Our Teachers

Meet Our Teachers!


Amy Diamondstein

Studio Owner, ERYT 200 & LMT

Jeanne Staron

ERYT 200

Jenn Tarrant

RYT 500

Veda Spidle

ERYT 500, YACEP

Jenna Hedstrom

ERYT 500

Carolyn Blackmon

RYT 500

Irene Pak

RYT 500

Hemal Karna

RYT 200

Taylor Lange

RYT 200

Corina Guzman

RYT 500

Karen Clark

RYT 400, Reiki Practicioner

Ryan Wayne

RTY 200

Debbie Popiel

RYT 200

Angie Cox

RTY 200

Brittany Shulla

RYT 200

Katelin Richardson

RTY 200

Jenn Daniel

RYT 200

Jenna Clark

RYT 200

Leanna Diane

ERYT 200

Sue Scales

RYT 200, LMT

Jennie Love

RYT 600

Aimee Lynn

ERYT 500, Reiki Master

Aubrey Gibson

RYT 500

Jeff Lockridge

RYT 200

Michelle Heller

RYT 200

Victoria Carlock

RYT 200

Rose Ryan

RYT 200

Julie Lemerond

ERYT 500

Megan Cannon

ERYT 500

Ali Feeney

ERYT 200

Juli Burdette

ERYT 500

Meet Our Teachers!


Amy Diamondstein

Amy’s journey into Yoga began as a student at At One Yoga in 2004. Practicing daily, Amy almost immediately realized the physical and emotional benefits that Yoga brought to her life. Over the next decade, Amy learned primarily from Alex Austin, Jenn Chiarelli, John Salisbury, Desiree Lapre, Hillary Ryan, and Anton Mackey. Amy graduated as a Licensed Massage Therapist from the Southwest Institute of Healing Arts in 2011 and from Anahata Soul’s Yoga Teacher Training in 2013. In 2018 Amy studied with Hamid Jabbar to become a Sound Practioner and now is inspired to incorporate the sounds of Gong, Drums, Crystal Bowls, Chimes, and Vocals into many of her classes.

Amy is passionate about using the healing arts to transform pain and dis-ease that gets stuck in the physical body into new, healthy life force energy. In her yoga classes, she focuses on staying connected to breath as a medicinal technique of clearing and cleansing energy. The theme of being anchored to the breathe as a way to experience PRESENCE, is woven through all of her classes. The present moment is the only place where life truly exists… Amy has learned that the practice of yoga (both on and off the mat) is a path towards connecting more profoundly to the present moment, and therefore to LIFE. She believes that the experience of linking breath with movement, accompanied by vibrant music, is one of the most amazing ways to completely restore the physical body, the mind, and the spirit. Amy’s classes are designed to provide students with an opportunity to be inspired…by their own body, breath, and purpose… so that they may take their practice off the mat and into the world.

The Surya Journey: In 2016, Amy found Surya and began teaching several Vinyasa and Power Vinyasa classes at the studio. Amy found a home at Surya, both in the physical warmth and intimacy of the space and more profoundly in the connection with her beloved students. In late 2019, the studio was intending to close and Amy chose to step into studio ownership in order to preserve and grow the community that she had come to love so dearly. Now she finds so much joy in finding unique/mindful items to offer in the boutique, in designing a calendar of different events/workshops to serve the students, in building a teaching team of AMAZING people who are LIVING YOGA, and in seeing this family of LIGHT evolve and blossom every single day.

Click to return to the top of the page

Jeanne Staron

Through the teachings of yoga, Jeanne has witnessed the power of the mind-body connection. The movement of energy throughout the body allows us to better respond to the ebbs and flows of life. Whether it is taking a deep breath in traffic, or practicing moments of mindfulness during your day, she believes the real yoga happens off the mat. She is humbled and grateful to yoga’s life-changing benefits in her own life. Jeanne’s attuned awareness of the world around her can be seen through her yoga teachings. Her classes are adaptive and fluid as she brings her students to their edge while giving them the space to fully embrace their inner beauty and strength. Jeanne is registered as RYT 200 with Yoga Alliance. Her classes are Hatha based, including gentle, flow, yin and restorative. She is a certified Yoga Nidra facilitator trained in the official Amrit Method.

