Upcoming events and trainings - click HERE For more info.

Now accepting applications for our modular 300-hour advanced yoga teacher training!

True nature: self discovery through patanjali’s yoga sutras with izzy Shurte, may 3-5.

Abdominal self care class with lili simons, Friday, may 3, 4-5p.

hand balance workshop with ulrik ask fossum, tuesday, may 7, 4:30-7p.

elemental Sound healing with juju, Friday, may 17, 5:30-6:45p.

Discovering your spirit with meg hardey and sarah king, Saturday, May 18 12:30-3:30p.

Community acupuncture with Dr. Sarah coghlan, Sunday, May 19, 12-3p.

Yoga For teens summer series with Izzy, Wednesdays, 6/26-8/21, 1:30-2:30p.

the gift of wellness is always in season. our gift cards are good at both The Yoga Dojo and Theta Wellness. e-gift cards are available at the link below, or stop by the studio to pick up a physical card.

Adrian McCavitt

Instructor

Adrian got into yoga after needing a real life change. He decided to take a chance on a yoga class after hearing about its positive effects on the mind and body. He has a strong background in rock climbing, so he took to the strength and balance aspects of yoga quickly.  Finding a real love and challenge in what he likes to call the architecture of  movement, as it primes and conditions us for all other types of movement, he knew instantly that this was going to be something life changing.

After benefiting so much from yoga in mind and body, and feeling first hand the transformational effects on his entire outlook and perspective on life, he felt very called to teach. Adrian received his 200 hour Ashtanga training along with his Rocket teacher certification from Asta Yoga in San Francisco, CA. He completed his 300 hour certification under the guidance of Marie Belle and Roots Love Yoga. With the benefit of retrospect, he feels that what we are all searching for is in fact searching for us too.

Lauren Nottingham

Instructor

Lauren started her journey into yoga in high school, when her aunt gave her a mat and a yoga video, thinking it would complement her background in dance and movement. She dabbled with a home practice through the years, but nothing ever really stuck. Eventually, while going through some big life changes, she was drawn to the practice while looking for something more meaningful in life. 

As her practice intensified, Lauren felt a strong calling to share her love of yoga with others. She completed her 200 hour training under the guidance of Yogi J Miles, followed by her Rocket teacher training at Asta Yoga in San Francisco with Steve Pyka and Rene Henley. She completed her 300 hour certification at Asheville Yoga Center. Along with Rocket, Hatha, and Vinyasa, she is trained in Kundalini, Restorative, Meditation, and Trauma Informed Methods, as well as concentrated studies in Yoga Anatomy with Libby Hinsley and Kristin Leal. She has completed the Meridian Yoga Technique Levels 1 + 2 certifications under the guidance of Rose Erin Vaughan and the Science of Self training team. She feels a strong calling to serve the community, offering these incredibly healing modalities to the Dojo community and beyond.

Lauren also holds a BS in Fashion Merchandising from Virginia Commonwealth University, which comes in handy while running the studio’s day-to-day operations. Her main goals for her students are for them to be able to practice without judgment or expectation, to tune in and reconnect the mind-body-spirit with the present moment, and have fun (probably including a couple of laughs) while practicing.

Off the mat, Lauren enjoys traveling and exploring with her husband, Ryan, and snuggling with her rescue pup, Howdy.  

May all beings everywhere be peaceful, happy, and free from suffering, and may my words, thoughts, and actions be of service to making this so.

Corey Lorenz

Studio Manager + Instructor

Corey experienced whispers of yoga throughout her life, practicing sporadically with friends and family. In 2018, Corey entered into recovery and found herself on her mat regularly feeling and moving through each day with greater awareness and ease.

In the summer of 2020, she completed her 200 hour teacher training certification at The Yoga Dojo and has been called to share the joy of yoga through teaching ever since. Most recently, she earned a trauma-informed certification with The Yoga Vidya School, studied with Nikki Meyers and Dana Walters to become a registered Y12SR Leader, and completed an Ayurveda Specialist Certification with Steph Mitchell.

Corey’s classes cater to the needs of her students with an emphasis on breath, alignment, and mental perspective. She believes all postures have the power to reveal the greater truths of what we are meant to discover, if only we allow the time and space for ourselves to do so. As a teacher, Corey hopes to help you feel more empowered in your personal practice of yoga, on and off the mat.

