about our staff

staff

Darren Rhodes

(he/him)
Studio Director and Instructor
My mom began practicing yoga while she was pregnant with me. Throughout my childhood, she practiced and taught yoga in our living room. My father, an avid meditator and scholar, has consistently shared his spiritual experiences and insights with me. My parents continue to support, guide, and inspire me on my yogic journey, as do my many teachers. More at: darrenrhodesyoga.com

View Darren's National & International Teaching Schedule & Bio

Aja-bri Haymore

(she/her)
Instructor
Yoga is one of my greatest loves. I started practicing in high school during huge life changes and navigated the practice as I was trying to find myself. I now view yoga as an art form. I value art because it often articulates the intangible. Feelings, thoughts and knowledge are things that manifest in my physical body, but cannot simply be handed to me and placed in my palms. Like art, yoga draws from creativity to convey different ideas. The greatest gift yoga has offered me is the encouragement to pull on that thread of creativity. I can't wait to continue to learn from this process and share my findings!

Alexandra Roush

(she/her)
Admin and Instructor
I am in a long term relationship with yoga asana and meditation. Building awareness of what my body is doing in space and where my mind goes have been gifts that keep on giving. When I am off my mat I take long walks in the desert with my two lovely dog monsters, Blueberry and Odin. I love hanging out with my grams and nieces. I love burritos, pizza and ramen. I am currently in the process of becoming a certified end of life doula. I want to thank all my TEACHERS. I will always remain a student, and it is an honor to share this practice.

Allison Johnson

(she/her)
Instructor
I began my practice in the summer of 2009 at the suggestion of a friend. After that first hour of self practice, I realized with clarity that yoga was going to change my life. The primary goal of my teaching style is to provide an environment where everyone can feel comfortable. I seek to create an atmosphere of peace achieved through unique music, rigorous physical challenge and the quietude of self reflection. Since coming to Tucson and YogaOasis in July 2013, I have practiced under some of my most influential teachers to date; Darren Rhodes, Stephani Lindsey & Sam Rice. My passion for practice is infinite. I look forward to sharing the beautiful experience of yoga with you one day soon.

Annie Smith

(she/her)
Instructor
I started practicing yoga when I was 17. The resort that I worked at offered free fitness classes to employees so I started attending classes whenever I could.Even though my first class was difficult, challenging and awkward, I made it through and I felt amazing! I was sore in muscles I didn't know I even had. From that class I knew that I wanted to teach. It is one of my primary goals as a teacher for my students to leave feeling that yoga is accessible to them. Period. Anyone can do yoga! I hope to challenge my students to work hard, deepen their practice and know that they will come through it stronger, more flexible, empowered and calm. I am a reader. I love to read! I have been an avid reader since I was a child and it is still one of my favorite things to do.
More at: annie.yoga

Ashley Gee

(she/her)
Instructor
When I began my yoga journey, I had just begun exploring the questions, "who am I?" and "what am I doing here?". Without expecting it to, the practice has taught me how to ease my anxieties, listen to my body, and to ultimately take better care of myself. My aim is to create a supportive and safe environment where you can freely explore yourself, take what you need, and leave the rest. I am grateful for the teachers who both challenged and inspired me on my path. Aside from teaching yoga, I am also a Licensed Acupuncturist, currently practicing in the Tucson area. More at www.deserthavencommunityacu.com

Barb Pautler

(she/her)
Instructor
My yoga practice began in my early 20's with a yoga video. I practiced for many years with that video before seeking out other ways to expand my practice. The first studio I practiced in was a yoga/spinning studio in east Tucson, which later would become YogaOasis east. After the studio left, I joined a gym. Many teachers from YogaOasis taught there, and I began practicing daily. One day I was asked to a sub class, and knew as soon as the class ended I would teach yoga to anyone who wanted to try. My classes focus on detailed instructions and alignment while being lighthearted, playful and challenging. I strive to create a safe space to be yourself, listen to your body and maybe try something new. My goal is for you to leave my classes feeling renewed and ready to face whatever comes next.

