Stacy McDonald (spiritual name Mahan Jiwan) began practicing yoga in 2008 and received her RYT-200 Hatha certification and her 200 hour Kundalini (KRI) certification in 2015.
Her interest in yoga’s effects on the brain recently led her to graduate Magna Cum Laude with a degree in Integrative Psychology.
Her infectious enthusiasm and dedication to fostering self-care instill a sense of vitality and nourishment in each of her classes.
Alana Kazam, Holistic Health Coach/RYT200h, loves using yoga, essential oils, nutrition and reiki to help people like you elevate your health! In addition to yoga, Alana offers an enriching assortment of workshops to the Power of Om community around fermentation, natural medicine and emotional healing. Her yoga teaching is focused on supporting you in finding the optimal practice for your body in every pose and every space in your life. Trained by Denver’s own beloved Buffy Barfoot, she brings her passion for alignment and enlightenment to every class and she can’t wait to see you on your mat.
Alex Cantone is a former elementary school teacher who discovered yoga during a very stressful time in her life. Transformed by the healing powers of mindful movement and the breath, Alex decided to turn her love for the practice of yoga and healing into a full-time career. She created her business, Growing OM, to give children and families the gift of peace. She offers tools and strategies to help others develop self-regulation skills in hopes of giving individuals the confidence to carry with them a peaceful mind, strong body, and kind heart.
Now, Alex spreads her passion for helping others through private and group classes, events, and workshops. While she loves working with ALL children, Alex’s area of expertise is in special needs and parenting. She believes in creating an inclusive community where all diverse needs are not only accepted, but embraced.
Allyson Matz’s background in mental health, meditation, and energy training lead her to manage a holistic center in Boulder where she provided qigong and energy meditation classes, workshops and private sessions. She has since got certified in yoga and currently has a private practice, Mindful Pauses LLC, where she combines everything. She is very excited to be teaching qigong at Elevate Yoga and to share her passion of qigong as an adjunct to your yoga practice. She believes qigong can further help you explore your inner world and has the power to strengthen mindfulness, or loving awareness; which is an asset to both physical and emotional health.
Amanda Flott Kinsey came to yoga in 2004 by way of a Bikram hot yoga class. It wasn’t love at first sight, but it was life-changing, heart opening, and supremely healing. Since this beautiful awakening, Amanda completed several yoga trainings including, 200hr Vinyasa training with Kindness in Denver, CO. She is also a certified kids and families teacher, with experience guiding post-natal mamas. Playful music, big open hearts, and breathing are cornerstones to each practice, with a primary goal for students to feel peaceful, secure, and grounded on and off their mats afterward.
For Andrea Roberts, yoga provides a beautiful lens for the myriad of life’s experiences and tools for cultivating compassion and understanding. As a student of yoga for over 20 years, Andrea’s strength lies in providing a welcoming space for people to deepen their own experiences through the embodied practice of yoga. In addition to a 220hr certification, Andrea has training in Jyotish (Vedic astrology), prenatal and trauma informed yoga. Her classes integrate reflection with curiosity and playfulness. Besides teaching yoga, Andrea is a personal coach and student of dance. She enjoys volunteering at SCI Recovery Project, a recovery sanctuary for people with spinal cord and TBI injuries.
Andy Doyle initially began practicing yoga strictly for exercise and to relieve the physical impact of decades of cycling without stretching. That changed two years later when a confluence of the demands of constant travel as an IT professional and the challenges of pivotal personal events led Andy to examine his core. Realizing he worshiped the false deities of “doing” and “acquiring” rather than just being, Andy took his yoga practice to a new spiritual level, and so emerged the desire to guide others in their yogic journey. Students of his classes will experience relatable dharmas and occasional vivid guided meditations incorporated into the practice.
Angie Pol found yoga after she moved to Denver to attend graduate school, and while it began as a tool for stress management, she quickly began to feel the endless benefits of this practice. She believes yoga has the power to strengthen and heal on an emotional, spiritual, and physical level. It nourishes self-love, encourages gratitude and an appreciation of the present moment, and builds community, bonding people through their individual journeys and the shared human experience. Angie completed her 200 hour Yoga Teacher Training with Kindness Yoga in Denver in 2017. She is excited to share the practice and philosophy of yoga with others, while continuing to learn and grow alongside her students.
Anne Mangiardi fell in love with yoga starting with her very first class in 1995, but did not feel called to teach until she began studying kundalini yoga. Anne completed the KRI Kundalini Yoga teacher training program in 2015. Anne strives to teach fun, challenging classes that showcase kundalini yoga’s ability to balance and enliven the nervous system. In addition to yoga, Anne is passionate about a wide variety of outdoor activities, including cross country skiing, rock climbing and hiking.
