Rose’s wellness journey began in 2011, when at the age of 43, she attended her very first yoga class. As a media executive and owner of a busy boutique advertising agency at the time, Rose sought out yoga for fitness as well as much needed stress relief. But after several classes, she quickly learned yoga is not just a workout, it’s a “work in” and yoga became her pathway to peace, self-love and self-care. Wanting to share this powerful healing modality with others, Rose completed her first 200 Hour Yoga Teacher Training Certification in May of 2014 with Inner Bliss Yoga in Westlake and her 500 Hour Yoga Teacher Training Certification with Yoga Farm Ithaca in March of 2022.
Over the last decade, Rose has been on a mission to share the gift of yoga by opening several studios in the area as well as host her own Soul Collective Yoga Teacher Trainings. Her popular Yoga Retreats to Italy and successful Ayurvedic Cooking Classes have also helped to build a thriving and healthy yoga community in town.
After a battle with breast cancer in 2018, Rose sold her advertising agency and opened Soul Stretch Cycle Studio as well as Root to Rise Wellness Café in Port Clinton (in 2020) with the intention of bringing nourishment and educational tools to our community.
Now, after years of manifesting, the Vision to create a “temple to wellness” is finally coming to fruition. In January of 2022, Rose and Doug purchased a lovely wooded 2.7-acre chunk of property in Marblehead, Ohio for the development of a unique venue to soothe the soul with movement, nourishment and community.
Groundbreaking and construction will begin soon on Rooted Souls Wellness Sanctuary, a 6,000 square foot facility and boutique motel featuring yoga & cycling classes, a wellness café, an event center and a variety of student trainings, cooking classes, lecture series and spiritual retreats.
Called to Service: I found yoga in the fall of 2019. As I was looking to make a lifestyle change. I found Soul Stretch and never looked back.
What’s at the core: Finding that inner peace. Every time I left the studio, I wondered how the instructors knew what I needed to hear that day. When they reinforced that this was my practice, It just all made sense. I found a new community and home.
Balancing act off the mat: When I’m not traveling for my day job, I love everything having to do with the water: fishing, swimming, snorkeling, sailing, paddling. Any day on the water is a good day.
Personal Mantra: “You miss 100% of the shots you don’t take”
Personal Mantra: “I never lose. I either win or learn." - Nelson Mandela. This is such a great mantra to live by since failure is so informative. With each failure, I pick myself up and try again with so much more knowledge. I call it falling forward.
Called to Service: I attended my first yoga class in 2004. It was taught by Kimberly Payne, who gave me my love of yoga. I was diagnosed with cervical vertebrae herniations, and bulges caused by poor posture. I was having chronic pain and I wanted to avoid surgical intervention. Kim's teaching methods helped me tremendously. I met Rose in 2017 at an outdoor yoga class and I instantly felt that I had known her for decades. Ironically, Kimberly Payne was also Rose's first yoga instructor.
I have been practicing Pediatric dentistry since 1991. It is a profession that I love, but dentistry was horrible on my back and neck. Add on downhill skiing, long-distance running, crew, tennis, and high impact aerobics and I had caused some severe cervical spine issues at a young age. When I participated in an activity, I gave 100%. The phrase “recreational sport” was not part of my vocabulary.
The practice of yoga corrected my posture and strengthened my spine. It gave my back the flexibility it had decades ago. I started practicing self-acceptance and most importantly the dhyana (meditation) limb of my yoga practice cleared my mind, slowed my jumbled thoughts and I became “balanced”. Once I stopped rushing through my day, all the sudden more time in my life appeared. I changed from being a human doing to a human being. I received my 200-hour certification from Cleveland Yoga in 2017. I received my 500-hour certification fromYoga Farm in 2022. I was thrilled to have completed this last journey with Rose. I recently received my spin certification.
