I tried a yoga class at the golf club where I was member twelve years ago.  I was fairly flexible, but it was the mindful breathing that helped me during trying times at the golf course.  Fast forward seven years, after multiple nagging injuries and a life changing event, practicing yoga became a place of sanctuary, a place to heal, to connect and to find strength physically and mentally.  Because of how this practice made me feel, I enrolled in teacher training to deepen and expand my knowledge.

 I guide a power vinyasa flow class, stressing integration, alignment, and exploration.  Yoga is too important to be too serious, so the class will be filled with music, and hope that students have fun but feel challenged, guided but empowered.  Students will leave class feeling uplifted and hopefully share this good feeling off their mat.

When not practicing or teaching yoga, and not making babies (you’ll have to ask me about this after class), I enjoy spending time with my family, including my furry boys, Obi and Finn.

Allison found yoga in 2012 during a crucial time of transition in her life. She stepped on the mat and was immediately hooked. Yoga brought her a feeling of peace and awareness to the mind, body and spirit.

She earned her 200-hour Yoga Alliance Accredited Certification at Reach/Nature Yoga under the skilled tutelage of Paul Weitz and Mark Lerro, with gentle encouragement from Ceily Levy. To say that she is eternally grateful to all her teachers is an understatement.

In addition to her daily yoga practice, in her spare time Allison enjoys making jewelry and spending time with family and close friends.

She is overjoyed to be teaching Beginner’s Series at Reach Yoga and hopes to help others experience the same benefits that stepping onto the mat has brought her.

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. 

Almost 15 years ago, a dear friend convinced Debbie to try her first yoga class. She had no idea what to expect. She immediately fell in love with the practice and instantly appreciated the mind-body connection. After five years of yoga classes and feeling a huge transformation physically and emotionally, Debbie decided to deepen her practice and knowledge in a 200 hour teacher training at Moksha Yoga Center.

Debbie teaches Vinyasa flow style yoga focusing on alignment and the micro-movements that can enhance the postures. She works with students to use effort to create ease.

To help a student feel stillness in a challenging pose and discover new sensations is why she loves teaching yoga. It is a truly gratifying experience to watch another person experience the benefits of yoga.

For Debbie, yoga has helped her heal physically after some medical challenges and surgeries. She practices Vinyasa and Ashtanga yoga which she has studied and practiced consistently for several years. The practice has taught her to move slowly and fluidly through life. Her practice is a moving meditation which has helped calm her mind and maintain a strong sense of well being.

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 has a dedicated yoga practice which integrates breath, movement, and awareness, and she strives to share it with students. Coming to the mat can be a healing experience, a repose to our busy, fast-paced, multi-tasking lives. It’s an opportunity to slow down, get centered and connect with our authentic self. And it should feel good!

Throughout her yoga journey, Emily was inspired and driven to deepen her own practice and understanding of yoga. Emily recently completed her RYT-200 at Shri Yoga Center. She has had the opportunity to explore several different yoga styles and learned from many amazing teachers. Always a student, she plans to continue her yoga training.

Emily believes yoga is for every *body* and can be practiced at any age or level of ability. Expect a slow, strong warm up and an empowering vinyasa flow. You will leave feeling restored but energized, and with knowledge you can take off the mat.

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.

I first stepped onto the mat over 20 years ago looking to relax and hoping to find a deeper sense of spirit.  Trying different teachers and styles over the years led me to vinyasa flow which woke my true passion for yoga. Through a steady practice, I began to feel the benefits of the mind body connection. The more time I spent on the mat, the more grounded and present I felt off it. The benefits of this moving meditation seemed endless, and I was hooked. My practice came to an abrupt halt, however, when I tore my rotator cuff. The time away from the mat was devastating, but the distance from yoga pushed me to rededicate myself to building a more centered and mindful practice. As soon as the doctor allowed, I enrolled in Yogaview’s 200 hour yoga teacher training course.  Elements of my yoga certification opened my mind to the benefits of seated meditation, leading to my completion of Chill Chicago’s 100 hour mediation teacher program, as well as Scott Moore’s 50 hour Yoga Nidra teacher training.

