OUR INSTRUCTORS

200hr RYT

Vanessa was born and raised in New Delhi, India. She moved to New York as a young adult, to work at Time magazine, and never returned to live in India. She grew up in a household where one of her uncles practiced yoga, much to the entertainment and delight of the children in the household, herself included! Her uncle would search for calm as he stood on his head, and the children would bend over and peer at him in what struck them as an odd way to greet the day! Vanessa has lived in the Mount Washington Valley for over thirty years and teaches three times per week. She received her 200 RYT from Kripalu Center for Yoga & Health. She has practiced yoga for many years, and it has brought a great deal of calm and grace to her life.

500hr RYT

Yoga found Lori in 2009 when her body had begun to rebel against years of competitive sports and the frequent, grueling training they required. She had also just gone through a painful divorce and was literally breaking down—physically, mentally and spiritually.

She attended her first yoga class at Synergy Power Yoga, a Baptiste studio in Barrington, RI. After just 15 minutes she was hooked! She enjoyed the challenge of the physical practice, learned to respect her body and its limitations, and learned to be a bit kinder to herself. No longer did everything need to hurt to be beneficial. She came to yoga for her body, but continues to practice for her soul and overall well-being.

With much respect and love for her wonderful yoga teachers, she wanted to share what she had learned with others. She studied with Gregor Singleton and Claire Este McDonald at the Baptiste Institute in Cambridge, MA to complete her 200-hour RYT in 2014 and 300-hour RYT in 2016.

200hr RYT

Robin has been a Mountain Kula Yoga student from the beginning. Covid took Robin away from her practice for a period of time in late 2021 - early 2022. While working to recover from Long Covid, as soon as she was able, Robin made her way back to her mat and back to her practice at MKY. Truly believing that yoga was the biggest contributing factor in her healing journey, Robin wanted to find an effective way to share her deep gratitude for yoga with others. With that intention, she completed her 200 YTT in early 2023. Especially sensitive to folks who might feel intimidated for any number of reasons by group classes, Robin hopes and strives to embody the statement “Yoga is truly for EVERY BODY.”

Robin is a MWV Valley local, long time massage therapist, and her other certifications include Trauma Informed Yoga, Yoga Nidra, and Science of Stretching Coach. Her heart full of gratitude leads her own personal practice, as well as her teaching.

500hr RYT

Lea found yoga in high school and began teaching in 2015. She has a 200-hour certification from WellHeart Yoga, a 500-hour from ShivaShakti Yoga School, and another 500-hour from The American Viniyoga Institute. Her teaching style aligns closely with Viniyoga principles which seek to create a class environment that is accessible and appropriately challenging for all bodies and abilities. To Lea, yoga is a way to balance the many intense physical activities she partakes in, such as skiing, mountain biking, ice hockey, and hiking. Lea uses her daily morning yoga practice to check with her body and assess its inner workings. Her classes follow that process, helping students gain body awareness so they can safely challenge themselves.

When Lea isn’t teaching, she can be found studying for her MFA, writing stories, working as an editor for the Stonecoast Review, and working on her podcast, Nonprofit Navigator.

200hr RYT

Christine has been a part of the Mountain Kula Yoga family from day 1! When the pandemic hit in 2020, and teacher training could be obtained online, in virtual classrooms, she knew this was her chance to deepen her practice. Eager to engage with the community, Christine completed her 200 hour YTT in 2021, and is continuing her education with a health coaching certification and obtaining her 300 hour YTT. Working as a massage therapist and being introduced to yoga over 20 years ago, she’s excited to continue her service in the healing arts. Though life has a way of throwing one off course from time to time, yoga has always remained fully in her heart.

Slowly but surely the ball is rolling! Though uncertainty still creeps up, Christine reminds herself to take a deep breath and whisper to herself "stop getting in your own way." She's learning to embrace her humanity and hopes to share how yoga has influenced her life beyond the physical practice, and shows her that it’s truly A WAY TO SHOW UP IN THE WORLD.

500hr RYT

Zita started her yoga journey back in 2015 as an outlet to burn excess energy and to try and heal from some unhealthy patterns and coping mechanisms she'd created for herself. Immediately she was hooked and with new found confidence (with credit given back to the yoga practice), she left her home in Galway, Ireland to travel in 2015.

