For many Caribbean American women, the concept of “home” is layered—equal parts memory, migration, longing, and return. Jamaica, for those who left it or inherited it through family stories, often exists in dual frames: the place of roots and the place of rupture. But what if it could also be the place of renewal?
That’s the question Sharon Feanny has been answering—gently, powerfully—for over three decades. Based in Kingston with retreats currently held across the island, this Jamaican wellness leader has become a guide not just for locals seeking healing, but for women across the diaspora who are yearning to reconnect with themselves and their ancestral land.
Through yoga, plant-based nutrition, meditation, and retreats rooted in cultural reverence and modern wellness practices, Sharon has cultivated a sanctuary that calls women home—not just physically, but spiritually.
“The retreats are an amazing opportunity for people to see Jamaica as a place of peace, joy, and wellness,” Sharon says. “Instead of the place they may have left or run away from, it becomes a place they return to—with love.”
A Caribbean Calling
Sharon’s work is not about branding Jamaica as a wellness destination. It’s about making healing personal, rooted in lived experience and cultural identity. A certified yoga instructor, meditation teacher, aromatherapist, and detox expert with more than 30 years of experience, she has built a career defined by resilience and impact.
She’s also a woman who’s walked through her own shadows—navigating divorce, raising three children, living with an autoimmune condition, and facing anxiety and panic attacks. Her honesty and humility are central to her appeal.
“I am a firm believer that your mess is your message,” Sharon says. “I’ve incorporated every challenge of life into my teachings and offerings.”
That ethos speaks directly to the reality of many Caribbean American women—especially those carrying generational expectations, high-pressure careers, or the emotional weight of diaspora life. Sharon’s work offers more than lifestyle tips—it offers space to rest, reflect, and return to self.
Healing at the Crossroads of Culture
What makes Sharon unique isn’t just her longevity or credentials—it’s her cultural fluency. She understands the nuances of Caribbean identity and how to hold space for women who straddle multiple worlds.
“I would say what makes me different from yoga teachers in the U.S. is the diversity of my audience,” she reflects. “In the Shakti days and even now, it’s not about where you’re from, your skin color, or whether you’ve ever done yoga. Our community is very unique in its diversity.”
Her retreats attract a wide range of women—from first-generation Jamaican Americans seeking reconnection, to long-time practitioners of yoga looking for more than a commercialized studio experience. They come for the detoxing and the clean eating. They stay for the sisterhood, the soulful conversations, and the deeply familiar feeling of being seen.
At a time when wellness is often whitewashed or stripped of cultural roots, Sharon offers something different: a Caribbean-centered, deeply inclusive approach that blends ancient practices with local food, music, and rhythm.
Returning to the Body, Returning to the Land
In Sharon’s world, food is sacred. Her Amazon bestselling cookbook, Live Fit Kitchen™, is filled with over 100 plant-based, high-vitality recipes—many rooted in Jamaican ingredients and flavors. Her detox programs eliminate processed foods, sugar, dairy, and alcohol, replacing them with nutrient-dense, clean meals that nourish rather than numb.
“When you eat clean, you think better, move better, live better,” she says. “What you put in your body matters—it’s about vitality, not deprivation.”
This return to conscious eating becomes a deeper metaphor for diasporic women: a return to intuitive nourishment, to ritual, to homegrown wisdom. In this way, Sharon’s retreats become healing on multiple levels—not just physical detox, but emotional release, ancestral reconnection, and cultural affirmation.
Many of her diaspora participants describe her retreats as life-changing—not because they lost weight, but because they shed layers of stress, self-doubt, and disconnection. For them, Jamaica becomes more than a vacation destination. It becomes a wellspring.
A Model of Caribbean Womanhood
Sharon’s work is especially resonant for women navigating midlife. Now 60, she speaks with compassion and candor about the challenges of menopause, aging, and identity shifts. Instead of retreating from the spotlight, she’s shining more brightly.
“After menopause, I see so many women give up. They feel like they’re just surviving, not thriving,” she says. “But this stage can be vibrant. It can be full of purpose.”
Her Radiant Aging Program and Retreats are designed with this in mind: blending yoga, strength training, mindfulness, detoxing, and soul work. Women leave not only feeling lighter—but clearer about who they are and how they want to live moving forward.
“I want to inspire women to live fully, to play with their grandchildren, to wake up with purpose,” Sharon says. “Our health span should be equal to our lifespan. We can age with power.”
This reframing is radical—especially for Caribbean women, who are often caregivers to everyone but themselves. Sharon’s work invites them to reclaim their bodies, prioritize their joy, and release the belief that self-care is selfish.
A Movement Rooted in Belonging
And her message is clear: You can come home—as you are—and find healing in your own roots.
“There’s something powerful about seeing Jamaica through the lens of wellness,” Sharon says. “It changes people. It reminds them of who they are.”
And for so many women across the diaspora, that reminder may be the most transformative gift of all.
