I found yoga in 2002 during a period of my life marked by a stressful job and the loss of my father. At the same time, I began doing Ashtanga Yoga and soon found that it was the only time that I felt truly present, able to hear myself, and feel what was going on inside my body. A few years later, I became pregnant with my first son and was excited not only to start the next chapter of my life, but also to commit more time to yoga. Being present in my body helped me become more present in every other aspect of my life.

Brooke has multiple teacher training certifications, including both the 200-hour Shri Yoga Teacher Training with Gina Marciano and the North Shore Yoga Training with Sharyn Galindo. Most recently, I completely my kids YTT, I love the influence of positive movement and breath on these little Yogis and I am so envious that they get this life long gift at such a young age!

Yoga is a part of my daily life, and it has changed my mind and my body. I look forward to each day when I can roll out my mat, unplug my mind and tap into my breath and my body. I am so lucky to be surrounded by such an amazing community of yogis!

Yoga has been a constant in my life over the past twenty years.  Initially drawn to it as means to build strength and gain flexibility, it has gradually become my way to find more balance, inner peace and focus.  Yoga challenges me to listen more, be patient, not take things so seriously or hold on too tightly.  It reminds me to move through each day with a little more awareness, gratitude and lightness.  It is this ever-changing journey that is yoga that keeps me coming to my mat.  As a teacher, I have been inspired by the connection shared with a close-knit community of students and fellow teachers.  I appreciate the unique opportunity to challenge, support, and learn from one another. 

Erika came to yoga eight months pregnant with her third child. As an active runner, she was unsure yoga could provide her all the benefits she found physically and mentally from running.

After a few short months (and a new baby), not only did yoga provide her space for physical challenge, but she understood why so many referred to a yoga mat as a magic carpet ride. She discovered that yoga has the ability to lift her up spiritually, physically, mentally and change her into a better version of herself.

Erika’s classes focus on proper alignment and helping her students find their inner strength as they practice to reap the full benefits of their individual practices. She helps her students discover that every time they practice is a new opportunity to explore theirselves leading to change and growth on and off the mat.

Emily started practicing yoga in 2001 after her third child was born.. ( she now has four) With three children 4 and under, she needed a space to find peace, balance, to breathe and to move. She quickly fell in love with all aspects of yoga from the rhythmic movement to the philosophy to the community. Emily completed her teacher training at North Shore yoga with Sharyn Galindo in 2019. Additionally, she has been teaching Pilates for 12 years and was certified through Balanced Body. She also has taught dance to children for many years. Emily loves teaching all populations. She loves working with people to help them move in a way that best suits them. She strives to help people gain strength, flexibility, mindfulness and a sense of empowerment through movement and breath. She is looking forward to being a part of the Reach community.

Emily Walker has been practicing yoga for over 25 years and teaching for 5 years. Always a student, she is continually inspired to deepen her own practice and knowledge of yoga as a physical and spiritual practice. Emily completed her RYT-200 at Shri Yoga Center and is certified in Guiding Meditation from Kripalu, where she is studying for a RYT-500 certification. Emily has explored several different yoga styles and learned from many teachers.

Emily’s classes strive to combine a traditional Ashtanga-based vinyasa style with creativity and lightness, and accessibility with challenge and balance. She encourages breath and alignment, movement and stillness, and believes the practice always offers students an opportunity to connect with body, mind and spirit.

How did you get into practicing yoga? I was a dancer most of my life. When I was in college I started practicing yoga as a way to strengthen my dancing. I fell in love with yoga when I realized how it healed me physically, but most of all, mentally.

What made you want to teach? I was unhappy with my job and was searching for something outside of the corporate world that had a deeper purpose. My personal yoga practice is so powerful for me, and I wanted to guide people to feel the same way about yoga.

What would you consider your yoga style? My love for music really drives my classes. Alignment, breath, and accessibility are things I like to focus on when I teach. I love that yoga is accessible to everyone, and I like to offer options for everybody.

What was one of the funniest or most humbling moments you’ve had while taking or teaching a class? Seeing my students get emotional during a savasana is insanely powerful. I have experienced that during my own practice, and it’s extremely humbling to be able to guide my students to feel an emotional release.

What is your favorite non yoga activity? Playing guitar and singing to my 1-year-old daughter

What’s on your playlist? You will always hear at least one song by Khruangbin on all of my playlists!

Coffee or tea? Coffee, always! My husband and I own Hexe Coffee Co. in the city!

Julie’s best friend encouraged her to take a yoga class when her children were babies, and she was immediately drawn to its healing and strengthening effects. After realizing that her mat was the place where she felt most herself, she decided to enroll in teacher training.

Julie earned her 200 RYT certification in 2007 with Sharyn Galindo at North Shore Yoga and has been teaching yoga to adults, children, and families ever since. Julie strives to create vinyasa flow classes that are truly a moving meditation (infused with a bit of humor from time to time). As a busy parent, yoga instructor, and schoolteacher, she loves that yoga is a fluid and ever-evolving practice that can be tailored to suit any time frame, mood or need. She is a perpetual student herself and is grateful be able to share this amazing practice that has benefited her life so much over the years.

