by Cheryl Natusch  

My personal life journey has been a series of giant mountains to be scaled and conquered. It feels as if everything I’ve set out to do has had to be a struggle to get to the summit. Once there, I feel immense gratitude for all the effort put forth to get there. The same goes for my professional life.  

Laughing Hearts Yoga & Movement has been a dream of mine for over 10 years. During this period, I have been working in South Jersey providing personal training, teaching yoga, conducting workshops and getting my name spread around doing what I love to do. The dream of building my own studio finally became reality in 2020 when I received the keys to my physical location, one week before the pandemic shutdown. Of course, I expected that this huge dream of mine would also have to manifest itself into existence through challenge and hardship. I honestly wouldn’t have it any other way because when things are easy, they lack grit, heart and soul. For the three months when everything was shut down due to COVID-19, I built Laughing Hearts with my own two hands, by myself. Every single day I showed up, worked and envisioned the beautiful souls that would fill the space once I had completed it and we were allowed to open again. The vision was always to build a place where everyone, no matter who they are and what they are about, could come enjoy movement and community. Most importantly, I wanted to build the community.  

Despite my degrees in exercise science, and my passion for fitness, I’ve never fit the mold of the average fitness trainer. I have personally never felt like I’ve fit in anywhere, especially not in the fitness world. My business dream was to create something that allowed others that felt like me to have a safe place to come and move without feeling pressured to be something they don’t want to be or feel intimidated by others and have a sense of belonging. The vision I have for my community space has slowly unfolded into something bigger from what I originally dreamed. We are four walls rich with love, laughter and closeness. We are a sacred container filled with some of the best human beings one could ever hope to have included in their inner circle. Each class and group training session is a belly laughing good time; the students and clients getting stronger and healthier from the inside out each week. In these uncertain times, the most important component of good health is surrounding yourself with support and good people. Exercise is just one element to a healthy life—it’s nothing without cultivating spirit, taking care of your emotional and mental health and feeling like you belong somewhere. I’m so proud to stand in the space and say that we have that and so much more.  

For more information, including the class schedule and to register, visit LaughingHeartsYoga.com. 

Cheryl Natusch is a certified fitness trainer and owner of Laughing Hearts Yoga & Movement at 912 W. Kings Hwy., Haddon Heights, NJ.