A former competitive gymnast, weight lifter, and runner, Dr. Heather began teaching group fitness in 1998 at East Carolina University while studying for her Bachelor’s in Exercise Physiology. During that time she attended Hatha yoga classes as a means to stay connected to her gymnastics background and maintain flexibility. After graduation she moved to Portland, OR where she continued her studies at Western States Chiropractic College (now University of Western States) and received her Doctorate in Chiropractic in 2005. During her time in Portland her love for yoga expanded exponentially as she began to practice Bikram, Vinyasa, and Ashtanga forms. She attended her first yoga certification in 2002 and began teaching Hatha yoga at the local gym where she taught aqua and other group fitness classes. Throughout the years, she gravitated to Vinyasa and Yin as constants for her own home practice. In 2010 she completed the “Live Your Yoga” 250 hour teacher training at the Yoga Garden in Apex, NC. This training focused in Hatha Raja and encompassed all classical forms of yoga and Vinyasa. In 2015, soon after moving her chiropractic practice next door to CrossFit Surmount, she returned to her gymnastics and weight lifting roots by starting CrossFit. It was fitting that she saw the need for yoga for CrossFitters, not only to stretch but to strengthen the core, improve balance, increase awareness of the body, and contribute to the mental side of being an athlete through focused concentration and breath work. She has seen her own yoga practice and CrossFit workouts complimenting each other more than she ever knew possible. Dr. Heather loves to challenge her students with powerful Vinyasa flows, good humor, and the ability to break down difficult poses into the attainable for all levels. With a smile and a laugh, her positive energy can inspire and change those she teaches.
Join Heather Cassese and Meredith Magnini as they bring Power Flow Yoga and Yin Yoga to CrossFit Surmount. Both are 200hr Yoga Teachers and bring many years of experience to the mat!
Power Yoga
Sundays 8am
Yin Yoga
Wednesdays 7:30pm