Avery is a graduate of The Movement Center’s 200 hour Hatha Yoga Teacher Training Program in Portland, Oregon. She has a Bachelor of Arts degree in International Development Studies and has spent the last seven years working on Fair Trade and sustainable development projects in Cochabamba, Bolivia, Columbus, OH (her hometown) and in Portland.
“I believe that yoga acts as a microcosm of life off of the mat. It teaches us self acceptance, reflective awareness, and how to communicate kindly and intentionally with ourselves and others. I also firmly believe that the compassion, understanding, and forgiveness we learn from yoga are the building blocks of strong, supportive communities – communities that respect people, the planet, and interact peacefully with others. This is my main motivation for teaching.
My teaching style is playful and explorative. In my classes, you can expect emphasis on the use of breath to support movement and deepen the experience, as well as useful alignment cues to ensure safety and optimal functioning of the body. It is my hope that students will leave my classes feeling a stronger connection to the Self, grounded, and open in both body and mind. I look forward to seeing you in class, learning, growing and creating together.”
Crystal was born and raised here in Portland, Oregon. She has a BA in Psychology. In addition to practicing and teaching yoga, she enjoys working at her friend’s super fun bar, Turn! Turn! Turn!, handcrafting candles, and traveling.
“I’ve been practicing yoga since 2000 and loving it! Since 2015, I have over 500 training hours as an RYT certified through Yoga Alliance and Living Yoga.
My classes are intended to provide students with a safe and fun environment to have their own practice. I encourage students to let their bodies tell them where to go, taking a full expression or a modification, for example. In my classes, we will aim to collectively focus on the breath and stay in the present moment, all while giving our bodies a good work out”.
Emily graduated with her 200 Yoga Teacher Training certificate from The White Lotus Foundation in Santa Barbara, California in 2013. She has been practicing various styles of yoga since 2008 and is drawn to the philosophy, spirituality, and accessibility of yoga.
“I am originally from Illinois and moved to Portland to attend the National University of Natural Medicine. I am currently working toward my Naturopathic Doctoral degree to bring a more natural and holistic side to health care. Yoga fits in perfectly into the holistic lifestyle I want to bring to my community.
My yoga teaching style encourages introspection, mindfulness, and meeting your body where it is at each moment. Yoga is for every body and all walks of life, so I show many modifications to cater to all types of yogis! Each class will involve grounding, strength, self-love, compassion, and breath awareness. My hope is for you to leave class feeling happy, healthy, and complete.”
I love yoga as the fusion of breath and movement. Asana and pranayama help me to tap into that space of connectivity where the inner worlds and outer worlds so gracefully intertwine. My practice focuses on self honoring and self reverence, and taking those deep feelings of wholeness out into the world. Yoga helps me to recalibrate, to find the point of equilibrium within and to move from a place of balance and tranquility on and off the mat.
Amanda “B” Barnett has been studying wellness for the greater part of her life. She has a BS in Psychology & studied secular based Mindfulness meditation and Loving Kindness practice with Insight LA. She received her yoga certification through SOLA School of the Contemplative Arts with an emphasis on somatics and anatomy & studied breathwork with Erin Telford. She is an Advanced Reiki practitioner and is currently studying Vitalist herbalism with The Evolutionary School of Herbalism. You can find her at barneyandflow.com
Melissa found yoga in 2009 when she was searching for accessible movement while living with chronic pain. It was a rough start, but she found that when she stuck with the practice, she felt better, physically and mentally. Eventually, she fell in love with yoga as it positively transformed her mind, body & spirit, and she slowly and surprisingly stepped out of the struggle of daily pain. She now truly appreciates how yoga has taught her to tune in to her body and slow down to listen, in a world that rarely allows space for this. She received her 200YTT from the Lotus Seed in Portland, OR in 2014 and Trauma Informed YTT from Living Yoga in 2018. She is also an herbalist & environmentalist, and can be found in various yoga studios around Portland, hiking, rock climbing, gardening, volunteering, or teaching herbalism classes. Her yoga classes include a balance of soft & slow and strong & challenging poses, tailored for all levels, with options to take it up or down a notch. Sharing education, movement and mindfulness as medicine is her passion.
Kelli received her 200-hour RYS teaching certificate from Transcending Yoga, a small yoga school located in her hometown in the south outer banks of North Carolina. In addition to yoga training, she also holds a Masters of Science in Kinesiology with a concentration in Sport and Exercise Psychology as well as a Bachelors of Science in Health and Fitness. To complete her MS, she developed and implemented an intervention utilizing Mindfulness in physical activity. She is also a Board Certified Reflexologist with specialized training in Integrated Soul Energy Therapy.
