Uttara Yoga Studio

Jill Loftis, Instructor & Owner of Uttara Yoga
Jill Loftis received her 200-hour Hatha Yoga Teacher Certification from the Temple of Kriya Yoga and is registered with the Yoga Alliance. Jill is a student of Kim Schwartz and David Lipschutz (Enoch Dasa Giri), and is also certified by Yoga Ed. to teach children and teachers K-8. YogaEd. is a national organization that trains yoga teachers to teach children yoga in schools, as well as teach educators how to utilize yoga techniques in schools to help themselves and their students.

Jill has been practicing yoga for eight years, and enjoys all styles, particularly vinyasa (flow) and restoratives. She has taught a weekly adult class on a volunteer basis for a local group since August, 2006. Jill has taught yoga to preschoolers ages 3-5, and has also held workshops for elementary age children and high school students.

In addition to teaching at the studio, Jill is available to hold workshops to show teachers in public and private schools how to effectively use yoga in the classroom, as well as offering workshops to demonstrate the beneficial nature of yoga to children in public or private school settings.

When she’s not teaching yoga, Jill is a stay-at-home mom with three children, ages 10, 8 and 5.

JILL LOFTIS, OWNER

Vanessa Fassié
Vanessa is a recent graduate of the Integral Yoga® 200hr teacher training program. She has an extensive background in teaching Dance and the Arts with a B.A. in Dance and an M.A.L.S from Hollins University as well as a M.F.A. in Photography and Film from Virginia Commonwealth University. A Roanoke native, she is very excited to bring her love of Yoga to the valley! Feel free to visit her at: www.vanessafassie.com.

Cathy Cannon
Cathy Cannon is a Certified Personal Trainer through the American Council of Exercise. Cathy has been certified in mat and standing pilates through the Physical Mind Institute. She has taught group exercise classes of all varieties since she was sixteen. At various stages in life, she has been a dancer and has always had a love for the art of creative expression through movement. Yoga is what she has been searching for all along.

Cathy loves vinyasa style yoga that warms the body with the breath and thus challenges the physical body and calms the busy mind. She loves sharing yoga for the clarity and peace that it inevitably brings.

Cathy has received her formalized training through YogaFit and she has plans to attain her 200 hour RYT through the Yoga Alliance. Cathy finds her yoga practice especially useful at home while being a mom to three girls ages 9, 7 and 5.

Beth D. Bell
Beth is certified to teach Kundalini Yoga as taught by Yogi Bhajan through IKYTA, The International Kundalini Yoga Teachers Association. She graduated from The Kundalini Yoga Center 200 hour Teacher Training at The Baba Siri Chand Ashram in Altamont Springs, Florida.
Kundalini Yoga is known as the Yoga of Awareness and was brought to the United States in 1968 by Yogi Bhajan. It is a dynamic blend of postures, pranayam, mantra, music and meditation which teaches you the art of relaxation, self healing and elevation. It stimulates the glandular and nervous systems, heightens the capacity for creative potential and develops the intuitive ability. Beth is honored and humbled to be able to teach this sacred science and technology.

She is a Nationally Certified Massage Therapist and Level Three Student of Healing Touch. Her practice is at The Center For Growth and Well Being in Roanoke, Virginia. Prior to dedicating her time and energy to her healing and teaching practice in 2004, she enjoyed a rewarding 25 year career as a Mental Health and Addictions professional. Beth is available to teach Kundalini Yoga and has joined with a colleague to offer adult self discovery workshops combining Kundalini Yoga and Epona based Equine Facilitated Learning. The workshops are held at Anam Cara Farm in Boones Mill, Virginia.

She is happily married to a wonderful man, Calvin. who is an artist, musician and yogi. Beth has two beautiful God Children and two “four legged “ children, a miniature dachshund and a saddle bred horse.

Siobhan O'Connell Scro
Siobhan received her Yoga Alliance RYT 200 through YogaFit. She is currently working towards obtaining her RYT 500. She has been teaching yoga for seven years both in Maryland and Virginia.

She favors a vinyasa style of practice, one in which combines focused breathing and strength building for a total mind-body workout. Siobhan is also a certified Pilates instructor as well as a Les Mills certified BodyFlow instructor. BodyFlow is a choreographed routine which combines the arts of Tai Chi, Yoga and Pilates.

In a former life, Siobhan was a French teacher for ten years in New Jersey. She has two sons; 12 and 14. Her favorite places to practice yoga are in the dark and on the beach!

Lisa Wade
Lisa Wade has been practicing Yoga since 1972 and began teaching Yoga eight years ago. She has completed both a 200 and 500 hour certification with Anna Pittman in Blacksburg, Va. Lisa continues to explore Yoga and continues to find inspiration in her students and many teachers. She recently completed a certification for Thai Yoga Massage with her teacher Cam Thye Chow in the Bahamas.

Lisa has taught Yoga classes in many different venues, including the Roanoke and Salem YMCAs, Roanoke City Parks and Recreation and Lewis Gale Medical Center. In the past, Lisa has also taught social work classes for Radford University and massage therapy for Dabney Lancaster Community College.

Currently, she teaches Yoga privately in her studio on Grandin Road and teaches Yoga and Mindfulness for Jefferson College of Health Sciences. A certified massage therapist specializing in deep tissue massage, Lisa uses her studio for both massage therapy and individualized yoga instruction. She has a well-rounded understanding of the body/mind connection. Her love for Yoga is transmitted in her classes where she stresses breathing fully and honoring and cherishing the temple that houses our spirits. Lisa is extremely excited about joining the amazing staff of Yoga teachers and beautiful studio at Uttara.