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Hi! I am an Ayurvedic health consultant, wellness event planner, yoga instructor and colon cancer thriver. I use a unique integrative approach to living more moments in joy and guide you to do the same.

This is a little background about my biggest awakening and how it plopped me into the happiest life I've ever imagined.

After I had a colon cancer removed, I had an ostomy for ten months. My large intestine was cut in two, part of it removed along with the tumor, and the other part sewn through the surface of my abdomen so I could eliminate. As bizarre as the procedure sounds to someone who is unfamiliar, the body can function very well that way. Yes, it was a change, but it also meant I got to live so I never had hard feelings about it.

I remember when I said out loud to someone for the first time that my insides were outside of my body. And just then, it clicked. This was my pathway to inside out living: a life of vibrancy, depth, and full-on vulnerability. Each day after my surgery I chose to let it all hang out and not be scared of the unknown. I decided I would be publicly open about my journey, and in turn I have gained an army of supporters who watch and cheer for me as I forge ahead. My surgeon asked me to be the Keynote Speaker at his annual Colorectal Cancer Symposium. Together he and I are the core of a major colon cancer screening awareness campaign through Roper St. Francis Cancer Center, where I receive the bulk of my treatment.

Now I offer a pathway to inside out healing. I provide guidance for others to gracefully navigate through the ebbs and flows of life. The protective suit of armor that so many of us wear is a means to get through the day but not through the muck. We have to be willing to feel the good, bad, and the ugly in order to shed layers and renew. Once that happens, true connection with self emerges. Creativity will flow. Doors will open. Life will improve. I am a down-to-earth, young-at-heart woman who infuses the wisdom from my studies and rawness of my own experiences with colon cancer, multiple major surgeries, life with an ostomy, the loss of my dad, grief, anxiety, and depression to help you remove blockages and maintain an optimal quality of life. I keep it real.

My motto? Connect to your innate healing wisdom.

My Programs

...equip you with a toolbox to soar beyond the ups and downs, twists and turns, rises and falls of life. There is a misconception that stress only happens when we are in a serious rut. But the reality is that it can weigh on our shoulders during happy times like holidays, weddings, and having a child. One thing is for sure: life is unpredictable. And it can get sticky! Whatever you do, do not resist the shifts. Change is there to help you, no matter how unsightly the gift wrap. And so am I.

I am here to meet you where you are NOW. Through my signature programming, I enlighten, enliven, and encourage YOU to:

  1. create space and time to connect with yourself;
  2. set goals;
  3. develop a clear set of priorities
  4. turn your dreams into your reality! (no kidding)

To manifest your biggest desires, we use these simple practices to maintain 1, set a pathway to 2, while keeping 3 in mind. 

If you are seeking a program that is completed crafted for you, I have a limited number of clients where I offer individual guidance. My Couch Conversations 1+1 offer unique insights that illuminate your true nature in a way that helps you predict the effects changes will have on your mental, physical, emotional, and soul bodies before it takes place. If you are looking for a dynamic package in person, I keep a few weekends open for full-on RESTORATION.

The result?

CONQUER YOUR FEARS. LIVE IN VIBRANT HEALTH. WIN THE SPIRITUAL JACKPOT.

“You have never known health the way you will when you start stopping the blame, shame, guilt, and excuses and put that time and energy toward your #1 investment: YOUR WELL BEING”
— Caryn O'Hara

What will you find?

When you visit my virtual living room, you will find my blog, video tips, and inbox goodness. (To receive my newsletter, you can also sign up in the pink box.) On the inside out blog, I may share a cup of my favorite soul-soothing tea, an exceptional recipe, exercise, quote, trend, or kombucha that is currently rocking my world. (Have you tried lavendar? One word: YUM.) My live events calendar and online programming are here for you as well. Most of all, you gain instant access to tools specially designed to...

TURN YOUR CHALLENGE INTO YOUR GIFT.

Following a near-fatal illness, I now have the pleasure of leading a vibrant, all-in approach to life. I have twenty years of experience in teaching and coaching roles. My five senses strategies are built for you to pull in what you need for optimal health and learn how to let go of toxins. You will naturally refine your choices - from food and thoughts to relationships and general lifestyle. Believe me. Life can be easier and less stressful.

I love connecting. So kick off your shoes and make yourself at home. In this space, I offer my favorite ways to live a fully loaded, #insideout life. I enlighten, enliven, and encourage you by providing useful, digestible information that kicks your life into high gear.

Sign up to receive my newsletter. Blogs will land directly in your inbox. Pure. Magic.

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In Charleston, SC, America's Top City four years in a row and second city in the world according to Condé Nast, Caryn is one of 50 Most Progressive by Charlie Mag.

enlighten | v. t. - To make clear to the intellect or conscience; to shed the light of truth and knowledge upon.

enliven | v. t. - To give spirit or vivacity to; to make sprightly or cheerful.

encourage | v. t. - To give support, confidence, or hope to (someone).

If you are interested in a formal bio, please click here.

For a media kit, please contact us at caryantosohara@gmail.com and reference your interest.