Samantha Gerstbrein

Instructor

Sam has been practicing yoga since 2010, where she was introduced to Hatha yoga and meditation. The feeling of ease and calmness from a meditation and asana practice, along with the other limbs of yoga, such as pranayama or breath control, intrigued her to begin a home practice on her own. In August 2013, Sam was in between her junior and senior year of college when she obtained her RYT 200hr certification from 4025 Yoga and Wellness. She started teaching some while she finished her bachelors degree in Psychology and continued from there, teaching in Richmond and then in Hilo, Hawaii, where she lived for a year. She completed her Rocket training with Steve Pyka in July of 2017, during a year in which she traveled out of a conversion van with her now husband around the country. She is now in the nursing program at VCU.

Sam’s classes place an emphasis on breath work and honoring one’s body with what it needs that day- because every day is different! She likes to challenge her students but also adapt her classes to be suitable for all levels.

Joe Seaton

Instructor

Joe first tried yoga in 2014, when it was recommended to him to help with knee pain he was experiencing in his career as a professional ballet dancer. Almost instantly, Joe found himself not only enjoying the physical practice of Asana, but also deeply resonating with the spiritual and philosophical aspects of Yoga too.

In 2017, Joe dove a little deeper and completed his 200-hour YogaWorks teacher training with Jeanmarie Paolillo. Joe began teaching at Yoga studios, Gyms and Ballet studios alongside his professional dance career and discovered the joy to be found in helping others realize the life-changing power of Yoga.

He now dances at the Richmond Ballet and is very grateful to be a part of the yoga community at The Yoga Dojo. Joe strives to promote self-love, balance and gratitude in all his classes, with modifications available to make the class suitable for all levels.

Meg Hardey

instructor

In high school, Meg was a cheerleader, swimmer, and track and field athlete. After graduation, fitness was not a priority for her. Then in her twenties, she started to run and work out regularly, then fell in love with the challenge of running a marathon. 

For years, Meg chased the euphoric high of running long distances and trained diligently for ultramarathons. She coached for the RVA Training Team and has completed over 30 marathon and ultramarathon races. She is also a certified personal trainer with a strong passion to help others feel their best mentally and physically.

Meg has always loved yoga. In 2020, she focused her efforts and completed The Yoga Dojo’s 200 hour program, then continued with an additional 500 plus hours to achieve a 300-hour Advanced Teacher Training Certification, along with Levels 1 and 2 Meridian Yoga Technique, Yin Yoga, Anatomy, and NADA ear acupuncture certifications. 

Through strength training, yoga practice, and spiritual awareness, Meg feels that she has become the best version of herself. Yoga has not only allowed her fitness to grow, but also her life through spiritual and self-awareness. Meg’s love for this practice has given her the knowledge and opportunity to share this with others and to help them to grow.

Katie Boyd

Instructor

Katie started practicing yoga in 2013 as a way to reclaim a sense of balance in her life. She initially practiced asana in heated studios, and later cultivated a love for Vinyasa, hand balance, and contortion. She completed Jonathan Miles’s 200-hour Maha Vira Yoga Teacher Training in 2019, and most recently completed 100 hours of Meridian Yoga Therapy training with Rose Erin Vaughan and Science of Self Yoga in 2021.

As a Practicing Massage Therapist of nearly a decade, Katie’s natural tendency is informing students to have an anatomy-based awareness of each asana. Her focus is on facilitating functionality and easeful movement, while also bringing people to a new understanding of what their bodies are capable of. She encourages practitioners to explore the unknown in a safe and curious way. She strongly believes that experience, failure, and consistency, are the best teachers.

“There is no better way to master oneself than to be completely present in the process of becoming oneself. My time on the mat and as a body worker has given me a deep understanding of the practice and a strong foundation from which my style pulls from.”

Izzy Shurte

Instructor

Izzy fell in love with yoga while in college. However, it was the catalyst of losing her dad suddenly at twenty-nine years old that prompted a committed daily practice.  Izzy received both her 200 HR and 300 HR training at Asheville Yoga Center. She is also Licensed Professional Counselor specializing in Mindfulness and Acceptance Based therapies and Somatic Inquiry.

