Sydney Oneill

Teacher

Sydney took her first yoga class at the YMCA as a high schooler and although she wasn’t instantly hooked, it was obvious that there was something special here. The way her thoughts would actually slow and sometimes cease during practice was a new, and welcome, experience.

Jump a few years forward to Syd’s chapter living in NYC and going through an extremely dark time, she turned to yoga. Walking into the studio, rolling out her mat, it was like the outside world and all of its problems just fell away for the next hour. Learning to be in her body and move it in a way that was both challenging and easeful felt incredible. Sydney continued to practice yoga throughout her move to Richmond, and landed in a prenatal class at Humble Haven during her first pregnancy. The warmth and comfort level provided by Suzanne was what made her stay.

Sydney continued to practice yoga in between pregnancies and after, and her interest in sharing this practice with others started to grow. Toying with the idea of undertaking a 200-hr training for months, batting self-doubt, she finally took the plunge and completed her training with a studio here in Richmond in 2022. She then trained directly under Marge Allen for an Intensive Teaching Training, learning the What, Why, and How behind Journey Into Power.

Sydney strives to send the message that everyone can engage in this practice, all bodies, all types, as long as you are committed. Keep showing up on your mat, even when you may not feel like it-that’s where the magic happens.

When she’s not at the studio, you can probably find her wrangling her small kids, exploring the James river, eating seafood, or cooking with her husband.