After taking her first yoga class, Kris immediately felt the positive way in which yoga affected her body and mind. She completed her teaching certification at Hot Yoga in the summer of 2006 in order to be able to share the mentally and physically healing effects of yoga with others. She strives to make all of her classes a positive and welcoming environment for everyone in the class regardless of physical ability or skill level. Kris emphasizes the importance of making a student’s yoga practice and their mat a safe haven where they are allowed challenge themselves mentally and physically without judgment. Connection to breath, listening to one’s own body and laughter are all encouraged in her classes. She has continued her training in vinyasa and yogic philosophy with teachers: Amy Weintraub, Dharma Mittra, Rod Stryker, John Friend, Shiva Rea, Neva Ingalls, Gary Kraftsow, and Gurmukh Kaur Khlasa.

Connie received her yoga certification from HOT YOGA in June 2007.  Connie earned her Master's of Fine Arts degree in Dance with a concentration in Performance and Choreography from the University of Maryland, College Park.  She is a certified personal trainer from the National Academy of Sports Medicine and is also certified in Pilates Mat and Standing Pilates from the PhysicalMind Institute.  Connie currently is a professor at George Washington University and is the Associate Artistic Director of Dana Tai Soon Burgess & Company.

Gail Harris has been teaching yoga for over 26 years. She began her practice in 1974. In 1978 she went off to Canada and became certified as a Sivananda Yoga instructor. Gail has always had a vigorous teaching style and found herself drawn to Ashtanga in 1994. After taking a number of workshops with nationally recognized teachers such as Richard Freeman, Gail made Ashtanga her primary practice. Gail has studied directly with Pattabhi Jois on his last three world tours in New York as well as senior Ashtanga teachers Dena Kingsberg and Lino Miele. “What I find appealing with an Ashtanga practice is the opportunity for the mind to gel with the body and become suspended, even while the body works. Eventually, with practice, one can have a strong physical workout while the mind is still. Ashtanga, simply put, is "meditation in motion."

Gopi Kinnicutt is an Experienced Registered yoga teacher with the Yoga Alliance (ERYT 200). She lived in an ashram for 8 years where she studies and taught Indian Philosophy in-depth, vegetarian cooking, ayurveda and mantra meditation. She is the founder of Yoga Mandali in Saratoga Springs NY, she has been practicing yoga for more than nine years and has been teaching since 2002. She first trained in Astanga Vinyasa, she further trained extensively with Shiva Rea and has recently completed an advanced training with Ana Forrest. Through her personal practice and experience, Gopi has developed her own unique teaching style. She takes her students into a dynamic multi-dimensional flow, breaking through rigidity and stiffness; she infuses her classes with penetrating mantras and breath work. She addresses individual’s needs and limitations, creating a safe environment for her students, guiding them through physical, emotional and spiritual dimensions.

Susan Hanan, received her training at "Be Yoga" in New York City under Alan Finger, co-founder of Yoga Works. She is known for teaching creative, energetic flow classes that focus on breath awareness and alignment. Susan took her first yoga class in 1998 and knew immediately that it was a practice she wanted to continue with. She loves the challenge of vinyasa flow, which balanced with the strength and grace of the practice provide the ability to transform oneself both physically and spiritually. Susan believes yoga to be an integral healthy part of our everyday lives and strives to share that with her students. As much as she enjoys teaching her own students, she enjoys her personal practice and continually learning from other teachers. Susan grew up in Virginia, graduated from George Mason University and then moved to New York where she worked for a number of years in publishing and sales promotions, before becoming a full-time mom to her three sons. After receiving her teaching certification she began offering classes in her hometown of Larchmont, NY. She and her husband recently moved their family back to the DC area where Susan now teaches exclusively at Hot Yoga. She has been influenced over the years by many knowledgeable teachers such as Beryl Bender Birch, Tias Little, Ana Forrest and Baron Baptiste.

Toya Hill, 200 RYT

Toya believes that yoga should be accessible to all people.  As a graduate of Hot Yoga Teacher Training, Toya was drawn to the flowing postures and playful spirit of Vinyasa.  Her classes incorporate the flow of Vinyasa with a focus on alignment and a deeper awareness of the mind, body and spirit.  Toya holds certification through Yoga Alliance.  When not teaching yoga, Toya spends her time working as a Physical Therapist, traveling, or spending time with family.  Toya loves to teach and is grateful of every opportunity to share her time and energy with others

