yoga for every body

A community where everyone is welcome - every ability, age, gender, walk of life. A place for you to create space physically and emotionally and where you are encouraged to build your own practice, address your own goals, listen to your breath and your body.

Our approach in teaching yoga focuses less on how a pose should look and more on how it should feel, why we are doing it, how it can benefit body and mind, and how you can modify to make it work for you.

No two practices are alike - especially true as you begin your practice or return to the mat. Things like energy, focus, balance, strength, confidence - both mind and body - are always changing. That’s why we encourage small group, private and semi private yoga classes - to better focus on you and your practice.

There is something in yoga for everyone. And yet there are so many choices and kinds of yoga, it can be confusing. If you haven’t found what is right for you, don’t give up on yoga. Keep looking until you find your way.

With Way to Be, you will find community and time for yourself. You will practice with friends passing through and friends who work and live in our local community, summers and year-round. You’ll be guided by expert instructors who bring years of experience in yoga, fitness, mindfulness, healthcare, and coaching.

We are primarily a vinyasa (flow) and yin yoga studio and offer a mix of classes within those two. Our type of yoga rests on yoga’s 5,000 year history, and with gratitude and respect for the millions of yogis who have handed down these traditions, well-being for the mind, body, and soul is always our focus.

We know that personal and professional growth are co-dependent. To grow - whether physically, intellectually, morally, social-emotionally, mindfully, or spiritually - requires both movement and stillness, and these can be found in the practice of yoga.

Yoga can be transformative. Discover it for yourself as you grow your own practice. We promise a supportive experience lacking in ego, competition, or judgement. At Way to Be, it’s about you, not other’s expectations for you.

Text 617-913-9000 or email leslie@waytobeyoga.com with any questions you may have.

Leslie Cargill

Founder of Way to Be Wellness and Yoga Collaborative, Leslie works with individuals, businesses, and communities to achieve a sense of well-being through the freedom found in yoga, movement, mindfulness, and creative expression.

As a yoga teacher, Leslie focuses on each student’s unique abilities, goals and needs. She encourages students to find a yoga practice that works for them and which is sustainable. She sees yoga as life-changing and shares that insight with her students, from infants to 90-somethings, teens, toddlers, parents, complete beginners, advanced practitioners, inflexible men, athletes, and those dealing with physical or emotional health issues.

Leslie’s 200-hour teacher training was with Lisa Rhodiner and Elin Jensen, of True North Vinyasa, on the coast of Portugal, where she has returned for trainings and collaborations ever since. She trained in the practice of yin yoga with Josh Summers in Dublin, Ireland. She completed her 300-hour advanced teacher training with Down Under Yoga in Boston. An E-RYT 500 with Yoga Alliance, Leslie has taught 1000+ hours of yoga classes and is strongly committed to ongoing study and development in yoga and related areas (Yoga Medicine, Inspiro Yoga, Yoga Journal, True North Vinyasa, Jason Crandall, DUY).

In yoga, as in her career in business, Leslie is a connector of people, businesses, and causes. 30+ years as a marketing and communications specialist in professional sports, the arts, social services, healthcare, tourism and hospitality (Boston Red Sox, United Way, Boston Ballet, RockResorts, Dempsey Center …), Leslie has served on boards (Club Passim, Jimmy Fund Advisory Council, Care Dimensions/Hospice of the North Shore…) and has an MBA in service marketing.

She started Way to Be Wellness and Yoga Collaborative in January 2020 to bring full circle her business experience, yoga training, and a personal commitment to a healthy lifestyle.

Throughout her career, her work has been inspired by causes and mission-based organizations - something that continues today with Way to Be’s community classes and partnerships with organizations, causes, and people she believes in.

A role model for healthy living and a strong advocate for balance and equity in work and life, Leslie is particularly interested in issues concerning women, families, gender and racial equality, climate, and the environment.

A resident of Cape Porpoise, Maine, a parent, partner, grandparent to three young humans, foster parent to Callie, the age-less Catahoula Leopard dog, and Phoebe, the elusive Maine Coon Cat, Leslie is also principal of Cargill + Co. Strategic Communications and Marketing. She collaborates with partners in Sweden, Portugal, and the US to offer custom retreats, trainings, events, and workshops here and abroad.

“My work today is inspired and energized by a collaborative community here in southern Maine; and by the people, colleagues, and mentors who’ve touched my life and my work over many years - most especially my family - and a whole list of others with whom I’ve rubbed shoulders and shared time, people who have supported my entrepreneurial ventures and me personally since I first stepped into a business world not terribly concerned with the idea of work and life balance, let alone the advancement of women. With great good fortune, my path has crossed with some who defied the culture and the times and gave me opportunity after opportunity. I’ve never taken it or them for granted. I will always be grateful to those who’ve generously shared their life experience and encouraged me to get after my own.

I believe deeply in the power of community, whether through local activism, international friend-making, the practice of yoga, or conversations around a full-moon fire pit.

I think it’s important to keep moving. I’d love to have you join me.”

Leslie

what our clients (i.e. way to be humans) have to say

  • A thoughtful and effective yoga instructor . . .

    “Leslie is a thoughtful and effective yoga instructor. Her teaching method ensures that yoga is accessible to all. She provides modifications to ensure her students are achieving the best results and challenging themselves without injury.”

    T. Wheeler, ME (workplace classes)

  • ... head and shoulders above the rest ...

    “I have been practicing yoga for over five years. After two years of virtual classes following Covid, I was very hesitant to go back into a studio but from the moment I walked into Way to Be Wellness and Yoga, I knew I’d found a safe space. From her kindness to her inclusiveness to her innate understanding of the practice, Leslie runs a studio that is head and shoulders above the rest.

    Whether you are new to the mat or a committed “yogi”, this amazing woman whom I am now proud to call my friend will instantly make you feel welcome, comfortable and challenged.”

    L. Shapiro, Peabody, MA + Wells, ME (WTB 6 month member)

  • I felt so much better after two classes . . .

    “The yoga instructor, Leslie, has a wonderful vibe. She exudes a peacefulness in her practice that translates well into the class. I felt so much better after two classes; a restored clear heart and mind. Thank you, Way To Be.”

    Elizabeth (online review)

  • ... on a weekly basis via Zoom and in person ...

    “Over the past three years, I've had the pleasure of practicing yoga under Leslie's expert guidance, on a weekly basis both remotely via Zoom and in person during my vacation visits to Maine. Initially drawn to her class at a resort, I was immediately hooked by her engaging teaching style. Although I practiced Martial Arts for a number of years, I had no yoga experience, but Leslie's approach was gradual, adaptive and welcoming, starting with basic poses and progressively introducing more complex flows. She has always been sensitive to my evolving needs and abilities, challenging yet supportive, and encouraging me to challenge myself. Following a knee injury from martial arts, Leslie’s thoughtful modifications aided not just my physical rehabilitation but also bolstered my mental resilience.

    Leslie’s philosophy on yoga extends beyond the physical practice—it is about fostering a deeper understanding of oneself, creating mental and physical spaces for growth, and recognizing our bodies' fluctuating capacities. Her teachings on patience, self-acceptance, and the fluid nature of personal progress have profoundly influenced other areas of my life.

    I wholeheartedly recommend Leslie to anyone looking to explore or deepen their yoga practice. Her ability to adapt to individual needs, combined with her deep understanding of yoga's holistic benefits, makes her a wonderful guide on this journey. Whether you're a beginner or looking to enhance your practice, Leslie's expertise and supportive nature will undoubtedly enrich your yoga experience.”

    E. Tinawi, Wayland, MA (private coaching client)i