Sharon Kennedy & the Lessons She Leaves Behind
When I launched Northern Life Yoga in 2010, one of the first students in my class was Sharon Kennedy. Little did I know at the time how much her presence in yoga classes would impact my life and the future of Northern Life Yoga. This bright and bubbly woman always had a special song about her, a pep to her step and an unsatiable appetite for health and fitness.
After the studio on Portage Street where I subleased space for classes was planning to close, I needed to find a new home for Northern Life Yoga in 2011.
“What about that nice little church on Court Street?” Sharon suggested.
The bright idea intrigued me so much that my mom and I went right over and looked at the building and Sharon helped me find the owner so I could make contact about leasing space. Thanks to Sharon’s suggestion, 529 Court Street became Northern Life Yoga’s new home where we’ve all had the pleasure of practicing yoga, belly dance and Tai Chi with Sharon for a decade. With over 1,000 classes to her credit, Sharon’s dedication to fitness was both impressive and admirable. She also practiced belly dance in Canada for many years, along with her daughter, Lola. It was always special when Lola, Caroline and Sharon would come to NLY classes to practice together. Once Caroline, a talented graphic designer and photographer, moved to Detroit, she often returned to NLY to practice alongside her mom when she was home for a visit.
A couple years later, I invited Lola to teach belly dance at Northern Life Yoga, and Sharon was always an enthusiastic participant. Lola was already a gifted instructor who I believed had great potential to expand into yoga. One Saturday after yoga class, I suggested to Sharon that Lola might really enjoy an upcoming yoga teacher training program to become certified. Lola had so many gifts to share that I knew she would be an amazing yoga teacher. Sharon went right from class to the health food store where Lola worked at the time to speak to her about it and she enrolled in teacher training. Lola’s classes are now a primary pillar of our studio offerings and our NLY community adores her. Like her mom, she nurtures everyone around her with endless love and kindness.
Six years ago, Lola and I started teaching Yin & Reiki workshops together. When our moms were the only ones signed up initially, we’d joke that at least we would have a mother and daughter class…and then our registration would grow. We were blessed to practice together many times. Seeing Sharon in class with Lola teaching was always special.
As one of our yogis noted, “I always noticed their sweet interaction - they always hugged and said, ‘I love you.’”
Motherhood was Sharon’s greatest treasure. She was immensely proud of both Lola and Caroline and her eyes always twinkled when she spoke about either of them. When I was pregnant and Sharon found out I was having a girl, I remember her telling me that when she gave birth to her daughters, it felt like her heart burst open with love! She absolutely lit up with the memory.
The ultimate nurturer, Sharon was always willing to take people or animals under her wing. One of our township clerks told me how she had endless patience in helping others do their jobs. Whether patiently answering tax questions as the Register of Deeds or feeding the stray cats in her neighborhood, Sharon had boundless love and the energy to share it generously. She also shared her love of fitness and told me that she liked to do Tai Chi for a break during her countless hours working at the courthouse.
Often fashionably late, Sharon would arrive for classes and move through her practice with occasional humming or singing to herself. Some might say she missed the beginning of the practice for centering and stillness…yet Sharon just made the practice her own and it was her style to continually flow. I often took cues from her for teaching. Sometimes I’d look through the class and notice Sharon incorporating some extra pose during rest…so I’d incorporate the pose into the practice for everyone. After a deep cool down stretch, I often cue students to release the pose and choose the best counter-pose to bring balance, such as a gentle twist, down dog or child’s pose. When I would glance around the studio and see the variety of poses each person chose, inevitably, I’d see Sharon in her famous full splits – taking her practice to an edge that many of us never dare to reach.
In savasana/the 10-minute final resting pose at the end of class, I often tell students to “give yourself full permission to surrender to stillness.” Sharon took this guidance seriously and would often fall into a full sleep with light snoring. I always felt like Sharon truly needed the rest to balance all the ways she devoted her time and energy to others. Yes, savasana should be a “conscious” rest…but I always feel that if someone falls asleep at the end of class, they need the rest and should enjoy it. I was always glad Sharon felt comfortable enough to rest in our sacred and safe space.