Bre Downing

(she/her)
Instructor
My mom convinced me to go to my first yoga class when I was a freshman in high school. Yoga has been a way for me to connect with myself both mentally and physically. It has helped me be more confident in my own skin and do things I may have otherwise been afraid of. Yoga is a way for me to reset my body and mind while getting an awesome workout. That is what I hope to offer my students. My classes are sweaty and fun, with a rockin' playlist to go along with it. I know I have accomplished my goal when students leave my class feeling a little better than when they first came in. My most influential teachers have been Darren Rhodes, Christina Sell, Rachel King, Sam Rice, Lara Blommer and lastly, my mom and dad. They all continue to inspire me everyday.
A fun fact: I have a big orange cat named Mr. Kitters who is my pride and joy.

Britt Nigon

(she/her)
Instructor
I am thrilled to be teaching at YogaOasis. Having found a deep connection to the practice and yoga community through YO, it is an honor to share that with others in this space. While I began practicing yoga at age 17, it wasn't until much later that I cultivated a regular practice. Yoga has helped me both soften and find my strength. Wherever you are in your yoga practice, I'd love to meet you. My hope is that my classes offer moments of joy and challenge with a structure to remind you that you are safe and supported in this practice.

Bronwin Rhodes

(she/her)
Admin
My yoga practice is a dear friend, who has infused power into my body, both physically and on levels most subtle. As a dedicated member of the YogaOasis (YO) team, I assist our studio in everything from the down-and-dirty details, to helping bring YO's highest vision, step by step, into action. A few influential yoga teachers in my life are: Darren Rhodes, Rachel King, Krishna Das, Sianna Sherman, Wah!, Benjy & Heather Wertheimer, and many more. Highlights of working at YO: Listening to stories of hope; physical health and inner strength being restored to students by their own desire for, and commitment to, themselves and their yoga practice.

Christine Reitmayr

(she/her)
Instructor
A yoga practitioner for 15 years, I moved to Tucson in 2011 and learned what a treasure a yoga community can be. I had always flirted with the idea of a teacher training, and in a flash of insight in 2013, realized there would never be a “right” time to do it. I jumped in anyway. Learning from Darren Rhodes, Brigette Finley, and all the other exceptional YO teachers has been a gift and a pleasure, and I am so proud to be part of the team. I strive to offer challenging, balanced classes that encourage students to explore their potential and increase their self-awareness. I want each student to get what he or she needs out of the practice, whether it is a calming of the mind or a really great workout. Apart from teaching yoga, I am a freelance writer, editor, and mama to three.

Cloé Premeaux

(they/she)
I started practicing yoga when I became a massage therapist in 2013 to help strengthen and counterbalance the physically demanding postures of bodywork. I continue to practice for the sake of maintaining connection to all that is beyond me. Yoga gives me the capability and resources to be adaptable, resilient, and above all, compassionate with all that is. I have deep respect and reverence for all who choose to step onto and continue the practice of yoga, as I have found it is not for the faint of heart. In my first few years of practice in posture and meditation, I was feeling anything but bliss and capability. I release a lot somatically through my primary meditation practice, that being Vedic Meditation. I have been teaching Kundalini Yoga since 2017 and am happy to be continuing to teach and offer this ancient technology to the YogaOasis and Tucson community.

Colleen Iuliucci

(she/her)
Instructor
I began practicing yoga in 2008 as a way to reconnect with my body. I'm passionate about the impact that movement and a well-balanced practice can have on all angles of my life. Every time I step onto my mat or into a YogaOasis studio, I feel as though I've come home to myself and it is a privilege to share this practice and community with my students. Heavily influenced by Darren Rhodes, Sam Rice and Brigette Finley, my classes aim to use conscious alignment and breath to create a space for students to connect with themselves.

Dove Crawford

(she/her)
Instructor
Dove Crawford is happiest when sharing the beauty of yoga and wellness with others. She infuses her teaching a unique blend of strength, passion, playfulness, and joy. Dove draws from her education in Exercise Science and Kinesiology along with her experiences as a Marine Corps veteran, law enforcement public servant, student of spirituality and lifelong yoga devotee as she explores the yogic path with you. Building upon three decades of personal practice, Dove has completed multiple Teacher Training certifications beyond Yoga Alliance requirements and continues her annual studies in India as part of her commitment to continued growth. She gratefully serves students as well as fellow teachers, is a continuing education provider, and holds 500-hour certifications in Ashtanga, Hatha and Vinyasa Power Yoga. Dove’s calling is to support and provide safe, ethical, inclusive yoga lifestyle programming. For life balance Dove enjoys nature, travel, animals, and family time.