Click to return to the top of the page

Jennifer Tarrant

Jenn is an experienced Yoga Teacher with over 5000 hours teaching experience. She has led classes of many types, including Vinyasa styles, trauma-sensitive classes, Yoga-As Therapy style classes, and private sessions. Jenn is also a Yoga Therapist, giving her added expertise. In addition, she is a Senior Master Trainer for YogaFit Training Systems Worldwide and has the privilege of teaching others how to be Yoga Teachers as well.

Click to return to the top of the page

Veda Spidle

Veda Spidle was born in Lithuania and at a young age immigrated to the United States with her family. Since childhood, she has been surrounded by art, yoga, meditation, and spirituality in her own home through her parents’ daily practices. These influences led her to pursue a B.A. in Interior Design and later, to live abroad to teach English in South Korea, where she met her husband. Her experience there gave her a foundation for connecting to students, making learning fun, and expanding her perspective of life.

Upon completing her work in South Korea, she and her husband moved to Arizona where the opportunity to blend her love of yoga with her passion for teaching presented itself. With the support of her family, friends, mentors, and students, Veda has completed over 900 hours of yoga teacher training and has taught over 3,000 hours. She continues as a life-long learner to expand her knowledge of yoga and related sciences by attending additional trainings, workshops, mentorships, and self-study.

Veda’s versatility enables her to teach people of all ages and ability levels, and she specializes in using yoga to help individuals find relief from physical, mental, and emotional pain. She aspires to continue sharing her love of yoga, meditation, health, and life with others, and, most importantly, hopes to teach people to have self-compassion through yoga!

Click to return to the top of the page

Jenna Hedstrom

Jenna Hedstrom is an E-RYT 500, a highly experienced Breathwork Facilitator, Sound & Energy Teacher, Intuitive Spiritual Guide, Mentor and Entrepreneur.

Her teaching style is well rounded, trauma informed and enriched in the understanding of subtle energy and the deep connection of mind, body and Soul. She loves to teach restorative and gentle yoga, deep guided meditation, sound healing, kundalini yoga and breathwork. She studied breathwork deeply for five years first as practitioner, then mentee, then lead teacher of a certification program. Her devotion to the breath combined with her studies of yoga, sound healing, mindfulness, trauma and somatic therapy allowed Jenna to transform her own traumas into a powerful healing presence, which she now brings to her classes, workshops, transformational group programs and retreats to empower the lives of many others. Her diverse and extensive background has allowed her clients and students to make breakthroughs they have not been able to make doing any other type of work.

Her spiritual journey began when her best friend was shot and killed at a party in 2013. This is when she found yoga, or, what she likes to say, when yoga found her. It was at this point where she was cracked open to a whole new world full of healing, love and magic. She began devouring anything she could get her hands on that allowed her to experience deep healing and poured herself into her first 200hr YTT program with no intention to teach. But the Universe had a different plan for her. She began teaching in 2015, became the Lead Teacher of the Breath of Love Certification Course, and left the Corporate world in 2018 to start her healing business full time.

She is a devout student of life, vulnerable, authentic and eternally optimistic. Her classes will leave you feeling safe, seen, understood, deeply relaxed and wildly empowered.

Click to return to the top of the page

Carolyn Blackmon

Carolyn began exploring yoga eleven years ago after her Grandfather starting taking chair yoga classes. Yoga was so helpful to him and he encouraged Carolyn to try it. She fell in love with it! Over the last decade Carolyn has practiced all types of yoga and has found that it helped her with soul healing, rest for the mind, and nourishment for her body. She completed her 200 Therapeutic Yoga Teacher Training Certification through Soma Yoga Institute in Hawaii and began teaching in the fall of 2017. She then completed her 300 Hour Therapeutic Yoga Teacher Training at the Soma Yoga Institute in the Fall of 2019. Carolyn also has a certification to teach Yin Yoga. She enjoys teaching Slow Flow and making yoga accessible for All Levels while sharing yogic wisdom throughout her classes. In addition, she enjoys leading guided meditations and Yoga Nidra. She finds a lot of fulfillment in teaching donation yoga classes to give back to community organizations. Her passions include traveling, volunteering, hiking, eating vegan/vegetarian food, spending quality time with friends and family, listening to all kinds of music, journaling, connecting people, and of course yoga.

