sharon smith-carter
CLINICAL SOMATIC EDUCATOR & YOGA INSTRUCTOR | RSME • RSMT | ERYT500 | AWA WRITING CIRCLES
Sharon has been teaching hatha yoga and movement since 1999 in the Kawartha Lakes community and beyond. She completed her 500-hour Scaravelli-influenced hatha yoga training in 2001 with Namaste International, alongside certification through the Federation of Ontario Yoga Teachers (FOYT)—a foundation that continues to shape her steady, inquiry-based approach to movement.
Her advanced studies include Restorative Yoga with Judith Lasater and Yin Yoga studies and certification with Paul & Suzee Grilley, Biff Mithoefer, and Tracey Soghrati.
Her first studio, Path to Stillness Yoga, reflected this lineage and offered a range of health-supportive practices beyond hatha yoga, including Yoga Nidra, Restorative Yoga, Somatics, Qigong, and Nia. Her most influential teacher was her longtime mentor, Kripalu teacher Lila Ostermann, who encouraged Sharon to explore yoga as a practical tool for easing anxiety. Her work has also been shaped over time by the teachings of Donna Farhi, whom she has followed since 2000.
In 2013, Sharon began studying the somatic work of Thomas Hanna with Martha Peterson through Essential Somatics, completing both the Somatic Movement Educator training and the three-year Clinical Somatic Educator program. She later joined the Essential Somatics training team and is a registered member of ISMETA, holding RSME and RSMT designations.
After COVID-related closures, Sharon reopened in late 2020 in a smaller, more intimate studio space. Her work now focuses on gentle movement for seasoned bodies, somatic movement classes, and a weekly Amherst Writers & Artists writing circle. All of her offerings are grounded in creativity, embodiment, and nervous system regulation.
With over 26 years of teaching experience, Sharon brings knowledge, humour, and compassion to her work. She is especially drawn to helping people stay mobile, capable, and connected to moving well as they age, while also offering mentorship and professional development for movement teachers.
When she’s not teaching, Sharon might be knitting, walking her pup, exploring family ancestry, or paddling at the cottage with her husband.
Sharon Smith-Carter is a somatic movement educator and yoga teacher based in the Kawartha Lakes region of Ontario. She has an ongoing commitment to professional development and practices that support conscious change and nervous-system-informed learning.
She is a Clinical Somatic Movement Educator and Therapist (RSME | RSMT) from Essential Somatics and registered with International Somatic Movement Education and Therapy Association (ISMETA), an experienced yoga teacher (E-RYT 500), continuing education provider for Yoga Alliance (YACEP) and a Group Facilitator in the Amherst Writers & Artists (AWA) Method. A lifelong learner, Sharon is drawn to practices that support people experiencing physical or emotional discomfort through movement, writing, and human connection.
About Me
Sharon Smith-Carter is a somatic movement educator and yoga teacher based in the Kawartha Lakes region of Ontario. She has an ongoing commitment to professional development and practices that support conscious change and nervous-system-informed learning.
She is a Clinical Somatic Educator and Movement Teacher through International Somatic Movement Education and Therapy Association (ISMETA), an experienced yoga teacher (E-RYT 500), and a Group Facilitator in the Amherst Writers & Artists (AWA) method. A lifelong learner, Sharon is drawn to practices that support people experiencing physical or emotional discomfort through movement, writing, and human connection.