When she is not on her mat, Julie is an aspiring DJ (in her own mind), dog walker, English teacher, chauffeur to two non-stop kids, and wife to her very patient husband.

Enthusiastic and deeply committed, Laura Merlo’s intention in teaching is to inspire others to connect with and express their greatest potential both on and off the mat.

Drawn to the full body strengthening, peace, and relaxation that she finds through the practice, Laura continues to come to her mat with an open mind and heart. After many years of running and weight training, yoga has allowed her to mentally and spiritually be more aware of her body in a way no other exercise has allowed.

Laura’s teaching style is constantly evolving and growing on a daily bases; her vinyasa flow classes include lots of movement, lots of breaths, lots of postures and always a perfectly curated playlist for the mood. She is also passionate as a wife, mother to her own 2 kids & cats, and anyone else who needs guidance, and owner of Reach Yoga. Laura hopes to express her love of yoga onto each and every student she teaches. Laura practices yoga everyday & has been practicing asana regularly for almost two decades.

Marla found her way to yoga after a long career as a school social worker. She soon realized that mind, body and spirit are interconnected and the practice has been instrumental in her own growth, both physically and emotionally. She believes that the lessons we learn on the mat can be applied to ones life.

Marla has been teaching yoga for the past 10 years and integrates both the asana and spiritual lessons into her classes. She enjoys connecting with her students and sharing her love for this practice. In addition, based on her own life experiences, she facilitates our grief and yoga program.

Meghan’s classes are intended to maintain a disciplined focus on breath awareness and alignment, with plenty of room for enthusiasm and fun moving, breathing, and rocking out together.  Drawing on various styles of yoga, meditation, and breathwork, each class and sequence is intended to challenge the focus, strength, balance and stamina of new and seasoned yoga practitioners, and to invite revelation and a little extra inner wisdom.  Meghan’s teaching is always informed by her personal practices, her ongoing learning, and her daily life with four kids and three labradors.

‘Yoga’ is changing!!! My intent when teaching yoga is to provide an environment where students can create space in their body and mind, find stillness, explore and discover full range joint mobility, and practice being present with ‘what is’. My classes are straight forward, mindful yet powerful, and lighthearted. I leave time for students to let their practice unfold.

I did not come to the mat knowing it would ever be this important to me. I was a tri-athlete and long distance runner, and believe that being physically active my whole life helps to complement and inform my practice and teaching.

I have had Rheumatoid Arthritis for over 30 years and my yoga and meditation practice have helped ease the difficulties of living with RA. I am passionate and compassionate in helping those with physical limitations find peace on their mat through their practice.

I received my L1 (2012) and L2 (2014) teaching certificates through Yogaview and am indebted to Tom Quinn, Quinn Kearney, Geri Bleier, Claire Mark and Megan Dunne Krouse. I have studied meditation with Elesa Commerce of The Deep Calm and taken in depth workshops with Jason Crandell, Rod Stryker, and Maty Ezraty. Most recently I am excited about strength, stability, and mobility in all of the joints. I completed a training with Cecily Milne of Yoga Detour in Jan of 2019 and am heading down this awesome path…come and join me!

Pam Miller began her yoga practice 10+ years ago, and from the start, wanted to go deeper. She immediately embraced the physicality of the practice, and soon became hooked on the total yoga philosophy. She quickly immersed herself in the yoga community where she learned the appreciation of a quiet mind, a place to breathe, and a shared experience.

In 2013, Pam deepened her passion by fulfilling her 200-hour teacher training at North Shore Yoga. Pam brings a thoughtful flow to her practice and is happiest when sharing it with others.

When Stephie stepped onto her mat for the first time in 2003, she had no idea that she would fall in love with the practice of yoga, let alone become a teacher! After years of boot camps, kick boxing, running and lifting weights she could not have guessed that a simple connection to her breath and body could be so transformative. With a passion for teaching (she was a classroom teacher in her previous life), Stephie’s goal is to always empower her students by giving them the tools and positive attitude necessary for achievement.

Stephie’s classes are well thought out, playful and challenging with an emphasis on alignment along with the breath/body connection Helping each student reveal the best version of themselves is why she loves teaching and continues being a student. She completed her 200 hour Yoga Alliance certification with Pam Udell and Lourdes Paredes in 20013 through House of Shanti. She has taken meditation courses, many workshops, a continuing-education course with House of Shanti in 2015 for another 30 hours.

Stephanie was a lawyer, marketing director, and marathon runner before she discovered yoga. Her connection to yoga was gradual, yet profound. Stephanie began doing yoga as a complement to running, but over time she found that yoga gave her much more. Her physical practice became a tool for grounding, reflection, and greater understanding of herself and others. Stephanie teaches because, despite her initial resistance, yoga is now essential to her life, and she hopes to share the many benefits of yoga with others (and lets people know it takes time and patience- but the rewards are great).

