ABOUT
ABOUT
OUR TEACHERS
OUR TEACHERS
MONICA SHARP
Monica Roy Sharp has practiced yoga for 39 years. As a teenager searching for healing from childhood trauma, Monica and her sister Michelle would seek out yoga classes. Monica knew early on yoga would always be an intricate thread in her life.
Monica attended a 200 hour Yoga Teacher Training at Yandara Yoga Institute in Baja, Mexico. She had the privilege of practicing yoga with Shiva Rea, Baron Baptiste & Kali Rai.
Her authentic style is a fusion of teachings that combines heart, soul and movement. From a gentle meditative class to a strong Vinyasa flow, Monica brings her graceful and playful approach to the mat. She is versed in traditional yoga philosophy and integrates mindful awareness through her teachings.
Monica has led multiple International Yoga Retreats in various locations: Costa Rica, Roatan Honduras, and Tulum, Mexico. She will return to Tulum to lead a retreat this November (2021). In the United States, Monica's hosted Yoga Retreats in Sedona AZ, Magnolia, MS and Covington, LA.
Monica opened Just Breathe Yoga Studio in August 2014. She teaches multiple classes, privates, hosts special events and offers Urban Day Retreats. In 2019, Monica incorporated a teacher training curriculum to her studio. Monica is training facilitator and will guide her third 200-hour Breathe Deeper Ayurveda & Yoga teacher training this fall (2021).
Monica gives back to her community throughout the year by partnering with several local charities. She also lends her space and time to promote local artists.
Monica is a self-taught culinary connoisseur and prepares healthy meals for students during teacher training. She lives in Mandeville, LA and enjoys an active outdoor lifestyle.
Sweet Fun Fact about Monica - she eats chocolate every single day.
MAUREEN BRADSHAW
Maureen recently retired after working as a counselor for 35 years, leading group and individual therapy for people with substance use disorders and related to trauma. In 1986, she found her way into treatment and subsequent recovery and has maintained recovery since then. In 1996, she was looking to enhance her personal recovery and began practicing yoga with Becky Gelatt. Yoga became and still is an integral part of the journey.
Drawn to working with others who would like to share the journey, it is part of Maureen’s personal mission ad vision to support others on their on personal growth and healing. She brings her experience in recovery and as a counselor to her own practice and the yoga classes and workshops she leads.
“Some of what yoga teaches me is that I can do what my mind tells me I cannot, how to get out my own way, when to hold on and when to let go and that its a choice, and how to use sound, breath, and meditation to create a calm, peaceful and centered state anytime, anywhere both on and off the mat.”
Maureen has been a part of the Just Breathe Yogi Tribe since 2015 and teaches gentle yoga, thin yoga, restorative yoga, and yoga Nidra all which are appropriate for beginners and anyone who wishes to enjoy a slow paced practice. She recently became a certified sound healer and offers sound bath experiences playing crystal signing bowls, Tibetan singing bowls, chimes, and gongs. She is also available for individual yoga and sound healing sessions.
CAYLA SYKES
Yoga found me. It found me in a way that I desperately needed. It was 4 years ago when I first stepped into Just Breathe yoga studio in Mandeville for my first class. What brought me to discover yoga was the high anxiety that I had all the time dealing with a new Labrador puppy and working 40 hours a week. I was in a desperate need to find a way to release. Yoga and meditation have been the greatest form of medicine for my anxiety. It has not only helped me with my anxiety, but also look inside of myself to see who I really want to be. What really makes me happy. How I want to live my life. It’s showed me that my life is about me. To cherish any and every moment.
When I first started my yoga journey I didn’t know for sure if I would want to get certified in teaching. I didn’t know if it was for me. I didn’t believe in myself enough to lead a group of yogis. But as time grew on I wanted my practice to grow. I wanted to know more, not just about yoga but also myself. Then Monica announced that she was offering teacher training at Just Breathe Yoga Studio I became thrilled. I wanted sign up and join. I knew this was for me. So I did! I joined Breathe Deeper Yoga Teacher Training and we started in January 2020. Covid-19 gave a little bump in the road with our training, but we survived and made it through. It was one of the best experiences that I’ve ever had; making great friends and long memories. ️
JP BREVE
I have been curious about the connection between mind, body, soul since I was a teenager. Sparked by books such as The Celestine Prophecy and The Way of the Peaceful Warrior, as well as aunts and uncles who were involved with what was called “alternative” health at the time, I was curious about yoga and meditation. I guess I wasn’t ready because as many times as the opportunity arose to go deeper into myself, I kept my same habits, same emotional immaturity. I would practice asana intermittently, feel good for a day, then forget about it for weeks or months. In hindsight, I was emotionally and physically fatigued, disconnected, insecure without realizing it. Though I was practicing, inwardly I thought that yoga was only for people who were calm and “born yogis”—a deterministic view that I would never truly understand yoga, no matter how I might try. I started practicing yoga intermittently 15 years ago then more often about 7 years ago. Initially, it was because I found I could “do” the postures and this increased my confidence. At the time, someone told me that it could help release emotions, but I didn’t understand what that meant. As I continued (and continue still) to practice, I was able to begin to work through self defeating thoughts and ideas that came to the surface. In 2017, after having an emotional experience after a yoga class, I decided to enroll in yoga teacher training. I didn’t want to teach but I wanted someone to explain what was happening in my body as a result of this practice. What I learned in yoga teacher training was that yoga is an individual experience for each person and to do my best to accept my path and the path of others until the last breath. For me today, yoga is no longer this mystical, opaque thing available to only a special few. Yoga is a clear set of tools and practices available to everyone, to connect and accept. It helps us to let go and remind ourselves and each other of our innate goodness.
