Flor Frey
Flor began practicing yoga in 2006. It was not love at first chaturanga. The practice felt awkward in her physical body. She did, however, fall in love with the magic of her first yoga class. It was wondrous for her mind and spirit. Flor is an ENFJ, former radio producer and news anchor, nonprofit do-gooder, former PR director, culture enthusiast, world explorer, Spanish speaker, music lover, snow boarder wanna-be, baker, treasure hunter, and yogi. Yoga seriously appeared on her path after an adventurous move to Minneapolis from Austin, TX in 2010. Her entrepreneurial spark drove her desire to earn a living by doing good. She co-founded a management and production company for musicians and toured around the country for a year. After trying on various titles and roles throughout her life, there was still something missing. She was drawn to the auspicious world of yoga and the deep complexity of Eastern philosophy. Remembering the magic of her first yoga class and feeling the need to share it with others, Flor immersed herself in four months of Teacher Training at Core Power Yoga. She is on a mission to make yoga accessible to all and looks forward to seeing you in class.
Stephanie Dalager
Steph first stumbled onto yoga in college. Although, she walked out of those first couple classes feeling like she would never be able to touch her toes let alone know the difference between a downward dog and an upward bow, she stuck with it and eventually began to feel not only physically stronger, but also more relaxed and tuned in. After graduating college, she started attending classes more regularly and became hooked, loving the connection - between body, mind, and heart and with the yoga community, the blissed out feeling of walking out of a really great class, and most importantly, she loved feeling more mindful and joyful in her life off the mat. She completed her 200 hour yoga certification this fall in Goa, India with Tribe Yoga. Trying many styles of yoga, she finds herself most drawn to vinyasa flow, ashtanga, yin yoga, and acroyoga, but has an insatiable appetite for learning more about yoga practice and philosophy. In her classes, Steph wants to encourage students from beginners to experienced yogis to listen to their bodies and minds and tuning in to their personal needs in each class. Above all, she hopes to share the joy that yoga brings her with her students and that they too will share this joy with others. When she's not in the yoga studio, you can find her getting dirty in her garden, playing music or catching a live show, hunting for treasures at antique shops, reading a book with a good cup of coffee, in the kitchen trying a new recipe, or trotting the globe in search of adventures.
Bethann Kemling
Bethann has had a serious yoga practice for over 12 years. Initially a hardcore Bikram Yoga student, upon discovering Vinyasa she was hooked. Bethann believes devoutly in the transformative power of yoga and loves her updogs, downdogs and chaturangas. She doesn’t see herself as the typical yogi but as an example of how persons with any body type can do yoga. Bethann has had many careers; English teacher, office manager, accountant – the majority of which have been in the nonprofit world. She completed her yoga teacher training in August of 2011 through Trinity Yoga in Lakeville, MN. Yoga brings true joy into her life and she wants to make yoga available to everyone – all ages and sizes. She even started to develop a program for children while sharing her practice with several Girl Scout troops, which she hopes to carry on at Yoga Sol. Her favorite junk food is ice cream and is always looking for new ice cream to try. In her free time she likes to spend time with family, reading and simply enjoying life.
Tatum Fjerstad
As many wonderful things do, yoga entered Tatum’s life during a dark time. Through movement, breathing and just being, she was able to find bright pockets of light within the darkness. Soon the light grew and she couldn't keep it to herself. Her first yoga class was in 2005, but a severe love affair with yoga began in 2011. After teaching herself sequences at home, she realized yoga was more than a few postures. In March of 2012, she graduated from the yoga teacher training program at the Yoga Center of Minneapolis.
Without judgment and without goals, Tatum believes your mat is a space to explore being present. Present with whatever is, right now. The truth is, you already have everything you desire; you just have to tap into it. And if you're unhappy with what you have – don't worry – it will change. Everything always changes.
Elle Lemler
Elle began a daily Yoga practice in 2005 while growing up immersed in nature on the shores of Lake Superior. After moving to Minneapolis to pursue a degree in Interior Design and stumbling into a full time modeling career, she found herself with the innate desire to respond to the desperate need for balance and connection to truth within this current state of extremism and destruction. Elle completed her 200 hr Teacher Training at Corepower Yoga in fall 2010, and continues to further her teaching practice with teacher trainings and workshops. Her classes are fun, passionate and often intense. They offer students the chance to go deep within, connect with their breath and release their emotions. Elle communicates her love of yoga through guiding each student with insight and compassion, weaving ancient wisdom with simplicity and an emphasis on the student’s experience. Her primary objective is to teach a system of yoga that fully integrates the body, mind and spirit, and channels that energy to its highest capacity and purpose to realize our incredible, limitless potential within.