Enrique Alan Olivares-Pelayo

(he/him)
Instructor
What makes me a yogi is not my flexibility, or any special mental focus, or a talent for spiritual development. I don’t have the knack for yoga, per se. Some days I can barely handle a gentle downward facing dog. What makes me a yogi, and what I suggest might make you a yogi too, is a willingness to show up to my mat no matter what, practice after practice, month after month, year after year. I am “good” at yoga because my practice is generative: it makes more of itself. I strive to offer this sensibility in the classes I teach: just for today we can all be good yogis, together.

Gaby Colletta

(she/her)
Instructor
I am a Yoga Teacher, Ayurvedic Health Counselor and Somatic Therapist. I have a reverence for Nature, ritual, relationship, liminal space, and the unseen ways we are connected. Through sweat, breath and asana, Yoga was the thread that held me together through many years in the churn of the advertising industry in New York. It also gave me the power to walk away from a life that was not mine. My path of practice is far from linear, as they often are. In 2014, I quit my job and took a Hatha and Vinyasa teacher training. The year to follow I volunteered, worked on farms, figuratively and quite literally chopped wood and carried water through the mountains. In 2016, curiosity led me to Sivananda Ashram where I studied Ayurvedic Yoga Therapy and Yoga Nidra. My Advanced Teacher Training wove together the Vedic sciences of Tantra, Jyotish, Vastu and Ayurveda and inspired me to complete an Ayurvedic Health Counselor Certification. Seeds from Buddhism, neuroscience and my training in Integral Counseling Psychology flavor what I teach, as do my joys like rock climbing, photography and ordinary conversations over tea. I love the alchemy that unfolds in shared spaces of vulnerability, discovery and embodied presence. My hope is that these tools and practices offer you a place of curiosity, connection and freedom to rediscover all that you are. Explore more at gabycolletta.com

Gianna Cecile Lucia Allegro Purcell

(they/she)
Instructor
I started practicing yoga to heal my back and joint pain, but continue practicing for ever-evolving reasons. Though I started as an asana fiend, I am currently driven by how well we allow yoga to meet us where we are and receive what it is we need. I moved to India to study for 2009, completed Bikram training in 2010, vinyasa and yin training with the Yandara Institute in 2015, Ashtanga training in Mysore in 2016, I have been studying Hatha practices with the Bihar School since 2012, and am currently getting my bachelors in Ayurveda from the Maharishi International University. I am a real nerd for this stuff but am also an end-of-life doula, drummer in a band, and cat mom. I hope to contribute fun and supportive environment for us all to be scientists of our lives and bodies. GiannaYoga.com

Grace Sultan

(she/her)
Instructor
In 2013 I started taking classes with Nancy Gutierrez and Bruce Bowditch. I immediately fell in love with yoga! I took the 200 RYT training at YogaOasis in 2014 in order to advance my practice and learn the poses from the ground up. I didn't realize my passion for teaching until the end of the training and am very grateful to be a part of the YogaOasis staff. Studying under Darren Rhodes, Sam Rice, and Brigitte Finley has been life changing in the best way and I'm currently enrolled in their 300 hour training to be 500 RYT certified in 2016. I also love music (seriously geek out on music history and trivia), art, traveling, cooking, and spending time with my family. I aim to provide a warm, welcoming, fun environment in my classes along with a cool playlist.

Gwen Martin

(she/her)
Instructor
My favorite thing about teaching yoga is connection to community! Yoga is the experience of opening us to our potential.I look forward to each class as we develop a deeper understanding of ourselves & each other. I've been teaching Pilates for over 20 years. My passion for yoga grew from being curious. I quickly fell in love with it's transformational power. My yoga classes are alignment focused, grounded in core strength & humor! When I'm not in the studio I love to be in nature. I'm so grateful to call Tucson home where hiking trails are right in my backyard. Being immersed in nature is very similar to the practice of yoga. Both bring harmony to the mind, body & spirit.