Click to return to the top of the page

Irene Pak

Coming from a fitness background and an education in Kinesiology, as I walked out of my first yoga class in 2001, I knew there was something special, something different about this type of “exercise” class. Later realizing Yoga is not work out, It’s truly a deep work inward, the physical benefits are merely a side effect.
As I stand, 21 years later, my passion for Yoga continues to grow and I will forever be a student.  I completed my 200 HR YTT in 2014, and my 300 HR YTT in 2018. I have been teaching Yoga full-time since 2014. I recently became a registered 200 HR school of Yoga, and lead my own teacher trainings in the valley. Through breath and movement comes stillness, patience, self-love, contentment, mindfulness, awareness, healing and compassion. It is my humble intention to create a safe space for students to open their heart and seek their truth. It is important to me to honor the roots of yoga and to share these roots along with the history and philosophy of Yoga with my students. 
I love the balance of teaching styles from Yin, Restorative and Yoga Basics, to Powerful Vinyasa Flow.
I hope to see and share your beautiful lights in my class, shine bright! 

Click to return to the top of the page

Hemal Karna

Hemal has a passion for Yoga that brings together Meditation and Movement. She is trained and versed in Flow, Hatha, Yin, Restorative, Yoga Nidra, and Sound Healing. She combines these modalities to help students disconnect with their thoughts and come into the present moment where life is being lived. She loves how Yoga has the capacity to shine a light on the areas of the mind body complex that need healing, in order to manage the highs and lows of life.

Hemal’s yoga journey began at a Bikram Yoga studio in 2006. At that time she was a full time hygienist and not feeling fulfilled. She soon began to realize the benefits of practicing yoga for the mind, body, and spirit. Curious to advance her understanding of Yoga, Hemal attended the Southwest Institute of Healing Arts, but had no idea the impact this would have in opening her eyes to be the best version of herself. Through daily yoga practice, she feels more at peace, is able to move through the day with ease, and is a better mother to her daughters. This is the fulfillment she wishes to share with all of her students through her classes.

Click to return to the top of the page

Taylor Lange

Yoga found Taylor in her twenties when anxiety surrounding the big life questions had become debilitating. While the asana (postures/physical practice) first drew her to the mat, the mental and emotional changes she experienced within just a few months of consistent practice convinced her to further her practice. Taylor soon began integrating yoga into her elementary classroom, traveled internationally to practice, made lifelong friends and learned the meditation and breathwork tools to no longer need medication to ease her anxiety. Taylor completed her 200 RYT program and knew that creating a fun, safe space for everyone and every body to practice yoga was the next step in her journey. She has since continued her yoga teaching education to specialize and become certified in teaching Yin Yoga. Taylor feels so deeply… “Yoga saved my life; sharing this practice with others is the greatest gift.”

Click to return to the top of the page

Corina Guzman

Since I was little I have been involved in physical activities, such as dance and multiple sports, but when I discovered Yoga… it was love at first sight! I believe in the energy of people and I believe in building community. I care about my students and I am happy when I see them evolve in their own practice. I am from Venezuela but I completed my yoga studies in Miami, FL (RYT200 and RYT300 hours). I am always deeply grateful for my teachers and I love being not only a teacher but also a student to continue growing and learning every day.

Click to return to the top of the page

Karen Clark

I am a fun loving yogi, teacher, author, energy worker, retreat guide, women’s circle leader and angel card reader.

