laura cherry
Laura Cherry first encountered yoga in 2007. Given her background in dance, she walked into her first class feeling confident. She assumed it would be easy. Upon realizing that nearly every pose was inaccessible to her, she was deeply humbled. The practice has been humbling her ever since. Like many people, Laura began practicing yoga for its physical benefits. But she was soon drawn to the quieter, more internal practices of yoga, such as meditation, mantra, and Eastern philosophy. These practices offered her deep insight, internal stability, and unwavering compassion for others. Through the practices of yoga, Laura experienced a life-changing appreciation of the connection between all beings, and a long-lost openness to grace and divinity. This marked a turning point in her life.
Laura completed her 450-hour Yoga Teacher Training at Swan River Yoga in 2018, where she learned to instruct asana-based yoga and deepened her study of yoga philosophy and meditation. During this time, she was introduced to Sound Bath by Swan Michelle Baker, who instructed her on the harmonium, crystal bowls, tuning forks, and many other therapeutic instruments. Her reacquaintance with music was also life-changing, both on a personal and professional level. Over the years, Sound Bath has become her best-known (and favorite) offering.
Laura is available for private and group Sound Baths, Reiki, Ayurveda Consultation and Meditation Sessions via our Wellness Page.
More about Laura
A versatile teacher with extensive specialized training in yoga asana, Laura puts a high value on accessibility and alignment, which is reflected in her continuing education courses, particularly Adaptive Yoga and Beginners Yoga. She welcomes all bodies and experience levels.
Laura is also a student and practitioner of Tibetan Buddhism. She has delved deeply into these teachings with Keith Porteous at Swan River Yoga and with Hector Marcel at Three Jewels in NYC, where she completed her 200-hour Meditation Teacher Training. Her Buddhist practices inform her core values as a teacher: clear, compassionate communication; inclusivity and non-judgment; and creating a safe container for self-inquiry and reflection.
Her classes are grounding, spacious, and empowering, with an emphasis on settling the nervous system and linking body, breath, and mind. Due to her degree in psychology and her own personal experience, Laura is particularly sensitive to the needs of students coping with trauma and other mental health issues.
Laura has taught Yin Yoga at Swan River Yoga since 2019. She currently teaches Yin with Sound Therapy, combining the groundedness of a Yin class with the healing qualities of sound. She is also a Reiki Master and Ayurveda Yoga Therapist.
Instagram: @bhava_cherry
Private Offerings:
Sound Bath: A concert of therapeutic sounds including crystal bowls, gong, hang drum, tuning forks, harmonium, and more.
Reiki: Chakra-centered energy work incorporating crystals and sound vibration.
Ayurveda Yoga Therapy: One-on-one consultation to discover the client’s Ayurvedic constitution (dosha), address imbalances, and offer healing through yoga and holistic remedies. Can be a single consultation or ongoing.
Certifications:
Yoga Teacher Training, 450 hours, Swan River Yoga, New Orleans
Meditation Teacher Training, 200 hours, Three Jewels NYC, Hector Marcel
Advanced Yoga Teacher Training, 75 hours, Swan River Yoga
Reiki I, Reiki II, and Reiki III, Nancy Maas
Ayurveda Yoga Therapist, Michelle Baker
Yin Yoga, Michelle Baker
Yoga Nidra, Michelle Baker
Adaptive Yoga, Kelly Haas and Keith Porteous
Beginners Yoga, Michelle Baker and Kelly Haas
Restorative Yoga, Michelle Baker
Prenatal Yoga, Kelly Haas
Asian Classics Institute 1: The Buddhist Path, Three Jewels NYC, Sarah Blackburn