Ashlee Baraban discovered yoga to find grounding. She incorporates movement and asana to release energy in the physical body to better go into the subtle realm. She believes the real transformation begins when we move towards stillness. A powerful voice with a calming presence. Look forward to finding engagement in the physical practice to better relax into a meditative state.
For Ashlee Robinson, yoga has become an integral part of everyday life, helping her grow mentally, physically, and spiritually. She’s completed a 200 hour certification program in the hot yoga Bikram method, 50 hours of Yin yoga teacher training with Bernie Clark, and 65 hours in Chinese medicine with Jo Phee. (She’s currently enrolled in a 300 hour teacher training course to further her education and be able to teach others.) Her passion is to teach others to grow mentally, physically and spiritually through the art of yoga, bringing the kind of positive change yoga has given her to other peoples’ lives as well.
Ashlyn Bugbee is a free spirit who believes yoga is magic. She sees yoga as medicine – a therapeutic tool to heal and grow physically, emotionally and spiritually. Ashlyn took her first yoga class when she was 16 years old and was immediately drawn to the connection she found with her body, mind and spirit. After a traumatic snowboard accident that shattered her arm, she has found a new proclaimed love for yoga with a deeper understanding of healing, safety and the power of meditation. Ashlyn’s classes are fun to flow and light-hearted, offering encouraging words, creative sequencing and tunes that get you moving in your own way. Ashlyn is known for her enthusiasm, dedication to her personal practice and love for connecting with her students.
Betsy Cochran has been practicing yoga for over 15 years. An avid distance runner, she first turned to yoga as a complimentary exercise and a means to stay limber and strong. At some point, something sparked and yoga became so much more than just the postures. Through yoga and the mind-body-breath connection, Betsy finds joy, grace, focus and enlightenment every day on her mat and off. Betsy became a RYT200 certified teacher in 2013 and completed her 500 hour certification through Kindness Yoga’s Teacher Training program in December 2017. Betsy brings enthusiasm and a peaceful energy to her classes and invites her students to explore the light and transformation that yoga offers and that they leave her class refreshed and renewed. Off the mat, Betsy loves to run, cook, travel, bike, read, knit, spend time with her family and friends and explore the light and energy that every day has to offer.
Brittany De la Garza was drawn to teach yoga in order to share the many benefits she has seen from a regular yoga practice. She first practiced in 2008, and found it brought her greater peace, stamina, and flexibility. Since then she has realized that the yoga we do on our mat is only practice for the yoga we use off of our mat. Brittany is a 200-hour RYT with a focus on vinyasa. Her goal is to bring her student’s attention into their own body with curiosity and without judgment. Her gentle voice holds space for students to move from their personal intentions, and she hopes every student finds a safe space to explore inside her class.
Caitlin Coleman received her Kundalini Certification in 2015, after years of a personal practice. Born in NYC, raised in Bend, OR. Her calm, placid and affirming demeanor provides each of her yogis a peaceful center of equanimity in which to find their own sense of being present and grounded. Caitlin is not only making the world a better place in her yoga practice, but also by providing Water Education.
Charlie Merrow started practicing yoga in 2010 from his grass roof hut as a Peace Corps Volunteer in Sub-Saharan Africa and immediately found a sense of peace he was searching for. Charlie is a former special education teacher, a PhD student studying education and human development, and works through an education non-profit organization in Denver focusing on promoting mindfulness practices in school classrooms. Charlie completed his 200-hour yoga teacher training through Kindness Yoga in 2018. With a deep personal meditation practice, his classes embody gentle flows with restorative posture married with an emphasis on dharma and living a more balanced life.
Christina Kaneshige first discovered vinyasa yoga in 2011 while balancing two jobs and struggling to survive the frenzy of life in NYC. She found that her yoga practice brought rare stillness in her daily insanity, and from then on, yoga served as both exercise and therapy. Christina finally escaped to Denver with her husband and daughter in 2017, and completed her 200-hour YTT at Kindness Studio in 2018.
Christina believes that yoga should be accessible, safe, empowering, and embracing of every body that comes to their mat. Her style of teaching reflects this by emphasizing alignment in poses and transitions, making poses accessible with the use of props and other modifications, and also empowering her students by challenging them safely and with proper alignment. Christina serves as a guide for her students and what their bodies need, so she informs her instruction based on injury and related contraindications (as well as general areas of needs). Her purpose is to give her students an experience that will only help, not hurt, them in their daily lives and she is very mindful of this as she plans her sequences and shares her dharma throughout class.
