OUR TEACHERS

I began a daily hot yoga practice in 2000 in response to my body breaking. It was the last thing I could do that didn’t hurt. I had always been an athlete and I needed to move, but running, dance, cycling and a lifetime of hard driving had taken a toll on my joints. In my yoga journey I learned how to take care of myself, physically, emotionally, spiritually.

I trained with Karen Abbott, Bikram Choudhury, Baron Baptiste and many other gifted yoga teachers around the world. I am an intuitive and present teacher. I get a kick out of inviting you to play and explore your EDGE on your yoga mat. I believe in yoga as a path to health and wellness and as a tool for presence and authenticity.

My Teacher/Leader Stake is to hold space for you to step up to your edge and grow into your yoga practice in Big Bold ways. I invite you to come and find yourself on your mat.

Yoga and I found one another in 2013 when I was living in Bend, Oregon. I remember leaving my first class with a teacher who spoke the wisdom I needed to hear.

When I moved to Los Angeles in 2014, I was recommended a book called “You Are Here” by Thich Nhat Hanh. I spent a lot of my time in Los Angeles alone, attending classes, reading books and consciously making the time to heal my body for the first time. This book changed me. The practice of presence saved me.

In 2015, while in Venice, CA, I spontaneously decided to take a yoga teacher training at The Yoga Collective. From the very first Friday night of walking into that space, I felt held and I knew that this practice was what the universe intended for me.

I am filled with gratitude for my teachers, Lauren Eckstrom, Travis Eliot and Govind Das, my students, and for this practice of the heart. Every single bit of this journey has guided, shaped and crafted me to be the teacher I am today. It has taught me that a life lived intentionally, on and off the mat, forms a deeper connection within our relationship to nature and to ourselves.

I have always been in love with the art of movement. I was introduced to yoga in college. I received my first yoga teacher certification and fell in love with the beautiful ways the body and mind powerfully move together. Since then I have completed and assisted many teacher trainings, Power Vinyasa, and Prana Flow.

I believe that everyone has something to teach us. I will continue to crave knowledge and experience to enhance my practice and empower others in theirs. I became a teacher because yoga transformed my life. That vibrant energy needs to be shared with everyone! I believe in creating a loving, open space where students will be challenged while having fun.

I celebrate knowing that I help people discover strength, flexibility, and the opportunity to grow.

My name is Jerrelle Wilson but I also go by Jerreal Flow. This name is symbol of not only how I teach but also how I live my life. I find it imperative to teach students the real things about yoga. As I teach students about alignment, breath and postures I also teach them about the flow of life inside and outside of class.

As a black man who was raised playing football, running track and doing everything besides dynamic stretching, it surprised it me how much I loved yoga. Yoga has given me the opportunity to showcase that you can break the mold with consistency and dedication. I want to share the opportunity with the world.

I finished my first teacher training in 2015 at I AM YOGA Wellness in Turlock CA. It was here that I learned about hatha, vinyasa, restorative techniques and how in-depth yoga can be. I would soon move to San Diego and begin truly learning how to teach.

In 2018 I had the opportunity to do a 300 hr teacher training in Bali, Indonesia. This training was immersive and taught me more about the subtleties of teaching and the differences between yoga and building a foundation on mobility and strength.

Combining all of these trainings over the years has given me a unique perspective on how to teach and apply it individually to each student. Thank you for allowing me to create a space for you to grow and connect with your breath, body and mind.

At my peak weight, I hit 330 pounds. I knew that discovering physical exercise was important, but I struggled deeply with wanting to move. I carried huge amounts of body shame. 

It wasn’t until I came to yogaRIOT that I found a home in yoga and with movement in general. Yoga became a form of movement that I could do every day. It never gets boring, and there is always room for growth and expansion. Practicing yoga has helped to retell the story of my body.

I teach because it takes my practice to a new level. When I teach, I am learning to explore the poses in other people’s bodies as well as my own. Teaching has empowered me to reach out to people who also struggle with their bodies. I learned to teach from Annie Ory at yogaRIOT. My teaching has been influenced by Baron Baptiste and his method of Baptiste Power Vinyasa Yoga and I am a Baptiste Certified Teacher. Every teacher at yogaRIOT has influenced my practice and understanding of yoga. I am inspired when my students come to yoga to experience their bodies as they are. I appreciate hard work and bearing witness to people changing themselves inside and out.

Aside from teaching yoga, I am a chef, gardener, and grateful member of the Alanon fellowship.

I began practicing yoga when I was 22 in 2002. I was working on my Master of Science in Teaching Music, which was pretty stressful, and intense. My daily bike ride took me by a yoga studio, and I thought, “yoga is silly, who even likes it?” My bike stopped, & locked itself up. I wandered in, and the teacher said, “Oh! You’re right on time for Hatha Yoga. You can practice in what you’re wearing. Enjoy!”. I had just left a lifestyle that had me touring/traveling for 10+ years. I had a yoga practice before, and had injured myself to the point of thinking I’d walk with a cane for the rest of my life. I thought no one would train me to teach, or acknowledge some of the injuries and chronic pain I was living with at the time.

