Cultivating awareness
from within
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movement (classes)
Gentle Movement classes blend Hatha yoga, Hanna Somatics, balance work, and breath awareness in a live, in-person format. Savour Slow Somatics, offered both live and online, are grounded in the principles of Hanna Somatics. All classes support nervous system regulation and foster brain-body connection through a slower, more intentional pace.
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writing circles (awa)
The Amherst Writers & Artists (AWA) Method is grounded with supportive commentary that offers a safe container for writers to explore their voice and written craft. Write from memory or imagination and open up to possibility of words on your page.
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mentoring for movement
Just certified or feeling stuck? You don’t have to figure it out alone. Let’s talk—26+ years of teaching informs my mentoring. Mentoring with Grace
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clinical somatic education
Clinical Somatics Education lessons (1-1) are the most effective way to begin to restore muscle function, improve movement and eliminate pain. Work together with gentle guidance either live or in a virtual appointment.
meet sharon smith-carter, clinical somatic educator & yoga teacher, AWA group circle facilitator
Sharon has been teaching hatha yoga and movement since 1999 in the Kawartha Lakes community and beyond. Her first studio, Path to Stillness Yoga, centered on practices that supported health and well-being, including yoga, Nia, Yoga Nidra, Restorative Yoga, and Qigong. After closing the studio during COVID, she returned in 2020 to a smaller, more intimate space, focusing on gentle yoga, Hanna Somatics, and her weekly Amherst Writers & Artists writing circle—work grounded in creativity, embodiment, and nervous system regulation.
Her most influential teacher was her longtime mentor, Kripalu yoga educator Lila Ostermann, who encouraged Sharon to explore yoga as a practical tool for easing anxiety and agoraphobia and to dive more deeply into the broader work of yoga.
Over the years, Sharon gravitated toward the teachings of Donna Farhi, Judith Lasater, Paul Grilley, and Martha Peterson, whose approaches have quietly shaped her work through on-going trainings over decades.
In 2013, Sharon began studying somatics in the tradition of Thomas Hanna with Essential Somatics. She completed the Somatic Movement Educator training, followed by the three-year Clinical Somatic Educator program. She later joined the Essential Somatics training team, mentoring trainees in the ES Movement Teacher Training.
In 2017, Sharon turned to writing as a way to process the decline and care of her aging parents. She was introduced to the Amherst Writers & Artists (AWA) Method with Sue Reynolds and completed AWA Group Facilitator training in 2019. She continues to offer online writing circles for those curious about memoir and finding their written voice.
With over 26 years of teaching, Sharon brings knowledge, humour, and compassion to her work. She thrives in supporting seasoned bodies—helping people stay mobile, capable, and connected to moving well as they age. She also offers mentorship and professional development for somatic movement and yoga teachers. Her hope is simple: keep moving, cultivate awareness, and stay connected to what you love.
When she’s not teaching, she might be knitting, walking her pup, exploring family ancestry, or paddling at the cottage with her husband.
meet
sharon smith-carter, clinical somatic educator & yoga teacher
Sharon Smith-Carter is a somatic movement educator and yoga teacher based in the Kawartha Lakes region of Ontario. She has an ongoing commitment to professional development and practices that support conscious change and nervous-system-informed learning.
She is a Clinical Somatic Educator and Movement Teacher through International Somatic Movement Education and Therapy Association (ISMETA), an experienced yoga teacher (E-RYT 500), and a Group Facilitator in the Amherst Writers & Artists (AWA) method. A lifelong learner, Sharon is drawn to practices that support people experiencing physical or emotional discomfort through movement, writing, and human connection.
testimonials