Zita completed her 200hr through YoYoYogi in 2018 (Portland, OR), her 300hr with Grace Jull in 2020 and is now currently enrolled in Yoga Therapy Training with Brandt Passalacqua through Breathing Deeply (an IAYT certified school of Yoga Therapy). She's also a certified Y12SR leader having completed Yoga for 12-Step Recovery with Nikki Meyers in 2023.

With a strong commitment to continuous education and values built around the principles of yoga, she aims to share this practice of healing with those in need.

Moving to Conway from Oregon in June 2024 with her husband and fur child (Bagheera), she can be found either buried in a book (or 3), out on a trail or in the kitchen tackling a new recipe.

300hr RYT

Stacey Forend, RYT300, Yoga Teacher, Psychic Medium, Energy Therapist, Birth & End of Life Doula and Lifestyle & Spirituality Mentor. In addition, Stacey is a certified Institute for Integrative Nutrition Health Practitioner and the creator of the organic anti- inflammatory super food Super Golden Blend TM. She began her journey of healing herself of an autoimmune disease in 2009 which led to her Dharma, life purpose, of teaching yoga and guiding others in their healing and self remembrance. She opened her own healing arts practice in 2017 and offers a multifaceted approach to healing.

200hr RYT

Erin has been practicing yoga consistently since 2016 and enjoys the sense of deep calmness and integration she is able to find on the mat. The Ashtanga Yoga system offers routine and discipline to her personal practice, and teaching vinyasa yoga allows her to explore creative and dynamic flows. Erin continually looks forward to being a lifelong student of yoga. "Yoga has challenged my mind, body and spirit to cultivate strength, flexibility and acceptance. I am sassy and silly with a playful creative spirit that reflects in my teaching style." She creates a safe space in the classroom for her students to explore the mind-body connection while developing strength and flexibility with a sense of steadiness and ease that can be carried off the mat.

500hr E-RYT

Jean received her 200RYT in Guatemala from School Yoga institute at the Mystical Yoga Farm and her 300RYT at Durga's Tiger School of Tantra and Shamanism in Ecuador after 25 years of being a dedicated yogini. Yoga has been an intrical part of Jean’s life.. a necessary part… She takes her winter body to her ‘second home’ Roatan, Honduras yearly, where she practices daily yoga overlooking Half Moon bay. Jean, recovering from knee surgery, is aiming to ski and mountain bike like a rockstar soon. She reads and writes, and grows lots of garlic. She is a wedding officiant and an Ayurveda Abhyanga Massage Therapist. She’s a well traveled girl who loves culture, language, and just seeing how other people live.

200hr RYT

Bailey began practicing yoga in 2008, starting with a 6-week beginners class in Boston. After many years in the corporate world, she was searching for ways to focus, de-stress and unwind. She ultimately completed her yoga teacher training at Sacred Seeds Yoga in 2017. After teaching for a few years in Fryeburg, Maine, she saw the benefits of yoga and developed a deep belief that yoga is for everybody and for every BODY! She found a passion for introducing yoga to beginners and special populations to support strength, stability, mindfulness and quality of life.

Bailey’s teaching background lies in Vinyasa with a special focus on anatomy, posture modifications, accessibility and stability. She is from Fryeburg and lives in Lovell, ME with her husband, daughter and pup!

200hr RYT

Melissa was introduced to meditation during a college class. She recalls how challenging it was to sit still and quiet her mind for those first 10 minutes. This experience, along with her belief in the importance of a physically active lifestyle, is what guided her toward the path of yoga.

After practicing yoga around the globe for many years, Melissa completed her 200-hour Yoga Teacher Training (YTT) in Ashtanga Yoga at Samyak Institute in Mysore, India, in March 2023. Shortly afterward, in May 2023, she completed her Restorative Teacher Training, "Movement in Stillness," with Margo Rosigana in Portland, Maine.

A long-time resident of the Mount Washington Valley, Melissa enjoys hiking, mountain biking, skiing, and all the adventures that mountain life has to offer.

268hr RYT

Brein is a 268 hour certified yoga teacher in a combination of hatha, ashtanga and power vinyasa flow from Guruv Yoga in Lake Mary, FL. She’s been practicing yoga for over a decade and has found it useful in balancing everyday life. She loves a challenging class that can make her sweat and smile. Brein is a wife, mother of two boys, and a managing editor of application development for a publishing company. When she gets a moment to herself, her mat is where she’ll be. Combining music and movement, her vinyasa flow classes encourage strength and playfulness. Yoga is a balance between steadying the mind and challenging the body.