Meet the Mom – Cathy Madeo

Where did you grow up: I was born in West Virginia, and moved to Melbourne, Florida when I was 10, then went away to school at 16 in Michigan to attend Interlochen Arts Academy. Then Boston, Chicago, Los Angeles, San Francisco, New York City, VA, and NJ.

Town you live in now: Boca Raton

Why you love living there:
I love Boca Raton because it’s beautiful and centrally located in South Florida. I feel like getting to all that South Florida has to offer is just an hour or less in either direction.

Tell me about your kids:
My 12-year-old daughter loves to read and sketch anime. She’s a deep thinker and can hold her own in any adult conversation on topics ranging from politics to natural history. My 5 year old is the family extrovert. She has wild curly hair and a zest for life. She was born with a condition called craniosynostosis which means that 2 of the 4 skull openings we have to allow the brain to grow were closed. She underwent 3 major surgeries within the first 6 months of her life. She’s my fighter and now lives a healthy normal life. She loves math, puzzles, lion king (she changes the lyrics to, “I just can’t wait to be Queen”!) climbing on things and handstands, like her mama.

Favorite things to do with the kids locally:
We love the beach, local parks, and the library. All the free things.

What’s your ‘day job’? How did you get started with it?
I am yoga teacher and Instagram influencer. I’ve been a yoga practitioner since 1994 and a teacher since 2004. I lead retreats, workshops and 200-hour yoga teacher trainings & advanced trainings all over the world. I am grateful to have a home yoga studio where I teach locally at Thrive Power Yoga. I also give private yoga instruction to clients serving South Florida. I started practicing yoga when I was 19 because it was a required class as part of the curriculum in a theater school I attended in Chicago. Then I moved to LA and I dived deep into the practice of yoga for 10 years before getting my 200 hour teaching certification.

What is your best parenting advise. Lay it on us. Kids have such a great capacity for being present, they are the best little yoga teachers, so get in on their frequency and enjoy your time with them.

What do you do for self care? Katie Falconer’s yin yoga class at Thrive, morning beach time without the kids, daily yoga and meditation practice.