Meet your Yoga Instructor / Reiki Master
Dedicated Expert
Mary Hardison
Yoga Instructor & Reiki Master / Owner
Hi everyone! I'm Mary Hardison, a registered 500-Hr Yoga Instructor & Reiki Master People tend to describe me as a peace-loving, fun-loving, ray of sunshine!! My motto is to always love your mind, body & spirit as it is TODAY! I've been practicing yoga & meditation on and off for about 15 years now. But in the last 4 years, during the Pandemic, my practice became more focused & consistent. It was during the Pandemic, that I saw how beneficial a consistent daily practice - it improved my mind, body & spirit and I felt COMPELLED to help the world feel what I felt – such JOY & PEACE!! So I opened Celestial Sunshine Yoga, LLC. in May of 2020 to spread the joy, compassion, and love to my community. I received my 300 Hour Yoga Teacher Certification through the Yoga & Ayurveda Center in Pennsylvania in 2022.
Celestial Sunshine Yoga is more than just a yoga center, however, it's also a place for healing and transformation. As a Reiki Master, I understand that the mind, body, and spirit are intimately connected, and that in order to live a happy and healthy life, one must address all three. At our center, we offer Reiki healing sessions that can help release blockages and restore balance to the body's energy centers. Our mission is to empower our clients to heal themselves, and to create a safe and nurturing space for them to do so.
If you're on a path to finding your inner peace & joy, then Mary is the Yoga Instructor for you! Mary's classes are the perfect blend of introspection mixed with mindful movements, providing a fun but challenging session, leaving you with lasting positivity to carry with you throughout your day and beyond.
About the Virtual Studio
MY MISSION
At Celestial Sunshine Yoga, my mission is to help people improve their quality of life through the practice of yoga. I believe in promoting mind and body positivity by providing positive affirmations and encouragement in every session. My motto is “ALWAYS remember to LOVE your body as it is TODAY!”. I strive to create a welcoming and safe space for everyone to explore their practice and find inner peace and strength. Contact me to learn more about our services and join our community.
THE STORY BEHIND THE COMPANY
The seed for this company was planted the day my Father, Michael Simms, died of Stage IV Pancreatic Cancer on July 6th, 2019. I watched him suffer for 20 years prior to his diagnosis with extreme back pain caused by a workplace injury that I could do nothing to help him with. When we received his cancer diagnosis in January 2019, I then watched my Dad suffer not only from chronic back pain but with bi-weekly chemo treatments, that wreaked havoc on his mind & body. My focus then was to help my mom & sister care for him.
My life changed the day he passed away. I then spent the next 8 months trying to make sense of my Father's death. I began meditating daily, finding some sessions lasting for hours, in which I would feel calm, peaceful, & serene afterwards.
Then The 2020 Pandemic hit & my anxiety was uncontrollable! I had always suffered from anxiety but not like this! I was suffering from daily panic attacks; meditation wasn’t an option because I couldn’t even get one deep breath in. Then I remembered about Yoga - I had been practicing on and off for about 10 years at that point, so I decided to stop focusing on my breath & to get on my mat to focus on movement – I knew the breath would come eventually. I started practicing Yoga 2x a day, in the mornings to “start my day right” & then in the afternoons to refresh & renew. Three years later, I am extremely happy & have found that inner peace & joy!
It is because of the many years of watching my Dad suffer & the anxiety I felt during a world-wide Pandemic, that I decided I wanted to help people feel good & be happy so I started this studio to do just that! I opened initially as a Virtual Studio during the 1st couple of years of the Pandemic, however in 2022, I began teaching in person so my studio has now evolved from just Virtual to Virtual + In Person.