Teachers

Alex White is a 200 hour RYT through Yoga Alliance; she completed her training in 2016 at Mission Yoga in Charleston, SC. For four years, Alex worked with Empowered Minds, an outreach program teaching yoga to underserved students in the low country area. Alex teaches...

Alexandra Culotta is new to the Asheville area, spending her life so far in Southern Louisiana, where her son and other family still reside. Alexandra has always loved the performing arts, particularly dance, theater, and more recently, stand-up comedy. Yoga has been...

Allie is a Nurse who made her way to Asheville in 2019, searching for adventure and a place to call home. She has cultivated a passion for self love, continued growth and healing through self work, relationship and yoga. After completing a yoga teacher training at...

(she/her) In 2007 I was given the opportunity to move to Asia to teach English as a second language. Without a doubt I knew I had to go. I knew there was a bigger purpose to this opportunity. I had been in search of something vital I felt was lacking from my life for...

Amy has been practicing yoga for most of her adult life and teaching yoga since completion of her 200-hour training with Rebecca Niamtu/Yoga for the Planet in 2016. She holds various certifications focused on the healing power of yoga, including Yoga of 12-Step...

Ana is an Asheville native and has been attending classes at Asheville Community Yoga since 2014. She is beyond excited to have joined the teaching team. She teaches a playful and sustainable practice that emphasizes intuitive movement and aims to restore balance to...

Andrew found yoga at the tail end of a long battle with drug addiction. Practicing daily has helped him to cultivate energy and vitality like he had never imagined without the use of substances. He hopes to inspire others to explore yogic practices more deeply through...

In 2013, my yoga journey started when I was invited to Asheville Community Yoga by a coworker. I loved the class and went back for many more classes after the first class. My physical body always felt amazing, but I also noticed a positive shift in emotions and mood....

With a background in nonprofit, academia and corporate consulting, Angela has relied on meditation and yoga for many years to maintain balance in her life and mind. She is a certified meditation teacher in the Vedic lineage. Angela believes that meditation should be...

(she/they) Before I moved to Asheville in 2020 and found Asheville Community Yoga, and before ever taking regular classes at a studio, I had been practicing asana for a few years on my own through online classes. What started as simple exercise for low back pain...

Certified Heartfulness Meditation Trainer Bill has been practicing Heartfulness meditation daily for over 25 years and was certified a Heartfulness trainer in 2015. Through the years he has completed numerous Heartfulness workshops and attended copious Heartfulness...

I was in a very dark place when I took my first steps onto the 8 limbed path to liberation that yoga offered. As a junior in college, I began experiencing debilitating chronic back pain that would sometimes immobilize me for hours. When doctors couldn’t find anything...

You will recognize Chelsea (she/her) around the studio by the purple streak in her hair and the sparkle in her eye. She has an infectious optimism and loves collaborating and bringing out the best in others. She is also a mermaid at heart as well as a retired scuba...

Chris has been a certified Heartfulness meditation trainer since 2003, dedicating over two decades to this transformative practice. Heartfulness offers a unique approach to meditation, focusing on heart-centered techniques that promote inner peace, emotional healing,...

Corey Costanzo, MA, LCAS, LMBT, SEP has a wealth of experience in helping individuals to achieve greater self-awareness and personal growth. With a Master's degree in Somatic Psychology and 20+ years of counseling experience, Corey has dedicated his career to studying...

Hi, my name is Dana and I love sharing my yoga practice with Asheville both on and off of the mat. I earned my RYT certification at the Lakshmi Rising School of Yoga and Wellness in Cabuya, Costa Rica. My training was infused with vinyasa, dance, mantra, meditation,...

Danielle Eglin is a space creator by way of teaching yoga, offering therapeutic bodywork and reiki sessions through her personal practice. She has over 1,500 hours of education on anatomy, movement, and the body's intricate systems both physical and subtle. She is...

Deborah is an ACSM registered clinical exercise physiologist with an MS in Exercise Physiology and Health Promotion. She has been a certified exercise instructor in many formats for the last 20 years most of which was in a hospital based Wellness Center. Deborah has...

Dede Boyd, a Masters level counselor, is a certified Embodyoga®, Energy Medicine Yoga®, and RestorativeYoga® teacher, offering an innovative and exciting approach to the cutting-edge practice of yoga through the study of deep, body awareness. Utilizing the process of...