“I began practicing yoga nearly 10 years ago as an elective in college. The universe presented yoga to me at a critical time in my life and it has continued to be a driving force. Throughout my training, degrees and research I have found that my favorite part of yoga is simply to arrive on my mat and ‘do what feels good and leave the rest behind’. I enjoy everything from a 27-sun salutation challenge to an hour-long savasana. For me, yoga is a creative and playful way to be present and express yourself.”
Sara Nielsen is a movement specialist integrating over 15 years of studying and teaching dance, yoga, and strategic core strengthening. Sara studied with Alison West and completed the 200-hour RYT training program at Yoga Union in New York City as well as the 200 hr training from the Nosara Institute in Costa Rica, is a licensed massage therapist and certified Postnatal Doula.
After growing up as a competitive downhill ski racer and dancer on the West Coast, Sara’s studies in dance brought her to New York City to perform professionally in several dance companies. Yet after experiencing reoccurring injuries, she searched everywhere for solutions. Serendipity struck when she found yoga master Alison West with her focus on core strength and backcare, and Sara’s health and path in life changed dramatically.
A mother of two kiddos. Sara loves living in Portland, Oregon and getting out into nature as much as possible.
Movement has always been a source of grounding and balance for Jamie, and she has consistently been intrigued by the variety of ways we can master our functionality as humans, in both optimized health and when recovering from illness or injury.
Jamie believes that within the variety of activities one might choose from, it is when we become most curious about how our own mind and body functions in versatility, that we find true optimal health. Movement and mindfulness, carries us through not only specific activities we choose to attend to ‘stay in good health,’ but also through the routines of our daily lives where our choices and decisions have the greatest impact on our well being. Jamie strongly believes that yoga presents an opportunity for us to practice these philosophies and more.
Jamie holds a Bachelor of Liberal Arts Degree in Political Science and Psychology from Iowa State University. However, not surprisingly, Jamie found that she would rather move that sit all day. Having classically danced since the age of two, she was naturally drawn to yoga. However, it was when she determined that she needed to recommit to her own wellness and healing, that yoga became a truly passionate pursuit.
Jamie completed her first 500-hour training with Madeline Huish, of the Yoga Shala of Portland, OR in 2009. She also completed a 200-hour training with Tiffany Cruikshank in Portland, OR, in 2010. Most recently, Jamie completed a 300-hour Yoga Therapy Training with Annie Adamson, of the Yoga Union of Portland, OR in 2017. In addition to teaching public classes, Jamie is a Holistic Yoga Therapist™.
Jamie also holds a Personal Training Certificate through the National Association of Sports Medicine. She has taken countless other classes; all with the inspiration to really help the communities she is honored to serve.
Jamie stands united with those who are against hate and violence. All people are welcome in her classes. For more information about Jamie Busch, go to jamiebuschyoga.com. You can also find her on Facebook at Jamie Busch Yoga or follow her on Instragram at time4u2breathe.
Vanessa stepped onto her first mat over two decades ago. In the years since she feels truly blessed to have been led by some very extraordinary teachers. Teachers whose instruction would inspire her to become a teacher, herself. She received her 200 hour YTT certification from The Movement Center, in 2017, and a Bachelors of Science in Community Health Education, from Portland State University, in 2018.
Built on a philosophy that one’s practice is a personal expression of relationship with self, Vanessa seeks to create an atmosphere supporting the student’s self-discovery. She says, “I see myself as a facilitator, someone who can hold space so that each person can deepen their understanding of what it means to be a spiritual being, living a human existence. We are all the experts of our own experience, I’m just here to share the knowledge that has been passed on to me, in the hope it enhances understanding of that experience.”
Donica has been sharing the joys of movement with others her whole life. She has been a yoga teacher since 2008, a trained dancer from childhood through college, and a certified acupuncturist in the Portland area since 2016, donicaschmidtacupuncture.com.
Healthy movement and food-based preventative medicine are cornerstones of her acupuncture and yoga practices. In her classes, she focuses on alignment, physical awareness, and graceful breathing. Whether you’re a beginner or a seasoned yogi, you are welcome to join her vinyasa-inspired classes in exploring your own body’s potential for healing and contentment in movement. Hope to see you soon
I strive to create a safe and joyful environment for students to confidently explore their practice and tap into their inner strengths. I enjoy teaching classes based in vinyasa principles with the belief that students find centeredness through movement and breath. My classes tend to be challenging yet accessible, as I incorporate therapeutic elements of music and aromatherapy to supplement the flow. My hope is that you leave my class sweaty, grounded, and with more love for yourself.
