HER YOGA-HEATHER SANTIN
Heather is a Registered Dietitian, Certified fitness professional and Master Instructor for the Spinning® program with over 20 years of experience. She is both a Clinical and Sports Specialist in Nutrition and has worked with clients of all ages. Heather has been educating and mentoring other fitness professionals nationwide for over 10 years and believes that by paying it forward we elevate each other.
My fitness journey began a year before my diagnosis of a chronic endocrine disorder when I was 23. It took me three years to shed 100lb of weight that I never knew at that time I would fight for 20+ years to manage. My personal health journey led me to the fitness industry at the ripe ol’ age of 27. Much of my initial success was thanks to a HUGE chip on my non-traditional fitness body shoulder in the early 2000s. However, lasting success and a career was only achieved with balance, acceptance and empathy for my body and others. I can thank Yoga for being the vehicle of that balance. A selfprofessed Type A, extroverted, loud and unapologetic demeanor put me smack dab in the middle of High Intensity central! Spinning®, Kickboxing, Barbell Training, Highly Choreographed Step were my jam until I realized my body was breaking down, my mind was on overdrive and I would be unable to sustain that pace forever. I can thank a boss who gifted me Yogafit® Level One teacher training in 2005. I can still remember that first 90-minute Vinyasa Power practice that had me praying for Final Relaxation. It broke me open, kicked that chip right off, challenged my ego and left me with peace I didn’t know possible.
It took me another 5 years or so to complete my 200RYT and that path worked for me. Allowing me to teach and integrate what I had learned while on the road to completion. Yogafit® was the fit for me, steeped in the ideal that Yoga is for Every Body and in the foundation of exercise science. I firmly believe you need to find the teachers and schools that speak to you in order to allow your best coaching skills to shine through. My Yoga teacher journey helped get me through my Masters Degree, my chronic health condition and to this day manages my mile-a-minute-mind. The most powerful Yoga instructors for me don’t fit the common ‘Yoga Teacher’ mold. They don’t have to speak in Sankrit, they don’t have to read inspirational passages, they are diverse in color, orientation and body-type, they are those that are uniquely authentic. The most inspirational Yoga teachers to me are those that share truth and come alongside of EVERY student to inspire, care for and support others. I continue to strive to be that person every day.