Today we’d like to introduce you to Carrie Wheeler.
Carrie, let’s start with your story. We’d love to hear how you got started and how the journey has been so far.
My journey to yoga started as a teenager. I was diagnosed with endometriosis and celiac disease. Throughout my childhood, I endured nine surgeries and several failed attempts of various hormone therapies to help manage my symptoms. Manage being the key word in that sentence, since control was not possible. By the time I reached my early 20’s, I had stopped all medical therapy and decided to take a holistic approach.
I studied homeopathic remedies with a strong interest in Ayurvedic medicine, which is the oldest holistic medical practice originating in India. I made herbal teas and other products to help heal my body naturally. Through my study of this ancient tradition of natural healing, I found yoga. This approach was not a heal all, but more of a management program for the body and mind. I practiced every day eagerly pursuing classes.
I instantly fell in love with the connection yoga gave me to other people and the energy I felt. I met athletes and sweet souls on their mat for recovery and I got to know fellow students with disabilities looking for alternative therapy. I met yoga practitioners from all over the world and had the privilege to practice with them. I also met women and men like myself. It was these connections that inspired the thought of Yoga Carrie.
I hoped that my story could play a role in helping others in managing various forms of pain and discomfort, both mental and physical. I studied health sciences at the University of Arkansas at Little Rock. The more I knew about the human body the more I fell in love with yoga and using my diet to help me feel good on a daily basis.
While in yoga instructor training, I focused on kinesiology and nutritional studies. I gained so much more than what I was seeking through yoga. It is a religious practice tied to India’s religious practices and it was on my mat that I made a personal connection with God. Once I started teaching, I worked in small studios around town. I became even more grateful for the diversity of others around me. People from all walks of life come to yoga and all have their own unique stories as to what brought them to class.
They educated me on different cultures and how yoga had impacted their lives. I now teach independently outside of studios and utilize my education in nutrition by conducting diet assessments with athletes and a sports team to help them manage weight. As an advocate, I teach workshops to young women with endometriosis across the state.
Overall, has it been relatively smooth? If not, what were some of the struggles along the way?
I’m happy to say I did not face too many hard obstacles along the way. I did, however, face the inevitable struggle of my own physical limitations due to illness. I blame this both on living in a dorm room with no kitchen and attending a very demanding medical college for a year.
During this time I was only coaching for UCA, which was a 40 min drive out of town about twice a week. I left no time for my own practice and would often feel guilty if I took time away from my studies to tend to my own physical and spiritual needs. Because of this, my diet and then my physical yoga practice suffered. I wasn’t able to built Yoga Carrie because I wasn’t giving myself or my students the time we all needed.
Yoga Carrie – what should we know? What do you guys do best? What sets you apart from the competition?
I have traveled across the U.S. taking a diverse array of yoga workshops in order to advance my teaching career and practice. I hold hours in teaching my own adjustment and alignment workshops across Arkansas. I am experienced in Hatha Yoga, Hot Yoga, Power Yoga, Yin Yoga, Restorative, Viniyoga, Kundalini, Iyengar, Bikram, Pranayama, Anusara, Vinyasa Yoga, Meditation, Mantras, and Chakras.
Yoga Carrie focuses on strength and posture stability by holding a muscle contraction in order to change the muscle, while integrating different breathing techniques to keep you in the pose. I work to release muscle tension caused by an injury or stiffness. I have worked with many athletes throughout my years teaching, including professional bodybuilders. My main objective is to advance athletic performance by increasing flexibility, balance, and focus.
Yoga, along with a routine workout, will help you become stronger in your preferred sport and help prevent injuries. I am currently the yoga instructor for the University of Arkansas Men’s Soccer NCAA Division 1 program. The University of Central Arkansas Coaches find value in yoga, utilizing the practice as another avenue to give their players an advantage over their opponent both mentally and physically.
In addition, Yoga Carrie offers classes to communities with disabilities and disorders, students of all shapes and sizes, regardless of gender, age, or ability, and with compassion and acceptance. My teaching style is unique to my personality and quirky sense of humor, which includes a startlingly impressive playlist with a variety of artists to suit your mood and lead your practice.
I graduated from the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, College of Health Professions with a BS in Dental Hygiene. I hold a degree in Allied Health and Applied Science, as well as an Associate of Arts degree from the University of Arkansas at Little Rock. I have enjoyed community outreach programs and volunteer opportunities through my career as a dental hygienist, including Special Olympics and Head Start. I appreciate photography and am an avid adventure seeker with an abundance of love for the great outdoors. I enjoy kayaking, backpacking and am a fly fishing enthusiast.
I care about you making the proper adjustments and alignments. I’ll teach you the correct modifications to get the full benefit of yoga for you personally, whether you’re an athlete, an advanced practitioner, or just beginning. I’ll break down the pose till you feel it opening your heart, hips, and mind. Yoga is also about learning to let go and finding your balance in life and on your mat.
What is “success” or “successful” for you?
As a child, I was raised by my elderly great aunt. She was a stay at home wife and mother and due to a childhood accident, had a prosthetic leg. Looking back I remember being so amazed at her perfect makeup, her good attitude, and the fact that she never complained. Despite her disability, she was always cooking, making my clothes on her Singer sewing machine, and serving others at home and in the church without a hair out of place.
I knew when I woke up I would be feed bacon, eggs, and toast with homemade chocolate gravy. Before school she would braid my hair while singing, ‘Jesus Loves Me’. When I got home from school she would have two boiled eggs waiting for me as my afternoon snack. At dinner, she would make the best homemade meals usually with handmade biscuits and several of our favorite pies.
When my great aunt was tired, she still kept a warm smile on her face. It was during these times that she would often ask for help. I now understand that it was just for the opportunity to teach me something. She loved every minute of giving to others. I am proud to say that I have inherited this loving work ethic that made her a successful wife, mother, and Sunday school teacher and applied it to the business owner I strive to be.
She didn’t make a lot of money and had a job that took a physical toll on her body, but she kept an attitude that let everyone know she wanted to be there for you without anything in return. This is much like the way I feel about teaching yoga. I feel that through yoga I am able to help others reach the success they seek.
I try to surround myself with people who define success like my great aunt. People that show up on time and lead, but know when to ask for help. People that take opportunities to teach others and that would give their neighbor the bigger slice of pie. We can all be successful if we just make the appointment with ourselves to show up on your yoga mat every evening just as you show up to work on time.
I know how hard just showing up can be. I do not define success by how many followers I have or how many people show up to my classes. You are the vibe you attract, I know the yoga vibe isn’t for everyone. I think the success of Yoga Carrie is based on people finding their alike vibes to roll with, I just create a safe environment to help you find them within yourself first.
Contact Info:
- Website: YogaCarrie.com
- Phone: (501) 812-9087
- Email: cayogardh@gmail.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/yogacarrie1
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/cayogardh
Getting in touch: VoyageDallas is built on recommendations from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you know someone who deserves recognition please let us know here.
