Why She’s Interesting: Lyons has united thousands of Clevelanders in large-scale yoga classes through her Believe in CLE movement, where hundreds gather to strike a pose at locations such as the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum, Cleveland Museum of Art and The Q. The Inner Bliss Yoga Studio owner also opened her third location last month in Playhouse Square.
Avid Athlete: Lyons was a competitive swimmer in grade school, a cross-country runner in high school and later a marathon runner and triathlete. “I always craved the experience of being in my body as a way to access the present moment. Even when I was 10, I loved the feeling of my heart pounding, breathing deeply and fully in the physical moment.”
Finding Yoga: She took her first yoga class in 2000 as a way to recover from triathlon training. She was immediately hooked on the practice’s calming nature. “I knew from the first class that the practice was what I’d been looking for my whole life. Sounds cheesy, but you just have those moments where you’re like, This is it!”
Key To Bliss: Lyons trained in Delaware to become a yoga teacher. In 2001, she quit her marketing job to open Inner Bliss in Lakewood. “I felt like the practice had such a profound impact on me that I wanted to share that with other people. I wanted to create a space that felt safe and sacred.”
Single Source: She describes the shared energy at Believe in CLE mass yoga events as undeniable. “We crave connection with other humans. We feed off of each other’s energy. That kind of environment — where you all come together and there’s a common intention — it’s really powerful.”
Power Up: Whether in studio or on the Rock Hall plaza, Lyons says that what happens on the mat is important. “You’re mastering your breath and you’re mastering your thoughts and you’re mastering your life. All of that’s happening no matter where you are.”
Sports Therapy: Although the die-hard competitor likes the calm of yoga, she gets just as excited as the rest of us when it comes to Cleveland sports. “I am forever a cheerleader at heart. And if I am in the stands, you will hear me cheering!”
Writerly Dreams: In high school, Lyons dreamed of being a writer because of the connections she felt with characters and emotions in others’ works. She graduated from Bowling Green State University with a degree in English and a minor in philosophy. “I always have been a lover of words.”