Izzy believes yoga is about showing up.  Each day the mat provides an opportunity to practice joy, lovingkindness, compassion and equanimity for oneself so that one can show up unconditionally for others.  She is grateful to have been guided by skilled and compassionate teachers including Andy Matinog, Emily & Vince Horn, Stephanie Keach, Michael Johnson & Stephanie Johnson, Lillah Schwartz and Kristin Luna Ray.

 Izzy is inspired by the root texts of yoga, the power of mantra to bypass the mind and move the heart, and by anyone moving forward in the direction of their dreams in spite of fear.

J Miles

Instructor

J Miles is a yoga teacher who has been dancing to the rhythm of life since childhood. He has been learning and studying martial arts, yoga and eastern philosophy for over two decades. His style has been crafted over the years by real life experience, humor, yoga philosophy, and the importance of breath as a guide and a source of strength. His classes aim to create for each person a fluid, sustainable and enjoyable practice that proves to be beneficial over a lifetime. He is the co-founder of Project Yoga Richmond (PYR), and the creator of the Maha Vira Yoga Mindfulness and Leadership training. He continues to partner with other leaders in the wellness community for positive change in the world. 

J can be found teaching classes virtually through the platform of Maha Vira Yoga, at other special events, workshops, and training.

“It is through our suffering that we are bound together, and the same goes for our liberation”

Sarah Austen Holzgrefe

instructor

Sarah Austen began a regular yoga practice in college, attracted to the practice because of the physical challenge and the empowering feeling of mixing flexibility and strength. It wasn't until a couple years post-grad that she discovered the enormous benefits of the practice on mental and spiritual health. Since this moment of clarity, yoga has transformed into a moving meditation and a daily ritual of peace and healing.

Sarah Austen received her 200 hour teacher training from The Yoga Dojo in 2020. She strives to dedicate moments of breathwork and meditation into all her classes. She is excited to expand her education on different kinds of yoga and other healing modalities. Given the choice, she would practice and teach outside every day.

Sara Garrett

Instructor

Lany Prousalis

Instructor

Lany became a devoted practitioner of Ashtanga Vinyasa yoga in 2005 following the birth of her second child, Balthazar. She recognized that the strength and flexibility of the mind, could be influenced by the state of the body. Inspired by her teacher of Tibetan Meditation, Lama Dawa Tarchin, she began merging her yoga practice and teaching with the spacious complement of meditation.

Lany believes the discovery of ones own potential for creative energy, strength, and wisdom, can be found through the practice of yoga. Her classes have a quest for freedom and fun, while concentrating on the fluidity of movement with the breath. Lany has completed Michael Hamilton’s Ashtanga Teacher Intensive, and her 200 hour Yoga Alliance Teacher Certification with Sandra Pleasants from the Iyengar tradition and Jennifer Elliott of Ashtanga Yoga Charlottesville. She has attended workshops with several noted teachers including Tim Miller, Kino MacGregor, and Michael Gannon. She is especially grateful for the insight and teachings of Tibetan Lama Dawa Tarchin, Michael Hamilton, Eddie Stern, and Shri Sharath Jois during his tour of the US and during her study at the Sri K. Pattahbi Jois Ashtanga Yoga Institute in Mysore, India. Lany also completed her Rocket teaching certification under Steve Pyka of Asta Yoga.

Lany enjoys gardening and is a continuing student in the study of Ayurvedic medicine and nutrition.  She loves running the trails along the James and shares her life with her three spirited children, Kyria, Balthazar, and Evangelia.

olivia yohai

Instructor

Olivia became a Licensed Massage Therapist and Registered Yoga Teacher in 2016 at the Lotus School of Integrated Profession.  Her instruction for teaching yoga predominantly focused on Hatha-Ananda, Ayurveda, Yin, and Restorative styles.  In 2017, her studies took her to South East Asia where she studied Thai Yoga Massage in Thailand with Pichest Boonthumme.  

Upon returning to the states, she completed her 50 hour Rocket Training at the Dojo with Steve Pyka, and then her 85 hour Prenatal Yoga Teacher Training at Humble Haven with Suzanne Burns. She also holds Levels 1 and 2 Meridian Yoga Technique certifications, 100 hour Yin, and a 300 hour Advanced Teacher Training certification, all under the guidance of Rose Erin Vaughan and the Science of Self team. She has been instructing yoga and working as a massage therapist since she became registered and continues to take class daily and workshops whenever she can! 