Elle continues to grow her own yoga practice everyday while remaining passionate about helping others connect to theirs. As a certified Holistic Health Coach, she also offers 6 month personalized programs designed to educate clients on the importance of primary foods: cultivating healthy relationships, physical and mental strength, a satisfying career, and a fulfilling spiritual connection to access your true calling and highest potential. Her collective body of knowledge and experience provides a strong foundation to create an integrative approach to lifestyle design, enabling a satisfying, beneficial and proactive life, manifesting dreams into reality. She looks forward to meeting you in class and being a source of compassion and strength along your journey within.
Ashley Mueller
Ashley first discovered her love for yoga in 2004 at her local YMCA, and continues to be inspired by the various ways in which yoga can inform and enrich our daily lives. Ashley received her 200-hr certification from the White Lotus Foundation in Santa Barbara, CA, and is grateful for the many teachers, mentors, and students who have inspired her along life's journey. Having trained in many styles including Vinyasa Flow, Hatha, and Ashtanga, her classes are equal parts physical and meditative. When she's not practicing or teaching yoga, you can find her working in the field of public health, playfully blending yogic philosophy and practice into all aspects of her life.
Tony Koop
After an adolescence filled with youth sports, this twenty-something-year-old former high school jock was determined to find some way to stay active during college. Upon the persistent recommendation of a friend, Tony reluctantly attended his first yoga class only to be humbled by the shear difficulty and thorough workout that it provided. During the spring of 2010, not even two years after his first class, Tony completed a 200 hour Power Vinyasa Teacher Training program.
Tony’s passion for yoga has grown in a variety of ways since his first experience. Initially he fell in love with yoga’s ability to release pent up energy while relieving stress. Then he found a more intimate connection with his spiritual side through yoga’s meditative qualities. Currently he is most driven by the opportunity to serve others by instructing classes that send people out the door in a better mood and in better shape than they came in.
When Tony isn’t at the yoga studio, he can be found commuting around town on his fixie, walking his cat on a leash, or tending to his exotic plant collection.
Maria Toso
After many years in classical ballet in her native Denmark, Maria began practicing Iyengar yoga in 1992; shortly after discovering meditation at the Tibetan Buddhist center in Copenhagen. For 20 years, Maria has used yoga, meditation and prayer as essential tools in her life.
While loving the precision of Iyengar yoga, Maria, as a former dancer, fell completely in love with the dance-like flow of her first Vinyasa class in 2008 at Corepower in St Paul. After practicing Vinyasa for nearly 3 years, she got her Corepower Yoga teacher training in the spring of 2011. In addition to regular Vinyasa, Maria teaches students in elementary schools, college as well as prenatal yoga.
Maria has worked in Europe and the US, in various PR and communications roles. Since 2009 she has been running her own business as a freelance writer, translator, interpreter and yoga & meditation teacher and spiritual guide. For more information about Maria, visit her
website.
Jenny Ernie-Steighner
Jenny's sister introduced her to yoga 13 years ago during a giggly, impromptu yoga session. Jenny has been giggling ever since! While healing from an illness & completing her graduate studies, she found herself doing yoga daily. She fell in love with the creative & nourishing expression yoga offers the body, mind, & spirit. As an athlete, yoga also spoke to her love of movement.
After a yearlong teacher training, Jenny received her RYT-200 certification through the Yoga Center of Minneapolis in early 2011. During her studies, she pursued tutelage in a variety of practices including: vinyasa, hatha, gentle, restorative, & yin yoga. Jenny is also a holistic fitness trainer & loves working with athletes—both professional & aspiring—to prevent injury & improve performance through yoga. Jenny's dream is to inspire and empower students through joyful movement that honors the inherent wisdom, strength, and health of their bodies, minds, and souls. In sharing the peace and bliss yoga offers, she hopes to help students find the space within to be adventurous, creative, & compassionate!
When not teaching, Jenny can be found laughing with family and friends, running in the sunshine, & helping to empower girls in Northern Kenya through an amazing non-profit called PEAK.
Ashley Weller-Edge
Ashley is trained in Vinyasa style yoga, she loves the movement and flow of this practice. She uses her personal experiences and learning from her own mat to fuel the content of each carefully and intentionally crafted flow she teaches. Ashley first found yoga as a compliment to her active lifestyle and quickly realized it was much more, it provided a sense of serenity and relief from her hectic, busy schedule. Ashley is grateful to the Yoga Sol community for supporting this incredible studio and allowing her to evolve her journey as a teacher.