I am a Canadian/American dual citizen, and moved to the USA in 2000 where I spent three years in southern New Hampshire before moving to sunny Orange County, California. After 18 years in the OC, in 2021, I arrived in the magical desert of Scottsdale/Phoenix to start a new life chapter and published my first book, “Soul Fire: a guide for getting to know yourself and living your happiest life”. 

During my 40’s I was living one of the hardest times of my life (more in the book if you want that story). I started going to yoga for the peace it gave me mentally and physically during my most challenging time, and decided to leave my career in interior design to become a teacher of yoga, meditation and fitness. I received my first RYT 200 teaching designation in 2014 and my second RYT 200 in 2017. Having put on my first pair of ballet shoes at age 3 and taught dance in adulthood, I have always loved physical movement and also added strength training, barre fitness, TRX, myofascial release and more to my teaching portfolio. After arriving in Phoenix I studied Reiki, tuning fork energy healing practices and many other holistic modalities as my passion to help and heal the world grows. 

I gather women together in sacred circles and on retreats both locally and globally, and in fall 2023 became the proud founder of the greater Phoenix branch of Sacred Woman Collective. It is my honor to be part of the Surya Yoga family and extended community.

Click to return to the top of the page

Ryan Wyne

Ryan began his yoga journey in 2008 to support his personal fitness pursuits.  To deepen his practice, he obtained his 200hr YTT and 100hr Pranayama training, and began teaching at local gyms and studios.  He teaches an all levels Vinyasa, slow flow, and Yin class derived from the Ashtanga primary series, with an emphasis on breath and alignment, usually with music to enhance the experience.
For many years, Ryan competed and coached mountain biking and road cycling.  He started the Boulder Creek High School mountain bike team in Anthem, and was the head coach for several years.  He also enjoys hiking with his dog Jager, paddle boarding with friends, spending time with his family, and camping under the stars.

Click to return to the top of the page

Debbie Popiel

Debbie began her yoga practice in 2000 and completed her 200 hour certification in 2017. Yoga transformed her life and she continues to live her purpose by sharing this beautiful gift with her students. She has two grown children and two grandchildren and loves to travel. She has been guiding retreats around the world since 2018 and looks forward to more exploration.  A four time marathon finisher, she is an avid health enthusiast. When she’s not on her yoga mat or traveling, she enjoys hiking, reading, journaling, quoting movies with her family and laughing til her sides hurt.

Click to return to the top of the page

Angie Cox

Angie found yoga while working a stressful job as a social worker and loved the peace it helped her find. She completed teacher training in 2006 (SWIHA) and has been teaching ever since. Many weeks, she realized the hours she was teaching were the only times she truly felt present. In 2017 she left that career to fully focus on teaching and has done a wide variety of work in the world of wellness since then, including gyms, high school sports, community centers, assisted living and senior centers, and private yoga sessions. Her practice and teaching has evolved over time to include slower more mindful practices, including yoga nidra certification (iRest) and sound healing. She loves to guide practitioners of all ages into an experience of deep presence and their own inner stillness. If you like to hike or paddle board, look for her out in nature and say hello!

Click to return to the top of the page

Brittany Shulla

For over 10 years Brittany has enjoyed teaching many styles of yoga to different demographics. Growing up as a dancer, Brittany found her own yoga practice in 2009 and was exposed to Vinyasa and Ashtanga yoga early on. She fell in love with physical practice. When she became certified to teach in 2014, she became curious about yoga beyond asana and YES to every teaching opportunity that came her way. From teaching athletes recovering from inquiries, to workplace wellness, breathwork, feminine movement and tantra, to rehabilitation centers and Somatic trauma release, Brittany became very nuanced in her ability to teach to many different people. In 2017 she opened her own corporate wellness business teaching chair yoga and meditation for those in the workplace which gave her the training to offer yoga to those that might not be eager to walk into a studio. She now owns and operates“ Officiating By Brittany” performing wedding ceremonies for couples and teaching couples yoga… her newest yoga love 🙂 Her background and credentials include: Vinyasa, YinYoga, Restorative, MBSR, Meditation, YogaNidra, Corporate Wellness, Thai Yoga, Chair Yoga, Buti Yoga, Womenscircles and feminine movement, Couples yoga and Relational Media.

