Maria Bliss, Owner

Maria’s journey to yoga has been a lifelong evolution. Her childhood love of movement brought her through careers as a professional ballet dancer, dance teacher, and fitness instructor. Along the way, she began practicing yoga and ultimately decided that was her calling. As owner of Yogabliss, Maria has created a peaceful and energizing atmosphere for the community, offering a wide variety of yoga classes and workshops. She invites students to find balance in their bodies, minds, and spirits ultimately promoting a healthier, more authentic way of existing in this world. Maria’s passions are brought together with Vinyasa style yoga. She teaches using elements of spirituality, beautifully integrated into the graceful flowing movement and meditation of yoga.

Her teaching blends a strong asana practice with inspirational readings and dialogues, inviting students into a space of calm presence both on the mat and as they leave the studio. Maria believes that our essential nature is goodness, using humor and encouragement she “nudges” each student to step forward on their own path toward wholeness and personal growth.Maria has completed Power Vinyasa Teacher Training with Baron Baptiste and Lisa Black, and also trained in the Teaching Assistant Program (TAP) at Shakti Vinyasa Yoga. She has completed Level 1 Iyengar teacher training with Aadil Palkhivala and a variety of teacher trainings with both Shiva Rea and Seane Corn. Maria believes the key to being an effective teacher is to remain a lifelong student of yoga. She brings the benefits and blessings of her daily study to her students, sharing the journey toward becoming healthier, stronger, more content and compassionate beings-truly waking up to recognize the abundance of our lives.

Lena Showalter, Business Manager

Bio coming soon.

Kelly Baker

Kelly’s study of dance, music and psychology and her years as a mother have prepared her well for teaching yoga to children (and adults!). She has studied and completed teacher trainings with Theresa Elliott and Kathryn Payne of Pacific Yoga as well as Jodi Komitor of Next Generation Yoga. These influences have helped to define her style of teaching children so they may benefit fully from their budding yoga practice. Kelly has seen and personally experienced the mental and physical relief that children and adults can receive from a consistent yoga practice. She teaches through a combination of traditional yoga practices and interactive games which encourage growth in body/mind awareness, self-esteem, strength and coordination. She always emphasizes safety, mindfulness and fun.

Catherine De Marin

Catherine’s first yoga experience was a prenatal class she attended to support her prenatal massage clients. She was amazed by the commitment of the mothers-to-be, profoundly moved by the awareness of breath, body, mind and baby. Her love of this practice inspired her to teach prenatal classes, soon expanding that teaching to the broader population. Catherine began studying yoga with Robin Rothenburg in 1999 at the Yoga Barn in Issaquah. She is a Certified Viniyoga Instructor, an Integrative Yoga Therapist, a Yoga Alliance Registered Teacher and a Licensed Massage Therapist. She teaches from her vast knowledge and experience of working with the body-mind connection. She is a gifted teacher, able to elicit beautiful practices from her students, allowing them the freedom to move in practice as they are able. She teaches with kindness and compassion, utilizing personalized modifications to aid her students through class.

Carley Ewert

Carley’s path to yoga began in 2002 with the desire to develop presence and self expression through movement. As a massage therapist and constant student of vinyasa flow she creates a safe and varied flow. Carley has completed CorePower’s 200 hour Teacher Training, Shakti’s Teacher Assisting Program (TAP), and regularly attends weekend workshops with visiting master teachers such as Shiva Rea, Simon Park, and Jason Crandell. Her classes are energetic and encouraging as she utilizes the elements of breath, core, balance, and postural alignment to find inner strength. She often uses music to inspire although emphasizes the breath is the true key to one’s practice.

