Smiling woman sitting on a large rock, holding a fishing pole near a lake surrounded by trees with mountains in the background on a sunny day.

About Your Instructor and Trainer - Sarah Vardaro

Certified Kripalu Yoga Teacher -Certified NASM Personal Trainer - Certified NASM Stretching and Flexibility Coach

I was born in a tiny town in the Riverland in South Australia with a fierce spirit and an irrepressible desire to wander. As I journeyed away from that flat desert landscape, the mountains of California claimed me as their own.

For many years I worked as a whitewater river guide and yoga teacher in the foothills of the Sierra and spent the shoulder seasons exploring the mountains. After falling in love with skiing, I decided to call the mountains home year-round.

I became a certified yoga teacher at Kripalu in 2014. Compassion and radical self acceptance are the main pillars of the Kripalu approach. As a Kripalu teacher I encourage a healthy range of motion and an overall sense of physical and emotional balance through skillful communication and class planning. The Kripalu approach blends well with my deep care for others as well as my desire to do the hard work.

After a year of raft guiding I became interested in strength training due to the physical demands of the job. Strength training has been a constant in my life ever since and has helped me achieve parallel athletic goals and the level of health and fitness I desired. I am passionate about providing a compassionate and judgement free space for others to achieve their fitness goals.

Life is long and often arduous and it takes a toll on our bodies and minds. I believe in showing up for all of it as authentically as we can even when it’s messy.

Movement, mindfulness, and mobility, are incredible tools we can use to move through it all gracefully. With these practices we can learn to be more present for our own lives.

Over the years I have come to understand that being a guide is all about helping people to find their own authentic way of being in the world, whether it is in a raft on a river or on a yoga mat. It brings me great joy to be a guide for others in this way. I look forward to seeing you in The Loop!