Brittany listens to students’ individual needs to meet them where they are at and loves to offer a safe space for them to find what makes them feel the most confident and at peace within their practice

Click to return to the top of the page

Katelin Richardson

After 16 years of dancing, Katelin found herself searching for a way to continue moving her body while allowing it the space to heal and grow. In 2016, she discovered yoga, and it was through her practice that she began to experience the profound physical, mental, and spiritual benefits she had been seeking. The grace and strength that yoga offered her resonated deeply, and she made it her mission to share this transformative practice with others.

Katelin completed her 200 RYT training in 2020, and since then, she has been dreaming of helping others cultivate that same deep mind-body connection. After feeling unfulfilled in retail for years Katelin left her company in 2023 to pursue yoga full time, dedicating herself to finding ways to honor and challenge the body while calming the mind.

Click to return to the top of the page

Jenn Daniel

Jenn started her journey with yoga back in 2007 taking her first in person class. Life has taken her on and off her mat since then, but she has reconnected to her practice on a deeper level over the past few years. Jenn completed a 200-hr. YTT in San Diego in 2016 and went on to teach yoga on the beach at The Catamaran and taught private corporate classes during her time in San Diego. After returning to Arizona in 2021 she knew she wanted to reconnect to her personal practice and was eager to participate in a second 200-hr training. Yoga has helped her navigate the hardest time of her life and kept her mind in a healthy place and she loves to share that tool with others. Jenn understands how profound a yoga practice can be not just to feel good in the body but to liberate the mind from struggles and to find inner peace. She has a wide variety of offerings from different types of asana practices such as vinyasa, yin and restorative practices, as well as Yoga Nidra meditation, facilitating Cacao ceremonies, and sound baths.

Click to return to the top of the page

Jenna Clark

A seasoned yogi with over 15 years of experience teaching, Jenna now specializes in guiding others through Somatic Breathwork and Reiki. With a passion for holistic wellness and a dedication to helping others find their inner peace, Jenna brings a unique blend of modalities to her teaching practice.

While Jenna’s journey with yoga began over a decade ago, it was her deep exploration into Breathwork and Reiki that truly ignited her path to healing and transformation. Drawing from her extensive experience, Jenna creates personalized sessions that focus on harnessing the power of the breath and energy work to promote healing and inner harmony.

As a practitioner and teacher, Jenna is committed to creating a safe and supportive space for her clients to explore their inner landscape and cultivate a deeper connection with themselves. Her sessions are tailored to meet the individual needs of each client, guiding them on a journey of self-discovery and empowerment.

Whether you’re seeking relief from stress, healing from past traumas, or simply looking to deepen your connection with your inner self, Jenna’s Breathwork and Reiki sessions offer a profound and transformative experience. Join Jenna on the path to healing and discover the power of breath and energy to unlock your fullest potential.

Click to return to the top of the page

Leanna Diane

Leanna Diane is an Arizona native E-RYT 200 yoga instructor as well as a professional aerialist and Cyr wheel artist. She is also a certified personal trainer, certified nutritionist, and has a B.A. in Health & Wellness. Leanna has been practicing yoga since she discovered a Rodney Yee yoga video at the library in 1999 and practiced consistently until she began teaching since 2012. Leanna also performed as an aerialist on several International contracts with Cirque du Soleil in 2017 and 2021. However, as a contrast to her performance career, Leanna is most passionate about sharing the healing gifts of yoga in all of her classes. She teaches a variety of yoga styles, including Vinyasa flow yoga, Power yoga, Yin and Restorative yoga, Aerial yoga, Wall yoga, Meditation, and Sound Healing yoga– as well as Pilates, Barre and alternative fitness style classes. When she is not teaching, Leanna absolutely loves to travel, cold plunge, and spend ample time in nature.