Carrie Garcia
Carrie Garcia is a certified Vinyasa Yoga instructor, spiritual guide and artist who plants her roots in the Twin Cities. Her aim is to inspire people to love and believe in themselves, knowing that we are all interconnected. Her belief is that by quieting our minds through yoga, meditation and spiritual visioning we can learn to live in the present moment and find the joy that is our birthright. Her hope is that through this work, the love inside of us will be so contagious, so fantastic and bright that we will become a more peaceful, loving planet.
Carrie was unconsciously programmed by her mother as a young child to be a yoga teacher (and actress) by watching her mother do Yoga in the 1970’s (from a book from the library), joined La Leche League and took pottery classes. By the 1990’s she had no other choice but to take a local community ed yoga class and then join an Iyengar yoga studio. In 2010 she found Core Power Yoga and moved into Vinyasa-style yoga. She became a certified yoga teacher in 2012. She has worked with at-risk and special needs youth for 17 years helping her cultivate patience and inner peace. She has two spirit-filled boys who have shown her what unconditional love means. Besides yoga, she loves to move her body through dance, swimming, mud runs and races. She also enjoys acting, photography, reading, the outdoors, travel, music, stimulating conversations with strangers and hot chai in the morning.
Halen Bower
As an athlete most of her life, Halen initially came to yoga as a
gentler way to stay in shape. She soon realized that yoga also helped
ease her busy mind and encouraged her to become a more aware and
present person. One of her main goals in teaching yoga is to help
others build a greater awareness and connection to their body and to
their breath - the two things that are always in the present moment.
In 2010, Halen completed her 200 hour training with Frog Lotus
International in Guatemala and has been traveling with yoga ever
since. She taught yoga in Switzerland, Alaska, and California – and
recently received her Radiant Child Yoga certification in Boston. In
her travels, often the only way Halen could afford to practice yoga
was at donation based studios. She is therefore thrilled to be a part
of Yoga Sol’s mission to make yoga accessible to everybody.
Caitlin Oliverius
Caitlin began her journey with yoga in 2009 to eliminate the external noise of life that caused her stress. At first she just enjoyed being on her mat, focusing on her breath and movement. These were the first benefits Caitlin received from yoga – the mental and spiritual benefits. After months of practice, Caitlin started to notice the physical changes in her body - the strength from the chaturanga’s, the concentration during chair pose and increased endurance during extended side angle. She later decided to explore all of the benefits of yoga, including teaching and completed her Power Teacher Training at Core Power Yoga in 2012. Caitlin is excited to share her passion for yoga with everyone who is willing to take the leap of faith onto their yoga mat.
Ryan McLaughlin
Yoga has been, and continues to be, a well of ‘slow.’ In the business of Now, Ryan found himself rarely here. Always wanting to be there. And yoga, from the very beginning, was a wake-up call. Be here now. Not there. As a recently admitted, but non-practicing member of the Minnesota Bar, Ryan struggles with listening to that little inner voice. And for him, the yoga asana practice is medicinal. After a yoga practice, that subtle smile surfaces a little easier amidst the up-down-up of this urban streetcar of desire that is our existence. Come yoga and taste This for yourself.
Katie Nicholson
Once an avid soccer player, Katie stumbled upon yoga in college while trying to find a different way to mix up her workouts. She couldn't believe how physically challenging it was! Although in the beginning she didn't fully understand the emotional and mental benefits, over time she became aware of the connection to breath and focusing in on the present moment. Aware and awestruck. Who knew yoga could ease her anxiety, worry, and fear?!
In June 2011 Katie took the plunge to become a licensed yoga teacher through YogaFit. She loves working with yogis of all ages, and has taught yoga and mindfulness to adults as well as elementary, middle, and high school students. Her classes have a strong emphasis on linking breath with movement, focusing on the present moment, feeling love and gratitude for all things, people, and experiences, and of course, having fun! When not teaching or practicing yoga, Katie enjoys playing and coaching soccer, experimenting in the kitchen, cheering on her favorite sports teams, checking out the local food scene, enjoying the beautiful (yet unpredictable!) MN weather, traveling the world, and spending time with family and friends. She keeps a healthy food blog at
www.eatcleanwithkate.com.
Laura Edeburn
Laura initially found yoga to relieve work stress-related ailments. Even though she was always physically active, moments on her mat healed her mind and body in ways she never expected. With renewed mental and physical strength, she insists on living balanced, fulfilling days. As she continues to grow her practice, she especially loves the quiet strength involved with flowing from pose to pose. She received her 200-hour certification through Core Power Yoga in 2012 and looks for every opportunity to practice and share yoga with everyone she can.