Christina Volpi is a passionate, caring, and mission driven yoga instructor who holds a 200-hour yoga flow certificate from Yoga Pod. Christina has practiced Vinyasa, Hatha, Iyengar, Bikram, and Yin yoga in Colorado, California, and Texas giving her diverse exposure to yoga offerings and teachings. Christina first sought out yoga 10 years ago to manage a spinal condition, scoliosis. In addition to utilizing yoga to maintain physical health she discovered the mental, spiritual, and community based benefits to a devoted practice. Her mission as a yoga instructor is to empower others to pursue a unique path of self-awareness, personal growth, and discover community through yoga. Christina is an advocate for a safe and sustainable yoga practice to ensure long-term health. Outside of yoga you can find her enjoying competitive sports, being amongst nature, and caring for furry creatures!
Christine Nogueira first came to yoga as a form of exercise, looking for an outlet for anxious energy. As she began exploring different styles and creating a regular practice, she started to feel the deeper effects of yoga on her life and discovered a profound feeling of strength, balance, and connection to herself.
Christine also loves staying active through hiking, running and CrossFit. These passions give her a unique perspective into the different ways we can use our energy, and further emphasizes her love of yoga for bringing balance back into the body.
Christine received her 200 hr RYT through Fresh Yoga Studio in New Haven, CT, under the direction of Heidi Sormaz. She teaches fun, flowing classes that allow the students to find inner and outer strength by creating a deep awareness of their breath. She emphasizes finding a balance between effort and ease leaving students feeling grounded and strong. Christine’s classes provide a safe environment for challenge and self-exploration with hand-on assists and options for all levels.
Courtney Reese’s love for yoga blossomed at a time when she was looking for holistic ways to reduce stress. Prior to becoming a yoga instructor, she worked as a hospital Radiologic Technician in the states. The stresses of that occupation were often carried home with her until she discovered yoga as a relaxing outlet. Courtney was hesitant to try yoga fearing she couldn’t keep up, but soon realized that she didn’t need to because yoga is a practice for your mind and your body done at your own pace. Courtney’s goal as an instructor is to teach yoga in a way that is calming and available to all levels. Since she began teaching yoga, Courtney has developed a laid back style of teaching that is accessible to all levels. Join her to reset your body and mind, relax, stretch out, and show some love to yourself.
Courtney Throndson is a Denver native. She studied fine arts at Colorado State University and currently works for The Shane Company as a Jeweler. If she is not working or practicing yoga, she enjoys figure painting. She completed her yoga teacher training in 2012 and enjoys guiding various classes including vinyasa, meditation and belly dance.
Dre Rivera is a native of Florida and an Army Veteran. He recently moved to Denver in March of 2017 with his husband Chad and their two dogs (Allie and Flash). His Yoga journey began in August of 2015 after herniating his L5 disk during Crossfit. Though suggested by his chiropractor to begin Yoga, he refused. In January of 2016, still in pain, Dre decided to follow the doctors suggestion and began his Yoga practice. Claiming to come initially for the pain in his lower back; he stays thanks to the spiritual and mental clarity gifted to him by Asana practice. His passion for Yoga lead him to complete the 200hr Yoga Teacher Training through Kindness Yoga here in Denver in March of 2018. Dre’s hope and mission – to help others obtain the same physical, emotional and spiritual liberation from the Yoga practice.
Elizabeth Teng, PhD found yoga late in life after a search that took her through philosophy, art history, Feng Shui and Lacanian Psychoanalysis. She began her daily practice of yoga on the Winter Solstice of 2017 after a health crisis, found homeostasis, and began to realize that yoga doesn’t just heal the body but also the mind. She believes that there is no better tool than yoga for releasing trauma and destructive patterns. Elizabeth wants to share the regenerative properties of yoga at a slow and steady pace. Elizabeth is passionate about clearing and creating space so that the body can access its own innate blueprint for healing. Elizabeth would like to share Yin Yoga, Yoga Nidra, Trauma Informed Yoga and Daoist practices with the world. Elizabeth is a Certified Feng Shui Practitioner who is grateful to have completed her YTT 200 Training with Jen Capps and Yin with Kari Kwinn through Kindness Yoga in Denver, Colorado in 2018. Elizabeth lives in the Mile High City with her husband and dog. Follow Elizabeth on Instagram @Elizabethteng7.
Emily Weiss started practicing yoga in 2011 to calm and find an outlet during grad school. Since then, it has become an integral part of her exercise and spiritual routine. Coming from a background in community change and social work, Emily uses the power of the mind-body connection to bring us closer as a community. She believes in the power of the mind to heal, and has found that Yoga has brought her strength both inside and out. Her classes will focus on flow and alignment.