Throughout the pandemic, Sharon remained dedicated to her practice with our virtual classes. In recent months, she returned to our studio, still effervescent and humming her own song as she practiced. On the Wednesday, November 3, when Lola and I taught our special Yin and Reiki workshop, my mom and Sharon were both in class right next to each other in our circular set-up. On Wednesday, November 10, Sharon came into the studio for Wednesday Yoga Flow at 5:28, hurried in to get her mat and joked about being on time for once. In the middle of instructing a challenging balance pose which had me wobbling, I made a light-hearted comment, to which Sharon responded and the whole class lightened up with laughter.
It is unfathomable how someone so healthy and full of life can be completely present with us one day and gone forever the next from a tragic and untimely accident. The loss of someone so loved and dear to all of us leaves a void so deep that it would be easy to wallow in perpetual tears and questions. Pause. Deep breath. Another deep breath. Yet we can all take inspiration from Sharon’s example – to keep moving…figuratively and literally. The Sharon Kennedy we all know was a person always on the go – industrious with her time to make the most of each day, balancing family, work and serving the community…all while managing to fit in as many fitness classes as possible. 20,000 steps on her Fitbit was an average day for her as she walked everywhere. She once told me that on drives to St. Ignace to teach assessor classes, she would even move her left leg to get more steps. Perhaps a tribute to her plant-based diet and prioritization for health and wellness, Sharon’s energy was endless and inspiring…along with her amazing ability to do full splits.
This perspective is just one tiny fraction of Sharon’s influence and there are thousands more from the many people whose lives she touched in her 73 years. Sharon’s impact on our EUP community was widespread - evident from the hundreds of positive comments that poured in across social media after her passing.
It is the village of support that will help keep Sharon’s legacy alive for Lola and Caroline. As much as we wish we could turn back time, instead we must wrap Lola and Caroline’s hearts with a giant blanket of endless warmth and kindness – just like Sharon would have done. Perhaps one way to mend our own hearts is to carry the lessons of Sharon’s life with us as inspiration. We can all remain in awe of her many gifts – most notably her generous heart and endless ability to exhibit kindness.
The Saturday after Sharon passed, I saw a fellow yogi when walking into the student and we hugged and cried about Sharon. “I don’t know how you’re going to teach today,” she said to me. For a second, I wondered if I could pull it together…another time that morning. Then I thought of Sharon and her ability to keep moving with an effervescent spirit and it provided the strength to do just that…move forward. Even though Sharon was not visible on the mat in the studio, nor online with a friendly “Good morning, Allie” on our virtual class, I felt her presence. After cueing the class in many deep breaths, I found the strength to keep moving, just as Sharon would. We even practiced splits in her honor. I read a passage that she once told me she liked, which embodies both Sharon and the grief our community is processing.
You can’t control the length of your life, but you can control its width and depth. You can’t control the contour of your face, but you can control its expression. You can’t control the weather, but you can control the atmosphere of your mind. Why worry about the things you can’t control, when you can keep yourself busy controlling the things that depend on you?
For 11 years, Sharon’s unwavering presence and unconditional love and support have been one of the brightest aspects of Northern Life Yoga. We are fortunate to have one of her amazing gifts to this world as part of our instructor family. Lola’s talents will continue to serve our NLY community in her own special way. As we practice in the beloved space that I will forever credit Sharon for leading us to on Court Street, we will mourn her physical presence yet cherish the memories and laughter she brought to everyone around her…and remain in awe of those amazing splits. If her energy now is anything like it was while she was with us on Earth, I firmly believe she’ll remain part of our community on a whole new spiritual level. I will always be grateful for the ways Sharon influenced my own life and fondly regard her as the eternal soul of Northern Life Yoga.
By Allie Brawley
To honor our beloved friend and yogi, Sharon Kennedy, we will host a special memorial yoga practice at Northern Life Yoga Studio on a future date to be determined. This yoga event will allow us to gather to breathe, move and share our favorite memories. Our studio is a safe and sacred place where laughter and tears will be welcome. Yoga will be appropriate for all levels. This unconventional celebration of life will reflect Sharon’s love of movement in a light-hearted and musical way. Meantime, please share your stories and memories of Sharon in the comments below so Lola and Caroline can reflect on them...plus writing is great therapy for the grief process, so this is a forum where we can heal and uplift one another. Note: write your name and choose “comment as guest” but there’s no need to enter a URL.