When she’s not on the mat, she spends time with her 3 beautiful children and husband. She cooks, gardens, knits, reads books, volunteers, tries to eat homemade bread and ice cream every week... and always has her eye on the sky with the hope of chasing storms.
Kim Lewis
Kim practiced yoga for the first time in 1995, during a dance class. After class she recorded stick figures of yoga sun salutations in her journal, because she wanted to remember what made her feel graceful. Eleven years later, after a career in advertising, business operations, and being a dancer in NYC and Minneapolis, Kim decided to try her first yoga class. The calming effect of being still on a yoga mat made Kim feel profoundly more focused and relaxed. In the next few months, Kim completed 200 hours of Yoga Teacher Training. Then she immersed herself in learning many styles of Hatha yoga including Ashtanga, Jivamukti, ParaYoga, Iyengar, Yoga Nidra and Anusara. She completed Level II Power Yoga teacher training in 2010 and a Power Yoga Extensions Program in 2011. Kim incorporates exercises from various yoga styles into a simple and sweet restorative yoga class. Along with practicing yoga, Kim enjoys cooking, watching British and Australian sitcoms, ballet, modern dance, hip hop, jazz, and taking long urban walks.
Kristin Kelley
Kristin has taught yoga since 2010 through Minneapolis Community Education and has been a runner for 15 years. After sustaining running injuries, Kristin found yoga as a way to heal and get back to her routine. Her classes build into yoga poses with gentle movements that release muscle tension, build core strength and develop balance. Kristin finds it important to create a safe class atmosphere where the focus is not on how a yoga pose looks, but how it feels and promotes health for each individual. As a current nursing student Kristin is knowledgeable about promoting holistic health and currently volunteers as a yoga instructor at a local hospital. In addition to exploring the physical benefits of yoga, Kristin adds in a splash of meditation, visualization and affirmation to create an uplifting atmosphere. Kristin is a certified level two Reiki practitioner through the Meta Institute. She received her yoga instructor certification through the Yoga Center of Minneapolis and is registered with Yoga Alliance (RYT 200).
Justyn O'Neill
Justyn is a Vinyasa certified yoga instructor and received her certification in Koh Samui, Thailand in 2010. In the early days of her practice, she was primarily attracted to the physical benefits of yoga and was continuously in awe of her body's newfound capabilities. As she practiced more, something shifted in her and she developed a deep and profound connection with her inner being and divine spirit. She now practices devotionally for that connection, and is grateful everyday for having the time and the means to do so.
Justyn is very passionate about the healing benefits of yoga and meditation, and incorporates these practices in her teaching. Yoga has brought so much joy and healing into her life, and she's made it her mission to share it with others. She offers classes that are challenging and unique. Justyn is also available for private sessions that can be tailored to fit individual physical, spiritual or emotional needs.
Kayla Osowski
Kayla has yoga to thank for saving her once achy body, anxious mind, and lonesome spirit. An occasional class developed into a daily practice and now a chance to lead others in their asana. A new workout challenge first brought Kayla to the mat, but the mind-body-spirit connection she found in this practice kept her hooked. Not long after she began her practice, she knew she would teach someday and finally in 2012 she completed her yoga sculpt training and a 200 hour vinyasa certification from Corepower Yoga. Kayla feels very strongly that yoga is for every-'body' and teaching others this practice is an outlet for her to serve those in her community. She is extremely grateful about any opportunity to share her passion for yoga with her students. Kayla hopes that through this practice of self-discovery each student can realize the divine nature within themselves and all things. When not in downward facing dog you can find Kayla reading, cooking, outdoors, and engaging in other sweaty pursuits... all with or without a glass of red wine in hand!
Aly Beck
Aly practiced yoga sporadically for many years as a teenager, but truly realized the benefits of a consistent practice in 2011. After injuring her low back, her other usual forms of physical activity and exercise were unattainable for a time, Aly used yoga to keep her body moving. She soon realized that yoga was so much more than just exercise.
As a Kinesiology and Psychology major at the University of Minnesota, Aly was always aware of the complex and mysterious connections between the mind and body. When she experienced revitalization, reduced stress, and easing of anxiety and depression by stepping onto her mat, Aly truly understood how profound this connection could be, and strives to help others realize this for themselves.
Aly is passionate about sharing a good sweat and a clear head with others, which is why she completed her 200-hour Power Vinyasa certification through CorePower Yoga in 2012, and her Yoga Sculpt certification in 2013. When she’s away from her mat, Aly enjoys running, trying fun new recipes, snuggling with her cats, and spending time with friends and family.
