Our Story
Valrico Yoga Sanctuary began with a sacred calling to bring the energy of inner abundance, compassion, and light to our community.
Meet Our Founder
Founder Sallie Rivers has been teaching yoga for nearly a decade, guiding students through practices that support strength, awareness, and nervous system regulation. Over the years, her work expanded beyond classes to include workshops, retreats, and yoga teacher trainings. Her belief is that yoga is a lifelong practice of integration, education, and the well being of the self and the collective.
"The Calling"
In early 2025, Sallie traveled to Khajuraho, India as a student to chant the Sri Sukta. The Sri Sukta is an ancient Vedic mantra devoted to the divine feminine energy of abundance and nourishment that supports life.
While in meditation, she "heard" the universe tell her to bring this divine feminine energy back to her community to nourish the collective fied. At the same time that she "heard" this calling, she saw a mother cow with a baby calf appear in the light of the sunrise, on the hillside above where she was meditating. This was an auspicious sighting in India. It felt like the universe confirmed the calling.
From that moment, the energy of the Sanctuary began to form.
As steward of the Sanctuary, Sallie’s role is to gather teachers, practices, and wisdom that support the well-being of the whole person and to cultivate a conscious community where people can move, breathe, learn, and reconnect with themselves and one another.
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The name Valrico Yoga Sanctuary was chosen intentionally. The word Valrico means rich valley, symbolizing fertile soil where things can grow and transform. A sanctuary is a sacred place; a space with a different purpose, where protection, restoration, and peace are offered.
The Sanctuary was created for those who feel the call to return to abundance, compassion, and well being; and, to remember who they truly are.