Simple choices. Profound shifts. The waiting, wondering, stressing stops now. Happiness awaits.
All we have is all we imagine. . Take the rest of this week to nurture within, dig into self care practices that have served you in the past, and stay open to new ways to do you. . It’s as easy as 1, 2, 3... . Transact. Transcend. Transform. . We have the ability to limit ourselves or disbelieve limitations altogether and expand into the clear wide unknown open. . Which will you choose today? . . . .
Deciding to do yoga isn’t about already being flexible. . . Doing yoga isn’t about a certain appearance, body shape, or your size. . When you peel back the layers of this practice, it’s one that has called back to me for almost half my life now because it allows you to be you. . The irony of feeling uncomfortable during those first handful of practices is that when the moment hits and you become the practice and the practice becomes you, there is absolute contentment. . It doesn’t matter if you know all the moves because that’s why you’re there, to experience the process of learning, unlearning, relearning through a myriad of lenses. . Yes yoga includes postures, and when you stick with it long enough it allows your intentions (the way you long to live) to merge with your reality. . Not always, and if you want this for yourself, it creates an honorable, honest you, shedding away layer by layer what keeps you from being the biggest, most beautiful badass version of yourself. . Guys, yoga is UNITY, and can I get an amen on the fact that all of us could use some of that right now? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Join us for our 200 hour Mindful Vinyasa Teacher Training this October at Mission Yoga. . . Our program is led by @kellyjeanlovesyou and the awesome human beings that make up the Mission Yoga staff. . . You’ll get a taste for what each instructor brings to the studio and how their personality shines through in every one of their classes. . This YTT is one of a kind and inspires new teachers to communicate skillfully, think critically, and live authentically. . . It’s a great way to learn how to do better at life. . My section of the training focuses on *ayurveda*, which is traditional Indian medicine - a lifelong practice seen as a larger umbrella over yoga, meditation, self care, and nutrition that helps you understand the science of YOU so you can heal yourself through whatever physical, mental, emotional, or existential experiences you encounter. . PUBLIC CLASSES THIS WEEK: Tuesday Flow 1, 4-5:15p at @wearemissionyoga Wednesday Spirit Medicine, 5:30-6:30p at @stillsoulstudio Friday Seasonal Flow, 4-5:15p + Yin Vin, 5:30-6:45p at @wearemissionyoga
I am open and receptive to all the good and abundance in the universe. - Louise Hay . When life is heavy, lay under the energy blanket of love and wrap yourself in higher thinking. . Lighten your load. Bare your feet. Bask in sunshine. Close your eyes. Breathe deeply. . State the facts. . I am not what I think. I am not my experiences. I am not the emotions I feel. . I am an unlimited being accepting from an unlimited source in an unlimited way. . I am open and receptive to new avenues of ___(whatever you desire)_. . Make mental deposits each day to broaden our conscious awareness and expand. . Meditations Self care treatments Affirmation statements . What will you do today to add to your cosmic bank? . . . .
You can analyze your life/Self/body/relationships until your death. That’s the easy part. . Get out of your head and into your body. . Go outside. . . Do what you need to do before and after your time in nature to stay in an attitude of gratitude about whatever is waiting for you (heat/humidity/cold/rain) instead of complaining about what Mother Nature is providing at this moment Father Time has put together for us to mingle with the universe. . Look up and around. Touch leaves. Smell flowers. Feel your skin respond to the elements. Feel your eyes receive light. Feel your ears receiving sound. Tap into the birds calls. Smell the salt, meadow, or mountain air. . Feel your body’s response to the natural world around you. . This is your daily prescription. . This is your medicine. . This clears the mind and heart and soul. . This is a daily practice that’s easy to forget if you choose to stay indoors and receive nature only through books or screens of some sort. . Feel soothed by what’s true. . Remember the sweetness and special gifts that time in the REAL real world is for the system’s healing process to return to the home inside. . Maybe it’s the last day of yoga kids camp that’s bringing in all the nostalgic feels of childhood today. . . Here’s one from Charlotte’s Web means more to me now than it ever did as a kid. . 🎶 How very special are we For just a moment to be Part of life's eternal rhyme - How very special are we To have on our family tree Mother Earth and Father Time - He turns the seasons around And so she changes her gown But they always look in their prime - They go on dancing their dance Of every lasting romance Mother Earth and Father Time - The summer larks return to sing Oh what a gift they give Then autumn days grow short and cold Oh what a joy to live - How very special are we For just a moment to be Part of life's eternal rhyme - How very special are we To have on our family tree Mother Earth and Father Time . . .
