When I interviewed Heidi Doyle back in 2019, she was busy creating a healthy and supportive atmosphere at Island Heron Yoga here in Jamestown (read Heidi Doyle: Going with the Yoga Flow). A year later, she turned over the studio to a new owner—though she continues to both teach and inspire.
A few weeks ago, I spotted a poster for Thrive, Heidi’s new health coaching business—which made me curious enough to ask for another interview. As soon as we sit down in the cozy front room at the Island Heron, I realize: now anyone, anywhere, can soak up both her holistic health tips and her calm, community-oriented approach.
Last year, Heidi earned a degree from the Institute for Integrated Nutrition (IIN). The program is taught by functional medicine doctors who focus on cellular health, well-being, and understanding the root cause of diseases—not just masking symptoms. “So you can see why it can take some time to peel the layers back,” Heidi says.
We all know we should eat good food, exercise, sleep well, and manage stress, she continues. “It seems so simple—so why is it so elusive to put into practice? Because we’ve all developed habits, conscious and unconscious, and we don’t necessarily inquire why we do things.”
To learn what troubles each potential client about their health, Heidi offers a free introductory call. “Then I explain the process, which empowers you to become an expert on you.” At that point, she says clients often realize, “this is what I need to do.” Then, over the next six months, they meet every two weeks to work step by step toward better health. “Each session, we identify action items for the next two weeks. The approach is slow, steady transformation—not temporary change.”
When I ask if her current clients share any common goals, she shakes her head at first; “It’s so individual.” But then she shares one link. “Right now, I’m working with three people all motivated by the desire to improve their health in order to hike a mountain—all on different continents. Cool, huh?”
Heidi says this new expertise complements the way she’s always taught yoga. ‘In my classes I guide people to pay attention, to trust their own unique process, and approach it all in a balanced way. It’s the same for health coaching.”
After just one year of coaching, “I have already learned so much—but I’m humbled by how much there still is to learn.”
And she really enjoys helping clients navigate up their personal mountain (whether virtual or actual). “Everything I’ve been interested in has merged in this process, and I feel so grateful to be able to share and help others.”
I’m so grateful to Heidi for everything she’s taught me—and now, wherever you are and whatever your health goals—you can learn from her too. For more info, visit the Thrive website.
Thanks for reading! Have you tried yoga, or health coaching? Share your experience in the comments below, or send me an email. I read every single one, with gratitude.
(And if you’re wondering how I can possibly justify covering such topics on Where Books Meet Boats, read on.)
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I am now two and a half months into my yoga practice with Island Heron Yoga. Thank you Carol for helping me to make this step. Still a beginner, but the benefits are there every day. For someone who has worked out hard since 14, yoga has been one of the missing links. Only way to know, is to dive in and trust the process. Sounds like a good life lesson to me. I am sure it is the same why way with Heidi’s Thrive.
Thanks Paul, so glad the yoga is working for you too!