Carol Williams is passionate about helping people, but she likes to take it one step further. Her true passion is helping people help themselves. As an Embodied Yoga instructor, Carol shares her love of yoga by teaching others to tune-in to more of what’s inside of themselves, and focus less on the distractions of the outside world. She admits that sometimes this is a challenge, but that is why yoga is considered a practice and not a mastered craft.
Reconciliation and healing
She began her practice of yoga more than a decade ago and believes in its transformational powers. As she puts it, “we are all flawed human beings and the practice of yoga can be a powerful tool to help us realize more inner peace.” Two words that Carol likes to use to describe the benefits of yoga are reconciliation and healing. Reconciliation, as in our relationships with one another and how we treat each other. Healing, as it relates to our wounded relationship with our bodies and an ongoing attempt to respectfully embrace that relationship.
A gift of movement
Carol practices what she preaches and describes her own practice of yoga as a gift of movement. She takes great pride in helping others realize that gift and the many benefits that can be found in its practice. “It is a joy to watch my students transform their lives by growing physically and spiritually stronger through physical movement”, she says.
How fortunate for her students that she carries that passion with her to every class!
Carol teaches classes at Mercy HealthPlex as well as to women in the Off the Streets program. Off the Streets utilizes a culturally-sensitive, trauma-informed model to help survivors of sex trafficking find safety, recovery, and empowerment.
Just for fun
Q: What inspired you or led you to your current career?
A: Shortly after my youngest son was born, I found the need to have an hour or two by myself to combat the stress of life and create a personal outlet. That led to finding yoga classes, which led to yoga mentors and eventually to taking multiple yoga teacher trainings and classes.
Q: What is your favorite restaurant in Cincinnati?
A: My kitchen – I am very health conscious and like to know what I am eating.
Q: Who is the most interesting person you’ve met here in your community?
A: Danyetta Najoli, at Starfire; Tony Grecco, principal at Dater Montessori Elementary School
Q: If you could travel anywhere in the world right now, where would it be, and why?
A: Anywhere in the mountains – OR – maybe somewhere totally out of my comfort zone. You know, so far away and so different to my normal environment that is almost shocks me.
Q: What advice would you give a crowd of people?
A: Show compassion to each other. Forgive each other and give grace. Remember, God loves each of the us the same.
Q: What is something on your bucket list?
A: I would like God will continue to use me as a for his purpose. I like to think of myself as a peace-maker.
Q: Where do you see yourself in 5 or 10 years?
A: I pray that God will use me to serve others and help people have a better experience with their lives. Maybe a little selfishly, I would like to feel that my life matters. Also, I am studying to be a personal trainer so I can continue to help people more one-on-one.
Q: What 3 words or phrases come to mind when you think of the word HOME?
A: Texas (Waco – where my first 2 kids were born) / Cincinnati / Family
Carol lives in Green Township with her husband and 3 kids.