Hanna Naegle

(she/her)
Instructor
I started practicing yoga with my mom when I was a teenager, and she's continued to be my exercise and training buddy! From there, yoga quickly gained momentum and became a deep passion of mine. I started teaching yoga in 2009, and have my E-RYT 500 level certification. Not only has this practice contributed to healing various physical injuries and imbalances, but it's also served as a path to embodiment, self-study, and studentship. As a teacher, I'm interested in participation over perfection, and I offer plenty of options to make practice possible for any skill level. In my classes, you can expect creative sequencing, detailed alignment, and anatomical knowledge - plus some storytelling and bad jokes sprinkled in, too! I'm also a fur mom to two dogs and a cat, a caretaker to an abundance of houseplants, and an avid nature lover.

Jaime Perkins

(she/her)
Instructor
I found yoga as a new mother, suffering from stress and anxiety in 2001. I loved that moving my body with breath changed my thoughts and perspective. I also needed that weekly break to reconnect with myself. Eventually with four young children, yoga became a necessity that my family helped support. It was a ritual I craved and place of peace from the complete chaos of my life. I wanted to share that joy I had found with others.
I received my 200 hour teacher training in May of 2016 positioning myself into “desk shifts” so that I could ensure I would make it to classes 2-3 times a week. Soon after it became my goal to practice everyday, which I did.
I began teaching in 2019. It is my belief that we all need yoga; it is vital, seemingly now more than ever. The mind, body & spirit connection is so important within each of us, always bringing us closer to an even brighter inner heart.

Janet Smith

(she/her)
Instructor
I began practicing yoga in my late teens here in Tucson. I was looking for an escape from myself, but discovered that relief came as the practice became a path inward. The four corners of my mat became a refuge and yoga a spiritual discipline. I aim to create an environment that is a safe place to explore the transformative power of the practice. I am so grateful for the yoga community here in the Old Pueblo and am honored to be a part of it.

Jen Rauh

(she/her)
Instructor
Fitness and wellness has always been an integral part of my life. I grew up as the daughter of a YMCA director and naturally spent most of my time outdoors or participating in competitive sports. My active childhood lead me to pursue a bachelors degree in Exercise Science at Michigan State University where I was also a cheerleader. I took my first yoga class with Annie Smith after the brith of my second child over 20 years ago. I appreciate that any effort I put into my yoga practice yields results, often in unexpected areas of my life. As a private trainer, the knowledge that I have gained from studying with Darren Rhodes and the veteran instructors at YogaOasis has made a profound impact on myself and my ability to address the needs of clientele. If I’m not training or teaching yoga, I enjoy spending my time hiking, skiing, or outdoors with my pet chickens. When I teach at Yo, my intention is to give back and provide a safe, fun, and encouraging environment. I love the challenge of making both the subtle and seemingly formidable aspects of yoga accessible to all who are willing to show up.

Jeniffer Zimmerman

(she/her)
Instructor
My yoga is a practice of self love and my personal revolution. I do not care about perfect poses or expensive yoga pants. I want you to come to my class just the way you are, in whatever way you feel the most comfortable, so that you can feel alive and beautiful in your one and only amazing body. I aim to explore movement and breath in an environment that honors your own body's wisdom. I hope that by challanging the culture of body-shame, we can create a future in which all bodies are free from oppression. I am masters level mental health therapist, a 200RYT, and the founder of All Bodies Rise Yoga. I am grateful for my sons, who have been my biggest life teachers, and Yoga Oasis for being my place of refuge.

Jenn (Choi) Bemis

(she/her)
Instructor
I took my first yoga class in college in 2005, but it wasn't until 2008 that I became obsessed with hot yoga. The physical, athletic aspect of asana is what drew me in, but I started to learn that there is much more to yoga than the exercise aspect. I dove deep into the scriptures, stories, and the philosophy of yoga, and it started to unlock a path to a deeper understanding of myself; helped me identify my core values; and began to shape who and how I wanted to Be in this world. I truly believe that the practice of yoga is a gracious opportunity to cultivate awareness—in our bodies as well as in our hearts and minds—so that we can manifest practices of mindfulness, compassion, patience, humility, and Love off of our mats, in our daily lives. I have studied with various teachers in different schools of yoga including Anusara, Vinyasa, other Hatha forms, Yin, and yoga therapeutics. Most recently, my fascination with the human body and biomechanics has led me to study the fascial system and functional movement (mobility and strength training). My classes are laden with precise alignment cues interwoven within creative, mindful, intentional sequences—all the while keeping and respecting the tradition of classical yoga whenever possible. My classes are infused with detailed alignment cues and intentional sequencing; a combination of traditional yoga postures and new, explorative approaches of isolated movements/exercises to achieve mobility (flexibility and strength) and body awareness—all packaged within a fun, safe, and thought-provoking environment.