Stephanie’s classes are often vigorous, yet balanced, with equal focus on strength and stretch. Her sequences include key actions with attention to detail–often leading to a peak pose. Stephanie’s favorite time to teach (and practice) is at sunrise. Although she loves to talk students through arm balances and inversions, time to sit in silence is always offered.

Stephanie volunteers at the Cancer Wellness Center, Kellogg Cancer Center and also Midwest Palliative Care and Hospice. She teaches vinyasa flow classes at local studios, corporate yoga classes as well as private sessions. Stephanie holds level 200 (Moksha Yoga) and 500 (Yogaview) certifications. She continues to learn from her primary teachers at Yogaview.
She is registered with the Yoga Alliance at the 200-hour “experienced” level, and has completed a 500-hour training program.

“There is no place I feel more calm and at peace than on my yoga mat. I love losing myself in my vinyasa flow to awesome music, I LOVE being upside-down and I love being among my yogi friends. Yoga has brought me a sense of calm, peace and introspection that no other activity or exercise has shown me. I hope to be able to share that with all of my students and this experience is truly a gift!”

Yami, a Glencoe resident originally from Colombia, discovered her love for yoga in 2014 when she took her first yoga class and was captivated by its spiritual aspect and mental health benefits. This experience led her to complete her 200HR yoga teacher training with Forever Om Yoga, a Level One Journey Into Power with Baptiste Yoga, as well as training to become a Sound Meditation and Journaling facilitator. Yami believes that integrating these transformative mindfulness practices into your routine can have a positive impact on your well-being, fostering balance between mind, body, and soul.

Health and wellness have always been passions of Cheri’s. Coming from a competitive sports background followed by years of intense cardio workouts and running marathons, she reluctantly turned to yoga to nurse numerous aches, pains and injuries because she “shouldtry it”. After having a few “ah ha moments” she became hooked realizing her increase in strength, speed, patience and insight, far outreached the benefit of simply getting more flexible. Over the course of “aging” yoga has become an insightful journey to look inside to notice compensations physically and mentally and use that as opportunities to intentionally adjust and heal.

Her goal is to inspire others to pause and question why, trust themselves to seek out their edge without judgment, and explore subtle adjustments to redirect compensation patterns. Her classes are challenging yet accessible, while she offers guidance to mindfully build and feel each pose, while not letting go through dynamic movement and transitions. She loves to have students leave with the rewarding feeling of becoming intune with their bodies and take it into daily life of movement and living all life has to offer.

She holds the 200 hr RYT certified under the guidance of Jenny Kaufman and Sharyn Galindo at NorthshoreYoga as well as 300 hour course with Uplifted. Additionally she is a certified Health Coach through Institute for Integrative Nutrition, Brain Health Licensed Trainer with Amen University and continually seeks out workshops and experts to train under with fascia release and muscle activation, breathwork, energy work, yoga therapy and meditation to expand her knowledge.

As a coach for female athletes and active women, I optimize training and lifestyle through the latest research tailored to the female experience. My mission is to empower women to achieve their goals while prioritizing their long-term health.

Optimizing Training: I create personalized programs that maximize athletic potential, incorporating female-specific strength training and performance methodologies.

Elevating Performance: I help athletes enhance their training strategies, biomechanics, and recovery protocols for consistent improvement and breakthroughs.

Improving Recovery: I guide effective recovery practices, including nutrition, active recovery, and stress management, crucial for balancing training with life commitments.

Creating Healthy Habits: I focus on developing sustainable lifestyle habits that promote overall well-being, emphasizing healthy boundaries, quality sleep, and a positive relationship with food.

By leveraging female-specific research in areas such as strength training and hormone health, I provide a holistic coaching experience. My goal is to empower women to excel in their sport while thriving in all aspects of life.

With 38 years of experience in the Chicagoland fitness community, I coach high school girls’ cross country and work with athletes to support their mental and physical well-being. My personal journey around body image and sports discrimination informs my coaching style.

A little about me: I love high school and college athletics, prefer the mountains to the beach, and am passionate about protecting the planet. I am still an avid runner and love skiing, hiking, pizza, and hanging out with friends and my family.

Puranpreet Kaur has devoted her life’s work to mastering the Art and Science of Kundalini Yoga for individual and collective empowerment. Having undergone her own transformation and Soul Activation through this practice, she has guided hundreds of individuals on their unique Self-empowerment journeys. Renowned for her powerful presence, Puranpreet is deeply committed to creating a safe and sacred container for her students, allowing them to have their own authentic experiences.

Karen has been teaching yoga for over a decade, specializing in classes focusing on whole body mobility and restorative-inspired goodness, with a passion for helping people incorporate mindfulness into their everyday.

She started her journey in 2012 with a 200-hour certification, and has since added prenatal, yin, sound bath, and guided meditation trainings to her repertoire. Off the mat, you’ll find her hanging with her family, trying new restaurants & seeing as much live music as she can. Her teaching style is mix of mindful movement, release, and plenty of joy.