ABOUT SHELBY CAFFREY

Teaching yoga has shaped the way I see people.

For more than two decades, yoga has been part of my life—as a student, teacher, educator, mentor, and now yoga therapist.

What I’ve learned is that great teaching isn’t simply about how much you know. It’s about how well you can meet the people in front of you.

The practice may be yoga. But the work has always been about people.

My Story

Yoga has been part of my life since I was nineteen.

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, mentor, and create 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 a deeper understanding of people.

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.

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

Why I Created CaffreYoga

To support yoga teachers in becoming more capable, confident, and deeply thoughtful.

For years, I’ve watched talented yoga teachers leave training feeling underprepared. CaffreYoga was created to help bridge that gap through mentorship, continuing education, and teacher training rooted in real-world experience and a deep respect for the practice.