Sharon is the founder of PineappleYogi Retreats, she leads Yoga Retreats around the world but her day to day work lives in teaching yoga and the principles of yoga, life coaching, and personal training as well! She has spent the last ten years helping guide thousands of individuals closer to themselves through yoga movement, mindfulness and mindset / life coaching. Just as we are always evolving and learning, PineappleYogi places a huge emphasis on continual education, self love and growth and community.
PineappleYogi loves helping others see their potential and overcome any hurdle in their lives all while coming home to their authentic self. She leads through experience and practicality. Her ability to hold space for others has proven one of her most highlighted qualities. Helping others feel seen, heard, and accepted is a priority. PineappleYogi prides herself on diversity and inclusiveness.
PineappleYogi currently lives in Brooklyn, NY with her husband and new German Shorthaired puppy,, Koa and enjoys anything active (like yoga, strength training and running,) nature, solo time, and indulging the newest self care concepts out there, oh and travel!
Sharon can you tell us about yourself and how you learned about yoga?
Sharon: It may sound cliché, but I would honestly say yoga found me. I started the practice of yoga when I was going through a personal challenge in my life. It was a time when I felt all was falling apart that I found myself arrive every single morning to my mat. Of course, I didn’t know it then (we never do) but it shaped the trajectory of my entire life. From here I only dove deeper into yoga, studying and learning the philosophies and applying it to my life, beyond the mat and beyond just the “physical” practice, which is only 1 of the 8 limbs taught in yoga. It’s my passion and there is always more to learn, which I adore. Although, I am now a yoga “teacher/instructor” I strongly believe I am always a student as well.
How many hours of yoga have you completed and have you done any workshops?
Sharon: I originally studied and received my 200 RYT in Florence, Italy through an intensive 30 day immersion training. I’ve since done a 300 RYT advance training, amongst 200 + in other training’s. So, if we are counting, that’s 700 hour RYT. I have also completed so many workshops on many different things. I love to learn and it helps not only me to learn and grow but, then I can apply my teachings as I see fit with others.
What has been the most challenging thing about learning about yoga?
Sharon: The physical practice of yoga has honestly always come quiet naturally and easy for me, which I am blessed for (I always saw this as alignment and that was meant to be ).However, the other limbs of yoga, the practicing it off of the mat and in other ways, has been challenging for me at times.I have to remind myself to come back to the practice, be kind to myself, and take a pause/breath. That is the practice, off of the mat, applying “yoga” when all things may be “hitting the fan” as they say. Other than that, I think a challenge in the beginning was learning the Sanskrit names of poses as they could be hard to pronounce. Also, in the beginning to teach yoga, feeling confident in finding my voice, and etc.
You have traveled to a lot places for your retreats … can you tell us how these retreats come about?
Sharon: As soon as I realized I wanted to do more than just practice yoga, I always geeked out over the idea of leading my own retreats, all over the world. I LOVE to travel, and I would see some other teachers doing this, along with me going to Italy to get my training, so that lit a fire for me! I knew it was possible and it was my dream to fulfill. Then one day, many years after that seed was planted, and after living in NYC for about 6 months, I felt what may have been true, adult stress, for the first time ever. (Or at least the way my mind and body were handling stress were not great) I had an ah-ha moment then. First, I thought “I’m in the work of helping others relax, take control, reset, etc, yet why can’t I do this for myself?” The next thought I had was, “If I’m feeling this way and I have the tools I need to support me and help, then I can only imagine how many others are feeling this SAME exact way right now.” This led me back to that big dream of leading retreats. I knew that detaching, stepping away, and resetting has always been the best medicine for me to heal or come back into homeostasis. That’s when the concept of the Reset Retreats birthed.
Can you tell us about your Reset Retreat ?
Sharon: Reset Retreats are held each season. (Winter, Spring, Summer, Autumn, Fall) This is done for very specific reasons. Some of them being- 1. as the seasons change, so do we and what we need, how we view things, what we consume, all of this changes as well. 2. In traditional chinese medicine each season is tied heavily to an element, each element is linked to our bodies, which means we access and bring balance into our bodies/lives each season through the retreats (Example- Fall is all about our lungs and releasing, so we work on poses in the practice that access the lungs and also breathing techniques that help us release..and so on) The Spring Retreat is about planting seeds of intention, just like in nature, we plant seeds so that we can nourish and nurture them in hopes of them blooming. That’s what the Spring Retreat is all about. Setting the tone for the seasonal year ahead. THe Reset Retreats are about resting not only your body but also your mind and spirit. We work with our private chef, Tina whose been with us for 5+ years to bring wholesome, farm to table meals. It does not matter you level of experience for these retreats, in fact it’s really great for beginners to come and learn at a slower and deeper pace. These Reset Retreats are also meant for ALL women to join, something we pride ourselves on is openness, diversity, and full inclusiveness. It’s so much more than just the yoga.
Can you tell us about your virtual classes…
Sharon: The majority of my work is done privately (1:1) with people, however, I do offer some group classes weekly! My weekly virtual classes shift from time to time due to the season and so on. Right now I offer Yin Yoga every Thursday at 6:30 EST and Vinyasa Yoga every OTHER Sunday, 10:30am, both virtually and accessible for all levels! I also offer pre-recorded classes and an online membership with meditations, journal prompts, and more for those just looking to follow along at their own time and pace!
You do in person classes… where is in local and which style of yoga do you teach?
Sharon: Again, this shifts with the weather, in the Spring to Fall I teach primarily outdoors where I live, in downtown Brooklyn at Fort Greene Park. My current in-person weekly schedule is teaching at a local yoga studio in Carroll Gardens, BK -Brooklyn Yoga Project, Monday mornings and Wednesday evenings! The style of yoga I teach is Vinyasa Yoga and Yin Yoga. Vinyasa Yoga is an open level class where we move from one shape into another more fluidly, connecting breath to movement. Yin yoga is a deeper, slower and more grounded practice where we hold each shape or pose for a longer time (anywhere from 2-5 minutes each.) Where Vinyasa Yoga works our muscular system, Yin Yoga works into our fascia and connective tissue. Each serving its own unique purpose, all of which are important and beneficial.
What have you learned in yoga that you feel has helped you in life?
Sharon: Everything! 😊
How did the name PineappleYogi come about and share your mission with us…
Sharon: PineappleYogi was brought about through some creative brainstorming. Pineapples have good omens and are seen as a positive thing to many and in many cultures. I do happen to also really love pineapples. Additionally I use to live on an Island in the Caribbean (St. John USVI) and so this name makes me think of tropical paradise, a place I once lived.
The mission of PineappleYogi is to create uncharted experiences near and far that empower all women to learn, grow and evolve. Through seasonal yoga retreats, group classes, mindset coaching and private sessions the focus is to guide women in becoming their most whole, embodied self by offering a balance of adventure, learning, and self exploration.
Lastly, where can we learn more about you and your retreats…
To learn more or work with PineappleYogi you can contact her at sharon@pineappleyogi.com or phone at (646) 450-3614.
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