Meet the Lead Trainers
How We met
Mary Beth and Shona originally met in 2014 in Upstate NY during Little Flower Yoga Training. We discovered within the first few minutes of the first night of training that we were both in Charlotte. Shona was teaching in South Charlotte and Mary Beth was teaching in North Charlotte. Such a small world and a beautiful force that brought us together.
As a team, we bring over 300 hrs of kids yoga training to the table with a unique blend of skills. We are super excited to share this work with future teachers and leaders.
Scroll down and view some photos as well as read our individual bios.
We are grateful to be on this journey together!
Love, Mb and Shona
Mary Beth
Mary Beth E-RYT 500 HR & RCYT Yoga Educator is the lead trainer and founder of Twist Kids Yoga. She has always had a love for children. Ever since she was a small child, she knew that she wanted to be a teacher.
In 2005, Mary Beth was working at Kripalu Yoga Center when one day she overheard 2 of her co-workers talking about a kids yoga class that they were leading that day. She became very curious and started asking a lot of questions, which then lead her to researching a program where she could become a certified kids yoga teacher. At that same time, Mary Beth was already teaching yoga to adults, but knew that she really wanted to be teaching yoga to children. In that same year, she flew to Los Angelos for a training/certification with Yoga Kids International. She then began teaching yoga to children at a day care and a small yoga studio in New Hampshire. In 2006 Mary Beth moved to Charlotte, NC where she eventually began teaching yoga to children all over the city. She has taught hundreds of classes in various environments such as festivals, community centers, churches, studios, schools, a gym, a toy store and even a grocery store!
Mary Beth is a double 95 hour Children’s Yoga Teacher, which means she has 190 hours of children’s yoga training registered with Yoga Alliance. In addition to those hours, she has also completed other yoga trainings, which has her on track with nearly 1000 hours of yoga training. Her kids yoga training background is with Yoga Kids International, Asheville Yoga Center, Little Flower Yoga and Grounded Kids Yoga and continues to see inspiration in the work of others.
Mary Beth is a child at heart and has an infectious love and warmth for children. Children love her boundless energy and her willingness to indulge in the silliness of being a kid.
Shona
In her previous life as a menswear account executive and product developer in New York, NY for almost 10 years, Shona Baldoni (ERYT-500, RCYT, YACEP) yoga was not on her radar, not a considered future. She had graduated Magna Cum Laude with an A.S. in Textile Development and Marketing, and Summa Cum Laude with a B.S. in Marketing: International Trade from the Fashion Institute of Technology in New York City. Set in her career path, she felt her life wish had been fulfilled. However after the birth of her first child she realized that she would not be able to maintain her heavy travel schedule, with her husband also often on the road. She decided to resign from her position to become a stay-at-home mom until the time came when she could begin to work again. Shona began to dabble in yoga with videos, and then taking classes with a friend. However it wasn’t until her 2008 move to Charlotte, NC when she truly fell in love with yoga. She took her first teacher training (230 hours) in Charlotte, NC. That incredible experience made her realize that she had just begun an amazing journey, which will continue for the rest of her life. Much to her surprise, Shona began teaching adult yoga classes and despite her nervousness at being in front of a room, she fell in love with guiding people through her carefully constructed sequences. She continued her studies and completed her 500 hour training in 2013. In 2011 Shona began teaching children’s yoga classes at the urging of a studio owner who was looking to add kids yoga to the schedule. She decided to make it fun and engaging and the kids loved it! She continued teaching kids yoga for several years, and as the classes grew, she felt the need to become a registered children’s yoga teacher. So after 3 years of working with children, she completed the 95 hours required, through Little Flower Yoga. That training validated all that she had been doing in her children’s classes, and gave her more ideas to create even better classes. The year 2015 brought on an opportunity to study with the western authority on the chakras, Anodea Judith. Inspired by this amazing teachers knowledge and genuiniess, Shona has contined to study with Anodea to deepen her growing knowledge of the subtle body and how it relates to who we are and to our yoga. Shona loves teaching yoga, whether it be power, flow, yin, deep stretch, children, prenatal, basics, or gentle. Ever a student, she continues to study and attend workshops growing her knowledge, and bringing even more to her classes. She is grateful for the many teachers and mentors that have guided over the years.
