Tapping Into Yoga w/ Cassie Schinto

VedaTi Online Wellness Highlight

Hello Cassie!

Thank you so much for taking the time to chat with me and do this interview! As a fellow Holistic Practitioner, I value your contribution as a yoga teacher and healer in this world.

What's the best part about being a yoga teacher?

My favorite part about teaching yoga - or any of the things I teach - is having the Honor of bearing witness as people cultivate more intimate connections with themselves. Whether that’s through mindfulness, movement and fitness, or yogic practices, it’s a profoundly beautiful thing.

How long have you been in the industry?

I don’t really consider myself “in the industry”, honestly. I’ve studied and practiced yoga for over twenty years but, before getting certified as a teacher two years ago, had never taken a “yoga class”. I opened a holistic wellness studio and started teaching/working with clients full time almost two years ago and I do so in a way that is intuitive and on my own terms. Yoga is just one of the tools I use to help empower, ground, and uplift my clients. I don’t subscribe to much of what “the industry” is geared toward, my focus - personally and professionally - is solely about cultivating connection and compassionate curiosity.

Where is your studio located?

My studio is located in Syracuse, NY. I also offer (the majority of) my services online.

What inspired you to become a yoga teacher?

I’ve casually taught friends and family for over a decade, usually when they were facing difficult times and/or health crises. I decided to start working with clients full time because it felt like more and more folks were “ready” for something more than what western yoga classes were/are offering.

Tell us about your practice and style

My practice is a devotional one. It goes far beyond a physical practice and impacts/is part of every aspect of my life. The yoga I practice is not lineage specific, in part because I learned from books and personal practice not a teacher or guru.

If I HAD to relate it to a particular style of yoga, it would be either hatha or kundalini yoga.

What is your favorite yoga position?

I don’t really have a favorite asana/posture. Different days call for different types of movement and engagement. Sometimes I enjoy challenging myself in my physical yoga practice, but often I move in and out of postures without any particular ‘flow’ in mind, based on how my body is feeling on that day and what feels good in that moment.

What are the health benefits of your style of yoga?

Any consistent yogic practice will bring profound and varied benefits with it. Physical health and dexterity, mental clarity and fortification, emotional regulation, spiritual growth…these are all things a consistent and authentic practice can usher into our lives.

What's your daily routine as someone who lives a holistic lifestyle?

I’m not a person for rigid routines but there are things I make sure to do daily. Drinking (a gallon of) water, moving my body (whether through asana or strength training, etc), taking time to practice and focus on gratitude, meditation, breathwork, and connecting with my daughter are all key elements to a day well lived for me.

What does your diet look like?

I eat a whole food, plant based diet. I don’t eat anything with chemicals/preservatives in it or any processed foods. I also don’t eat soy, refined sugar, or (modern) wheat. It’s been a very long and natural journey for me, nutrition-wise. lol. But I try to only eat foods that are beneficial to my body and that make feel good.

Can you provide any tips or advice for anyone looking to tap into yoga as a practice?

Don’t try to emulate anyone else’s practice. The practice of yoga is deeply personal and should be about connecting with and fortifying the Self. Approach the mat with compassionate curiosity and allow yourself to grow with your practice.

What services do you offer?

I offer classes and private sessions focused on a number of modalities - fitness, mobility, meditation, breathwork, cooking/nutrition, and - of course - yoga (which incorporates breathwork, meditation, philosophy, and physical postures).

I also offer holistic lifestyle coaching for clients looking to make major shifts in mindset, habits, and overall health of their lifestyle.

Where can we sign up for your online classes or your in person classes?

You can sign up for classes and shop merch on my website www.CassieSchinto.com .

Do you have any students currently and if so how many?

I do. I have a few private clients and offer several community classes throughout the week. The community classes have been slow to grow but it’s important to me that I offer affordable and accessible options for folks who typically wouldn’t attend classes or engage in this kind of work. I also teach yoga to seniors a few days a week through various local community centers and facilitate wellness programming for homeless individuals through a fantastic non.profit based here in Syracuse.

Do you host any workshops or online classes for students living outside of New York?

Absolutely. Private sessions (for individuals, couples, and small groups) as well as the community classes are all available online.

Do you have any advice for those who are wanting to live a holistic lifestyle in 2024?

Be mindful and intentional about what you ingest, what you put on your body, and how you move through the world. Hold yourself accountable but also hold yourself in grace…it’s a journey and no one has everything figured out. Simply do your best and do what feels right to and for you.

You can also book holistic lifestyle coaching sessions with me or purchase a copy of the daily self care planner I have available on my website @ www.cassieschinto.com

Do you drink tea?

Of course!

If so, whats your favorite and why?

Sour sop, if we’re talking overall benefits. And an unsweetened, slow, home brewed chai using coconut milk if we’re talking comfort and taste.

Cassie in her New York based Yoga Studio