Balancing Off the Mat: In addition to dentistry, yoga and spin, I enjoy being on the talk circuit to various groups in the medical profession discussing “How My Yoga Practice Saved My Dental Practice.” I believe that God has a plan for all of us and my twisted road led me to Soul Stretch. I am married to John Davenport who is my partner in crime. The beach is my sacred space, so I love anything on the water from paddle boarding, kayaking, boating and scuba diving. At Soul Stretch, you will find me at both the yoga and spin studios. I love 80’s music so I play it…a lot.
Called to Service: I began my yoga journey in 2013 in support of my wife, Rose. I enjoyed the physical part of yoga, but then I discovered the spiritual side. It made me become a little more mindfull as well As I listened to the instructors words, I found that yoga was three parts: mind, body and spirituality.
What's at the Core: Being a recovering alcoholic, one of the true gifts I received when I became sober was to be of service and to help others. I'm finding that as a yoga teacher, there are a lot of parallels to this. I've been given another way of helping others in their practice and on the mat.
Personal Mantra: Pinch me, I'm dreaming!
Favorite Gurus: God. My wife, because I admire her tenacity and her ability to give 110% to anything she is passionate about. My sponsor, Bob P. who is like a second father me and one of the wisest men I know.
Balancing Act of the Mat: I sponsor a lot of men in AA. Nothing gives me more joy that seeing someone turn their life around and then pass it on to others.
Good for the Soul: I love to hang out with my wife and friends. I’m a grandfather to two adorable little girls. I’m known as a “PET-ophile” because of my love of animals. In my off time, I love to golf, boat, travel, watching movies, reading books. I LOVE FOOD! But most of all, I love making people laugh.
Called to Service: RYT200 Open Way Yoga – Huron, Ohio 2018
What's at the Core: Curiosity is what took me to my first yoga class in 2017. I wanted to try it and kept talking myself out of going! Finally, I made up my mind to go and that was it. I was hooked! The craziest part about all of this was I was so new to yoga – why would I go to the teacher training and become certified? It was during my training that I realized that this was the “missing link” in my life. Mind, spirit, body & breath took on a whole new meaning for me. It was there that I could hear the subtle messages and quiet whisperings of the spiritual side of yoga, the philosophy, mantras, meditation and mudras that “called” to me – Yoga felt like home! My yoga offerings are simply to share my passion with everyone. I encourage the use of props to bring the pose to your body and most importantly, never to take myself too seriously!
Personal Mantra: FEAR NOTHING!
Balancing off the Mat: I’ve been working with my husband of 23 years run his family business. We have 3 children, Ceilia – 26, Max – 22 and Jack – 18; They all have been so supportive with my yoga journey! They are my world!!
Good for the Soul: My other passion is being a classical music pianist. I love paddle boarding in the lake and spending time at the cottage during the summer with my family; horseback riding with my husband and I love to travel!
Called to Service: I began my yoga journey in 2016 when I was introduced to a wonderful yoga community in Chicago. I initially sought out yoga to relieve pain from running and manage stress, but quickly realized that yoga was so much more. As an elementary teacher I wanted to teach my students some of the tools I was learning through yoga and as a result I received my Rainbow Kids Yoga Certification in September of 2016. Since then I have had the goal of pursuing my RYT200, but after moving away from Chicago I had not found a studio or instructors that inspired me to do so. It wasn’t until a dear friend introduced me to Soul Stretch and encouraged me to complete yoga teacher training with her that I finally embarked on the incredible journey that is RYT200 with Soul Collective-Soul Stretch Yoga. I completed my RYT200 in May 2022.
What’s at the Core: Yoga has transformed my life physically, mentally, and spiritually. Like so many others, I’ve had to go through some pretty muddy times before I gained the wisdom needed to blossom. I aspire to help others as they find their way through the mud and into the light where they too can bloom.
Personal Mantra: Mistakes are gifts they help us learn, so we can grow.
Balancing off the Mat: Teaching is my passion! I’m a teacher at Danbury and love working with kids. When I am not at the studio or school, I can be found reading, cooking, or spending time with family and friends.
