Today we’d like to introduce you to Amy Sinclair.
So, before we jump into specific questions about the business, why don’t you give us some details about you and your story.
I’ve always been interested in healthy living and self-care. I studied nutrition & food science in college, and that led me to a few different jobs after graduation including working as a food scientist at a New England ice cream company. Around that same time, I started getting into yoga and barre, and took a yoga teacher training program in 2013, followed by a barre teacher training in early 2014. I quickly realized that the food industry wasn’t the place for me, and I formulated a plan to quit my cushy job and try to make a living as a full time yoga instructor. In November of 2014, I left my job as a food scientist and made the leap to teaching yoga and barre full time.
I found that teaching yoga and barre full time was incredibly rewarding yet also quite exhausting. I was in a constant dance of adding classes to my schedule to increase my income, and then dropping classes when I felt burnout approaching. For 3+ years, I taught between 9 and 18 barre and yoga classes each week. I had a hard time finding the right balance, and felt that the “right” number of weekly classes for me was always shifting. I started to supplement my studio classes by organizing and leading yoga events and retreats, and that’s when I realized my passion for yoga events, and started to feel my entrepreneurial spirit.
Fast forward to fall of 2017, and I found myself reaching burnout from teaching once again. My husband suggested that I look for jobs in the nutrition field since I have a nice shiny degree that wasn’t currently being used. I didn’t think there was anything worthwhile out there, but I decided to take a look anyways. This is when I stumbled upon a health & wellness coach position at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute. I met all the qualifications and went in for an interview. I was hired in November 2017, and have been working on a Breast Cancer Weight Loss Study called BWEL, ever since. I work with women all over the country who have been through breast cancer treatment, and I lead them through a weight loss and exercise intervention in an effort to help them lose weight and increase physical activity in order to prevent a breast cancer recurrence. Working at Dana-Farber with these patients has been incredible rewarding work, and I felt as though I found my true calling.
Working with these women has inspired me to create my own health & happiness coaching practice to work with people who want to feel their best. I believe you can’t be truly healthy if you aren’t happy, and you can’t be truly happy if you aren’t healthy.
I’m also an aspiring fire fighter. I want to become the first female fire fighter for Saugus, Massachusetts. In the history of the Saugus Fire Department there has never been a woman on the department. I want to change that. This has been a lifelong dream of mine, and in 2016, I began the process to become eligible for hire as a fire fighter in the state of Massachusetts. This is a long road with only uncertainty at the end, but I decided to pursue it for as long as possible. My father was a captain on the Saugus Fire Department, and ever since I was little I always told him I wanted to be a fire fighter when I grew up. The process to become eligible involves taking a written civil service exam, and a physical abilities exam. I’m currently waiting for my official test results, and for the new eligibility list to come out to see where I rank. The eligibility lists are public, so feel free to look up my name when the lists come out later this year!
Currently I work part time for Dana-Farber, continue to organize and plan yoga events and retreats, and work with private clients for my health & happiness coaching business.
We’re always bombarded by how great it is to pursue your passion, etc – but we’ve spoken with enough people to know that it’s not always easy. Overall, would you say things have been easy for you?
The road most certainly has not been smooth. There have been many moments of doubt, financial struggle, exhaustion, and confusion as to where I wanted my career to go. Thankfully, I have a great support system including my husband, and an amazing team of mentors to offer support, guidance, and encouragement.
I found that a lot of my struggles were self-imposed, and many times I just needed to step outside my comfort zone to move forward. I’ve had to give myself permission to course correct, and allow my career to evolve.
So, as you know, we’re impressed with Amy Sinclair Yoga & Health Coaching – tell our readers more, for example what you’re most proud of as a company and what sets you apart from others.
I have a yoga event and retreat business, and a health and happiness coaching business.
I organize and lead yoga events that are nature inspired and seasonally themed and held at creative venues, and when possible, my events involve some element of philanthropy and giving back to the community. Some of my most popular events are my cozy yoga series. During the winter, I hold yoga classes at Mount Hood in Melrose in their beautiful function hall in front of a fire place. These yoga classes include a live musician, and a hot cocoa reception. Each cozy yoga class is also a coat drive. Since 2014, I’ve been offering cozy yoga and have collected over 100 coats, mittens, and scarves for communities in need. I’ve found that people really enjoy attending a yoga event that is good for their body and mental health, but also has a greater impact in the community.
I also lead yoga retreats. One of my favorite places to hold retreats is Tops’l Farm in Maine. This is an amazing piece of property along midcoast Maine that offers glamping campsites. I found that people in my yoga community wanted to attend yoga retreats, but couldn’t always make it to an overseas international retreat, so I started to offer retreats in our beautiful New England countryside as a way to make yoga retreats more accessible for busy people (like moms!).
My newest business venture is Health & Happiness Coaching. I work with people who want to improve their overall health and wellbeing, reduce stress, and find true and lasting happiness with their lives, bodies, family, and career. My work is part health coaching and part life coaching. I draw on my health coach training, yoga philosophy, and nutrition education to provide clients will an all-encompassing wellness plan. I use positive psychology, evidence-based research, and excellent listening and reflecting skills to design a tailored coaching program for each client. One of my favorite things to do is include a guided meditation in the coaching session as a way to access the desires of the client. The response has been amazing so far!
So, what’s next? Any big plans?
In the future I plan to teach less classes in a studio setting (I am currently taking the entire summer off from studio classes) and focus my energies on yoga events, retreats, and health & happiness coaching.
I’m excited for so many things! I love to collaborate with talented people and have some incredible events coming up:
I have a full yoga event line up for the summer that includes yoga in Breakheart Reservation, Mermaid yoga and SUP tour in Newcastle, NH, a yoga & flower workshop in Wakefield, and probably the most exciting of all, I will be teaching Mermaid Yoga at the Boston Seafood Festival in August.
For the fall, I have two amazing weekend retreats coming up. Tops’l Farm Yoga Retreat on October 12-14, which I co-lead with my amazing yoga friend, Emily Chandra, and a Culinary Yoga Retreat in the Berkshires November 9-11, which will be a combination of yoga, meditation, mindful eating, foraging for wild plants with local mushroom hunter Tyler Akabane, and cooking classes with my dear friend Stacey Apple (Sous Chef of Short and Main restaurant in Gloucester).
I’m also excited to be launching a new website to showcase my health & happiness coaching offerings. I currently have availability to work with 5 new coaching clients.
Pricing:
- Health & Happiness Coaching Package (3 months of coaching)
Next 5 clients special rate: $480 (3 payments of $160) - October Glamping Retreat, Tops’l Farm, Oct 12-14
Prices start at $462 per person - Culinary Yoga Retreat, Spirit Fire Retreat Center, Nov 9-11
Prices start at $555
Contact Info:
- Website: amysinclair.co
- Phone: 781-484-3573
- Email: amyasinclair@gmail.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/amysinclairyoga/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/AmySinclairYoga/
Image Credit:
Bravo Photo
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