Sabrina Huffman

Sabrina’s been teaching fitness and wellness classes around the DC area on a part-time basis for over 15 years.  After attending some yoga classes at a fitness convention way back when, she knew she wanted to know more.  Her study and practice gradually deepened as the years passed, dabbling in a several systems along the way including Iyengar, Astanga, and Anusara, until Hot Yoga hooked her on vinyasa.  In 2006 she retired from her day job with the World Bank to devote her energies full-time to teaching and studying yoga.  She credits her two young children for inspiring her to follow her heart, and to embrace life’s challenges with as much presence and humor as possible!  Sabrina enjoys working with all levels of experience, with adults as well as children, bringing to each setting a dedication to nurturing the inner wisdom of all beings.  She has a special interest in bringing yoga to children with disabilities, and using yoga as therapeutic alternative to addressing structural and energetic imbalances in the body.
Sabrina holds a Master of Health Science degree from Johns Hopkins School of Public Health, and a Master of Arts in French Studies from The American University. She completed her yoga teacher training with Hot Yoga USA (RYT 200), and maintains a general fitness certification through the American Council on Exercise.  In her spare time, she enjoys reading, cooking, knitting (at least trying to!), and sharing time with friends and family.

Sandy Kavalier
Sandy began practicing yoga in 2000 as part of physical therapy after a bicycle accident. She studied the Iyengar style yoga and for the first time in her adult life she learned to stand straight and move in alignment.
Looking for more movement in her yoga practice, she fell in love with vinyasa style yoga and completed teacher training at Hot Yoga in 2005. When she first experienced the energized calm after a vinyasa yoga practice, she couldn’t wait to return to her mat.
Her primary focus in teaching is taking the beginner on a safe journey, learning the alignment of the asana and enjoying the benefits. She wants her students to feel the release of a healthy stretch, the energy created from vinyasa flow and the calm effects of moving with the breath. 

Amberlynn Mathis-O’Melia
Daily yoga practice has been transformational in Amberlyn's life and has provided a tool for knowing and accepting herself more completely. As a teacher, she hopes to share with her students the experience of being fully alive and in the present moment. She invites individual exploration of the body, breath, mind, and heart as she believes that each student is their own best teacher and that through the practice of yoga, all aspects of the self can be unified. Amberlyn enjoys working with students who are uncertain about what yoga can offer them, students just beginning their journey into yoga, students interested in the therapeutic applications of yoga, and students looking to experience their practice more fully. Through careful attention to the body, her teachings offer a safe opportunity to balance and heal.

Amberlyn has a M.A. in psychology and is currently pursuing a doctoral degree in clinical psychology. She attempts to integrate the knowledge of modern psychology with the ancient wisdom of yoga and views both sets of teachings as opportunities for diminishing suffering and understanding the human condition. She completed her 300 Hour Teacher Training at HOT YOGA.

Andrew McAuley
Andrew took his first steps down the path of yoga at the age of 17. He fell in love with the spiritual aspects of the practice and focused his studies of life’s higher purpose and personal growth, finding a strong appreciation for the teachings of Hinduism, Buddhism and Taoism. At 26, Andrew was inspired to increase his knowledge and personal practice of yoga. It was this spark that led him to Flow Yoga in Leesburg, VA where he studied under Kate Vickers and Rochelle Traupe in order to achieve his 200+ hr yoga teaching certification in Power Vinyasa. Andrew owns his own massage therapy practice, Shakti Pat: Center for Conscious Living, where he has cultivated a familiarity with Anatomy and Physiology that allows him to better honor and respect the state of the body during yoga practice. Andrew is now a newly appointed member of the teaching faculty at Hot Yoga in D.C. His ongoing adventure down the path of yoga has led him to explore his 500+ hr certification through Shiva Rea's Prana Vinyasa Flow™ Teacher Training.
Andrew’s first rule for teaching is compassion. He works hard to create a sense of fellowship and community in his classes. He welcomes the opportunity to lead students of any level into a deeper realization of their personal journey through yoga. He believes that the harmonious connection between the physical and spiritual self created through the action of yoga gives us balance, which we can incorporate into our fast paced, day-to-day lives. When you come to one of Andrew’s classes, expect to be greeted with distinct laughter and a warm smile. His classes embark on a creative journey of the Prana Vinyasa Flow™, but don’t forsake the simplicity of the foundations of asana. If you want a class where you can explore the infinite potential of the human experience from the safety and security of your yoga mat, allow Andrew to be your guide. Be Inspired!