Erika Beaton received her 200 hour Yoga Instructor certification from Jai Yoga Arts in Brooklyn, NY and has furthered her training with 100 hours of Restorative Yoga Instructor training through Pure Yoga.
She strives to create a nurturing environment that supports personal growth within your practice – however best serves you. She hopes you will take the fortune cookie epiphanies that you find through your practice out into the world and bless others with your yoga-found wisdom.
In her spare time you will find her drawing, painting, reading,or any number of things that nurtures her own personal growth and feeds her soul.
For Estella Moore (MS E-RYT 200), yoga is about “empowering through connection.” A musician with a love for conscious, healthy living, she weaves these passions into her playful, yet grounded classes. Her teaching style stems from a scientific background and over fifteen years of experience teaching the young and old. She challenges her students to cultivate their body, mind, and spirit through the gifts of mindfulness, and incorporates alignment, strength building, and intelligent sequencing to help ensure longevity of the practice. While each journey is unique, she has first-hand experience in the transformative nature of the practice, and hopes to help her students truly live their yoga. Estella teaches a variety of yoga styles, and is a certified facilitator in the Integrative Amrit Method of Yoga Nidra through the Amrit Yoga Institute. In addition to being an Experienced Registered Yoga Teacher, Estella is an Adjunct Professor for Environmental Science, and also teaches ecology workshops. When Estella isn’t teaching, she is out on a backcountry adventure with her family in wild places, adding to the five hundred plus river miles that her spirited five-year-old has accumulated so far.
Haley Bowden started out doing Bikram yoga in 2015 and slowly moved to power Vinyasa yoga. With a background as a college athlete working out has always been second nature. Finding yoga has given her the love of exercise and mindfulness all in one. After moving to Denver in February she decided to take this love of yoga to a career. Finishing her 200 hour training November 2018 in power Vinyasa she strives to help her students learn and grow into new depths of mindfulness and strength in their practice.
Haley Diltz gravitated toward yoga after becoming a neuro critical care nurse to bring balance to the stressful, chaotic lifestyle. In that space, she found more than just balance, in addition came inspiration, peace, gratitude and healing. After attending her first yoga retreat in Thailand in 2016, her commitment to her personal practice strengthened evolving into a year long journey on the path to teacher training. Haley completed her 200 hour teacher training at Marianne Wells Yoga School LLC. in Costa Rica in 2017. As a current practicing nurse, she is passionate about the importance of self-care. Haley aims to fill her classes with compassion and love through human connection, harvesting a space for growth.
Hamilton Nickloff began his Yoga journey seven years, ago as a means to connect with and improve self. Dark clouds had rolled over his life and having studied psychology, anthropology and philosophy in college as a way to understand others, the journey inwards eluded him. Yoga and Meditation offered that path. Having completed his YTT in 2016 to dive deeper, Hamilton now combines and utilizes all his past and current education to assist others in that same journey within. You will find nuances of each of his studies in each class as he guides you through various styles of asana, pranayama and mindfulness meditations, including Yoga Nidra, often accompanied by carefully crafted playlists designed to deepen the experience with self. His passion for learning is second only to his passion to share with you the knowledge he has acquired.
Hannah Campbell reflects on her practice: “Yoga was introduced to me as a child by my father. The practice of yoga taught me many things, but patience and gratitude were the most predominant among them all. Since becoming a yoga alliance certified yoga instructor in 2012, I have been teaching asana for the last three years with the intention to guide my students from less stress and suffering, to a deeper well-being and self awareness.”
Ilene Solomon is trained and rooted in the Dharma Yoga style (of Dharma Yoga in Austin, TX). Her classes combine traditional yoga asana with the wisdom of Buddhist dharma. Her fluid Vinyasa style inspires students to connect to their breath, body, and heart. As a Licensed Clinical Social Worker, Ilene draws upon elements of trauma-informed practices and empowerment approaches to encourage students to reflect on, and open up to, deeper levels of their being. Completing two 200-hour Yoga Teacher Trainings, and two Trauma-Informed Yoga Teacher Trainings, Ilene’s intention as a teacher is to facilitate a safe space where students discover and tap into the peace, strength, and radiance that we all have within. Students will walk away with the challenge to extend their practice of yoga beyond the walls of the studio…and then hopefully share about their transformation at the next class!
