About Shelby Caffrey

Teaching with Depth, Integrity, and Discernment
I help yoga teachers grow into more confident, thoughtful, and authentic leaders through mentorship, education, and practical support rooted in experience, discernment, and deep respect for yoga.

About Shelby Caffrey

Teaching with Depth, Integrity, and Discernment
I help yoga teachers grow into more confident, thoughtful, and authentic leaders through mentorship, education, and practical support rooted in experience, discernment, and deep respect for yoga.

My Story

I came to yoga at nineteen as a form of self-care during a demanding career in the arts.

What began as a way to manage stress quickly became something much deeper; a lifelong practice, study, and calling.

Like many yoga teachers, my early training gave me important tools. But over time, I realized that truly effective teaching requires far more than knowing how to sequence a class.

It requires presence.

Discernment.

Adaptability.

The ability to understand the people in front of you, not simply deliver a memorized plan.

That realization has shaped everything I teach today.

Experience That Shapes My Teaching

Over the years, I’ve taught in a wide range of environments, from yoga studios and teacher trainings to corporate wellness spaces, higher education classrooms, and one-on-one therapeutic work.

That breadth matters.

Teaching in different contexts has continually reinforced one truth: great teachers are not defined by one method or one script. They develop the ability to respond intelligently, compassionately, and authentically to the moment in front of them.

My background includes extensive training and certification in yoga education, yoga therapy, meditation, Yin and Restorative Yoga, and leadership development, including:

  • E-RYT 500
  • YACEP
  • Certified Yoga Therapist (C-IAYT)
  • Tier 3 Certified Baptiste Power Yoga Educator
  • Certified Yin & Restorative Yoga Teacher
  • Graduate, Breathing Deeply Yoga Therapy School

While my roots are in power vinyasa, my teaching has expanded through years of studying nervous system regulation, healing practices, meditation, and the therapeutic applications of yoga.

That evolution continues to inform the way I support teachers today.

My Philosophy

Yoga is more than movement.

And teaching yoga is about far more than leading poses.

I believe yoga teachers deserve support that goes beyond choreography – support that helps them develop confidence, critical thinking, authentic voice, and deeper understanding.

I also believe modern yoga education too often strips yoga of its context, depth, and historical roots.

My work is grounded in a commitment to helping teachers grow in ways that are practical, meaningful, and respectful of the broader tradition from which yoga comes.

That doesn’t mean teaching in rigid or inaccessible ways.

It means teaching with integrity

“
Great teaching isn’t choreography.
It’s presence.
It’s discernment.
It’s knowing what this moment requires.

Why I Created CaffreYoga

For years, I’ve watched talented yoga teachers leave training feeling underprepared.

They know poses.

They know basic sequencing.

But many are still asking:

  • What do I say?
  • How do I handle real student needs?
  • How do I find my own voice?
  • How do I adapt when a class doesn’t go according to plan?
  • How do I become a teacher—not just someone leading shapes?

CaffreYoga was created to help bridge that gap.

Through mentorship, continuing education, and teacher training, my goal is to support yoga teachers in becoming more capable, confident, and deeply thoughtful leaders.

Community & Context

Much of my teaching journey has unfolded in New York City, where I’ve spent years teaching in studio spaces, leading trainings, mentoring teachers, and working with students from a wide range of backgrounds and needs.

That diversity of experience has shaped one of my greatest strengths as an educator: knowing when to draw from different tools, approaches, and perspectives in service of the person or group in front of me.

Because great teaching is never one-size-fits-all.

Ready to Grow Your Teaching?

Whether you’re just beginning your teaching journey or refining years of experience, there’s support here for your next step.