Special Programs

Our series, retreats, and programs allow you to learn, address specific needs with a like-minded community, and dive into the yoga lifestyle.

“Yoga is the touchstone. It’s the daily practice that allows us to check in with our bodies, minds, and lives.

But, for most of us the yoga practice and all that goes with it doesn't just happen.

We need knowledge and guidance, we need support, we need a place and the time to explore, connect, and heal.

That’s what Shine is for.”

-Sara, Shine Founder

Yoga Day

Our beautiful space is the perfect place for a mini-retreat.

Once a month, on a Friday, we will take time to settle into ourselves.

Every Yoga Day will follow this basic schedule

  • 6:30 am Yoga Class

  • Guided meditation and journaling

  • 8:30 am Silent breakfast ( provided)

  • 9:30 am Sharing Circle

  • 10:30 am Nature Walk

  • Noon Lunch (provided)

  • 2 pm special project

  • 4 pm Yoga class

  • 6 pm closing

Summer Dates
August 4th
September 8th


Doors open at 6am. Day ends at 6:30pm.

In August, and September we will take some of our time outside. Enjoying a picnic together and some meditation time.

Cost: $270

Limited to 12 students.

Andi L.

“I felt like I was being selfish at first, but everyone benefitted from me taking this time-my kids, my husband, my coworkers and me.”

Heather G.

“Yoga and Shine’s special programs feel like the only time in my life when I’m not responsible for something. I really needed this.”

Beginner’s Program

For brand new beginners or students who want to brush up on the basics.

Includes:

  • 4-week series, which goes through posture families and individual postures.

  • one private session

  • 4 small group classes with other beginners.

  • An e-book on yoga for beginners

Space is limited to 12 students.

Cost: $287

Dates of Beginner Instruction: Thursday evenings from 6-7pm, September 7th, 14th, 21st, and 28th

Dates and times for small groups will be determined based on attendee’s schedules. Small group classes will be held once per week and will take place from September 7th-28th.

Private session will be scheduled with Sara during the month of September.

Meet Your Teacher

Sara is the founder of Shine, and has been teaching students of all ages, abilities, and experience levels for the last seven years.

Her favorite class to teach is the beginners series because she loves the commitment and attention that beginners have. She also loves seeing it click for students and watching yoga transform them.

Many students at Shine, and in the Southtowns area, first learned yoga through Sara’s beginner’s series and are still going strong using the knowledge and confidence they learned through the program to continue to feel better in their bodies and lives.

  • Sara opened Shine’s doors as a means of helping other people who had gone through a life changing experience physically, mentally or emotionally to find joy and steadiness again. This has always been her mission and still is, eight years later.

    Sara is known for her deeply focused alignment and anatomy-based classes (The Details), her restorative classes, and her flow classes (Flow to Rest, Intentional Vinyasa)

    She is a Certified Yoga Medicine Therapeutic Specialist and has eight years experience helping individuals better understand their bodies and heal through private sessions.  

    Sara also taps into her experience as a professional writer, researcher, and federal behavioral health program developer to design trainings, workshops, and programs. Her work as a teacher at the University-level has helped to make her Yoga Teacher Training program exceptional.

    Sara’s expertise

    Sara is certified through Kripalu, Dr. Ray Long, Jason Crandell, Yoga Medicine, and Katherine Templeton.

Special Series

  • Anyone who has had a baby and wants support and rest after giving birth. There is no cut off for moms who need this program.

    Some participants will have just gotten past their 6 week no exercise requirement, some may have a three year old.

    One of the things that makes this program special is the community of mothers its brings together. You will have optional time after class to hang out.

  • We will have 6 sessions at 4:30pm on specific Sundays.

    The schedule is as follows: August 13th and 20th, September 10th and 24th, and October 1st and 15th.

    Additionally, each week for the duration of the three month session, you will have access to short practices to do at home via our online platform.

    If a date doesn’t work for you, a future date can be substituted.