Jamie Kuttenkuler started yoga to complement training for half marathons and other running events. She found so many benefits from yoga that she quickly replaced running with a daily yoga practice. Jamie’s first love was hot yoga, and she completed her 60-hour Yoga Pod Hot Teacher Training & Immersion in December, 2015. She enjoyed teaching so much that she completed her 200-hour certification with Kindness in December, 2016. Jamie’s classes are alignment-focused and fun. She loves connecting with her students and encouraging them to breathe through a difficult pose. Jamie lives in downtown Denver with her husband and mini-schnauzer Madchen. When she’s not practicing yoga, you can find her reading, playing her bass guitar, or enjoying one of the many outdoor activities available in the area.
Janie Gianotsos is an RYT-500 and certified Amrit Desai IAM Yoga® facilitator. In Janie’s classes, you’ll explore mindful sequences and receive thoughtful guidance, sprinkled with stories, themes and a chance to challenge yourself. Janie’s Yoga Nidra classes allow you to experience deep relaxation by focusing on sensations in your energy body through proven and ancient methods. Everyone can experience Yoga Nidra and you can’t do it wrong; simply relax and listen. Whether you attend Nidra, Vinyasa, Yin, Restorative or a blended class, you’ll be guided to go deeper into your journey of the self, through the self and to the Self.
Jayla Billadeau, RYT 200 HOT yoga, She began practicing yoga as another form of exercise and quickly discovered yoga is more about the mind than the body. While navigating struggles with anxiety and depression, the HOT series was one of few places she felt fully empowered. Through a strong desire to provide the same safe place for others, Jayla’s HOT series is a challenging, empowering, and therapeutic journey, designed to pull you out of the day to day and into YOU. “All you need is faith and trust, and a little bit of Pixi dust” – Peter Pan
Jessica Gildea has always been attracted to what moves her physically and emotionally. Swimming and dance dominated her life as a child, and so did watching SNL… as an adult, not much has changed! Now a 200RYT, she incorporates dance and a sense of humor into classes. B.K.S. Iyengar wrote the Light on Yoga, not the Dark on Yoga! She makes classes as light, fun and community based as possible, accessible to everyone, no matter your background. She weaves elements of dance, hula, Qigong and Reiki into class. To Jessica, yoga means being present, in mind and in body, no matter what your shapes look like. In Jessica’s classes, you’re sure to have some fun!
Jessica Jarosinski began practicing yoga in 2006, at the ripe and wide age of 16. Since then, her practice has continually opened her up to herself in new and meaningful ways. She believes this is the power of coming onto the mat: reconnecting with the self. She received her RYT-200 hour certification in 2014 and has taught in a variety of settings ever since. Her purpose in every class is to help you get to know and fall in love with yourself again, over and over. Every time you hop, step, and roll onto your mat is an opportunity to engage in self-exploration and self love. Jess believes there are endless ways to fall in love with yourself on the mat, and she hopes to help you discover as many ways as possible. When she’s not on the mat she’s probably dancing alone in front of her mirror, laughing and crying with her friends about love and life, and going to bed early, Namaste!
Jordan Gibbons says, “For me, the majority of my twenties were spent reflecting on who and what I wanted to be. While this exploration was important, it wasn’t until I dove head first into yoga that I truly was able to connect to myself and see a greater path to follow. After years of disconnect within my work and personal lives, this practice helped me to develop a consistent and powerful conversation between the mind and body. Yoga has taught me to concentrate on self-love, self-care and has forever changed my past competitiveness. As someone who has always appreciated sports, I knew early on that simply showing up to your mat, was all it took to win. Once my mind was freed from always striving to be the best, there was nothing, but space to breathe, flow and strengthen the body along with the mind.
This practice has guided me to my truest self, and I strive to motivate and inspire those I practice with, both as a teacher and a student. I encourage others to show up with a beginners mindset as we all have so much to learn. In my classes, I will cultivate the use of focus and breath to fuel and strengthen the body and mind. I believe that what we cultivate on our mat can greatly serve us off of our mat, setting us up to flow more fluently through our lives. Bring your smile, your breath, and be ready to sweat. I look forward to growing on our mats together!”
Jordan Sagisi discovered yoga in the hustle and bustle of New York City as a way to find relief from a fast-paced lifestyle and career. At first, he came to the mat to calm his mind and relieve stress and anxiety, but over time his yoga practice has evolved into an essential part of his life. What began as a physical exercise gradually turned into an exploration of healing, both of body and mind.
Jordan recently moved to Denver in 2018 after fourteen years in New York City. His current practice is dedicated to easing stressors both internal and external, and he seeks to share that relief with others. In class, you can expect a grounding, steady flow to build confidence physically and soften the sharp angles of the mind.
Jorge Michovich says, “I came to yoga through p90x in 2009. I got injured doing their extreme workouts and the only workout I could do while injured was yoga. This type of yoga workout was called yoga X, and through this DVD, I began discovering the power of yoga. I finally recovered and started the workouts again, but yoga never left my mind. My curiosity led me to take Bikram Yoga in 2012, and eventually Yoga Teacher Training in 2016.