Annie O. at yogaRIOT welcomed me in to training, and I’ve continued to learn from other teachers, and students alike. So far, I’ve learned from talented teachers in many disciplines, and studios around the US, a fun bonus of traveling. I’ve also completed a Yin Yoga training with Ida Riply, which changed my own perception of how alignment shifts pain in my body. I am inspired to teach and practice through the notion that pain will rescind, no one is “stuck” forever, and a little bit of practice every day is good. No one is disqualified from enjoying yoga because of the body they have. Breathe in acceptance, exhale expectations.

Aside from yoga, I love tending my garden, playing music around town, and sleeping.

My yoga journey began my senior year of high school. I started with yogaRIOT community when I moved to Portland. After encouragement from yogaRIOT teachers, I joined the 2020 yogaRIOT teacher training. What a journey that year was! My training and practice kept me connected to my community during a time of global upheaval in a way I didn’t know was possible.

I’ve taken so many wonderful classes from so many wonderful teachers: almost every teacher who’s been through YogaRIOT’s doors since 2017. Kari Doherty, Annie Ory, and Yoga with Adrienne have been the most influential. I’ve learned so much from all my teachers and I continue coming back to their words when searching for my own. My practice and teaching evolve daily and I thrive with the feedback I receive from fellow teachers after a class.

Outside of yoga, I spend a lot of time hanging out with my husband and friends, connecting with family in Indiana, taking care of my houseplants, exploring the PNW, and loving any animals I can get my hands on! I hope that through my classes, others are able to become their best selves.

I first started practicing yoga 15 years ago when I was pregnant with my first daughter, Anamae. I found the movement, mindfulness, and connection to breath to be really helpful in calming my fears and strengthening my inner guidance/intuition.

I received my 200-hour certification in Classical Yoga in 2009, and a 300-hour training in Yoga Therapy in 2014, both from Ananda Seva Mission in Santa Rosa, CA. I fell in love with the methodology, inquiry, and meditation practices and teachers of Baptiste yoga. Most notably, Lisa Ellisen, Leah Cullis, Baron Baptiste, and Paige Elenson. I have completed Baptiste Level 1 & 2, and am a certified tier 1 Baptiste Yoga Leader.

My purpose as a teacher is to inspire students to cultivate presence and activate personal power, thereby empowering them to unlock their strength and potential both on and off the mat. My genuine hope is to share my path with others and guide students to live a life of freedom, ease, and unlimited possibility!

After being introduced to yoga in 2010, I experienced the potency of these practices, connecting to mind and body through silence, movement and awareness. I became in tune with the rhythmic vibrations of my breath.

Yogic practices have continually aided my growth, working with anxiety, and deeply cultivating self-compassion. This journey inspired me to complete a 200 hr Yoga Teacher Training at Shine Yoga Studio in Stockton, CA 2017.

Along with mindfulness and body awareness, I incorporate playful energy to connect with your inner child. Come explore your body with me!

I began practicing yoga when I was 16 as cross training for high school Track, but I continued practicing for so much more… I had found grounding and connection to myself in a way that I had never experienced before. I continued practicing somewhat consistently for 10 years and when I was 26, I found community at a yoga studio in Seattle which led me to take my 200 hr Teacher Training at Corepower Yoga followed by their extensions program where I found my teaching voice. I have continued to expand both my practice and my teaching through extra continuing education training; including a restorative yoga training and a meditation training.

Yoga is at the center of all my favorite things, even though I have other loves in my life yoga creates a union of the things that I love, It keeps my grounded when I am adventuring in the mountains, it drives my creativity when I’m making art, and it keeps my constantly curious and forever wanting to learn more.

I began my yoga teacher training in 2020. I was apprehensive at first because I was not sure if I was ready; however, my gut told me not to pass up the opportunity. I completed the yogaRIOT teacher training with Annie Ory and Kari Doherty.

My practice and teaching are inspired by Baron Baptiste’s methodology. Moreover, my goal is to empower people on and off the mat through my teaching. My inspiration for teaching is taking care of my body and being patient with myself. I like to push myself but also remember to take a break and just breathe.

Aside from yoga, my family and friends are important to me, and I enjoy sharing yoga with them. The environment is something I also care deeply about. I love being outdoors, and doing my part to protect the environment is essential to me.

My name is Stone Cairns. I work with world changers. I believe the Universe bends towards Justice and we all have a part. I first came to yoga through the practice of ahimsa, commonly but incompletely thought of as nonviolence. For the past three decades, I’ve been a nonviolent organizer in the streets and in the office.  I’ve taught at colleges and in many more church basements – and here at yogaRiot.  These days, I coach others to take creative, life-affirming actions to win the world we want – one of ease, grace and justice. Look for my workshops and offerings around self-inquiry, spiritual alignment and community engagement.