Parham Neal-Pishko

Instructor

Parham found expression through movement at Richmond Ballet and Richmond Olympiad at the age of two and hasn’t stopped since. She practiced asana as a supplement to dance, gymnastics, and competitive cheerleading through high school and into college. 

Fueled by grief, P took her first 200 hours of teacher training in 2017 with J Miles and that’s when her established physical asana practice became yoga. Paying it forward and finding dharma through the practice, P has taught in partnership with addiction recovery and the Cullather Center for cancer treatment at Bon Secours. 

After closing her brick and mortar studio in 2020, Parham founded Luuma Yoga and Ayurveda, which offers Ayurvedic consultations, workshops, community events, and women’s retreats both domestically and internationally. 

She has trained with Suzanne Burns and Ashley Williams in Trauma Informed methods and most recently, she completed her advanced teacher training in 2022 with Kayla Nielsen of GLOW Yoga. She’s looking forward to Rocket training with Steve Pyka.

Parham received her 300-hour feminine form Ayurveda Specialist certification from The Shakti School. She finds that her clients tend to seek her out when healing hormonally and reproductive health, and has embraced the niche. Her Ayurvedic wellness credential is the Eastern compliment to a BS in Biology from Virginia Tech. 

P can be found leading the Ayurveda portion of studio yoga teacher trainings, partnering with Experience Retreats, and GLOW Yoga retreats. In addition, she teaches yoga and mindfulness to the students she guides academically at Richmond Montessori School. When not in leggings or the lab, P loves riding on planes, waves, and her horse, Sport. 

Sarah King

Instructor

Sarah signed up for her first class at The Yoga Dojo in 2020, during a pivotal turning point, embarking on the path of recovery from a substance use disorder. In the years since that first month on her mat, Sarah has cultivated a robust daily practice through the unwavering mentorship, friendship, stylistic creativity and philosophic diversity of the Dojo community. Most recently, Sarah completed the her 200-hour teacher training with Lauren and Adrian, a NADA ear acupuncture and Meridian Yoga Technique Level 1 certification with Olivia and Melissa Soong of Science of Self Yoga, and is pursuing a Y12SR certification with founder Nikki Myers.

Sarah holds a second degree black belt in Tae Kwon Do and trained for the Junior Olympics as a child, hence she naturally gravitated toward faster-paced flows while maintaining a deep appreciation for Eastern medicine practices. She loves giving acupressure, ear seeds and cupping during The Yoga Dojo's Community Acupressure Clinics.

When she is not working to expand the student recovery programs at the University of Richmond or at her home away from home at the Dojo, you can probably find Sarah cooking up a big plate of veggies, loving on her plants, or basking somewhere in the sun. She is a dog person, prolific Sagittarius, and staunch advocate for the inspiring, never intimidating culture of The Yoga Dojo.

kyra haigh

instructor

Kyra has dedicated much of her life to the search for meaning and well-being. In her 20s, she found yoga—a philosophy and approach to life that resonated deeply with her. Practicing yoga became a pathway to calm her mind, listen to her body, and slow down—a journey that rekindled her connection with herself. It also opened the door to meditation and other introspective practices which offered a grounded and spacious approach to life.

Kyra views yoga as a transformative exploration of oneself. Through conscious breathing, heightened awareness, and mindful attention, it opens the door to a profound sense of presence, deep connection, and love. It is this spirit that Kyra brings to her teaching, aspiring to convey to her students the depths of the practice that she finds so supportive.

Gabriella Eljaiek

Instructor

Gabriella took her first yoga class back in 2007 at her university's gym, and she quickly found herself overwhelmed, lost and stumbling to follow the class. She left that class thinking yoga just wasn’t her thing. It wasn’t until years later that Gabriella found her way back to the mat through her curiosity and research in Eastern Philosophy and holistic medicine. This rediscovery opened her mind to the true nature of yoga and she began to fall in love with the practice.

In 2015, she decided to complete the 200-hour Exquisite Metamorphosis Teacher training with Meghan Currie in Cihangir, Istanbul. In 2016, Gabriella completed both her prenatal and postnatal teacher training at the Integral Yoga Institute in New York City. She is currently enrolled in Asheville Yoga Center’s 300 hour Advanced Studies program. Gabriella has experienced first-hand the profound impact that a teacher has on making each student feel welcome and accepted in the class. In her classes, she aims to create a fun and approachable environment that helps to build a community where everyone feels welcome. Gabriella enjoys teaching power based vinyasa with a focus on building strength by emphasizing moving slowly with control to build grace and awareness through each asana. She also loves working with women and believes that the prenatal and postnatal period are an important time for self-care. She hopes her mamas walk away from class feeling empowered, strong and grounded.