I teach fundamental yoga in both hatha and vinyasa styles. My classes consist of classical themes, precise cueing, and dialogues. Instruction is derived from the tales, myths, folklore and belief systems of the Indian Subcontinent in Asia. My classes dive back in time to an epoch when myths were current events and legend was fact. Additionally, during the time spent doing yoga at one of my classes you will be challenged to explore your anatomy and learn how to keep you body safe and injury free while reaching amazing levels of strength and flexibility.”
Karly Rocha started yoga as a form of exercise but then realized it’s so much more. She found yoga to be healing. Yoga is her medicine. Movement is her medicine. It’s a creative outlet for her. She lets her body guide her practice. For her, yoga is a moving meditation. Her flows are fluid and almost dance-like.
Karly completed her Vinyasa teacher training through Kindness Yoga but she continues to be a student to the practice. She is deeply grateful for her teachers Jordan Smiley and Jen Capps. She wants to help others use the tools of yoga and pranayama to move inward and to move through the world with love and peace. Yoga helped her let go of past conditioning and she wants to help others do the same.
Kate Edelstein loves the mysteries and magic inherent in the shared human experience. Her passion for exploration and her innate knowing of divine, universal connectedness led her to yoga. She graduated from the 200-hr Yoga Teacher Training with Axis Yoga Trainings (Denver, CO) in June 2016. In her yoga classes Kate loves to share a space of gratitude for the unmatched present moment. She loves to observe the changes that evolve within us as we further our Yogic journeys, and she is a firsthand beneficiary of the mental and physical effects of Yoga practice. Yoga classes with Kate offer deep acceptance of all things! She’s excited to rejoice in presence with you in class!
Kate Kelly completed her 200 hr Classical Hatha Yoga certification in 2012 with Harmony Yoga. She enjoys teaching Gentle Hatha Yoga in a small group, neighborhood setting where every student feels welcome. Her teaching style is to design classes where students leave with that “yoga goodness” feeling — renewed, refreshed, peaceful. After growing up and attending college in Illinois, Kate has been a resident of Park Hill for over 15 years. She has a career in the Consumer Products Goods industry, is a mother to 3 tween / teens that attend neighborhood schools, and has been married to her husband Ben for 20 years. In addition to yoga, Kate enjoys skiing, cheering on her kids in various sports, and therapeutic “walk and talks” with best girlfriends in the neighborhood.
Keely Yang took her first yoga class in 2010 while attending university in Boulder and immediately fell in love with the practice, feeling how it could open up the body and relieve stress like she had never experienced before. Although she was first hooked by the physical benefits that yoga offers, she learned over time that it’s when we bring our practice off the mats and into the world that the transformation truly begins to occur in all aspects of our lives, leading to more mindful, compassionate thoughts and actions. With a background of 200-hour Ashtanga YTT in India and a 200-hour Vinyasa YTT in Costa Rica, Keely continues to share her knowledge and love for the practice in hopes of igniting the same change in people’s lives that yoga has given her. Her classes focus on proper alignment, dynamic sequencing, as well as ways to bring your yoga practice into your everyday life.
Kelsey Foster began her yoga journey during a time of turmoil and tragedy. Through her practice, she was able to find grounding and hope in times of trouble. As her practice developed, she grew with it. After practicing for 5 years, Kelsey enrolled in teacher training in the hopes of sharing this sacred, life-changing practice with anyone who wants to learn more. With a background in massage therapy, Kelsey’s classes are focused on alignment and safety. She wants this practice to accessible to everyone and wants her students to feel supported and empowered to move freely and confidently both on and off their mats.
Laurel Klafehn is a Denver native who received her RYT 200 Hour training in Cahuita, Costa Rica with Yoga with a View in 2015, where she learned and stretched with 8 other bad ass women for four weeks. Her flows are playful but focused, and her restorative practices are juicy and thoughtful. She enjoys curating soundtracks infused with old school soul and contemporary R&B to inspire organic movements and marinating relaxation. At this point in her practice and in her teaching, yoga is all about taking time for yourself and providing the space, the time, and the creativity to move in the ways your body craves. She believes in welcoming people with every type of body and every type of background to the yoga mat, and for that reason, feels that Elevate is the ideal place to teach and practice. She is proud and humbled to be a member of the Elevate community and hopes you’ll join her for her early morning flow and her Sunday night “Slow Jams” flow to restore.