GRETCHEN O’BRIEN
Well before discovering my love for yoga, my healing and wellness journey began in 2018 after moving to Mandeville, Louisiana. I left a career of 19 years due to severe burnout physically, mentally, emotionally, and spiritually. Being a single mother and having a demanding career left me with little to no time to care for myself. I finally reached a point where I was unable to continue to live this way. The few years leading to my burnout were severe. I was gradually getting very ill. During that time, I found myself severely stressed experiencing anxiety, my body was physically sick, and over a healthy weight.
Being able to work remotely from home, I was finally able to make myself a priority. I began cooking all my meals at home, watching my portion sizes, and made walking the lakefront a daily practice. When I started my health and wellness journey, my goal was to get healthy and feel better. My weight loss was an incredible bonus! I lost 111 pounds in 2 years and 5 months. I was finally physically able to do things I had not been able to enjoy in 15 years!
During my health journey, I discovered firsthand how bringing awareness back into your body and truly connecting to your inner world can impact and make a positive change in your life. It all began with getting my body healthy. Not long after, mental, emotional, and spiritual well-being and awareness began to follow. I experienced a spiritual awakening in 2020 and began my daily meditation practice during that time. I am a firm believer that it is never too late to find your own new beginning!
I discovered my love for yoga after trying a couple of free YouTube yoga videos! Feeling the need to find a communitythat embraced health, wellness, and spirituality, I ventured out and found my home at Just Breathe Yoga Studio as a student. I initially described yoga as moving meditation. Yoga gave me the ability to finally connect mind, body, and spirit while doing one of my favorite things, moving my body. Within a few months, I knew with every ounce of my being that I wanted to teach and share this gift with others.
I completed the 200-hour Ayurveda and Yoga Wellness Teacher Training and became a certified yoga instructor here at Just Breathe Yoga Studio. I jumped right in and began teaching yoga immediately. My heart and soul thrive in a supportive community environment, and I found this at Just Breathe Yoga Studio. My calling has been to hold sacred space for others, and I am able to do this through my yoga classes, facilitating Sacred Circles, and organizing and creating a conscious community group we like to call Consciously Caffeinated. My intention is for no one to feel alone on their healing and spiritual journeys. In continuing my own healing journey, as well as supporting others in theirs, I was called to complete my Reiki Levels 1 & 2 and now offer Reiki Healing Sessions.
Gretchen is experienced in teaching Gentle, Restorative, Vinyasa Flow and Yin yoga. She currently teaches Vinyasa Flow here at Just Breathe Yoga and offers individual yoga sessions.
LOCATION
LOCATION
ADRESS: 339 GIROD ST. MANDEVILLE, LA 70448
FAQ & STUDIO ETIQUETTE
FAQ & STUDIO ETIQUETTE
Come for a calm and peaceful experience to put your mind at rest and restore balance & HERE ARE SOME TIPS TO HELP YOUR EXPERIENCE!
Please arrive 15 minutes before scheduled start time to register. PLEASE NOTE THAT 5 MINUTES PRIOR TO CLASS WE OPEN ALL CLASS SPOTS TO WALK INS AND YOUR SPOT WILL BE GIVEN AWAY.
Discuss any injuries or health issues with your teacher before class.
Wear something you are comfortable sweating in. Stretchable fabric is most desirable.
Come to class fully hydrated. Make sure you drink plenty of water throughout the day.
Come to class on an empty stomach. Most people find they need to leave at least 3 hours between their last meal and the class.
Stay in the studio during class. Feel free to sit or lay down if you feel dizzy or nauseous. As you build the ability to focus your mind and still your body, the struggle will disappear.
If you need to leave class early, please let the teacher know before class begins, and do not leave before savasana (resting pose) begins to avoid disturbing other students. Remember that savasana is a crucial element of yoga class and it does not take more than a few minutes.
Yoga is a practice for life. It is not about doing the postures perfectly. As long as you give your best effort, you will receive the same therapeutic benefit as someone who has practiced for years and obtained a high level of flexibility, strength and balance.
We recommend practicing 3-5 times per week to obtain the maximum benefits. Of course, you will receive the same benefits with a reduced practice .
Please leave cell phones and shoes outside of the studio in the boutique. We will lock the doors to keep your items safe. The boutique will be closed while class is going on.
Drink lots of water after class!
IF YOU NEED TO CANCEL, PLEASE DO SO WITHIN SIX HOURS BEFORE CLASS TIME.
WE HIGHLY RECOMMEND YOU REGISTER BEFOREHAND FOR CLASS ONLINE.
PLEASE UNDERSTAND ALL SALES ARE FINAL AND THERE ARE NO REFUNDS.
WHILE WE PRESELL SPOTS ONLINE, WE WILL ALWAYS LEAVE A FEW SPOTS AVAILABLE FOR WALK INS AND THOSE ARE BASED ON FIRST COME, FIRST SERVE.
LEAVE SHOES AT THE DOOR AND MAKE SURE YOU SIGN IN!
BE MINDFUL WHEN ENTERING THE STUDIO AND KEEP YOUR VOICES DOWN, RESPECTING OTHER PEOPLES QUIET TIME.