Miranda Young

anatomy Instructor

Miranda’s love for movement began at the age of three when she took her first dance class and has continued ever since. Growing-up, her classical ballet training cultivated her sharp eye for technique and alignment, and inspired her interest in human anatomy, physiology, and biomechanics. Marrying these two interests in college, she went on to earn her BFA in Dance and Choreography from Virginia Commonwealth University with a concentration in pre-physical therapy. Following graduation, hungry for new movement challenges, she began running, rock climbing, and practicing yoga.

Miranda received her Doctor of Physical Therapy from Mary Baldwin University. Her ever-evolving yoga practice keeps her sane and carries her body through long days in the classroom and in the clinic. Miranda is eternally a student. She seeks to learn and understand how to best help everyone achieve their individual movement goals. At the core of her practice, both as a clinician and a yogi,

Julian (JuJu) Desta

Sound Healer

Julian J. Desta is 200 hour yoga instructor residing in Richmond. Always having a passion for the creative arts, he was introduced to the practice of Sound Healing and Therapy when given his first singing bowl as a birthday present from a friend. Julian began researching the depths of sound and its powerful healing techniques. After a few years practicing, Julian received his Sound Healing Certification from Mentor and friend Mark Toregson in 2019.

Specializing in a variety of instruments from the didgeridoo, to flutes, singing bowls, and drums Julian has created a unique Sound Healing Experience called Elemental Sound Healing. Discovering relationship between  sound healing and nature he calls on the 4 elements of Air, Wind, Water, and Fire to channel through each practice to bring balance to the human system, or what he likes to refer to as homeostasis.

Sound healing is an ancient practice that uses sound to relax the body and mind through allowing the vibrations of the various instruments to put one into a “yogic sleep”. In yogic sleep, the individual is neither fully asleep nor fully awake. In Aboriginal culture it is referred to as the “Dream Time” state. The sounds vibrate with every cell of a living organism which in turn activates a natural healing process working through any physical, mental, or emotional blockages within the body. 

Pam Patton

Meditation Instructor

Throughout her life, Pam has been inspired by exploring human development and awareness, and how they move us toward our authentic core being. She received her undergraduate degree in Human Kinetics and Dance Education from George Washington University, and her master’s degree in Dance Movement Therapy from Antioch New England Graduate School.

 She has been a movement educator since 1980 and has always been an enthusiastic student of life. She taught for 10 years at VCU in the Department of Dance and Choreography. Then went on to become the creator and director of Bayview Wellness Center for 20 years in Seattle, Washington, focusing on a holistic approach to wellbeing.

 She has had a daily Insight Meditation practice since December of 2008. Pam also worked as Operations Manager at Cloud Mountain, and Director at Southern Dharma Meditation Retreat Centers. Her more recent work in Hospice Bereavement has brought her full circle back to sensory awareness, mindfulness meditation, and the transformational power of mindful investigation.

David Quimby

Breathwork Instructor

David is the founder of the nonprofit, The Foundation for the Advancement in Yogic Education and Mindfulness (FAYEM). FAYEM is a nonprofit giving grants and scholarships for yoga teacher training to the financially underprivileged. 100% of David’s earnings in teaching yoga go directly to the FAYEM foundation.

David immersed himself in teacher training, not to become a teacher, but to deepen his own personal practice. He completed his 200hr YTT through YogaWorks, under renowned teacher Ashley Rideaux. After completing his 200hr, David felt drawn to travel to Yogaville where he completed a 165hr Raja Yoga YTT under Sri Swami Kurananda. David is also trained in the healing nature of diaphragmatic breathing under David Elliot and is currently completing his 500hr YTT at Asheville Yoga Center.

The betterment of humanity and teaching yoga through the Yoga Sutras of Patanjali, Asanas, Pranayama, Meditation and right thinking is a calling for David. Sri Swami Satchidananda summarizes the teaching of all the scriptures, as Peaceful, Easeful, and Useful, and this is what David ultimately strives to be, and offer, to any that seek to deepen their studies along this path.

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