Lauren Schmidt is a life-long student of yoga and is dedicated to the rehabilitation of feminine balance on this planet. She found yoga in 2009, originally practicing as a form of exercise, and quickly realized that it holds so many treasures for healing and transformation.
After exploring different yoga styles and somatic movement therapies she enrolled at the Nosara Yoga Institute in Costa Rica in January 2016. Her offerings are inclusive of all levels, in hopes of making the benefits of the practice accessible for all. She loves helping those who are ready to evolve and restore their connection to their innate wisdom and body consciousness through breath and movement.
Lili Vior was born in Baracoa, Cuba. She found yoga at 20, when she needed it most, finding herself in a Traditional Bikram yoga space, falling in love with the clarity she received in Savasanna (for example the clarity to end an abusive relationship). After a series of eye opening moments and a near death experience, she found the practice helped her deal with depression & anxiety and find greater self awareness and love of self. She embarked on a journey to Rishikesh, India where after two months of intensive training she received her 500 hrs in Hatha and Ashtanga yoga. India opened her to a connection to a higher power she had never felt before and with that a purpose to spread love and the knowledge of the practice to all. Lili is a life long learner and is her happiest when she is learning new things and teaching them to others. She recently completed another 200hr Vinyasa, as she fell in love with Vinyasa yoga. Lately her practice and teaching revolves around empowerment, theming her classes on the importance of staying intentional, committed to breath and engagement at all levels of the practice. She strives for balance between physical and energetic cuing. Lili currently lives in Denver, she really likes it here, with her angel of a hubby.
For the past 10 years, Marisol Cruz has practiced yoga for its profound healing and revelatory qualities. She believes that yoga is a tool for gaining a deeper understanding of ourselves and the way we relate to the world. In her classes, Marisol focuses on pranayama breathing exercises and vinyasa practice to guide students through their own personal experiences.
When she is not practicing yoga, Marisol dedicates her days to serving the community through her nonprofit work. She lives in Denver with her husband and young son.
Mary Lynn Hankins started practicing yoga in 2011 to help her with her chronic pain of scoliosis and to help with her performance as a lacrosse player at the University. After seeing and feeling all of the physical benefits yoga offered her, the spiritual side of yoga naturally followed. As a college graduate with a background in Exercise Science, Holistic Medicine, Massage Therapy and her current studies in Physical Therapy; Mary Lynn’s main focus is on restoring and rejuvenating our mind and bodies from daily stressors. She believes that the mind, body, and spirit are all directly connected and likes to incorporate them all within each practice.
I’m Michelle Smith. I was born & raised in Quito, Ecuador, a product of a bilingual household.
My goal is to create a safe place, to inspire my students to listen and connect with their bodies through intention, meditation, pranayama and asana. With a good musical selection, of course!
Molly Green brings 15 years of acupuncture and bodywork practice, 12 years of regular meditation practice, and a lifetime of playful curiosity about moving the body, to her yoga teaching. Her yoga journey began in 2006. Molly offers unwavering presence, humor, and precise instruction where people can explore not only the benefits of syncing up breath with movement, but also the experience of surrendering to a practice that reveals one’s true luminosity. She believes that when we start to experience the immediate and long term benefits of regular yoga practice, our entire life transforms into the greatest miracle that it is meant to be!
Monique Meadows is a yoga instructor, herbalist, and student of environment and film. She has danced in the enchanting realms of herbalism and yoga for most of her life. Growing up intertwined in the cultures of the U.S. and Southern Germany has been a rich cultural guide for Monique to draw upon indigenous plants and traditional remedies. She has traveled extensively and draws upon indigenous wisdom of the planet and herbalism from regions like Latin America, Europe, and Asia. Through this knowledge, yoga and holistic healing are integrated to ensure deep healing and activation in every class. She values both the physical and spiritual aspects of yoga and believes a balance between the two is essential. Monique creates a playful, spiritual, light, and supportive environment for students of all levels. With conscious attention to both body and breath and a strong emphasis on awareness, she guides students towards their inner beings. An eternal student, she is excited to share and help weave the vibrant threads of her knowledge and your own unique knowledge to formulate the beautiful fabric of free movement, connection, self-care, and self-love nourished at Elevate Yoga.
Morgan Seibel has been practicing yoga for over a decade and has committed herself to sharing her burning passion of yoga with others. She is a Yoga Alliance-certified 200 hr teacher, a kids yoga teacher, and is furthering her education by pursuing a 500 hr certification. Morgan’s classes build heat in the body, challenge students to find new edges, and most importantly teach her students to unite with their own voices and breath. Morgan believes from deep inside herself that together, we can make the world a better place, one OM at a time. She encourages her students to take the lessons of their yoga practices out into their everyday lives and interactions.
