When practicing yoga asana, the simple act of connecting movement with the breath begins to create a greater awareness-- first of the body, and then of how sensations in the body affect the mind and spirit.  Catherine shares with her students this awareness that their physical practice helps to create a more mindful approach to life off the mat when it comes to reacting to others, decision making and understanding emotions.

Catherine teaches a vinyasa-flow style of class which builds and maintains heat in the body and thus helps to focus a distracted mind. She wants her students to move beyond their expectations, and she creates a safe, supportive environment where students can challenge themselves through their practice.  Her teaching style is strong, yet loving; focused, yet relaxed.  Catherine is a certified yoga instructor registered with the Yoga Alliance at the RYT 200 level, and is also a certified personal trainer. 
 
Catherine is inspired by many teachers including Shiva Rea, Baron Baptiste, Adi Amar, Andrea Boyd and Jeffrey Cohen of Jivamukti Charleston, and most lovingly, Jill Loftis of Uttara Yoga.  She aspires for the benefits of her practice to extend all her relationships . . . epecially with her husband and their three young daughters.

Vanessa is a Roanoke native and 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. Vanessa has been practicing yoga for 10 years and was first introduced to Yoga through the Ashtanga Yoga practice. She is a graduate of the Integral Yoga® 200hr teacher training program and since moving back to Roanoke has thoroughly enjoyed watching Uttara grow and thrive!

Some of her dance training includes: Virginia Commonwealth University, California State University at Long Beach, American Dance Festival, Hollins University, Richmond Ballet, Roanoke Ballet Theatre, and varying classes,workshops, festivals, in NYC, California, France, and Greece. She has taught at various schools and institutions of higher education including: Hollins University, Roanoke College, VCU, Roanoke Ballet Theatre, Ann Catherine Cross School of Dance, Virginia Ballet Academy, and Patrick Henry High School. Her yogic path has lead her to once again return to school, this time pursuing a Master of Science in Occupational Therapy at Jefferson College of Health Sciences. In her spare time she enjoys taking yoga, dancing, going to the gym, spending time in nature, cooking and eating vegetarian food, and getting together with her beautiful goddess friends! Vanessa is excited to share her love of working through the body to achieve and maintain inner and outer wellness! Feel free to visit her at:
www.vanessafassie.com.

Martha is a 2010 graduate of Blue Ridge School of Massage and Yoga’s teacher training program.  There she studied Ashtanga yoga with Jeff Tiebout. Originally from Roanoke, Martha danced for many years with the Roanoke Ballet Theater.  Growing up with formal ballet training, she finally found yoga in her thirties as a welcome change.  Martha was more than ready to begin a serious study of yoga, having had several injuries that required yogic breathing and mindfulness to truly be released. In addition to asana practice, Martha is a student of Barratt Breathworks.  She is also studying to be a Bioenergy practitioner with Mietek Wirkus and Kathleen Barratt.  Most recently she has applied to study Kriya Yoga with the Self Realization Fellowship of California. 

Arien studied dance for 20 years and received a BA in dance from Hollins University in 2006. She is fascinated with the body's tendency toward movement and the role of mobility in a person's overall health and wellness. From this understanding, she believes that through movement the body can heal both itself and the mind. This realization is also what has inspired her to explore the practice of yoga.
 
Arien has been moving and stretching intuitively since childhood. She studied yoga formally for four years with Felicia Whitcomb and completed the Ashtanga Yoga Teacher Training with Jeff Tiebot in 2009.  Arien loves Ashtanga yoga because it integrates the eight limbs of yoga into a strong physical practice, bringing attention to the inner journey, and teaching one to experience life more fully. Ashtanga is based in the conviction that the fruits of yoga are only obtained through a dedication to the practice itself.  In the words of founder K. Pattabhi Jois, "Practice and all is coming!"

Arien received massage training at the Blue Ridge School of Massage and Yoga, is a nationally certified massage therapist, and is owner/operator of Anahata Healing Yoga & Massage. She practices an eclectic variety of techniques including Swedish, Deep Tissue, Myofascial Release, Thai Yoga Massage, and Reiki, and appreciates the privilege of holding the space for healing to occur.  She is eternally grateful to be a part of the Uttara family and for the dedicated students that present the opportunity to pass down the teachings of Yoga.

Kimberly grew up in Salem and recently returned from Seattle, Washington after being away from the Roanoke Valley for the past 15 years. Kimberly owned a yoga studio in Seattle where she taught many different styles of yoga. Her foundational training was in the Integral yoga tradition founded by Sri Swami Satchidananda. Kimberly also trained and studied in the Viniyoga tradition. This approach to yoga evolved out of the teachings transmitted by T. Krishnamacharya and T.K.V. Desikachar of Madras, India. Vini means to adapt and through this training, she became very skillful at adapting classes to the needs of the students.

Kimberly loves working with women and supporting women during the birthing process by acting a doula. She is a certified pre-natal, labor and delivery, and post-natal yoga instructor.

Kimberly also is a belly dancer and has been belly dancing for 12 years. She enjoys working with women of all ages, shapes and sizes, by teaching them the art of belly dance. She creates a safe environment where women can explore their creativity through movement and body awareness.

