Meet Joe, a multi-talented yogi
Joe Severo
Meet Joseph Severo, our newest member of Team Charym!
You will see Joe around the studio taking photos for promotion and subbing classes for the regular staff.
Get to know the new guy and take a class with him when you see him on the schedule!
Read the bio on Joe:
“I had begun my journey into yoga before I even knew it would amount to a journey. I had first stepped foot on a mat when I was about twenty years old; I had a membership at the Torrington YMCA, and after a number of classes, my conception of yoga was akin to what some would consider “gym yoga.” Admittedly, what initially drew me in was the prospect of relaxing exercise.
I had synthesized a number of the postures and began to develop my own practice in my first apartment. This was before truly becoming privy to any philosophical, spiritual, or even esoteric aspects of the discipline. That being said, I did have a notion of these deeper components of yoga—I just hadn’t been formally shown them till I arrived at October Gardens in Harwinton years later.
This was my first experience in a real yoga center. An old coworker guided me to the grounds. And immediately, I was captivated by the setting, the community, and the more faithful practice. Vidhya, the owner and facilitator of the center, recognized my affinity for yoga and offered to certify me as an instructor. I was ecstatic. Something inside me illuminated, and I knew I was to walk this path.
I finished my 200 hour training feeling wiser, more knowledgeable, and more grounded. I began advanced teacher training at October Gardens on Oct. 13, 2023.
I teach Hatha Yoga. This is what I had learned at the YMCA, and this is the branch that I was trained to teach at October Gardens. However, I do teach in my own way, and I develop my own styles further with every class. A few of the studios that I work with promote my class as “Joe’s Flow”, which I love. I’m an innovator, and in most arenas I find myself in, I have to do things my way (in this case, with the teachings in mind, of course).
Over time, my class has become centered around the concepts of Flow State, balance, breathwork, and groundedness - on paper, not unlike other yoga classes by the sound of it.
I focus on guiding attendees into entrainment first and foremost: I want to make sure they’re completely free-flowing and present to get the most out of the asanas!
Balance is big. I love exercise, and have a background in bodybuilding. I like to incorporate challenging sequences and unique postures. Yet, to me, it’s the tranquilizing, thorough, slowly performed positions that level a class out.
I like to create an ethereal feel throughout both difficult and restful segments. And at the end of each class, I love to give a five-minute mindfulness talk while class-takers are in savasana. I do my best to bring multiple limbs and forms of value to every class.
I first became acquainted with Charym through Instagram (which is funny to me, because after a few emails and a visit to the center, I was offered the opportunity to provide photography and videography for the studio on top of teaching). Nicole and I set a meeting a few months back. The energy was right, the vision clear, and ultimately, Charym seemed like a fit for me. And I’ve had nothing but great experiences teaching and providing media since!
I’m a multi-passionate man and am involved in many different endeavors. I teach yoga out of six different studios, including Charym (Torrington YMCA, Winsted YMCA, Earthbound Yogi in Winsted, School Street Studios in Bristol, October Gardens in Harwinton). At this point, yoga is a way of life for me.
But, foremost, I’m an artist. I am a writer, songwriter, photographer, videographer, and dancer partnered with the NWCT Arts Council. I am a member of Culture 4 A Cause, a Torrington-based non-profit arts organization. I write remote segment spotlight videos for the local public access TV show City Views (in collaboration with Culture 4 A Cause). I’ve written jingles for WAPJ with the organization too.
Thankfully, there’s a lot of overlap between the artistic and yogic sides of my life. And at Charym, that’s only become more true!”
- Joe