Good for the Soul: Traveling abroad, spending time in nature, listening to good music, gardening, sitting by the fire, and snuggling with my cats.
Called to Service: My yoga journey began in 2017 when my mother brought me to my first yoga class at Soul Stretch Yoga. I fell in love instantly with the mind, body, and spirit connection that yoga included that other physical activities did not. Fast forward five years later and I’m living in Key West, Florida, working at the number one gym and fitness center on the island, FYT Key West, where I continued my yoga practice. I had expressed my interest about becoming a yoga instructor to management at the gym and they enrolled me in YogaRenew’s online RYT 200 course which I completed in November of 2022. The course gave me lots of knowledge about yoga, however, I give credit to my practice and teaching abilities to the amazing instructors at FYT Key West and Soul Stretch Yoga.
What's at the Core: Yoga has helped me align with what I believe to be on a path to my highest self. Through yoga and my personal creative practices, I hope to help others unlock their own unique gifts and abilities. After unlocking these unique gifts and abilities, I encourage others to share them with the world and to use them in service of others.
Personal Mantra: Be the light you want to see in the world.
Favorite Fellow Warriors: Aubrey Marcus, Jay Shetty, Tony Robbins, Randall Sheffield!
Balancing Act Off the Mat: Collaborating with my friends on creative projects that include podcasting, visual arts, and music. I am also an avid meditator, I love taking walks in nature, and being around large bodies of water.
Good for the Soul: Going to music festivals around the country feeds my soul more than anything in the world. They give me the chance to connect with amazing people, display my creative abilities and love for dance, give me inspiration to think of new creative projects, and allow me to be my full authentic self.
Called to Service: For years I practiced yoga on and off as a form of stress reduction. But once I started approaching retirement, I began to fully realize my love of yoga through Rose at Soul Stretch. She inspired me to further my studies, and in 2019 I completed Yoga Teacher Training with a wellness focus at the Cleveland Clinic. I especially love slow gentile practices and Yoga Nidra.
Personal Mantra: Breathe in peace. Breathe out stress. Repeat as often as necessary.
Balancing Off the Mat: I was so fortunate to have a career in Oncology. It was not a job; it was my passion. I learned so much from working with cancer patients. Life is so precious, and we need to live each day to the absolute fullest. I am so grateful for the support of my family in following my yoga dreams. My husband Tim is my best friend. And my son, Devin, is my inspiration. Since retiring, I teach part-time at Kent State University.
Good for the Soul: Besides yoga, I find peace in being out in nature. I love hiking, bird watching, biking, traveling, camping and boating.
Called to Service: In 2014 I met Rose and worked with her to have mobile yoga at Crocker Park, and I took my first class. I fell in love and then once she was teaching at McKenna’s Bed and Breakfast I would go to her classes there as well. Yoga became not only a workout, but a way to unwind from all the stress life can bring. I knew right away I wanted to teach someday, but finally made the time to take my RYT200 Soul Collective 2020. Helping others relax, unwind, and feel at one with themselves has only made my love for yoga grow. Then in 2022 I decided to broaden my love for working out and relieving stress by getting certified to be a spin instructor,I am very excited to teach yoga and spin to develop even better friendships in this amazing community of Soul Stretch.
What's at the Core: My journey in life has not been a straight road, I have been through many curves and yoga has helped me accept the curves of my past and conquer the windy roads ahead of me. It’s all about the journey. We all have our own journey and I am so thankful to be able to help others follow the path they desire.
Personal Mantra: Everything Happens for a reason, don’t stop believing.
Balancing off the Mat: Enjoying being partners with Rose at Root to Rise Wellness Café, working for Howard Hanna, still finding time to spend with my dog Annie, working out, and playing on the lake.
Good for the Soul: My family, spending time with them at home or at the islands making memories. My friends, laughing, listening and enjoying life. Finding time alone to enjoy the peace and joy that life has to offer.