Devon began his yoga journey in 2017 in Southern California. Sitting at a desk job all day was causing far too many aches and pains for an active person in his 20s. When he started doing yoga, he was wondering where it had been all his life! Not only did he find pain...

Diane Saccone, MS MT (ASACP) ERYT 500 spent the majority of her career in the field of Clinical Laboratory medicine changing careers after her move with her husband to Western North Carolina in 2005. Diane built a yoga company serving the community through teaching...

(he/him) Eddie brings to the studio decades of meditation and yoga practice, as well as a deep passion for offering evidence-based, body-centered, mindfulness and self- compassion practices to those recovering from substance misuse and eating disorders, individuals...

Ellee completed her RYT 200 HR at Pura Veda Gurukulam in San Juanillo, Costa Rica specializing in Hatha yoga and Ayurvedic principles. With over 8 years of yoga practice, she has also studied Ayurveda and Integrative Wellness at Maharishi International University....

In 35 years, I maybe went to 8 yoga classes total in my life. I enjoyed the classes but 5 or more years would pass before I would go back to the next one. In July of 2021, I was in a difficult spot in my life. Sadness and anxiety had taken over me ….but when a dear...

Gabby began her spiritual healing journey in September 2021, drawn to the ancient practices of yoga to address feelings of mental, physical, emotional, and spiritual dissociation, as well as addiction. By April 2022, she completed her 200-hour Yoga Certification....

With an unrestrained imagination, Harley Kerekes lights up any room she enters. She/her loves working with children of all ages, bringing joy through dance and creative expression. Harley is passionate about mental health and child development, dedicating herself to...

Heather Irene Smith is a Laughing Lotus NYC and Asheville Yoga Center trained Yoga instructor with over 500 hours of training and advanced study in Bhakti Yoga, Ayurveda, and Yoga Philosophy. Heather Irene is a public school teacher, artist, musician, and storyteller....

Originally from Germany, lived in Florida for 23 years, 1 year in New Mexico and made beautiful Asheville her home in 2022. She is a certified Hatha Yoga teacher since 2008 and has been teaching weekly yoga classes in her community back in FL since then. She felt the...

As someone who has centered my entire education and career on my dedication to justice, healing, and mindfulness, when I was introduced to yoga, I truly felt like I was coming home. My yoga journey began in high school, with a profound interest and connection to yogic...

Jennifer Yates is a passionate yogi who has been practicing for over 20 years. With a deep love for the practice and its many benefits,  Jennifer has devoted her time to studying and perfecting her skills in order to share the beauty of yoga with others. With a focus...

Jenny’s journey with yoga began in 2005 after completing an Ashtanga Yoga teacher training with David Swenson in Doylestown, PA, while also studying at the International School of Shiatsu. These experiences were the spark that ignited a passion with yoga and bodywork....

Jim’s purpose in teaching yoga is to help make yoga accessible and enjoyable for all. Honoring the uniqueness of each person, he invites students to explore each pose in order to discover the form that they find most useful. Jim guides students into the present moment...

(he/they) I’m Joe and I’m so excited to be teaching yoga as a way to further both your journey and my own. I’ve been practicing various forms of yoga since 2003. All of this practice brought me to a 250 hour teacher training through Asheville Community Yoga where I’ve...

Joshua Canter has been a Mindfulness practitioner and teacher the past 10 years. He has an MA in Contemplative Psychology with an Emphasis on Mindfulness. Joshua is the Co-Founder of True Nature Education, a holistic travel education company which facilitates a...

Josie is thrilled to be offering Mindfulness and Yoga for children at ACY.  She has been an educator for the past 16 years with a BS in Elementary Education.  Combining her love of  children and passion for travel, she’s taught in Spain, Taiwan and locally at Rainbow...

Jot Anant’s teachings are rooted in the ancient wisdom of yoga, with a deep belief that healing ourselves is the first step toward healing the world. She holds that by nurturing our own well-being, we can more fully contribute to the collective good. With love,...

Being introduced to yoga during a time of major transition, I was able to find calm, a zero-point, "reset" in myself through consistent practice. Yoga, to me, is a practice to reconnect to life (nature), our purpose and ourselves through a fully integrated practice of...