    These special classes stand alone and are not part of a class package.

  • $130 for the three month session. Includes classes, education and recorded daily practices to support you.

  • Mary Beth has been a labor and delivery nurse at Mercy Hospital for more than 20 years. Her passion is helping women, and she came to teach yoga because she wanted to provide more support for mothers once they leave her care at the hospital.

  • Anyone who is experiencing perimenopause, menopause, or post menopause and wants help.

    One of the things that makes this program special is the community of women it brings together. You will have optional time after class to hang out.

  • We will meet for 6 sessions over three months at 7pm on second and fourth Sundays. The time and date are selected because sleep is such a big issue for people dealing with hormone fluctuations. I want to send you off to good sleep.

    For the three month period of this special class the meeting dates are September 10th and 24th, October 8th and 22nd, and November 12th and 26th.

    Additionally, each week for the duration of the three month session, you will have access to short practices to do at home via our online platform.

    If a date doesn’t work for you, a future date can be substituted.

    These special classes stand alone and are not part of a class package.

  • $130 for the three month session. Includes classes, education and recorded daily practices to support you.

  • Sara is the owner of Shine. When she was 38 years old, chemotherapy put her into immediate menopause, followed by a hysterectomy and a further estrogen blocker. She experienced the dramatic effects of hormone shifts from night sweats and chills, to anger, memory fog, mood swings, joint pain, and dryness.

    As usual, she looked to yoga and Ayurveda for solutions. She is now on the other side, which has its own challenges. Sara will share what has helped her and some additional strategies she learned through training in Women’s Health.

  • Anyone with a heavy heart. This class acknowledges and supports people who are suffering. People who are facing change, or whose lives haven’t gone in the direction they wanted it to.

  • We meet the first Monday of each month at 7pm. The dates of the classes are: October 2nd, November 6, and December 4th.

    If a date doesn’t work for you, a future date can be substituted. These special classes stand alone and are not part of a class package.

  • $70 for three months.

  • Barb is a retired behavioral health nurse. She is certified in Grief Yoga and has been teaching restorative and healing yoga classes since she graduated from Shine’s Yoga Teacher Training program in 2019.

    She is a Reiki master and brings energetic healing and healing touch into all her classes.

  • Anyone who has or has had cancer. Cancer impacts the body, mind and heart at such a deep level. Yoga helped me more than anything else, but I was scared to do it. I only started practicing because my Lymphodema provider taught the class and then I didn’t stop. I want you to feel safe and to bring these small practices that help us with every aspect of the illness into your life.

    We will also have time to talk after classes. My hope is to build a supportive community through these sessions. We need each other.

  • We will meet on first and third Sundays at 7pm in February and March of 2024, and on the first and third Thursdays in April at 7 pm.

    We are meeting later in the day to help support sleep and work through the “Sunday scares,” two common issues for survivors.

    The meeting dates are February 4th and 18th, March 3rd and 17th, and April 4th and 11th.

    Additionally, each week from October 1st through December 17th, you will be provided with short practices that support people with cancer and survivors, including guided relaxation to help you sleep, a morning meditation, lymph practices for Lymphodema, and short yoga sequences you can bring into your day.

    If a date doesn’t work for you, a future date can be substituted.

    These special classes stand alone and are not part of a class package.

  • $130 for the three month session. Includes classes, education and recorded daily practices to support you.

  • Sara is the founder of Shine and a Breast Cancer survivor. She healed herself post cancer through yoga and is trained and certified in Yoga4Cancer. She has taught for Roswell Park Cancer Institute, making two videos for them: one for patients still in the hospital and one for patients at home. She has also taught classes at the Breast Cancer Network of WNY and the Susan Komen Foundation.

Can’t decide or have questions?

We are here to help and want you to have the best experience for you. Get in touch with Sara for your Yoga Prescription meeting or just for some quick advice.

Call or text Sara at 716-266-8015
Email: Sara@ShineYogaWNY.com