Click to return to the top of the page

Sue Scales

Sue is a Registered Yoga Teacher (RYT-200), Reiki Master Teacher, massage therapist, and Tarot advisor. Her path into the healing arts began in 2005 with her first Reiki treatment. She found herself sobbing on the table of a stranger and knew that she had connected with a powerful life-force energy. Sue located a Reiki Master Teacher near where she was living in southeastern Pennsylvania, and within a year, she had progressed through the training and attunements for all Reiki levels, becoming a Reiki Master Teacher herself. She wanted to explore the energy of Reiki and offer it to others, too. In 2010 she entered the massage therapy program at Cortiva Institute in King of Prussia, PA, and in 2011 she graduated and became a Licensed Massage Therapist. She describes her massage style as eclectic and intuitive, working with both the physical structures and the energy that she senses from each client and their body. Her first massage office was in a yoga studio, and it was there that she began a yoga practice. She knew that yoga also was something that she wanted to offer to others, and she looked for the right time and opportunity to enroll in a Yoga Teacher Training program. That opportunity arose in 2018 after she had moved across the country to Arizona. In 2018 and 2019, she worked through the 200 hours of the YTT program at Yoga Pura in Phoenix. Sue has received certification in Restorative Yoga and Yin Yoga, and she is a Certified Yoga Nidra Facilitator. Sue’s teaching style is gentle and nuanced, helping each student to connect with their own body and deep inner wisdom. What happens on the mat is not for yoga class only; it is meant to contribute to our personal growth and evolution in all of life.

Click to return to the top of the page

Jennie Love

Jennie Love is a 600 hour certified yoga teacher and received an Advanced Yoga Teacher/Healing Arts Practitioner diploma from the Southwest Institute of Healing Arts.  She is also a Reiki Master. Jennie teaches that the practice of yoga is not about touching the toes but rather about integrating the body, breath, spirit and mind all into one. It is this integration that has led to the unwavering belief that the practice of yoga has the potential to change one’s life if the practitioner is open to receiving.  Feeling compelled to share with others the powerful effects of yoga on the mind, body and spirit is what led her to the seat of the teacher. Jennie has a particular calling to share these benefits of yoga through the art of Restorative, Yin, and Slow Hatha practices . It is with a lightheartedness that Jennie encourages her students to honor their bodies and give grace for the way they have shown up in any given moment, explore their potential, relax with what is and let go of what simply does not serve us.  Jennie lives in Scottsdale with her husband and their two little boys, along with the family pets. 

Click to return to the top of the page

Aimee Lynn

Raised in the small town of Victoria, TX, I found my love for the earth and its energy during an elementary school field trip to the local gem show. Every year, my class would visit the community center to learn about rocks. I was instantly drawn to the many shapes and sparkles. I remember holding them and feeling something special. I felt this special energy once again while starting my yoga journey in my early adulthood while living in Rogersville, MO. Yoga gave me a connection to something deep inside. When I practiced, I found myself more aligned, connected, and present. In 2010, I received my 200 RYT in Chandler, Arizona and took a leap to move out west to explore my passion for yoga.

I love to sing and practice Vedic chanting and modern medicine songs with my teachers. I have also started an instrument collection and love playing them from the heart. Singing and sound have had a profound effect on calming my nervous system and helping me to express myself in another creative outlet.

It is my passion & purpose to help people find healing within through working with the most natural approach of Mother Earth and Divine Source Energy. So we all can walk on a path that leads us to manifest our best lives. By connecting with nature, we can find our true nature. This helps us see the beauty and magic in and around us. 

From 2010 to the present, I have been teaching public yoga classes in Phoenix, AZ. I have shared my love of yoga by leading a yoga teacher training program and international yoga retreats. Organizing retreats is one of my favorite creative projects.