I first found a love for the movement of a yoga practice after pursuing a lifelong passion as a dancer. While living in Charleston, SC, I completed my 200 hour certification and began pursuing vinyasa as a connection to Self. My teaching philosophy is rooted in the...

Katie is delighted to be volunteering at ACY. Hailing from Ireland, she received her Bachelor of Education in 2009. She is a passionate and dedicated teacher of little ones. She started teaching youth yoga in 2017 at Riverfarm, a nature based school in Virginia. In...

Kelly Gilmore is a dedicated, seasoned, down-to-earth yoga teacher and body worker with a background in holistic, mindful living. Her classes are inspired from her various trainings through out the last 17 years of being on the amazing path of yoga and 27 years of...

Kelsey’s yoga practice began in 2013, when she found her niche after exploring a few different styles and studios in New Orleans, Louisiana. Her practice flourished at a community focused and welcoming ashtanga-based studio. She spent years volunteering there,...

Katbird came to meditation as a way to ease intrusive thoughts.  The practice lead him to the path of recovery from addiction.  It was through Buddhist recovery groups, focused on mindfulness and meditation where he became willing to move in a new direction.  He has...

Dr. Krystal Kinnunen, DACM, L.Ac Dr. Krystal is certified through the National Certification Commission For Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine (NCCAOM) in Acupuncture, Chinese Herbal Medicine, and Traditional Oriental Medicine. Krystal’s 4-year Master’s program...

Kyle is a SOMA Breath Master Instructor, Healing Tao Qigong Instructor, Transformational Coach, Music Producer, and Ecstatic Dance Facilitator, with over 10 years of experience in Internal Alchemy Arts. He is the owner of Soma Alkhemy, a system of holistic healing and...

Movement practices have always been a passion and a pathway to spirt for me. I grew up cultivating both a love of dance and walking in the woods; this was my way of finding inner peace and connecting to the great mystery. When I was introduced to yoga and meditation,...

Leaflin is a native of western North Carolina, and has been teaching yoga since the turn of the century. Over the years she has had the privilege of completing several teacher trainings and studying with numerous masterful teachers. Her primary teacher remains the...

Linda is thrilled to be in Asheville surrounded by natural beauty and a truly holistic community. She has been practicing yoga for more than 20 years and teaching fitness, health longer than that.  Her classes are a meditation in motion: a vinyasa flow connecting...

My name is Lindsay and my pronouns are she/her. When I discovered Asana Yoga, I was deeply moved by the profound impact it had had on all facets of my life. Inspired by the power of the body & breath connection, I delved deeper into my explorations of Pranayama...

I have done yoga off and on for 20 years. But in 2016, while in the midst of caring for my mom, I found Asheville Community Yoga and truly connected with yoga and realized the depth of what yoga can bring to your life - that yoga is so much more than poses on a mat....

Margaret's love for yoga began in 2000 when she became a certified Kripalu yoga teacher. Since then, she has completed certifications in prenatal yoga and a 500-hour teacher training with Subtle Yoga (Kaoverii Weber) in 2013. She delights in guiding newcomers to...

(she/her) Recently relocated to Asheville via Chicago, Mary started her yoga practice around age 50 and shortly thereafter became a sponge for all things and topics energy related; both physical and mental. A year later Spring Forest Qigong crossed her path and she...

Michael has been in the practicing school of yoga for more than 23 years. He began teaching yoga in 2003 and has been dedicated to serving others in the path of yoga and relationship work. Igniting passion and demonstrating love are Michael’s two favorite subjects....

I’ve been practicing yoga since 2014. The practice came to me in a time of need and have been doing it ever since. When I moved to Asheville in 2016 I was looking for something to do with my mother and she found Asheville Community Yoga. I felt a connection that I’ve...

(she/her) I have been teaching yoga for over 20 years. I trained to teach different styles of yoga and now focus on helping my students to find their optimal yoga practice whether they want to improve their physical, mental, emotional or spiritual aspects of the...

I began practicing yoga in my early 20's as a means for stress-relief as a student in University. Towards the end of my 20's, I became inspired to share the medicine that is yoga with my community as an instructor. I received my 200-hour RYT in Rishikesh, India with...