Ben Geislinger

Ben has been a yoga practitioner since 2000. Although the core of his practice is Ashtanga yoga, he approaches this tradition by using props and creative exercises to find depth in the poses and to work intelligently with any limitations a student might have. In 2005, Ben traveled to India and spent several months in Mysore, truly the heart of the Ashtanga community. In Mysore, he practiced with Sharath Rangaswami, the grandson of Sri K. Pattabhi Jois, the man largely responsible for bringing yoga to the West. Throughout his time in India, he was deeply influenced by many teachers, some certified and famous, many others without studios or Web pages. He was also deeply inspired by travel, which he considers to be one greatest yoga teachers of all.

Auryel van Gemert

Auryel combines her background in energy work with her passion for physical movement and meditation into a dynamic yoga class. Her practice integrates a grounded experience in bhakti and vinyasa yoga, with Lino Alelyunas, Erich Schiffman and Baron Baptiste being some of the most important and illuminating influences in her teaching and studies. Auryel offers a challenging combination of asana, meditation and breath work, resulting in a relevant, modern approach to yoga.

Johnna Koenig

Johnna began practicing yoga in 1999 to complement and heal the impact running had on her body. Yoga allowed Johnna to find stillness and serenity away from the pressures of being a university student. After graduation from college, yoga became more important in her life and she felt called to learn more and share her knowledge about yoga. In 2007, Johnna completed the Level One Teacher Training with Baron Baptiste. Following that training, she completed the Teacher Assisting Program (TAP) at Shakti Yoga. Johnna brings a cheerful energy to her students, encouraging her students to explore yoga with great compassion. When Johnna is not practicing or teaching yoga, she can be found running, biking, swimming or spending time with her husband Ryan and her new puppies Snickerdoodle and Sammie.

Libby Ludlow

Throughout her ten-year tenure on the U.S. Ski Team, Libby embraced the limitless benefits of yoga. The balance and perspective she cultivated through her yoga practice helped her to achieve her dream of competing in the Olympic Games in 2006, and ultimately, to gracefully retire from ski racing in 2008. Leaving her athletic career behind, Libby completed her 200-hour Teacher Training in Goa, India in 2009, and graduated from Dartmouth College with a degree in philosophy and Asian religion. Delighted to be teaching yoga in her native Pacific Northwest, Libby instructs a vinyasa flow style that is dynamic yet conscientious, and creative yet centering. Libby draws on her background in functional strength and conditioning to ensure that her students practice safely and mindfully, but also encourages students to tap into the grace of connecting with their breath and moving from their center.

Elizabeth McElveen

Elizabeth found her way to yoga after years of teaching fitness. Prior to arriving in Seattle, she owned a studio in Spokane, where she spent 10 years crafting her mindful approach to yoga. She is first and foremost a student; she has studied with several teachers in different yoga disciplines. Her knowledge of anatomy and kinesiology is vast as she is also a massage therapist. This training, along with her years of study and talent, allow her to create inspirational, beautiful and holistic classes. She teaches daily classes, monthly workshops and is available for private sessions.

Jenny Michaels

Jenny’s yoga journey began when she took her first class from Maria Bliss in the little red schoolhouse on the south end of Mercer Island. The love and passion born for power vinyasa yoga was immediate leading to a dedicated personal practice and ultimately a desire to teach to share the joys and benefits of yoga with others. Jenny is inspired by the beauty of the asana, flow and mind-body connection that yoga brings on and off the mat. Jenny has completed the Teacher Training Program with Maria Bliss and Level I Teacher Training with Baron Baptiste. Jenny continues to be an avid student of yoga practice and philosophy through workshops and trainings. She hopes to inspire students to find joy, playfulness and personal growth while exploring their edge in a nurturing yet challenging practice. When not practicing yoga, Jenny can be found enjoying her family and pets, on the ski slopes or on the back of a horse.

