Cheryl Crawford is grounded in compassion and elevated in absurdity, and is dedicated to connecting children to the power of seriously playful yoga practices. As co-founder of Grounded,and founder of the non-profit yoga service initiative Atlanta Yoga Movement, she has spent more than a decade fusing Dr. Seuss and other universally loved children’s books with yoga sutras to help kids find peace, poise and playfulness in their everyday lives.

Cheryl’s teaching journey began in an Atlanta elementary school classroom, where she worked as a classroom teacher, reading specialist and curriculum coordinator for 11 years. Working in schools and playing with words, she discovered that students were far more connected to their daily lessons when they felt not only heard, but understood. After giving birth to triplet daughters, Cheryl began practicing yoga and then sought a way to pair her newfound dedication to this ancient practice with her love of books and longstanding passion for teaching.

For guidance, all she had to do was listen to the budding yogis and yoginis in her midst.

“I saw that yoga was beneficial to all sorts of people, from three-year-old children to men who were homeless,” says Cheryl, who has taught yoga full-time since 2003. “Each of these populations has a lot to teach each other about the universal truths that can help us all be our best selves. That’s why I make a point of really listening to the people I teach, because I know there are others who can benefit from their wisdom. “

Through breathing and mindful alignment (not to mention the occasional ridiculous rhyme), Cheryl believes that by asking “Are you safe? Are you sound? Are you whole? Are you well?” she can help students of all ages and abilities find the grounding they need to truly soar. Recognized by local, national and international media for her work in yoga education, Cheryl is also certified to teach Anusara, Correlation Vinyasa, Hot Core Power, YogaKids, Laughter Yoga and Radiant Child. Schools, homeless shelters, social workers and more seek Cheryl’s counsel on age- and situation-appropriate yoga curriculums that bring out the best in everyone so they can become open-hearted, flexible and confident on and off their mats.

She is honored to be the first official school yoga coordinator for the state of Georgia and to have her curriculum, United States of You, as part of Dekalb County Schools.