I found yoga at 15 years old while seeking an outlet that would help me regulate my emotions and ease my back pain. Yoga has not only helped me with pain management but has also given me a light to use to find my way back to myself during difficult and dark periods of...

I moved to Asheville after living in Charleston for 10 years, and I knew my first few moments here that this was my heart’s home. I’ve been practicing yoga since I was a teen and always knew I wanted to teach. Yoga has been the foundation of learning who I am and has...

Nora’s journey with yoga began in childhood and blossomed into a passion she shares with students for the past three transformative years. She was drawn to Asheville for studies in Health and Wellness at UNCA, fueled by a desire to deepen her understanding of holistic...

Rebekah’s philosophy on life and yoga is one of Balance. Rooting down to reach high. Diving deep to rise up. Connecting with Self to connect with All. Strength without flexibility yields brittleness--crumbling in the face of pressure. Flexibility without strength...

Robin Borzotta is a retired Registered Nurse, whose speciality was rehabilitative nursing.  Robin has been a 500 hour RYT since 2015.   She became a certified IAYT yoga therapist in 2017 and holds a speciality certification with y4c Yoga for Cancer. I took my first...

Robyn is a physician, certified yoga therapist, researcher and founder of Yoga Heals 4 Life, a private yoga therapy practice, integrating western and eastern philosophies for complete physical, mental, and emotional well-being. Her stress management and self-care...

Ryan first discovered yoga in 2016. As an avid runner and distance athlete, he was immediately drawn to its physical and mental health benefits. Working in a high stress job for many years, yoga had become a sanctuary for him. It began to transform his lifestyle and...

Yoga found me in 2020 during a potent healing phase of my journey, and we have been inseparable since. I completed my RYT 200 certification in 2023 at Asheville Community Yoga, and feel deeply honored to share the practice of yoga with others through teaching. I am...

Sevn is deeply immersed in the study and practice of yoga as a vehicle to experience life fully.  His yoga asana practice began in 2001 and has matured into an appreciation for breath-centered alignment based postures and movement that honor both the ancient systems...

Sonya's yoga journey began in 2001 when a friend handed her a video as a means to heal from the wounds of a tumultuous relationship. Little did she realize that a profound seed had been planted. Yoga wasn't something she actively sought out, but in pivotal moments of...

A graduate from Asheville Community Yoga's teacher training, Stephen is drawn to yoga for the positive community, emotional regulation, low impact exercise, and spiritual depth. He comes with a background of nearly 10 years of experience in the mental health field and...

"Yoga found me." Sylvia took the 250 hour yoga teacher training at Asheville Community Yoga after practicing yoga for four years.  The motive was to learn more and understand more about yoga.  What she did not expect was to be gently challenged and shaken out of old...

My name is Tammy Boomer.  I retired in June 2023 from teaching elementary school in Michigan and moved to Asheville.   I have been practicing yoga myself since 2008.  In 2019, I decided to go for my yoga teacher certification. Never did I imagine how going through the...

Tammy Cervantes has been teaching yoga for over 20 years. She has lived in Cozumel, Mexico most of her life and is known as a pioneer of yoga there. She fell in love with Asheville immediately and has lived here – going back to her home in Cozumel often, since 2018....

Timothy Burgin is a Kripalu & Pranakriya trained yoga instructor living and teaching in Asheville, NC. Timothy has completed his 500-hour Advanced Pranakriya Yoga training and currently serves as the Executive Director of YogaBasics.com. With over 25 years of...

Tony Wolff has been practicing Hatha Yoga for forty years and teaching for twenty-five. He did advanced studies with Sarah Powers, and teacher trainings in Thai Yoga with Saul David Raye; and with Kathleen Miller in the spirit of TKV Desikachar. He is a former...

Troy designs her classes, courses, and retreats to facilitate transformation for her students, who often describe her teaching style as playful and nurturing, yet strong. She has practiced yoga since 2006 and taught since 2010. She specializes in helping mothers feel...

Whitney completed her 200-hour yoga teacher training in 2014 and quickly followed it up with a 95-hour kids yoga training while teaching full-time in Orlando, FL. With an educational background in early childhood development and a personal passion and commitment to...