Chrissy Marty
In 2009, while attending the University of Minnesota, Chrissy started her daily yoga practice after her sister took her to a yoga class at CorePower Yoga. The focus, strength, flow, and grace of yoga resinated with her because of past experience as a competitive figure skater and dancer. She continued her practice throughout college and even continued her practice with a local instructor while studying abroad in Paderno del Grappa, Italy. In the Spring of 2012 she completed her 200 hour Power Yoga teacher training certification through CorePower Yoga. Shortly after she started teaching Vinyasa yoga at Cretin-Derham Hall High School for their summer fitness program and for the Varsity Football Team.
Janet Roller
First
introduced to yoga at the age of 16, Janet and a friend bought their
first yoga mats and checked out a class at a local studio in Michigan,
where she grew up. Not knowing that she was jumping into ashtanga yoga
(or knowing that different kinds of yoga even existed), Janet was drawn
to the never ending surprises that came from her body during her yoga
practice (aka - so THAT'S what that muscle feels like!). From that first
experience with yoga, she dabbled around with different yoga classes
throughout college, but spent more time away from the mat as an avid
runner than with her mat. After experiencing knee injuries in 2008,
Janet's yoga mat, like a dear old friend, called her back to her
practice. Initially, Janet found extreme physical benefits of the asanas
through vinyasa and hot yoga; however, like yoga always does - more
surprises were ahead, as her practice began presenting significant life
lessons and spiritual benefits both on and off of the mat. Additionally,
in 2011, Janet felt called to deepen her practice, and in the Spring of
2011, she earned her 200 hour yoga teacher certification through
Corepower Yoga in Minneapolis. Not a day goes by where Janet does not
feel blessed to have yoga in her life. Strengthened, empowered, humbled
and graced by amazing yoga teachers in the Minneapolis community, Janet
strives to bring light, love, and joy to her fellow yogis.
Kishori Koch
Kishori
began her journey through different styles of yoga in 1997. Over the
years, she has explored many different forms of yoga and meditation.
Initially, Bikram yoga was just too hot and Iyengar yoga was just too
slow. But curiosity kept her coming back for more and eventually the
Ashtanga and Vinyasa styles seduced her into creating a daily asana
practice. In 2011, Kishori was initiated into the Himalayan tradition of
meditation and received her personal mantra. With each asana and
meditation practice, the power of the breath becomes increasingly
evident, and significant in every movement of her practice and in her
daily life. Her asana practice is a moving meditation in honor of the
breath. Kishori’s classes focus on how each asana has the capacity to
connect us to the power of the breath and to support us through any
challenge by calming the mind, body and soul.
Erin Amundson
Erin began doing yoga led by Rodney Yee in her living room surrounded by her beagles. Rodney taught her how to be present and begin each day with a peaceful state of mind. Wanting to learn more, a fellow teacher brought her to the CorePower Yoga studio in St. Paul in the summer of 2005, and she became hooked instantly. The physical asana practice was what initially brought Erin to her mat, but it quickly grew into a passion for the union between the body, mind, and spirit. With her growing practice and greater sense of presence in her own life, she knew that she wanted to share the joy that yoga has brought into her with others. Already working as a middle school science teacher, teaching yoga seemed to be the perfect compliment! Erin completed her Power Teacher Training in vinyasa flow in the spring of 2012, and continues to seek opportunities to grow in her own self-awareness. She's excited at any opportunity to share her passion for all that is yoga with her students. Erin is lover and explorer of the outdoors, an avid reader, a world traveler, and a believer in the healing power of a beagle’s kisses.
Elizabeth Harness
Elizabeth is a recent graduate of St. Olaf College with a B.A in environmental and women’s studies. She is pursuing yoga teaching in the cities while working at the YWCA and completing her second 200-hr RYT training at Corepower Yoga. Elizabeth began practicing yoga in her basement during her high school soccer seasons to balance her running and game schedule with a different workout. She loved the fluidity her yoga practice provided. She pursued more classes at HeartWork Yoga Studio during college and trained with their 200-hour program during the fall of 2011. Yoga allows Elizabeth the chance to grow and uncover a depth to her spiritual and physical practice. Elizabeth believes that self-love and acceptance are the first steps toward igniting our lives with beauty, fullness, and depth. Like life, our yoga journey is constantly changing, growing, and testing us. It is through the practice and adoption of personal healing, expression, and love that we are able to extend those principles to other corners and people in our lives. Lightness in ourselves allows us to find the light in all our paths of life. Elizabeth is inspired by every student and class she attends, as well as every class she teaches. She is excited to see where her yoga journey takes her next! Outside of her yoga practice, you can find her singing vocals for Minneapolis AudioPerm, running around the lakes, or cooking with her Mom.