Jess Bell

(she/her)
Instructor
I take great refuge in the community that the practice of yoga cultivates. I have seen time and time again how coming together with intention can help shine a brighter light onto our everyday lives. I've completed over 900 hours of formal yoga education in India, Australia and the United States. I spent 3 years living and working within creative communities abroad where I realized that the practice of yoga provides an opportunity for tapping into expression and deeper awareness. My classes offer a supportive, welcoming environment to practice paying attention and getting compassionately curious. I try to infuse my classes with both playfulness and precision. Come as you are, always.
I am honored to both offer and share in this transformational practice at the very place I fell in love with it myself: YogaOasis

Kanoe Gantz

(she/her)
Instructor
Yoga is awesome! I am passionate about this practice because of its ability to transform. It has changed the way I view the world, calmed my nerves, and made me stronger physically and mentally. Each time you roll out your mat, I hope you too will experience yoga’s transformative power. In my classes, you will stretch and sweat while I challenge you with a smile. When not on my mat, you can find me spending time with my family, obsessing over food, planning my next adventure, and probably being ridiculous. Fun fact: My first job was at a noodle factory where all my co-workers were senior citizens. It was the best job ever! It is also where I learned to crack an egg with one hand, a skill that has come in quite handy with my passion for cooking.

Kelsi Harris

(she/her)
Instructor
I stumbled into yoga after years of being a long distance runner. Almost immediately this practice lit a fire deep within me that I didn’t know could even exist. I continued my journey through an RYT 200 teacher training in 2015 which I truly thought was the worst decision I could’ve made at the time. This was one of the most difficult things I had to carry myself through, but unbeknownst to me, it was exactly what I needed. The power of this practice proves time and time again it’s ability to teach and transform.

Keri Bishop

(she/her)
Instructor
I love yoga! I came from a dance background and have always been fascinated by movement. My first yogahour class was back in 2010 with Annie Smith and I have been hooked ever since. I am curious by nature and love learning and have found that my yoga practice always keeps me learning new things about poses, alignment, and ultimately myself. I am a bright, excited, and outgoing person and try to translate that into my yoga classes. In addition to all the physical and mental benefits I have experienced through yoga, I love the community it creates! Outside of the studio you can find me at all the new places to eat around Tucson (recommendations always welcome) or planning my next travel adventure…and all the delicious places to eat there too.

Lara Blommer

(she/her)
Admin
I found yoga in 2003 while searching for ways to manage depression and almost instantly found just what I needed in both the practice and the community of YogaOasis. I feel honored to have begun helping Rachel King manage the studios in 2009. My practice reminds me of the truth of goodness and light inside and around me, and my time at YO allows me to share this same light with others. I continue to be inspired by my teachers who are too numerous to mention. . .but especially Darren Rhodes and Christina Sell.

Laura Shriver

(she/her)
Instructor
bio coming soon

Leah Shaffer

(she/her)
Instructor
Yoga is my constant teacher and artistic outlet. It is a practice and a place I go to for refuge and inspiration. To me, learning yoga and meditation are like receiving keys to a castle you had no idea is your own. Somewhere between the balancing effect of the alignment, the moments of laughter and sweat, the breath, and the community connection, a space is created to know, understand, and celebrate myself more completely. I’ve studied yoga and meditation since 2009 and began teaching heart-based meditation in 2011. In 2016, I completed my Yoga Oasis 200-hr Hatha Teacher Training, and will complete my 200-hr Yogahour Teacher Training in 2022. I’m an alignment enthusiast and aim to create classes that are playful, healing, and empowering. I hope to share the treasures within this practice with all who come. Thank you for practicing.

