Emma’s classes are sweaty, challenging and accessible, intelligently blending a vinyasa flowing class with clear verbal and visual execution of the body’s foundation and healthy alignment; always leaving time to spoil the body with yummy stretches, and a deep delicious savasana.

Her positive energy encourages her students to cultivate a practice that is personal and nourishing while exploring their edge, and her laid-back vibe allows one listen to their inner-teacher learning to accept from a place of gratitude. She believes the body has profound inner intelligence that we access during yoga practice to bring us self-awareness and comprehension that ultimately reveals our true core…pure love.

Ashtanga Vinyasa Yoga Instructor (CYT 200).

Luke studied Music, Psychology, and Political Science at Baldwin-Wallace College. After experimenting with sports all his life - swimming, soccer, all-state track athlete in high school, college volleyball player, crossfitter - he finally discovered his passion for yoga. He recently studied Ashtanga Vinyasa style with “Rocket” superstar David C. Kyle of It’s Yoga Puerto Rico. His focus is on helping students individualize the Ashtanga yoga system through practice and introspection, moving away from “this looks right” to “this feels right.” Students can expect to learn the foundations for a personal practice, and experience the physical challenges and discipline associated with Ashtanga Yoga. His ultimate goal is to help students feel empowered in their bodies and mindful in their lives.

Marshall is drawn to the divine practice of Ashtanga Yoga. Ashtanga blends a powerful sequence of asanas and breath to discover a life of personal awareness, endurance, and a quiet healthy mind.

Marshall began teaching in 2007 after studying at Tranquil Space in Washington, DC and was certified in Baton Rouge, Louisiana specializing in Ashtanga. In 2010, Marshall became a certified Rocket Teacher from the It's Yoga system of yoga, a progressive, free-flowing style based on the Ashtanga system that features poses ranging from the Primary Series to the more Advanced Series.

During class, Marshall encourages each student to embrace their own unique journey by gracefully finding stillness in the most challenging moments and being open to the transformation possible through the life-changing practice.

Mimi believes in encouraging and inviting students to push past their existing physical barriers to explore new fitness paths. Her yoga classes are based on both Ashtanga and Vinyasa yoga where the breath is synchronized with the movement. Attaining full body connectivity is paramount in Mimi’s philosophy of teaching where the student is linking the breath, the movement and the mind for an overall sense of strength, energetic power and wellbeing. Mimi is also trained in the Rocket Ashtanga Yoga system, a vibrant yoga series to renew energy and vitality in the body, Mimi is among a very few Rocket certified teachers in the U.S. She continues to train and travel to expand her teaching capabilities to share her love of the movement arts with her beloved students.

For more information on Mimi and her classes, please visit. www.purefitnessdc.com

Rob believes that yoga is more than just movement and breath. It is patience, kindness, and the ability to join our bodies and mind together into one harmonious experience.

Certified through Faith Hunter's - Embrace Your Flow YTT, Rob practices Vinyasa Yoga. With his knowledge of Asana (poses) and Pranayama (breath work), Rob's kind and gentle manner to teaching is well suited to leading students of all levels.

Robʼs classes emphasize clarity of alignment, a steady connection to the breath, and a mindful investigation of what qualities we are truly cultivating in our practice. He aspires to help Yogis develop the whole of their being, with an eye toward practices such as non-reaction, compassion, and contentment. As someone who understands the true difficulty of starting something completely new, Rob has the ultimate gift of guiding the beginners path.

Sarah began practicing yoga when chronic back pain led her to search for pain relief through increased strength and flexibility. Over the course of her twelve year practice she has become increasingly interested in asana, pranayama and meditation as tools for achieving a more balanced and graceful life and believes yoga is one of the best methods for dealing with the stress and demands of everyday life. Sarah strives to provide a space for learning, growth and experimentation and to convey how yogic principals learned on the mat can be incorporated into daily life. She hopes to demonstrate how finding the humor and grace in challenging poses can lead to increased awareness and poise in everyday life. Certified RYT-200 through ISHTA training at Thrive Yoga in Rockville, Maryland, Sarah also teaches at Thrive and through BFit Exercise and Nutrition in DC.

Sonja Kubota Johansson first encountered yoga and felt as if she were re-united with an old friend. Since then, a committed practice has helped her work through both emotional and physical pain. Sonja studied at Sivananda Yoga Vedanta Dhanwantari Ashram in India and has since completed two 200-hour teacher trainings, the second with Max Strom. As a teacher, Sonja emphasizes yoga as a physical, emotional and spiritually healing practice in a unifying, non-dogmatic way.

Whitney was first introduced to yoga during college, at the age of 17. She was immediately drawn to yoga, because of it’s ability to calm, focus, and strengthen her mind and body. Whitney did her 200-hour teacher training in 2007, and ever since then, she has been a dedicated student of yoga. Whitney has had the blessing to continue to study in subsequent years with many inspiring teachers. Styles of great interest and influence include Anusara, Ashtanga, Iyengar, Yin, and Shadow Yoga.

Whitney’s studies of yoga lead her to the incredible healing science of Ayurveda. She completed her certification as an Ayurvedic Yoga Specialist and Ayurvedic Lifestyle Consultant at Kripalu Center for Yoga and Health in 2011.

Whitney’s classes blend a slow and mindful vinyasa flow practice with an emphasis on alignment, bodily integration, breath awareness, and grounding. You will leave Whitney’s class feeling grounded and stable in your body and mind, while still having worked hard and sweat! Check out my blog at www.happybreathing.com.

Let’s play a game? Bob Dylan, Amy Winehouse, Jackson 5, and Allman Brothers – what do all of these musicians have in common? Probably all have been on the top 100, but more importantly they all exist on Mel’s class playlist! As diverse as the music blasting in the background, Mel’s “pilates-eque” class is a fusion of all things good - dance, pilates, yoga, barre, fusion, core, and anything else of the like. Always different, challenging, high energy, and most importantly fun - Mel’s dynamic combination of focused intervals, concentrated stretching, and fast paced class will leave you both simultaneously exhausted and excited for the day ahead. .

Mel earned a BSBA from Washington University in St. Louis, an MHA from Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, and completed her Pilates Teaching certification through Power Pilates in New York in 2009. While most of her days are spent in the healthcare consulting arena, she is continually refining her passion by learning from the experiences of each day, and hopes to pursue opportunities that integrate both traditional and holistic medicine.

Ryan came to the practice of yoga in the late 90's in search of self-healing. Moved by Spirit in his first class the spark that ignited in his heart quickly became a passionate flame. He has studied many forms of yoga with some of the most prominent yoga teachers of our time while living Los Angeles, CA over 13 years.

The unique Vinyasa Flow style of Southern California with its full spectrum of possibility and limitless creativity is what he loves to practice and teach. Infusing the grace and wisdom of his teachers with his own sense of humor and inner guidance Ryan offers his west coast flows in Washington DC. He is also skilled in several other healing arts such as therapeutic massage, energy-work, chi kung and meditation.

Ryans classes are meditative tests of strength at the edge of flexibility. Expanding awareness of our inner nature and promoting optimal integrated consciousness it is a workout for mind and body. Expect to be challenged and never expect the same thing twice.For more info on Ryan go to www.selflesslotus.com.