Amanda received her RYT 200 hour teacher training from Karma Yoga in Portland, Oregon and has been practicing for over 10 years. She has a Bachelor of Science in Community Health Education from Portland State University and is a Registered Health Coach currently working at Providence Health & Services as a Health Promotion Coordinator.
Whitney Handrich has been practicing yoga for over a decade, and she was inspired to become a teacher after a year in Asia studying yoga, meditation, acroyoga, and Thai bodywork. She completed her teaching certification in Hatha and Ashtanga yoga in Rishikesh, India, and Whitney is also certified in Kids & Family Yoga, Yin Yoga, and Prenatal & Postpartum Yoga.
Whitney passionately believes in the healing and transformative power of mindful presence and community, and her classes often incorporate partner and group practice, breathwork, meditation, and self-massage. She also volunteers for Living Yoga and is working to organize classes for foster kids and families, and hopes to help make yoga accessible to all.
Haley completed her 200 hr YTT in 2017 with Dianna Oppenheim at the Karuna Yoga school in Nicaragua. Her training is informed by vinyasa with an emphasis in physical alignment and breath work. In her practice, Haley celebrates authenticity and believes that yoga is a therapeutic tool to heal the physical and mental body and to bring forth an awareness of the present being.
Originally from Lake Tahoe CA, growing up in nature instilled core values in her that have directed her path as a healer and influencer of health. She obtained a B.S. in Kinesiology, pre physical therapy, from Humboldt State University in 2012 and has worked in numerous roles involving health and education including nutrition consultation, work trade for a permaculture farm and community, physical therapy/rehab aide, and more.
Haley moved to Portland last year to study naturopathic medicine at the National University of Natural Medicine. With the healing power of nature, she hopes to integrate her yoga practice into the various therapeutic modalities of a physician.
Lauren’s yoga style blends vinyasa yoga, bodyweight movement, and personalized alignment cues (thanks to her background as a Doctor of Physical Therapy) with unique sequencing and great jams to create a diverse, ever-changing, brand new, and challenging style of yoga. When she’s not on her mat you’ll find her on the trails running with her husband and playing with her two goofy dogs, Arlo and Alice.
As a forever student, Yoga is a constant companion that continues to inspire me everyday. Yoga offers me more space for self-compassion, acceptance and possibilities, adding a richness to my life that I am eager to share.
As a teacher, my intention is to hold space that is inclusive, supportive and empowering, inviting curiosity and an exploration of a deeper connection with the body and breath, finding a balance between effort and ease. I teach from a place of gratitude for the practice, with an open heart and mind.
My approach is a blend of strength and fluidity within thoughtful, guided, breath-based flow, honoring the vast tradition of yoga while drawing on a variety of new perspectives of movement, including my background in Pilates and strength-based functional fitness.
Originally from Los Angeles, I’ve had the honor of traveling and living in various places across the US and internationally. I’m delighted to call Portland my home and share my love of Yoga.
I see with my eyes and my hands. I listen with my whole heart. And from that deep listening, I craft classes tailored to what my students need. I create a space for them to feel kindness toward themselves, which in our competitive society, we often feel we need permission for.
I teach my students how to feel in their bodies for what they need and to be able to give that to themselves. I see their strengths and vulnerabilities and meet them at their edge. For some, finding the edge means letting go of fear to go deeper into a pose. For others, it means pulling back from habitual struggle and over-effort to feel what’s truly happening in their bodies.
I remind each person that there is immense healing power in being able to begin anew. Each time we notice that we drift off or sink into negative self-talk, the act of noticing and choosing to begin again is brave and noteworthy.
Melanie is a creative movement instructor who escaped the midwest for the art, community, and beautiful mountains of the pacific northwest nearly a decade ago. Melanie uses movement arts as a path for empowerment and inner-transformation for her students. She believes these intimate practices of self care help us to play out mini-struggles in a controlled and safe environment, so that we can better navigate in the world out and away from the studio. She is passionate that radical self-care and introspection can make her students empowered agents of social change, and better caretakers of their family, neighbors, and community. As a teacher, she draws heavily from circus arts, physical therapy, yoga and pilates practices. Her focus is in providing an inclusive practice that is suitable for all bodies and minds in class, and student-driven where people can choose their own journey’s through their practice.
