Teacher Spotlight on Sara Rose Page
Practice with Sara
Sara teaches Form & Flow Wednesday mornings in-studio and online.
Do you remember your first yoga class? What was it like? Why did you enroll?
I took my first yoga class as a freshman in college. My teacher was also the resident modern dance teacher and I loved her teaching style. I remember to this day her saying that the sound “Om” sounds like mom and home. And sure enough, yoga became a practice that allowed me to learn to love and nurture myself, and to come home to myself in an embodied way.
Are there any preconceived notions you had about yoga that changed over time?
I had to learn to edit out the teachings and practices that were taught to me which were more harmful than healing. For example, when I was young, I thought that if I wasn’t on my mat for a certain amount of time each day or week, I “wasn’t doing enough yoga”. I love a strong practice, don’t get me wrong. But being told that I should practice a certain amount each day or a certain number of days per week only reinforced rather than healed my own patterns of striving. Eventually I was able to claim my practice as a sacred time, whether it was 10 minutes or 2 hours or simply returning to my breath all day when there is no time to get on the mat (since becoming a busy mom, there are plenty of days like that! )
What have you gained from your yoga practice?
Everything. Well, almost everything! The embodied practice has offered me a place to heal and a form of self-expression that I love, as well as community and friendships that I treasure. Yoga philosophy has given me a foundation that, reinforced by work I have done in therapy, has allowed me to create a family and a life I deeply love, filled with meaning and beauty. Because of yoga I have deepened my capacity to make room for everything life is—the wondrous and the terrible. Yoga has supported my healing work as a trauma survivor and helped me to hold space for others’ grief, trauma and/or loss, as well as to hold space for each person’s incredible inner light, strength, and joy.
Why did you want to become a teacher?
I wanted to share this practice that profoundly changed and transformed my life! I wanted to support others (adults and children!) to experience healing and learn the practices that helped me to find connection, joy and peace. And I wanted to not only teach this sacred practice, but create a community and a sacred space in which to learn - which is why I co-founded Yoga Sanctuary in 1999 and led the community as the YS owner until Lindsay took over in 2020. I am so grateful to Lindsay and Jonathan for leading our beautiful community now, and I still love teaching 30 years later.
How would you describe your teaching style?
I teach a vinyasa or flow-based style, and love to play with fun and creative sequences. I embed clear alignment instruction, and a philosophy teaching or story throughout, to invite deeper connection and expansion.
How do you want a student to feel after your class?
Connected- to their breath and body, to their own wondrous heart, to the world and universe around them. I want my students to feel more self-love, no matter what comes up for them each practice.
How does yoga inform your activism?
One of my favorite yoga teachings is “inaction is action” (Bhagavad Gita). Standing on the sidelines has consequences, just as action does. For me, yoga includes being self-reflective, loving, and accountable. While I have always been dedicated to creating inclusive, loving and empowering classroom spaces, I am continually learning how to improve accessibility and nurture diversity. My hope, and the work for all of us who teach, is to make yoga more and more available to every single person in search of the joy and healing they seek.
