PhD | E-RYT | YACEP+ Cognitive Scientist, Yoga Teacher, Reiki Master & Coach

Dr. Sarah Cavrak began practicing yoga in 2003, and quickly experienced its profound impact on anxiety and overall well-being. What started as a personal healing practice evolved into a lifelong path. She became a yoga teacher in 2013, and has been dedicated to sharing yoga as a tool for resilience, self-awareness, and transformation ever since.

She holds a PhD in Cognitive Psychology and is a 500-hour certified yoga teacher and Reiki Master. Drawing from over two decades of experience in both science and sacred practices, Sarah offers a neuroscience-informed, integrative approach to yoga that supports nervous system regulation, stress relief, and holistic well-being. Sarah is deeply committed to creating safe, inclusive, and empowering spaces for her students. Her teaching emphasizes accessibility, nervous system awareness, and the connection between mind, body, and energy, helping students live with greater peace and purpose.

She currently teaches public yoga classes at Evoke Mind & Body in Wilmington, NC, and is the founder of Sacred Self Holistic, a holistic wellness practice offering private yoga, nervous system regulation, Reiki therapy, and wellness coaching.

In addition to her healing work, Sarah is deeply committed to environmental conservation and community stewardship. She has spent the last six years volunteering with the Surfrider Foundation, supporting coastal protection through advocacy focused on water quality, offshore wind, and nature-based solutions. She believes personal healing and planetary healing are deeply interconnected, and brings this integrative, values-driven perspective into her teaching, retreats, and service work.

At Smoky Mountain Yoga & Wellness Festival, she will be teaching “Nervous System Reset” - A 60-minute practice designed to help you regulate your nervous system from the inside out. You can expect long-held yin and restorative postures, combined with hands on Reiki energy healing to support you in shifting out of stress and into a state of safety, balance, and deep restoration.