Trish Nakano

Trisha began practicing yoga while living in Japan eight years ago. Her yoga practice deepened her first years of teaching in a DC Public School where she used yoga first as an escape and then as a method to help children (and herself!) with stress in the classroom. In 2005, Trisha studied at the Nosara Yoga Institute with Don and Amba Stapleton in Costa Rica and recently returned to be an assistant instructor in their teachers' training. She has studied with Shiva Rea, the Ashtanga Yoga system, and Integrated Movement Therapy for children and is also a holistic health counselor. Combining her passion of yoga, education, children and nutrition, Trisha is now the Wellness Coordinator at a public charter school. Through breath, movement and meditation, she hopes to inspire her students to their own inquiry of yoga and find a deeper connection to themselves.

Simone Meyer is a certified Yoga teacher. She received her Raja Ashtanga Yoga Teacher Training Certificate at Focal Point Yoga and Health Center from Elena Case. Since then, Simone has worked with Dharma Mittra and John Schumacher. She has taken classes at Kripalu and now teaches at HOT YOGA. Simone has always had a love for the grace and beauty in movement and health. At the age of 3 she started taking dance classes and gymnastics in Bern, Switzerland. She studied ballet when she moved to the US in 1987, and while living in Cambridge, MA working as an industrial Designer, discovered and fell in love Baron Baptiste’s world renowned Power Yoga style and has pursued both her personal practice as well as one shared through teaching ever since. Simone’s classes are very positive, loving, energetic and always with a smile.

Jessica Lazar began practicing yoga 12 years ago, while living and working in Israel . Daily life in a war zone drove Jessica and her husband to take class together every week, where they slowly explored the meditative mind for many subsequent years. The power of the practice took hold, and Jessica soon found herself on her mat many mornings. More than a decade later, Jessica is a daily practitioner of yoga, chanting, and meditation. Her yoga practice has given her a strong, flexible body, a calmer mind, and a deep sense of practice as prayer through prostration. Jessica believes the authenticity, wisdom and grace of the ancient practice is available to anyone who will get down on their knees to receive it from themselves. Through her teaching she finds great joy in empowering her students to be their own best teachers in living yoga. Jessica has a 200-hour yoga alliance certification from locally based Martha Lonergan, and is in frequent, ongoing training with Prana Vinyasa teacher, Shiva Rea. She has also studied extensively the Sivananda and Baptiste Power Vinyasa Yoga styles. Jessica has a masters in journalism from Northwestern University , and has worked as a reporter for a major daily newspaper, as a translator for Israeli publications, a teacher of English as a second language and as a documentary film research editor for National Geographic. Her most important job to date is that of mother to her two beautiful girls, ages three and five. Jessica currently lives in Chevy Chase with her family. Her decade in Israel blessed her with fluency in all aspects of modern Hebrew, which she loves to share through music and poetry in class

Alex received his kundalini yoga teacher certification in New Mexico studying under the late Yogi Bhajan. He has worked with many teachers including Dharma Mittra and John Schumacher. His main motivations are helping individuals explore their boundaries, overcome their limitations and find their way along the yogic path to health, inner peace and self-actualization. Alex also holds a BA in Political Science, Economics and Environmental Studies from McGill University in Montreal.

Michael Peter began his study of martial arts at age 14 in Taekwondo. He has since studied Hapkido, Judo, and from 1992 has focused on the study of Wing Tzun. He has trained in the United States and attended training seminars in Europe. Mike has helped open schools in Austin, Texas, and Boston, Massachusetts, and in general has helped promote the public awareness of the efficacy of Wing Tzun as a system of self defense. Mike began his yoga practice in 2002 in Austin, Texas, with Astanga. He has since studied Kundalini and Vinyasa flow, receiving his teaching certificate in Vinyasa flow at Hot Yoga. Though Mike's classes are a strict set of yoga postures, he uses his knowledge of body mechanics from yoga, martial arts and sports training to focus on the core framework of the human body to achieve a high level of physical and mental fitness.

Ashley is a native of Washington, DC, having grown up just blocks away from the studio. Ashley began practicing yoga in 1998 and completed her first teacher training an HOT YOGA in March of 2003 with Bentley Storm. Further trainings led her to Be Yoga in NYC with Carrie Parks to study Prenatal yoga and receive certification through YogaWorks in Santa Monica where she was influenced by her teachers Lisa Walford, Natasha Rizopoulos and Annie Carpenter. Other teachers that have profoundly impacted her practice and teaching are Shiva Rea, Lauren Peterson and Rod Stryker. Before studying yoga she was an advertising executive, jillaroo and graduate of Colgate University.

