Meet Teacher Heather Tharpe

Why did you become a yoga teacher?

I founded Hope Yoga in 2002 with the goal of drawing everyday people to yoga.

What do you love to teach?

I love teaching everything: beginner classes that introduce mindfulness while

deconstructing and building new foundations, juicy power yoga –maybe with a

cartwheel thrown in – blissful Vinyasa classes that make the soul dance, and Yin

Yoga that asks one to delve deep to renew. 

Of course, I really love Mindful Meditation –that’s just yummy!

What do you bring to your teaching that reflects your yoga philosophy?  I

feel it’s always important to offer an experience to those who are new to

exploring yoga. In addition to my classes at Yoga Sakti, I’ve created monthly

workshops that don’t require a regular yoga practice.

In my Energy Balancing & Diamond Meditation workshop, I synchronize the

body, mind & spirit with white light meditation, while Herkimer diamonds are used

to clear each of the energy centers, known as the Chakras. I also introduce

clients to other aspects of yoga and healing that might not be as well known: Yin

Yoga, Mindful Meditation, the Chakras, the benefits of essentials oils, and the

potential power in using precious stones to balance and heal the body and

beyond. After 24 years of teaching, I feel I have now designed a style of yoga that feels

inclusive to both seasoned students and everyday people.

What was one of the most impactful things you learned from your

yoga teachers? 

Fourteen years ago I felt was providing a strong asana foundation for my

students as a teacher but was lacking the spiritual piece needed to be a

complete teacher. While working with a mentor, I responded to a question that

made her pause. Her words in return made me pause. It was then I realized: “I

already had it in me.”  I was already sharing what was within me with my students.  I was authentic. I

was whole. I was the teacher I had intended to become.  

What inspired you to write a book? 

I wrote my first children’s story when I was a senior in high school. The

enthusiastic response from my English teacher was inspiring. When I was 19,

during an interview to be a preschool teacher, I was asked what I ultimately

wanted to do one day. When I replied without pause that I wanted to write and

illustrate my own children’s books, my dream was crystallized at that moment.

I began writing and illustrating in 2002. I recently published my first children’s

book, My Cow Blue that is now available on Amazon.com. I was inspired to write

this story by my daughter, her stuffed doll, Blue, and her love of shoes. My Cow

Blue was published 14 years after I began and, while the publishing process has

been a marathon, dropping out was never a consideration.

Will you publish another book?

I’m so excited to have accomplished a life long dream. The incredible response

from the community has fueled my passion for making literary magic for children

and my next children’s book, Popcorn, will be in print this summer!

Learn more about Heather, her yoga instruction, and her work as an Intuitive Life Guide to

Hope Yoga.

by Heather Tharpe

Buy "My Cow Blue" by Heather Tharpe on Amazon: Click Here