Alabama native Dallas completed his RYT 200 in March 2019 at The Yoga Space in Portland, OR prior to beginning the Yoga, Dallas trained in Brazilian Jiu Jitsu & competed in amateur mixed martial arts and grappling competitions in AL, FL, MS, & VA. What Dallas loves the most about Yoga is how it gently trains you to always return to the present moment via focusing on the breath and how that alone reduces stress with out even holding a Yoga posture & pleasantly invades your life off the mat if you let it allowing for constant refinement of ones self in any given situation.
I was born and raised in San Antonio Texas, and have lived in San Francisco California for the last 7 years. I received my degree in Painting from The San Francisco Art Institute, and became a part of the San Francisco yoga community in 2009 through Yoga to the People, an amazing all donation studio specializing in power vinyasa flow. I received my 200hr Yoga Alliance Teaching Certificate from YTTP in 2013.
In 2014, to further and deepen my study, I ventured to India to study Ayurvedic diet and the doshas, the Yoga Sutras, pranayama, chanting, meditation, bajans, slokas, The Bagavad Gita, ancient Indian cleanses, and the asana. In Kerela India, I received my 500hr yoga Alliance Teaching Certificate from Aarsha Yoga Vidya Peetham, under the guidance of Bhooma Chaitanya and Yogeshananda Saraswati.
Yoga is the practice of union. Feeling in Union with the Self, with all Beings. The physical components of Yoga are a means to navigate the body. With the breath, the postures, and meditation, the devoted practitioner finds physical balance, vitality, cleansing, peace, strength, openness, and interconnectedness with all Beings.
My teaching style is engaged and loving! I encourage creativity in the classroom, and an approach that is free of destination(other than union of course). I offer long holds in poses to allow the body to open and strengthen at once, causing the relationship to be deep and direct with the absolute accompaniment of breath. The breath is key; it is the compass. The breath can also send one to the cosmos! There is so much to explore. Practicing yoga is cultivating the courage to “look into the white fire of a great mystery.” I enjoy offering a safe place to breathe and feel and witness the body and the mind.
In 2013 I was struggling, breaking down, numb inside, and depressed. I started attending yoga classes because it was a safe space for me. Yoga was where I could go to cry, to feel, to release all of the shoved-down emotions that were screaming inside of me. In the fall of 2014 a friend suggested I take a 200 hour yoga teacher training with her, and I thought it would be nothing more than a healthy way to fill my time. This journey of teacher training led me to realize my own yoga practice as not only a place for physical release, but deepened my emotional, mental and spiritual practice. Yoga is still the first place I go to explore the deep inner discomfort when challenging emotions and situations arise. After that first RYT 200 I have embarked on a 300 hour training, which I completed in November 2017. Since then, I have delved into teaching Yoga Nidra, Yin, and Deep Stretch and Restore practices. Yoga humbles me, it makes me believe in a power beyond myself, something worth exploring and experiencing. I hope from my classes people leave feeling just a tiny nugget of this vast realm, their own expansive conscious connection to each other and the universe. I hope to hold a space where they feel safe in exploring whatever is happening inside of themselves, or simply a comfortable place to lay on the mat and soak it all in!
Originally from Scotland, I have been living in Portland since Oct 2014. I have always enjoyed moving my body through acrobatic tumbles and free flowing dance. In my mid-twenties, I became more aware of the union that yoga promotes between body, mind, soul and how the breath is weaved throughout. Drawing yoga into my life has at its simplest helped me become a calmer, happier being and I hope to share the health benefits yoga can bring at ‘Drishti’.In 2011, I embarked on a 200 hr teacher training in Rishikesh, India. This 6-week intensive was what I needed to deepen my own personal practice and realize how important and valuable yoga was to me. It was from that point I was inspired to share what I know of this massive, ancient topic that is yoga. We are all here to learn and I’m happy to continue learning, sharing and guiding.
A few years ago, I trained with ‘Rainbow Kids Yoga’ in Edinburgh and subsequently created an after school group where we jumped on our yoga mats and went on weekly adventures. Here in Portland, I find myself lucky enough to be guiding children through daily yoga at a local preschool. Helping children find calmness and learn how to take this into their daily life is so valuable.
I look forward to learning and practicing with you all.
I love to teach children and families yoga because children are natural yogis. They are present and mindful and our most important teachers! I have worked with children in a variety of ways including children with special needs and it is such a joy to practice yoga together. I studied yoga in Goa, India in 2013 with Lalit Kumar (200 hour YTT) and completed Yoga for the Special Child training at Satchidananda Ashram in Virginia in 2015 with Sonia Sumar. I strive to use yoga as an additional tool for social emotional development and bring social justice themes into our practice as well. I am the founder of Root Child Yoga. Check us out on social media! Let me know if you have any questions or want to talk about child development and yoga!