
I am so happy to connect with you in this space. My name is Mary Steuart and I can happily say that I am a yogi. I have practiced yoga for over 19 years, and have been teaching for over 4 of those years. I have extensive experience in many different types of yoga including vinyasa, yin, kundalini, and gentle yoga.
After I became a mother, I relied on my yoga practice more and more to help me reconnect to the parts of myself that had become buried in the process of caring for children. Yoga offered a much needed sanctuary for me at that time, and as my practice grew, I became more drawn to the spiritual and meditative aspects of yoga.
When my children went to school, I had time to reinvigorate my passion for yoga. Without really knowing it at the time, I began the rather lengthy process of seeking connection to my soul, to find my true purpose. It was in this searching, in this becoming, that I discovered my own sobriety was paramount in finding that connection, with the crucial support of meditation, yoga, and connection to nature.
The effects of this profound practice left me with an immediate inner knowing that I now had the capacity to create a true home within myself, and I realized that I had to share this knowing with others. I seek to integrate the wisdom and spirituality that I have learned and cultivated in my own life into each and every class, guiding students through a deeply healing experience for the mind, body and soul.
Since 2020 I have earned three yoga certifications: a 200 Hour Yoga Teacher Training certification in Vinyasa Yoga and a 30 Hour Yin Intensive Training under the guidance of her dear teachers and mentors, Christina Helms and Sarah Bodner of Three Birds Yoga Studio in Florham Park, NJ; and a 220 Hour Level One Kundalini Yoga and Meditation Teacher Training certification under the expert guidance of Angad Kaur Khalsa and Simran Kaur Khalsa of Kundalini Yoga East in New York City.
In 2021 I co-created an annual Dry January Program,, with my dear friend, Charlotte Pendleton. This is an online alcohol-free supportive community, in which l offer daily support, meditation and yoga, topics about the effects and science of alcohol on the body, as well as many other hands-on techniques in order to not only just get “through” the month, but to thrive while doing so.
In 2023, my journey expanded to include strength training. Building muscle is like medicine. The combination of mindful movement through yoga and strength training, truly transformed me and I feel better than ever at the age of 46! And since I so enjoy sharing my passions with others, in 2024, I became a NASM certified personal trainer.
Sobriety Journey
I began practicing sobriety in July of 2018. Since then I have spent almost 5 out of the past 6 years alcohol free. What I discovered s that my life is better without alcohol. Alcohol was taking me away from the inner soul work I was desperately searching for.
Disconnecting and numbing stress and anxiety with alcohol was moving me in the exact opposite direction of where I wanted to be heading - a deeper connection to myself.
The truth of the matter is, that you don’t have to be an alcoholic to get sober. In fact, the term alcoholic kept me drinking for longer than I should have. I reasoned that since I was not an alcoholic, I might as well keep drinking. Asking myself if I was an alcoholic was the wrong question. But asking questions like - is alcohol adding value to my life, is alcohol taking more than its giving, or is alcohol helping me achieve my personal goals, were more appropriate for me.
My non-negotiables
My morning sadhana, or daily practice, is the cornerstone of my day. This changes as I change, but I do value the discipline and make a commitment to my own self care each and every day. This routine may consist of drinking lemon water, taking a cold shower, walking the dog, warming up my body through movement (a Kundalini kriya or asana), sitting in meditation, and journaling.