814.237.4005
mandysergent@hotmail.com
Boalsburg, PA

 
 

Bio

Mandy began practicing yoga over a decade ago.  At that time, she had graduated from Penn State with a B.S. in Environmental Engineering and found herself bouncing around the U.S., from state to state and job to job, with a general sense of discontent. Once she began practicing yoga, what kept her coming back to her mat weren’t the physical benefits of her practice.  It was the way in which her mind seemed to turn off during yoga. The “what next, what if” worries, concerns and chatter seemed to fade away. It was as if the physical postures took enough concentration to quiet down all of her mind chatter, and before she knew it, she was even moving without thinking. Then, seemingly out of nowhere, the answers to her worries would come. It wasn’t long before Mandy would turn to her yoga mat before making any big life decision.

In 2003, Mandy graduated from her first Yoga Teacher Training program and began teaching yoga classes throughout Central Pennsylvania. Over the years, she began to teach more and more classes. During a review at her last Engineering job, Mandy’s boss said to her, “The worst mistake a person can make is to stay in a job that they don’t like simply because they are good at it.  I’m not trying to tell you to quit.  We love having you work for us. Still, I can’t help but notice that you seem to really love the yoga stuff you do.  We want you to follow your passion.”  This was the best advice she’s ever received. In November, 2009, Mandy left the engineering world to pursue full-time self-employment as a yoga therapist and instructor.

Mandy’s goal from her yoga practice has never been to stand on her head. The goal has always been to quiet her mind, check in with herself, and stand more fully on her own two feet. It is this goal that also informs her yoga teaching style. Mandy has been most drawn to the Kripalu and Phoenix Rising styles of yoga, both of which are inquiry-based methods that use classic postures, breathing, meditation, and relaxation techniques to increases awareness of body, breath, and mind.

Mandy is a member of the Yoga Alliance (E-RYT), the International Association of Yoga Therapists, and the American Association of Drugless Practitioners.  She has over 1000 hours of teaching experience and over 1200 hours of related training. Mandy is also currently an ambassador for ActivewearUSA.com and Jala Yoga Clothing. She was chosen to represent these companies as “an incredible, inspiring, and passionate” woman that chooses to teach, train, and live in a way that embodies their lifestyle and culture: helping other stay healthy and active, and living with awareness.