 

Susie Ryan

Susie began her yoga practice in the early 70's when Yoga Studio's weren't as ubiquitous as they are today. She embraces Yoga as the most holistic system for the entire body.  Simply put, asana practice isn't about using the body to get into a pose, but rather using the pose, in  conjunction with the breath, to get into the body.She was certified as a teacher with Yogi Bhekja,and has attended teacher workshops and training with many of the major Western Yoga Masters. She has also completed Teacher Training Part 1; a week intensive at Satchidananda Ashram in Yogaville with Jnani Chapman. to teach people who have cancer, or who are cancer survivors.Susie continues her practice and study with Shiva Rea's Prana Vinyasa Flow, Fluid Power, and Trance Dance Teacher Training programs.

John Stevens
John began practicing vipassana meditation in 1978 in Boston with Larry Rosenberg as his teacher. In 1979 he went to Asia and visited various monasteries and ashrams, and after 18 months decided to ordain as a Buddhist monk in Thailand. He practiced in Thailand for three years with a teacher named Ajahn Kow. In 1984 he stayed and practiced for 6 months at the Insight Meditation Society in Barre Massachusetts. Then in 1985 he went to England to live at the monasteries of Venerable Ajahn Sumedho, where he stayed and continued the monastic training and practice for 15 further years, until 2000. The guidance and teachings of Ajahn Sumedho and his teacher in Thailand, Ajahn Chah, often use the Buddha’s teachings on The Four Noble Truths, the Four Foundations of Mindfulness, Mindfulness of Breathing, as the lenses to reflect on how we create suffering for ourselves and others, in our mind and body experience. These teachings help us develop insights into the workings of one’s mental and physical processes and liberate us from the forces that bind. John left the monastic life and training in 2000, and took up life as a lay Buddhist, where he continued to practice meditation and do some teaching. He lived and worked in London, England until 2006 and then moved to the USA. He has lived in Washington DC since April 2007.  

Bentley is the founder of Hot Yoga and Hot Yoga School of Teacher Training. He is a Certified Yoga Instructor in the Power Vinyasa Yoga style and is a Hatha Yoga master. Bentley graduated from the Bikram College of India and studied vinyasa power yoga with Baron Baptiste. Before studying yoga he was a world-class modern pentathlete who trained and competed in Eastern Europe for six years while studying Bio-mechanics with Olympic Gold Medallists and their coaches. While at Columbia University, Storm was an All Ivy Champion and two-time All-American in Fencing (Epee). Columbia University recently inducted Storm into its "Sports Hall of Fame".

Marika Suval
Marika teaches an integrated form of Vinyasa Yoga, helping students of all levels to work with awareness and develop core strength and flexibility through carefully balanced movements and asanas. She began studying yoga in India in the early 90s, and successfully completed 200-hour Yoga Teacher Training certifications with Dr. Sushil Battacharya of Patanjali Yoga in Nepal and, more recently, with Hot Yoga in Washington, D.C. Her classes blend elements of Hatha and Vinyasa Yoga, VinPranayama (Breathing Techniques), Mudra (Energy Movement Techniques), application of Bandha (Energy Locks) and Shat Kriyas (Cleansing Techniques) into a meditative flow.


Alice Wylie
Upon taking her first yoga class, Alice immediately discovered what a natural and vital component yoga could become in her life.  She began teaching in 2004 after participating in Tranquil Space's Level I teacher training course and then completed her certification with the Hot Yoga 200 RYT course.  Alice hopes to share with her students the sense of empowerment, peace, and fulfillment that yoga has given her on and off the mat. She sees yoga as an embodiment of joyful, mindful, and meditative movement, much like dance.  Alice holds a B.S. in Ballet and French from Indiana University and has danced professionally with such companies as Ballet Austin, DanceSmith, and currently CityDance Ensemble with whom she has toured internationally.

Yoga is not simply a series of physical poses. It's a way to change the world, starting with yourself. It is a means of self-understanding and personal expansion. Stacy's single-minded goal is to help yoga practitioners and new students alike achieve the full physical, mental and spiritual potential of yoga. She pursues this through intense personal practice, study with numerous teachers (including David Swenson, Shiva Rea and Simon Park), and close reading of traditional yoga texts as well as the philosophy of teachers such as Krishnamurti and Thich Nhat Hanh. The singular insight from all these is that the path takes us places we wouldn't otherwise take ourselves. While there is one destination, the paths aremany and there is no one right or best. So whether you are someone who operates from a physical center, builds on a mental foundation, or anchors in spiritual potential, Stacy can help you build a richly textured and tailored practice. Through part of her ongoing classes and/or private lessons that allow you to move deeper into your personal practice, she looks forward to walking the path with you. (*Stacy has her 500 RYA certification and teaches throughout the DC Metro Area, including classes at the White House, SEC, and Metropolitan Club as well as Hot Yoga. She is currently launching an Ageless Yoga program with Hot Yoga geared specifically for adults in their late 40s, 50s and 60s).