Michael Biuso

(he/him)
Instructor
I began practicing yoga in the first days of 2007, seeking a method that would complement my meditation practice and help me feel grounded in my body. In 2010, recognizing the benefits of asana, I began teaching yoga to survivors of domestic abuse in hopes that it would serve them in the same way it had served me. Since then I have integrated my training into my profession as a mental health therapist. My classes are designed to encourage and empower students. For more information, please visit my website: urmeimu.com

Michelle Marks

(she/her)
Instructor
Yoga found me in 1998 whilst living in Costa Rica. I have been in a relationship with a yogic path ever since, and began teaching asana steeped in spiritual principles in 2001. Yogic studies have woven its way through my heart and daily life as both a support and a guide. It is a privilege to be able to practice and to evolve through time as a yoga student and teacher. My further studies (and passions) include counseling psychology, ayurveda, trauma and recovery work, couples therapy and interpersonal neurobiology. It is a gift to spend my time in these modalities as they are all in support of living well and loving well. I treasure where I live and also love adventuring outside of Tucson, near and far. More at: Michellehollymarks.com

MiLo

(he/him)
Art Director
I have been working for YogaOasis for more than a decade carrying much of the graphic design and photography projects. Through Tirtha Studios, I helped produce yoga products such as the poster, From Tadasana to Savasana, and Darren Rhodes' Yoga Resource book. Also, check out my work online:
youtube: yogaoasis108 | store: shopatyo.com

Neti Gupta

(she/her)
Instructor
Passion, purpose, persistence, and pause; some of the greatest allies in my yoga practice. I began practicing yoga as a child, around nine years old. Yoga practice and culture has always been an integral force in my life growing up, and has further developed in adulthood through exploring and experimenting with various types of studios and teachers, especially with my family and teachers in India. My aim in class is to provide a nourishing environment for students through music, alignment postures, and breath; I feel very passionate about helping people relieve themselves of pain. In my free time, I love to travel, explore the outdoors, read books, and try new recipes!

PJ Casey

(he/him)
Instructor
I began teaching yoga in 1999. Inspired by my interest in meditation and stillness, I try to cultivate an environment of contemplation in my classes: periods of fullness of action, periods of quiet emptiness.

Rachel King

(she/her)
Admin and Instructor
I have managed YogaOasis since 2000, and have been teaching yoga since 2007. In the past 20 years I have studied primarily with Darren Rhodes, Elizabeth Little, Mira Shani, and Christina Sell. In this time, I have come to deeply appreciate the power of practice. For me, yoga can be quite a phenomenal tool for deepening self awareness, understanding, and love. In my Yogahour classes, I aim to share the potency and challenge of this practice in a playful, yet steady and safe environment.

Ron Wassell

(he/him)
My yoga journey began with a whim, a yearning, a feeling that I was missing out on something. Was I ever right! Content with being a regular practitioner, those feelings of "missing out" came up again, and next thing you know, I'm in the first 7+7+7 Yoga Hour Teacher training! THAT transformed me, bringing out a mix of vulnerability, fear, joy and community unparalleled by any other experience. With no plans for teaching studio classes, the universe had it's own ideas. My first YO teaching opportunities surfaced in the months prior to the COVID lockdown. I'd only begun my teaching trajectory when the doors shut, temporarily. Thankfully, we're back to in-person classes and I'm loving it! Connecting with the YO community has been vital to that feeling of "hey, everything's gonna be all right!". I thrive off the energy of students. My teaching style might be characterized as approachable, lighthearted, chillaxed and relatable. I try to interject humor, poignancy and real-life explanations into each practice. I teach because I want to give the gift of Yoga to each student that comes through the door of YO, and hope for the type of transformation that I have experienced in my practice.

Sam Rice

(she/her)
Instructor
Originally, I started practicing yoga due to a back injury. Over the years, my reasons for practicing yoga have morphed and evolved and continue to do so. The first class I ever taught was in Whitefish, Montana. It was an alarming wake up call to how little I understood about yoga, and yet at the same time I realized I was passionate about teaching. That experience really motivated me to submerge myself into the study of yoga in a ferocious way, and that appetite continues to this day. I am an E-RYT 500 and continue to study with my primary teachers Christina Sell and Darren Rhodes. I do consider yoga class a class. My classes are full of detailed instruction and strategic sequencing. My goal for classes is to provide an environment that offers the opportunity to gain insight and refinement for your practice. samriceyoga.com

Selene Brambl

(she/her)
Instructor

During the COVID-19 pandemic, I cultivated my first regular yoga practice, finding solace in my tiny studio in DC through slow, meditative yin sessions that kept me grounded amidst chaos. Upon returning to Tucson, I enrolled in the 200-hour Yogahour training at YogaOasis, profoundly grateful for the guidance of teachers Sam Rice and Darren Rhodes and the deep roots within the community. Driven by insatiable curiosity, I've pursued additional trainings in hatha, yin, meditation, restorative, and trauma-sensitive yoga. My passion lies in creating classes that empower practitioners to explore their edges with gentleness and nurture self-compassion. Yoga has "yoked" together the aspects of life I find most meaningful: community, self-inquiry, healing, embodiment, ethics, and spirituality. Currently a School Psychology PhD student at the University of Arizona, I aspire to integrate yoga into therapeutic settings and conduct empirical research in the field.