Regan Pasko

Regan began his yoga practice at the urging of his physician to reduce injuries by gaining flexibility while training for ultramarathons. Through multiple years of practicing he discovered a life-changing, joyful, dedicated and rewarding practice that he simply needed to share with others. He has completed a teacher training with Baron Baptiste, and is strongly influenced by Jonathan Bowra both through being a student of his and through his ongoing specialized training. He has completed an advanced teaching assistance program with master teacher Lisa Black learning the art of adjusting students, resulting in a very hands-on approach to his teaching. He continues his training and practice by attending intensive sessions with master teachers such as Anna Forest, Simon Park and Jason Crandell. Through the growth in his practice Regan found that accomplishments on the mat can lead to exciting and new things in life, giving oneself new found confidence and personal respect. Therefore he teaches with a belief that anyone can achieve, urging everyone to try something new and simply do it now. He enjoys the use of a variety of energetic music as a tool to clear the mind, energize the soul and to keep the mood fun.

Lulu Peele

Lulu began practicing yoga in 1996, looking for a new form of exercise. She quickly discovered the many benefits of yoga. She has studied many styles of yoga including Vinyasa and Iyengar, but found her passion studying Viniyoga. While working with her students, assessing their present physical condition and personal potential, she is also obtaining tools for living her own life. Her passion and purpose are to share her knowledge and experience in the process of helping others to heal. Lulu is a certified Viniyoga Teacher and Therapist, and a certified Ayurvedic Wellness Counselor. She is a gifted teacher of Basic and Therapeutic yoga classes. She also works privately, helping those with injuries and/or physiological conditions.

Molly Price

After 15 years of studying dance, Molly Price came to yoga to heal an injured knee. She soon found that yoga was more than just a means to heal physically, but also spiritually. Molly graduated from the 2001-2002 8 Limbs Yoga Center’s Teacher Training Program and has completed teacher training  with Shiva Rea and  levels l and 2 with Baron Baptiste. She is continually inspired by the many gifted teachers that the Seattle area is so blessed to have. Her style draws heavily from Ashtanga and power vinyasa while incorporating a sense of yin softness, surrender, and creativity into the strength of the flow.  She always encourages students to modify the practice according to what they need at that moment. Her classes are fun, heated, flowing, and calming.

Amy Swanson

Amy grew up studying ballet and modern dance, loving the creative expression and movement. She became a fitness instructor and taught in Charlotte, N.C. for 14 years. After moving to the beautiful Pacific Northwest, she sought a physical outlet that would add greater depth to her life. She found her way to the Yoga community, was attracted to the flow and deeply touched by the encouragement to let go of the daily stress and chatter that impedes personal growth. As a lifelong student herself, Amy observes the way her students practice and shares the gifts and blessings of yoga with them. Amy completed the Level One Teacher Training with Maria Bliss and Level I Core Power Training. She has been influenced by and is deeply grateful to her teachers Maria Bliss, Kai Trinh, and Auryel van Gemert. She gives thanks to the many students she has taught over the years who bring their hearts and bodies to class, looking for expression, physical release and a place to explore their edge.

Tina Templeman

Tina’s yoga journey began with the study of the 5 Tibetan rights along with deep meditations of OSHO’s Dynamic & Kundalini meditations. She found a yogic home through the practice and philosophy of Baptiste Power Vinyasa Yoga and truly enjoys teaching using the BPVY methodology. She’s been a successful massage practitioner over the past 9 years which helps her incorporate healthy body awareness and alignment to her classes, allowing students to feel the benefits of the poses as “their bodies were meant to feel them”. She also has over 20 years of dance training which helps her offer students fun, dynamic and well-rounded sequences that help the body and mind open to new levels. Join her as she invites you to experience some the same awareness, awakenings and freedoms she has received through the gift of yoga. Tina has attended Baron Baptiste’s Level 1 & Level 2 teacher trainings, was trained by and continues to study with Lisa Black at Shakti Vinyasa yoga. She has also attended 3 teacher training modules from Shiva Rea, Embracing the Flow, studied with and influenced by Ana Forest of Forest Yoga, Troy Lucero of Seattle and is inspired by Sara Tompson-Beyers’ FlowMotion dynamic yoga sequencing.