Natalie Tafoya discovered the magic of yoga in 2008 after devoting the majority of her life to multiple sports, most notably soccer. She became hooked when she discovered that yoga was not just a physical practice, but a practice that involved and nourished all aspects of her humanness: physical, mental, emotional, and mystical. Through her ongoing personal practice and study of yoga, she develops new ways of approaching, processing, healing and growing from each life experience, which naturally becomes both the anchor and source of inspiration as she guides others with a hope that they too can discover the treasures that lie within the practice of yoga and themselves. Natalie completed her 200-hour yoga instructor training at Samadhi Center for Yoga and is Yoga Alliance certified.
Nikki Cline began practicing yoga in 2009 as part of a well rounded exercise program. While she expected to change physically, she was not anticipating the immense emotional, mental, and spiritual transformation that would fuel her personal passion for yoga as well as her desire to teach. After shedding 80 lbs. and experiencing the joy, peace, and healing that yoga brought to her life, she became a 200-hour Yoga Alliance Certified yoga instructor at the Shambhava School of yoga at the Shoshoni Ashram. Nikki is currently furthering her yoga education in Kindness Yoga’s 500 hour yoga teacher training program. Nikki’s classes combine her fun and playful personality with the transformative elements of yoga so that each student leaves class feeling authentic, aware, and alive.
Noelle Eichholtz was first introduced to yoga through a community center class during mother-daughter bonding time back in 1996. From the first pranyama she was hooked. Introduced to classical style yoga taught from a classically trained yogini from India the theme has continued. From taking classes at community centers, gyms, videos at home in her living room, outside in a park, and on to yoga studios, her love of the deep profound essence of yoga has brought her to share her love and passion for the practice. Her main focus on styles that bring the student into quiet stillness and calms the chaos of the mind. By merging the physical body and the spirit essence of ourselves and bringing them into balance Noelle hopes to bring about a peaceful acceptance of our true nature. In 2013 she graduated from Samadhi Center for yoga and meditation with her 200 hr teacher training and is currently working expanding on her Yoga Nidra and Yin teacher trainings and teaching children to encourage the world to bring calm to the chaos.
Polina Rikoun is dedicated to life-long learning and teaching, and has worked in higher education for many years. She was led to yoga and meditation by her desire to relieve work-related stress for herself and others, and to help her students function at peak capacity in the demanding university setting. She trained at the Amrit Yoga Institute in Florida and Well Heart Yoga School in Maine, where she discovered that the true power of yoga went far beyond her boldest hopes. Her classes explore yoga as a harmonious, mutually supportive interplay of polarities, encouraging students to balance movement and stillness, effort and relaxation, passionate commitment and light-hearted play—on the mat and beyond.
Samantha Baron found her way to yoga in high school due to a career ending snowboarding injury. With an in-depth and first-hand knowledge of sports injuries, Samantha has a style that focuses on the students’ unique needs. Over the years she has practiced a variety of yoga styles and found her calling with teaching Vinyasa and Yin Yoga. Samantha completed her 200 RYT at Kindness Yoga in Denver and volunteer teaches with Yoga For the People and Colorado Freedom Project.
Vinyasa has been Sheilah Troiano’s passion since her first introduction to yoga. After being a student for one full year, her instructor suggested she gets herself trained and certified so she can share her love of yoga. She got certified with YogaFit founded by Beth Shaw. She has since completed YogaFit levels 1, 2, 3 and Kids Yoga. She has been instructing yoga lovers now for 14 years. She firmly believes yoga is a form of self-expression and a gift to mankind.
Sophie Dila believes that life has infinite possibilities, and she invites her students to explore all the edges and beyond. Both grounding and uplifting, Sophie’s vinyasa classes blend movement and breath, challenge and restoration, direction and creativity… This is your adventure! You are encouraged to approach the practice as a mindful moving meditation, drawing you closer to the undeniable strengths of your unique self. Sophie completed her 200-hour teacher training at Kindness Collective in 2015 and an Ashtanga Intensive at the Yoga Workshop in early 2016, and she is grateful for the many wonderful teachers she has studied with along the way.
Stephanie Fernandez became certified through El Paso’s Casa de Yoga’s RYT 200 hour teacher training program in January 2014. She originally came to yoga to increase flexibility and reduce injuries from half marathon and triathlon training. Yoga provided a complete mind-body-spirit experience and a sense of balance that translated on and off the mat. Stephanie was inspired to share the practice of yoga with others. Her intention is to help students achieve focus and serenity while offering a fun and challenging practice for yogis of all ages. She enjoys bringing yoga to corporate offices and parks as well as to your neighborhood studio.
