Shannon “Shay” O’Bryan is a mother, performer, movement artist, wellness practitioner and lifelong educator whose teaching lives at the intersection of nature, embodiment, and story. 

For over two decades, Shay has worked across three continents — from Broadway stages, to Waldorf-inspired schools, to Teach for India classrooms in Mumbai and Pune.

Shay is a Certified Vedic Meditation Teacher, a Certified RAINBOWDANCE Practitioner (an expressive-arts modality for young children), a Certified Yoga Instructor (RYT-200), a Certified Doula through DONA International, and trained in Trauma-Informed Care through the Hanna Institute/International Trauma Center. She holds a B.F.A. in Musical Theatre from The New School. 

Shay has worked in early childhood and arts education, desiged curriculum for preschool and elementary classrooms, co-lead statewide wellness retreats for California’s HeadStart educators, and taught expressive dance and drama to students with disabilities. Most recently, she served as a music and arts-integration teacher for K-5 students at Johns Hill Magnet School.

Shay believes children learn best with dirt under their nails, room to move, and adults who see them fully. Whether guiding a breath practice, choreographing a dance, or building a lesson around the changing seasons, her aim is the same: to help children feel safe, curious, and at home in their own bodies and in the natural world.

Shay lives with her family in Ganges, Michigan, where she continues to weave together her love of nature, the arts, and mindful education.