Monica Breen
Monica is the owner of BE NICE Yoga. She is E-RYT 200 and a certified teacher of Sri Dharma Mittra. Her teaching philosophy involves a deep respect for a student as an individual. She believes that each person is a unique construction of body, mind, energy, and spirit. This can be addressed and enhanced through the offerings of yoga. Her teaching style has evolved from her personal practice of yoga asana (physical exercises), pranayama (study of breath) and meditation as a spiritual discipline. Through her initial training and certification, as directed by Veronica Zador in 2001, Monica was introduced to the meaning and application of Patanjali's yoga sutras. Monica first approached yoga through a dedicated practice of the ashtanga-vinyasa system as taught by Sri Pattabhi Jois. She has studied with many leading instructors, including David Swenson, Sharon Gannon and David Live, and John Friend. In 2005, she trained along side Sri Dharma Mittra. She is the only teacher in Michigan who has completed Dharma's rigorous training program and has received certification to teach his practice sequence.

Karissa Baker
Karissa grew up in the Upper Peninsula where there was not a strong presence for yoga. When she moved to the Detroit area she was exposed to it and soon fell in love with the practice. Having always been a leader or teacher, she knew she would one day want to go through a teacher training program. Finally, in the Spring of 2012 she made that dream a reality. "I want to be able to give my students the opportunities my teachers have given me. Yoga has been therapy for me, it has provided me an outlet for self realization, growth, and strength (mental and physical). If I can have a student walk out of my class and be impacted in some way, shape, or form, then I know I have done my job. Yoga impacts everyone differently, I just want a chance to open the students' eyes and put a new perspective on life through yoga. What you take with you off the mat into your everyday life sometimes is more important than the practice itself". Karissa is RYT-200 and studied under Jonny Kest.

Caitlin Brown
As an instructor, Caitlin seeks to impart a yoga practice that is non- judgmental and empowering. Caitlin hopes to share her knowledge so that students can find their own yogic path, developing a practice that fits their physical, emotional, and spiritual needs. She believes yoga is much more than the mat and physical postures and regularly incorporates breathing techniques, meditation and tidbits of yoga philosophy into classes. In addition to being a yoga instructor, Caitlin is a social worker (LLMSW) and believes yoga has great power for healing. She is particularly interested in yoga's applications for positive mental health. Caitlin completed her teacher training at the Asheville Yoga Center and is a RYT 200. She has also studied with Amy Weintraub, whose book, Yoga for Depression, has been an invaluable guide.

Lauren Crimando
When Lauren discovered yoga as a way to help her cope with running injuries, she knew she had found the career for her. She has been passionate about making yoga accessible to as many people as possible ever since. Lauren completed her 200 hour teacher training in Chicago, Illinois, at Yoga Now, with Amy Beth Treciokas and Jen Enders, both students of Pattbhi Jois, the founder of the Ashtanga Yoga System. She also received her certification in Yoga for the Special Child © and Street Yoga ©. Though these methods, Lauren wants to bring yoga to people from a variety of backgrounds and physical conditions. She believes everyone should have the opportunity to practice yoga and benefit from all it has to offer. Lauren's teaching style focuses on connecting the breath with movement while emphasizing proper alignment. She would love to guide you on your own yoga journey to bring your mind, body, and breath together.

Barbara Davis
"Through the practice of yoga – a journey that began for me twelve years ago, I discovered yoga was not only physically rejuvenating, it improved my mental acuity, sense of grace, balance and overall well-being. The art and practice of yoga continues to be a source of inspiration to me. It offers an ongoing opportunity to explore and expand physical and mental limits. I am ever grateful for the opportunity to have studied with Linda Kay-Nathan, my teacher and mentor. Her wisdom and guidance have prepared me for the privilege of teaching and facilitating the personal journey of others. In addition, my three year experience as a professional weight loss consultant for an international weight loss firm has given me unique wisdom to share. It is my experience we are ageless and capable of more than we may have believed we could create and enjoy. As a teacher, it is my honor and pleasure to represent that yoga is a practice for life."

Andy Maggetti
Andy has been practicing yoga along side many great teachers for the past seven years since he first trained in Hatha yoga with Sabrina Ficano in Gagliano Aterno, Italy in the summer of 2005. Shortly after, he studied mindfulness meditation with Stephen Schoeberlein. In 2010, he was inspired by his Vinyasa training with Monica Breen at City Yoga in Downtown Detroit. This coincided with Andy's study of human anatomy and physiology at Wayne State. This, combined with Monica's expert guidance, lead him to take his practice to the next level. Upon graduation with a B.A. in education and a minor in biology, Andy spent a year in New York to train with Monica's guru Sri Dharma Mittra. The Dharma One sequence (which Andy will be teaching to complete his certification) is a complete series that covers all of the major asana categories and their full range of associated benefits. Sri Dharma Mittra is a legendary guru who has been practicing yoga since 1958. "My own practice is rooted in the belief that everyone walks their own unique path. What draws me to yoga is how flexible it is to meet everyone's diverse personal needs and foci."

Rebecca Roman
Rebecca Roman is E-RYT 500 and a Feldenkrais Practitioner. She has been teaching and studying both modalities since 2000 in California where she has lived for several years. Rebecca returned to the Detroit area to be with family. For may years now she has been teaching classes, workshops and individual lessons full time and is passionate about her work. From the Ashtanga, Iyengar Bikram and Anusara traditions, Rebecca has studied with many teachers. A unique aspect to her yoga teachings is the incorporations of the Feldenkrais Method. Rebecca's primary intention as a teacher is to provide her students with the opportunity to become more available to change, compassion, self awareness and human potential.

Stephanie Ruopp
Steph began practicing yoga ten years ago. As a hardcore runner whose joints could no longer sustain the unforgiving concrete, she first sought out the more rigorous practices of vinyasa and ashtanga, hoping to find a replacement for her running. As it turns out, the deeper aspects of the yoga practice found her. Since that time, she has dabbled in every practice available to her, including restorative, basic hatha, Kundalini, Anusara, "better back", Bikram, Eischen's, prenatal (despite never having children!) and is grateful to have taken something from each of these practices to incorporate into her own practice and teachings. While her heart remains most deeply connected to ashtanga and vinyasa, she found a third love in the Yin practice. And it is these three practices she enjoys teaching most.

Veronica Zador
Veronica Zador E-RYT 500: Veronica is both the past-President of the International Association of Yoga Therapists and past-Vice Chair of Yoga Alliance. Veronica served on the National Education Dialogue to Advance Integrated Health Care and the Academic Consortium for Complementary and Alternative Health Care and continues to promote standards in the fields of yoga teaching and yoga therapy. As president of Yoga Developments, LLC, Veronica envisioned and produced the first three Symposiums for Yoga Therapy and Research in Los Angeles, CA. Having founded and directed the first Yoga Shala of Namaste Yoga in Royal Oak, Veronica's yoga teaching experience has deep roots in Michigan as well as an extensive international teaching schedule. Veronica has published over 30 articles on yoga teaching and yoga therapy.