A chain works because it allows a series of links to simultaneously keep a strong grip and maintain flexibility. . The shape each piece makes when linked together can change depending on what it is being used for, though the strength isn’t compromised no matter how the whole takes form. . One concept that struck me when I was climbing up that 4,000 foot hike with a 30lb backcountry pack on my shoulders in @yosemitenps last week was the obvious link between mind and body. . When I felt charged (i.e pissed 😤 ) after receiving the suggestion to pick up the pace when all I wanted to do was be in my rhythm and not someone else’s...ehem love you @matt_ohara_ ...I felt that way because my breath pattern wasn’t keeping up with the strength of my body. . I apply it daily with Yoga and meditation. But this was different. . I used to be an avid runner. Long distances. A runner who finished in the top 8% of women in the super hilly @nike San Francisco 26.2 miler, which was my first go at a marathon. . My identity never revolved around it, but it served as medicine; it was my first conscious taste of mind/body connection steered by the breath. . The reason this aha is such a point of inspiration is it allowed me to see a concept I work with often through a different lens. . . It also allowed me to become crystal clear about where I’m headed and how I can better serve all of you in my quest to guide you to the most authentic version of yourself. . It requires you to be vulnerable and honest. It requires you to see things about yourself that aren’t a walk in the park. . . The result is a more deliberate life that allows you to be in your element, to be you without question or apology. . . I am so freaking, scratch that. I am so effing excited that this clarity has come and I can now support you on an entirely different level in developing so fully that when things fall apart you will maintain a connection to self that gives you the faith in rising up and the tools to walk you through the process. . More information on this and what’s to come in the newsletter I’m wrapping up this evening. . Sign up at carynohara.com 💌 . . . .
There is a hope in all of us - whether conscious or unconscious - that our lives will be linear, that health, relationships, career will be linear. . And while reality doesn’t match that thinking, it is important for us to focus on what is driving our actions. . Are we in reaction mode, unwittingly defending our way through sticky situations? . Are we blaming others? . Shaming ourselves? . Claiming our power? . Claiming power doesn’t always look and feel like winning. . In fact, when we truly become accountable there is usually a need to have support in some way because lights turn on about where and when we’ve opted for a shortcut, or in retrospect we see where we zigged when it would have behooved us to zag. . Regardless of our past - how we were loved and supported and guided as a child - we can become more aware of how we want to love in this world. . What do we want to be deliberate about in personal relationships? . How do we wish to lead in business? . What about world issues? . It’s not enough to navel gaze, sorting out what our own wounds and pitfalls are, if we aren’t willing to ask for help and see how this integrates with the whole of us all. . How do I get out of this familial cycle? . How do I shake the snow globe and land differently? . What am I doing to shift those things I complain about on a larger scale? . What am I doing to make sure the next generation of humans learn to be confident at a young age? . . What are WE doing to put love first in everything we do? . . . .
Ever think that standing between a rock and a hard place might be advantageous? . Ever think about that river rock that’s so hard and rigid one moment and so soft and slippery the next. . Sure it doesn’t happen overnight. . But if we didn’t know the power of persistence would we believe a jagged stone could turn into a smooth pebble with solely the perseverance of water? . Would we believe that a lump of coal would sparkle its way to a diamond when out under pressure? . The way of the warrior is not to resist and fight. . The way of the warrior is to love and support and listen and love some more. . The way of the warrior is to connect with self and therefore all else. . The way of the warrior is to do this many ways, and primarily through bonding with nature. . Nature reminds us what’s most important. . Connect with nature and yourself and me (!). I’ve got two dates for you. . SUNSET SAIL 7/24 or 7/31, 6-8:30p, for some @mentalheeling. . . I will create these events especially for you - always including meditation and your choice of yoga, ayurveda summer health hacks, or guided relaxation. . . There are only SIX spots each date so I’m looking for 3 pairs, 2 groups of three or 1 group of six. . Grab a friend who could use some down time from what life is providing on land. . . PM me for details on how you can slip away from that rigidity and into something a little more comfortable. 😉 . It’s time to let your hair down and feel the breeze. . It’s time to get free on the sea. . . .
We are constantly drawn in the surface world to move through time, but experience, met with authentic innocence, asks us to ⓔⓝⓣⓔⓡ time. -Mark Nepo . Feel the pull to enter each moment with the deep connection to presence. . Feel more empowered by what is waiting for you by breathing deeply through moments of worry and honor your future self by entering the frame of living you see for her/him. . Walk slowly. Eat well. Listen more than you speak. Look through kind eyes. Feel your emotions as they arise. Speak honestly. . I’m back, Charleston, and ready for you! . Starting the day with a routine MRI keeps me humbly aware of the lessons cancer continues to teach me until there are no more lessons and these appointments aren’t scheduled anymore. . After leading a corporate yoga class, I’ll join my sisterfriend, Jen Rogers, to lead my first business’ (Yoga Benefits) annual kids yoga summer camp at Hazel Parker Playground Downtown. . Stoked to see my niece and a room full of friends’ children when I arrive. . After that, I’ll meet with a local editor to talk future plans and collaborations. . Closing the day today at @wearemissionyoga for Flow 1 at 4p. This will be an ultra centering class!! . Later this week... Wednesday - Spirit Medicine :: ayurveda, breathwork, + guided meditation 5:30-6:30 @stillsoulstudio Friday - Seasonal Flow :: strengthening summer-inspired yoga 4-5:15p @wearemissionyoga . . So much love, Charleston! Inspired and ready to share. . Enjoy your day! . . All love all ways, C . Photo from @theminiretreatofficial last month by the lovely @arielle.simmons . . .