Kimberly’s classes promote a gentle and restorative asana practice that connects the body, mind and spirit through the integration of pranayama (breathing techniques), meditation and relaxation. She honors the tradition of Yoga, and yet accepts the Western lifestyle with its fast and busy pace and the stresses caused by living in this chaotic world. Her loving kindness and graciousness of spirit are the reflections of a Yogic lifestyle, which she embraces every day. Kimberly has been teaching and practicing yoga for over 20 years and dancing to her own drum just as long!!

Lisa Wade began her Yogic path almost 40 years ago. She has completed both a 200 and 500 hour certification with Anna Pittman in Blacksburg, Virginia.  Her Yogic path has allowed her to study with many different teachers and many different lineages. Two years ago Lisa began her path in the lineage of Kali Ray and TriYoga®.  In August, 2011, she received her certification in Basics from TriYoga®. She plans on beginning her training in Level One in Spring, 2012. TriYoga® is a kundalini inspired asana practice that is the trinity of flow, mudra, and breath, beginning with Basics and goes through Level 7. Her desire is that students experience the flow of TriYoga® and find the beauty, integrity, and awesome techniques she facilitates.
 
Lisa continues to teach Yoga privately in her studio on Grandin Road. She also teaches Yoga and Mindfulness for Jefferson College of Health Sciences. Lisa has well-rounded understanding of the body/mind connection. She has fostered her Yogic awareness through formal education with a Masters in Social Work as well as a Bachelor’s in Social Work. Her enthusiasm is contagious and she welcomes all to her TriYoga® classes. She is honored to teach for Uttara Yoga Studio and is blessed to teach with so many marvelous Yoginis from so many different traditions. Jaya Guru Devi! (Victory to the Divine Feminine!)  

Wendi Wagner has been practicing yoga since 1998. She approaches yoga as a system of self-care that creates strength, balance and flexibility of mind and body. The practice of yoga creates space for one to become more fully present in daily life.

Wendi has studied Ashtanga Yoga, Anusara Yoga and Jivamukti Yoga. Her class approaches asana through dynamic vinyasa sequences. Hatha flow focuses on facilitating the connection between movement and breath, developing and balancing the relationship between internal and external awareness, and cultivating an understanding of bandhas in order to begin accessing the subtle energy body. Class begins by building heat to stimulate engagement between body and breath in order prepare the body to move deeply into poses that dissolve blocked energy expressed as tension and resistance.

Classes interweave the study of Patanjali’s yoga sutras as a reflection on asana practice and its application to everyday life. Asana practice will focus on tapas (heat/discipline) and svadhyaya (self-study/reflection) with the intention of clearing inner obstacles, and moving the practitioner toward a state of ishvara pranidhana (surrender).

Wendi has been teaching movement and dance in the public schools since 1996, exploring the therapeutic potential of movement in healing mind and body. She is mom to Ciara, who inspires her and always makes her laugh.

Still the outer mind. go within. draw upon greater power.

It was karma, again, that brought Mary to a conference in 2001 where she met her current teachers David Life and Sharon Gannon, co-founders of Jivamukti Yoga. Their artful style of teaching inspired Mary to complete a 300 hour Jivamukti teacher certification in 2003. Presently, Mary is furthering her study of Tuina and Chinese medicine theory under the tutelage of Jason Redinbo and the Laurel Creek Clinic practitioners. This study includes the practices of the internal martial arts and provides another fascinating investigation into the connection between mind, body and spirit.

Mary wishes to honor all her teachers by teaching with the same dedication and selflessness with which she has been taught.She wishes to honor all her students and clients for the teachers that they are to her. Mary resides in the Blue Ridge Mountains where she learns the most about the rhythms of life. She aspires to live her life in harmony with the greatest of teachers, Mother Earth.

Adrien Monti began practicing yoga upon moving to Roanoke in 2005. Adrien enjoys an active practice to build stamina, combined with deep holds to slowly allow the muscles to relax. Adrien’s primary focus while teaching is to assist students in bringing awareness into the body and deeply feeling the effects of poses. Yoga is effective in reducing stress, improving mood, and enhancing overall quality of life, and Adrien feels honored to be able to share these benefits with others.

Adrien was not athletic or physically active during childhood or adolescence, and she has found the exploration of movement through yoga to be an exciting and rewarding discovery. Originally from Syracuse, New York, Adrien is a licensed clinical social worker and works in the mental health field.

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.

Miranda has been teaching the art of yoga since 2002, emphasizing in Vinyasa Flow and Ashtanga disciplines.  She received her Vinyasa Flow teacher certification from Stephanie Keach in Jacksonville, Florida through Bliss Yoga. In March 2007 she received her children's yoga certification through Karma Kids Yoga in NYC, and in 2009 received her pre-natal yoga certification through Holy Cow Yoga Center in Charleston, SC. 

Miranda's background in science and education ranges from a BS in Biology, a master's qualifier in Natural and Complementary Medicine from an Australian university, and pre-primary Montessori training from the American Montessori Society. Miranda’s style of teaching is based on the spiritual, mental, and physical aspects of yoga, while incorporating pranayama and vigorous to restoring asanas. For children, she integrates fun yogic principles based on obtaining inner and outer peace, concentration, and self-confidence.

Her studies have taken her all over the world, and have finally landed her in Boones Mill, Va where she loves spending time with her fiance and baby girl. Believing that we are all still embryos to this ancient and spiritual practice, her intense love for yoga and ambition to continuously learn more is reflected in her classes and daily life.