Click to return to the top of the page

Aubrey Gibson

A wonderful teacher once told me, “I didn’t find yoga, yoga found me.” I was in my early twenties sitting in my cubicle that I worked so hard to get into. I had checked off all the boxes – graduated high school, moved out, went to college, got a full-time job, married, bought a new car, then the house, adopted the perfect dog, and then the perfect cat and somehow found myself staring into the blur of my computer screen knowing that there was more to life. It was then, I searched “jobs in yoga studios” and the universe introduced me to my new life. I submitted my resume, quit my job, and started chasing my truth. I then found the Southwest Institute of Healing Arts where I earned my 500hr yoga teacher certification alongside life coaching, Yoga Nidra, & sound healing training. Yoga did not change my life – it saved my life. Through spiritual teachings, philosophy to live by, meditation, and connection of the breath and body, yoga became a formula to my true essence. Yoga was a gateway to the healing I needed so that I could finally be free to fully embody my limitless nature. It is my soul’s calling to bring empowerment to every individual to define the life of their dreams. Welcome home.

Click to return to the top of the page

Jeff Lockridge

Jeff’s classes seek to test your breath and balance, awaken your strength and deliver a generous dose of inspiration. His themed practices make Yoga a fulfilling experience for all levels.

Jeff discovered Yoga in 2018 after a hamstring tear. Overcoming his preconceived stereotypes of what Yoga was and who could practice it, Jeff began vinyasa power and flow classes to become more limber. His initial objective to increase physical resiliency grew into a deeper appreciation for the mind-body connection that Yoga cultivates. Utilizing energy and creating space in the body can quiet and focus the mind, allowing inner peace and direction to flourish.

A Nashville native who ventured to Arizona in 2014, Jeff still maintains his some of his southern drawl … but all of his southern hospitality. Jeff is a communications specialist, managing the media and public relations team for a major corporation. He previously enjoyed a 17-year career as an award-winning newspaper writer. When he is not on his Yoga mat, Jeff likes to travel, trail run, cook, umpire baseball, serve as a deacon in his church and spend time with his beautiful family.

A graduate of the Namast-ay Yoga 200 HR YTT program in Scottsdale and a student of fellow Surya Yoga instructor Irene Pak, Jeff is a Yoga Alliance member who aims to assist his fellow yogis in becoming the best version of themselves.

Click to return to the top of the page

Michelle Heller

Hey there, my name is Michelle! I discovered yoga on a VHS tape back in the late 90s while working 3 jobs and commuting to college. I tried sports in school but due to my short attention span and daydreamer tendencies, I wasn’t a popular pick on any team. I often felt like an outcast and that I would never quite fit in so it felt fortuitous that I found yoga. It helped me get active, stay focused and calm and I wouldn’t have anyone telling me I wasn’t good enough. I practiced from time to time but I didn’t have any idea how much of an impact yoga would have on my life. My first non-VHS tape teachers were John Salisbury, Anton Mackey and Desiree Grobstein circa 2008. I was new to Arizona and ready to spread my proverbial wings. Initially, my type A personality loved the physical workout and challenge of maintaining steady breathing whilst contorting my body and flowing with the energy of the room. Over time my practice and my understanding of yoga deepened. On December 10th 2017, the same day my brother had a stroke (he’s doing great now) I decided that in my next 365 days on the earth I would become a certified yoga instructor, teach yoga on a mountain and live my truth. I knew I wanted to share the joy of yoga with others as a teacher and wanted to make sure I learned as much as I could. To date, I have taught paddleboard yoga, lead a yoga class on a mountain, taught at 3 different corporate offices and 4 yoga studios. For me, yoga is about the balance between focus and letting go, breathing through the tough stuff and becoming stronger and more flexible because of it, staying present, living in the moment, choosing kindness, being courageously vulnerable and knowing there is always more to learn.

Michelle Heller has a BS is Theatre, is a graduate of Tony Robbins Master University, a 200 hr certified yoga instructor with Yoga Alliance, a certified sound healer, yoga wall, and aerial teacher. Michelle loves wholeheartedly, falls frequently and embraces all that life offers. She hopes that her own vulnerabilities will help others find their courage.