I use my personal experience, my passion for vinyasa and meditation techniques to create classes that balance the physical and mental benefits of an asana practice.  I hope yogis leave my classes feeling strong, centered, and present.

‘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 came to the mat 19 years ago to reap the physical benefits of the practice, but became hooked as yoga revealed many life lessons both on and off the mat. Staying true to the original intention of yoga, Pam weaves yoga’s ancient roots into her classes to create awareness that yoga cares more about the shape of your life than the shape of your body. Expect a steady cadence, focus on the breath and food for thought when you practice with Pam. Completing her 200-hour teacher training through Moksha Yoga in 2010, Pam continues to expand her knowledge in every class she teaches and attends.

Yoga began Pam’s own wellness journey and sparked a curiosity that inspired her to become a Certified Holistic Health Coach in 2013. She launched her recipe and wellness blog, The Bread & Buddha, in 2015 to help serve her clients, and two years later, she brought it to life through The Bread & Buddha Kitchen. BBK has evolved with the times from an organic food boutique to an online cooking studio and wellness workspace today. Pam’s offerings teach people how to live their brightest, most healthy life possible.

While yogis believe that our lives are measured by the number of our breaths, Pam’s loving family, friends, students and clients remind her that life can also be measured by the moments that take your breath away.

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.

I started practicing yoga many years ago because I was looking for a complement to running, and I loved the way yoga allowed me to slow down and practice a more present form of movement. I studied under Savitree Kaur in Kundalini Yoga in the late 90s, and was inspired by her to transition into teaching, and then eventually found my way to Yin and Restorative. I completed my teacher training at Heaven Meets Earth with Lisa Faremouth-Weber, and continued to study and certify in both Yin with Travis Eliot and Restorative with Lauren Eckstrom. I am also a certified Reiki Master Teacher with additional certification in reading Akashic Records. I want my students to feel comfortable in my class, feel free to laugh and not take themselves too seriously–and most importantly–leave the studio feeling more relaxed, refreshed and at peace than when they walked in.

Shawna began practicing yoga in 2002 to off-set the physical rigors of running and the mental rigors of law school and tried different classes, but it wasn’t until a trip to Kripalu in 2004 that she found a self-accepting practice that resonated with her. The challenges of motherhood and a full-time legal career made finding a studio difficult, so she continued a sporadic home practice for several years. After another trip to Kripalu in 2014, Shawna realized that yoga was integral to her physical, emotional and mental well-being and committed to growing her personal practice.

In 2015, Shawna studied at Reach Yoga’s 200-hour teacher training class led by Deb Wineman and Paul Weitz and graduated in April 2016. In addition to finding supportive teachers and classmates, she finally found a studio to call home. Shawna continues to work full-time and has been teaching yoga on the weekends since September 2016, but you can often find her attending weekday morning classes at Reach where she finds both inspiration and a sense of grounding that allows her to bring more of her best self to the workplace, to her family, and to her classes. She is both honored and humbled to be teaching at Reach.

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!”

After 15 years of competitive running, I discovered yoga in 1993 and began practicing to DVDs before my long days in advertising began. In 2002 after the birth of my first child, I enrolled in Rod Stryker’s Teacher Training. I have been practicing daily ever since.

I am constantly curious and always learning from those around me, and the gazillion Yoga Books I have read. More formally I have had the unique privilege of studying with Paul Weitz, Baron Baptiste, Tim Feldman, Paul Grilley, Tim Miller, David Swenson and David Keil. Having completed many teacher trainings, I am honored to teach Ashtanga, Vinyasa, Hot, and All Levels Yoga.

I was never a Gumby and I believe EVERYONE can practice yoga, regardless of flexibility,. I love to break the more challenging poses into attainable pieces and I will always encourage you not to take yourself too seriously and to practice with a smile. I want you to walk out of class feeling challenged, nurtured and more at peace. I am constantly curious and always learning from those around me. I have a fabulous husband and three wonderful kids who to help me practice daily.