When Sharron isn’t teaching or practising yoga, she can be found reading about yoga! She admits yoga is her life, and is enjoying settling into the role of IYTA President.

  Yoga has become an intrinsic part of Sharron’s life. She says: “Yoga gives me a sense of coming home to me. I just love it. Yoga is my life.”

Sharron first discovered yoga as a single mum to her two sons. She needed an outlet from her demanding secretarial job and the pressures of parenthood.

  But it was when her boys grew older and she had more time that she was able to attend more classes.

In 2010 Sharron attended a yoga workshop with Satyaprem Gibson who asked her if she’d considered becoming a yoga teacher.

It was the first time Sharron had considered the idea. But the more she thought about it, the more it appealed and so she enrolled in the IYTA’s Diploma of Yoga Teaching in 2011.

‘I loved it!’ Sharron enthuses. There was so much I didn’t know beyond the asanas – philosophy, ayurveda – the lecturers really knew their subject in depth and I just wanted to learn more – and I’m still learning!

And she also loved the IYTA as an organisation – becoming the NSW rep in 2014 and then the Vice President in 2016, family issues meant she needed to step aside. But she’s delighted to be back in the organisation and has been attending monthly Committee meetings for the past year.

Sharron’s also continued her yoga studies – completing the IYTA’s Pre and Post Natal Yoga Diploma, Yin Yoga training, Seniors Training and the Advanced Teacher Training and then Ayurvedic studies with Dr Sean Matthews and Rama Prasad and a Yoga Therapy diploma.

Pre-Covid Sharron was teaching 14 classes a week, but is now managing seven classes – both online and in person.

Her own personal practice includes a morning Ayurvedic ritual (which she’ll talk about in our Sangha!) followed by daily meditation.

On non-teaching days, Sharron enjoys an asana practice. As a former dancer, she loves to be physically active but as a Vata dosha, she also needs to be mindful to take time out!

As well as our new President, Sharron is also a committee member on the Australian Association of Yoga Therapists (AAYT).

She says her aim as IYTA President is to continue the great work of Astrid Pickup, Mary-Louise Parkinson and all the Presidents prior.

She says: “It’s a learning curve. I would like IYTA to offer more things online so we can be accessible both nationally and internationally.

“We have such fabulous lecturers on the DYT and all the Post Graduate courses who have such a wealth of knowledge and are experts in their field – and I’d like to get that message out to the wider yoga community.”

“For me President is a word and I’m just part of the Committee. There are many talented people on the Committee who can offer a lot to the community and our members. I work collaboratively and ask for everyone’s opinion before we make an agreement on anything.”

And in her spare time, Sharron loves to read. She says: “I bought a new wingback chair and have a floor to ceiling bookshelf! My mum thinks there’s only yoga books but there are a few mysteries and autobiographies tucked in there too!

And pre-Covid Sharron loved to travel. In fact it was after writing an article about Bhutan for the International Light that Vice President Katie asked Sharron if she’d be interested in the President role. Astrid had completed her four-year term – and the rest, as they say is history!

You can join Sharron and Katie at the December Christmas Sangha on Monday, December 13. We’re hoping to have as many IYTA Committee members as possible there and it will be a chance to connect across the kilometres, chat about Ayurveda, yoga and we’ll finish with a Christmas Guided Relaxation.