I’m not exaggerating when I say the environment Sheryl created at Red Diamond and her teaching changed my life. I am a corporate attorney and was one of the first students to join Sheryl’s yoga studio, Red Diamond, back in 2013. I came to her studio as a yoga newbie, highly self-conscious and weary of “traditional” LA hot yoga spaces, but desperately needing a more affordable option than massages to deal with chronic pain in my neck and shoulders. Red Diamond was a miracle. Every instructor at the studio, including Sheryl, distinguished themselves as they were highly educated on anatomy and its interactions with poses, and just as welcoming. Most had lived rich lives prior to becoming instructors that they brought to their practice. Sheryl created an environment with intention: yoga mat neighbors got to know each other and participated in challenges together – the studio became an active part of the Palms community. Within a few months, I no longer dealt with my shoulder pain, and through the years, confronted several extremely stressful periods of my life. Sheryl’s classes themselves are the best I’ve ever attended; they feel more like an event than a class. Her sequencing of poses is orchestrated so smoothly and you get lost in such introspection through her instruction that you don’t realize until after class that, by the way, you just got your butt kicked. And, very importantly for this former DJ, her music selection is top notch.
I work with start-ups every day and am still so impressed with the way Sheryl ran her business. Leaders like Sheryl, with the rare pairing of undeterred hustle and defined mission, are so rare, but unmistakable when you find them. They’re who change the world, even if just one community at a time. I have immense gratitude to have walked into Red Diamond six years ago and am excited to see where she brings her business acumen next. Namaste, Sheryl!