Click to return to the top of the page

Victoria Carlock

I began my own yoga journey over 16 years ago and completely fell in love with it. I later graduated with my masters degree and began working as a social worker with at risk children and families. After having children of my own, my yoga practice really began to deepen and my mat became my sanctuary. Yoga was a way for me to care for myself both physically and emotionally which allowed me to be a better mother to my children. After I became a certified yoga instructor, I jumped right in to teaching. It was such a natural transition and I am so happy to be sharing my love for yoga with others.

I teach yoga to cultivate community, connection, strength, and feeling centered in the mind and body through use of the breath. My classes are designed to feel inclusive and accessible to all who join. I hope to see you on your mat. -Namaste-

Click to return to the top of the page

Rose Ryan

Rose’s yoga journey began in 2016 when she started to prepare for the switch from school to a career. As someone who struggled with anxiety and insomnia for years, Rose was initially drawn to yoga for the positive effect it is known to have on mental health. As Rose began practicing yoga consistently, she started to see more and more little changes in her day to day life. Yoga has guided Rose to build a more present life, with a deeper connection to nature, others, and herself. In 2020, Rose received her 200 hour YTT certification. Rose is excited to continue learning, growing, and loving in this life.

Click to return to the top of the page

Julie Lemerond

Julie has been teaching yoga in the valley since 2010, and specializes in gentle practices such as Restorative, Yin and Yoga Nidra. An E-RYT 500, Julie is a perpetual student and is currently working towards Yoga Therapy certification. Yoga Nidra is her passion, and she holds an advanced certification in the Amrit Method. She has led and assisted with Yoga Nidra teacher trainings over the past decade. In most of her classes you will also be serenaded with sound healing in the form of crystal bowls, koshi bells, gentle gong playing and more.

Julie’s teaching style is focused on creating joy within movement, finding freedom and contentment in the mind and the heart, and cultivating a deep sense of peace within so that her students can take that sweet energy back into the world with them.

Click to return to the top of the page

Megan Cannon

Megan was originally drawn to yoga to feel less stressed from the day to day work-life balance.  She found the balance on the mat and that started to happen off the mat. Megan is an ERYT 500 teacher. She is a certified crystal specialist to help guide meditation through malas, as well as Reiki practitioner. She owns Moonmalasbymegan and hosts Yoga Retreats here in the states and internationally. Yoga has brought Megan lifelong friendships, more compassion, and a more awakened life. Megan and her husband enjoy hiking with their dogs and traveling.  In a class with Megan you will find breath focused movement, safety, creativity, and expression to show up for yourself, and have some fun along the way.

Click to return to the top of the page

Ali Feeney

Ali’s yoga journey began 15+ years ago when she came across her first yoga class at At One Yoga in Scottsdale, AZ. She fell in love instantly. She tried yoga as a way to get in shape, and not only did she see the physical benefits, she noticed a shift happening mentally and spiritually.  She realized there was a lot more to yoga than she originally thought, and from then on her life changed. She took her first 200 hour Yoga Teacher Training at SWIHA in 2009 under Christy Burnette, just after graduating high school. There, she deepened her practice, while also completing her master massage practitioner certification. Fast forward to 10 years after her first YTT, she realized once again that she wanted to make teaching yoga her path after the birth of her daughter Sophia. She then completed her second 200 hour Yoga Teacher Training with Taylor Wray’s Livin in Flow.  Ali truly believes that yoga is for everyBODY, and strives to create an inclusive and welcoming environment. She enjoys teaching a variety of Vinyasa flow classes, as well as a meditative and restorative practice.

Juli Burdette

Juli Burdette has been practicing yoga, song & sound medicine for decades. After studying vocal performance at Shenandoah University’s Conservatory of Music, she knew she had to find a way to reclaim the power of her voice. Bhakti yoga & chant provided that open hearted, devotional place she’d been seeking. She is grateful to infuse her community offerings with that same spirit. The experiences she creates vibrate with authentic truth and poetic expression. Her absolute passion is helping others remember the healing potential of their heart’s song, one breath at a time.

Click to return to the top of the page