Seth Cothrun

(he/him)
Instructor
My classes are alignment focused, and emphasize the strength and hard work required to safely access poses. My dedicated practice/study of yoga began in Chicago in 2006, first to recover from a 10 year series of major leg injuries/surgeries but also to reduce stress. I benefit from a strong foundation in alignment-oriented asana and studying with excellent teachers. Over the years, I've been immersed in Iyenger, Anusara, and Hatha yoga and also practiced Ashtanga and Vinyasa. In 2013, I returned home to Tucson and began studying with Stephani Lindsey, Sam Rice and Darren Rhodes. Through Yoga Oasis, I discovered the power of community and how it can influence and grow a practice. In addition to numerous teachers at YO, I've moved throughout the country and benefitted and been influenced by the teachings of Jen Mullholand, Sara Strother, Noah Powell, Britt Benson Steele, and Dr. Kendall Hassemer.

Stefanie Caffarel

(she/her)
Instructor

Imagine a snail holding plank pose. Hopefully you giggle, chuckle, or softly smirk. ‘Snail holding plank’ is an image I often conjure while practicing breathing while moving. I hope to see you in class! We’ll float through complicated, always interesting movements you may never experience without a yoga practice. In a shared space - held just for that purpose!

wind and twinkly
calmly, habits conceding
intention to rise

Stephani Lindsey

Instructor
Yoga captured my heart while I was attending NAU, working on my Bachelor of Science degree in Community Health Promotion. I dove eagerly into Yoga Teacher Training immediately after, in 2004. Disciplined practice helped me heal after a traumatic car accident had wrecked my body in 1998. Years later, my first consistent teacher reminded me how I would run out of the class in tears. She thought, “That girl is either going to hate yoga and never come back or she is going to make it her life.” That was in 2001. And here we are.Yoga gives to me as much as I offer to it. I teach because I can’t help but want to share it. Aside from yoga, I am a Licensed Massage Therapist; I workout, run, climb stairs & cycle; I offer my heart and soul to my daughter, Charlotte; and I play with our fluffy Poms, Charlie and Simba.

Tanya Witman

(she/her)
Instructor
Yoga found me after college, lost, disappointed, and accustomed to seeing the world through a cynic's eye. My first class annoyed and frustrated me, but left me with a lightened heart. Hundreds of classes and many styles later, I find myself in Tucson both practicing and teaching yoga and no longer describing myself as an angry person. Yoga has taught me how to exist in discomfort and choose my reaction to it. Because of my practice I purposely look to the good in situations, which balances my inner critic. I bring these lessons into my teaching, asking my students to be willing to walk carefully into difficulty and maintain awareness to navigate it more skillfully. I bring to classes the lightheartedness that was my first gift of yoga–just because we fall doesn't mean we fail, but neither does it keep us from coming back. mantrassage.com

Teya

Instructor
I am a registered RYT 200 yoga teacher, and work in a Therapeutic Community that focuses on holistic whole person health for addiction recovery. I am passionate about being present with others as they walk the path towards harmony and balance. Reading and being in nature have shaped me and my practice, I like to weave these elements into the tapestry of the classes I teach.

Treven Hooker

(he/they)
Instructor
I am in love with nature, so naturally, I like to hike and spend time in it. Yoga is much more than an exercise; it is a way for us to connect with the nature of ourselves. It is the hiking of our souls. Yoga is ancient, global, and extremely complicated. With this understanding, I recognize that I am forever a lifelong learner of this boundless practice. Yoga is extremely beneficial to my mental health. It has helped me love my body, my emotions, and myself. It has taught me how to be comfortable in uncomfortable situations, how to be humble, and how to respect myself deeply. I am dedicated to providing others a practice centered around core philosophies of Yoga: Yoga is a practice to acquire mental health, emotional health, physical health, spiritual health, and moral health. This is my practice, and I hope to share it with you.