Sherie Sloane Navigates Motherhood Through Yoga

Forget what you thought you knew about mindfulness and yoga. Sherie Sloane (@sheri.sloane) is teaching us that yoga is for everyone, everywhere, and at any time. 

What has made yoga so important for Sherie and her lifestyle? 

“It’s one practice that I feel I’m able to reorganize my thoughts, my feelings – and at the same time, I reap the benefits of physical strength and balance,” Sherie says of its personal appeal. 

For many, yoga can still be seen as a restrictive activity that keeps many away from it and all the mental and physical health benefits it carries. You are told you need to be a certain size, have a certain degree of flexibility, that you have to even wear certain clothing. But Sherie says not to buy into all of that. 

“I would tell those skeptical about trying yoga to relax. Extend grace to yourselves. All you need for yoga is yourself, your breath and being present. It doesn’t matter in a yoga class what you can do—and as I mature in my practice in teaching, I celebrate more when I see people pause and do less and stay in this one pose, even if the whole room is moving to the next one.” No need for discouragement or negative self-talk.

Sherie teaches all different types of yoga at her home studio in Mokena, Illinois but also at several different locations across Chicagoland. That includes more intense types of yoga such as Power Yoga and Iyengar Yoga (which incorporates ropes and walls into strength-building yoga), but also milder types of yoga such as Yoga Nidra (focused on rest). Sherie also teaches yoga that incorporates painting, a form that she has passed on to her children. 

Yoga is only one aspect of Sherie’s wellness routine and lifestyle she leads. For starters, she wakes up daily at 5:30 in the morning, before her kids wake up, which she calls her “sacred time,” to do whatever she desires. “It’s a time for movement or creativity. That’s how I start my day.” Later on in the day, she teaches back-to-back yoga classes. “I drink lots of water, and I do my own stretches in between classes. If I have any more time, I will walk or jog with my dog. That’s a big mental reset for me,” Sherrie says. 

Mother’s Day is May 8th. How has her yoga practice influenced the way that Sherie is as a mother? 

“If yoga wasn’t a part of my lifestyle, my mothering would be entirely different. Maybe I wouldn’t be as understanding or compassionate, because every step of raising kids presents a different set of challenges,” she says. 

“Mothering brings out what you are truly made of.” 

You can find Sherie Sloane on Instagram at @sherie.sloane, and more about her classes and teachings at paintbyyoga.com.

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