Assistant Lead Faculty

Before I had a consistent yoga practice, I would find myself coming back to the mat again and again when I needed sanctuary.
With life struggles happening and emotions swirling, my yoga mat and the many studios I found myself in became the way and the places I did the hard work, the healing. I came to yoga when I needed it in a very reactionary way. I used the physical practice and release of the yoga asana to heal the hurt and get to a point of, “ok, I’m good,” then moved on again and away from my mat until the next emotional battleground. Eventually the cycle became tiring and I had the thought, “Why do I have to keep starting over? Why does the sense of peace and contentment keep slipping away?” I sought my teacher training experience as a way to deepen my own practice and understand more of what yoga offers. There is always more to learn, but having been exposed to more depth and seeing the benefits of yoga play out in so many different ways I knew immediately I wanted to teach and to share what I’ve learned. Yoga offers a way and a place to hit pause- to expand the space between what occurs and how we proceed. Through teaching, I hope to help others find space to pause.

PRONOUNS: SHE/HER/HERS

I discovered yoga 20 years ago and began more serious study with my teachers Amy Petty and Noah Mazé 12 years ago. Yoga asana, pranayama, meditation, and yogic philosophy have enriched my life in ways I could never have imagined. I have experienced yoga as a powerful tool for self transformation, and it’s a joy to share my experience and knowledge with people of all levels and backgrounds.

My classes are fun, challenging and inclusive. I break down challenging poses to make them accessible to all students through thoughtful sequencing and precise cues that lead toward a peak pose. We strengthen and stretch the areas needed for a pose, allowing students to discover poses they may not have found accessible before. I highlight the qualities required to embody different poses, and I offer opportunities for self study and reflection to help students find the transformation they are seeking, on and off the mat.

Kathleen completed her  300HR training advanced training with Noah Maze.

E-RYT 200 HR | SUP YOGA CERTIFIED
PRONOUNS: SHE/HER/HERS

Shannen first found yoga five years ago while going through a difficult time in college. Her therapist had recommended that she take a class and she was hooked right away. Shannen started karma yogi-ing at the studio and a year later found herself in the midst of a 200 HR training. She knew yoga would forever be apart of my life but had no idea the incredible journey she was about to embark on.

Yoga has taken her to places in which mentally and physically didn’t know were possible. It changed the course of her life and has shown her how to lead with love and a grateful heart.

Shannen’s classes are intuitive based movement practices that offer a dynamic way to not only stretch/strengthen but also discover the hidden pockets of space within the body that we have yet to tap into. She is obsessed with transitions and like to encourages her students that the breath is the boss of our practice. Every movement we make is breath led. The deeper we tune into the breath, the more we can explore and create more space within.

ANATOMY AND PHYSIOLOGY

I have been involved in the health and wellness industry most of my life. In 1994 I graduated from Pacific Lutheran University with a Bachelor of Science in Physical Education and began working as a personal trainer. That is something I continued to do through the years and I have maintained a certification through the National Strength and Conditioning Association (NSCA).

My yoga journey began in the late 1990’s when I found Bikram yoga, and I continued to practice that along with Vinyasa style classes for many years. After having my boys (who are now 11 and 12), my focus switched to children’s fitness, where I taught Boot Camp for Kids, Healthy Kids in the Kitchen and Girls of Strength classes here in Gig Harbor. I also taught preschool for a few years and during my last year of teaching in 2017 I got certified with Kidding Around Yoga as a children’s yoga instructor. That fall I decided not to go back into the classroom so I could focus on teaching kids yoga. In December 2018 I finished my 200 RYT with Expand Yoga and in 2019 I got my 95-hr RCYT. I taught adult Vinyasa classes at Santosha Yoga here in Gig Harbor and have worked with many of the schools in the Peninsula School District teaching yoga during PE. I also work with Harbor Montessori School teaching Yoga and Mindfulness enrichment blocks. Currently I also work for Kidding Around Yoga as the Licensee Director as well as a trainer. We teach 2-day trainings for those interested in becoming certified to teach kids yoga. I am also part of a small team who lead professional development workshops for educators who want to include yoga, meditation and mindfulness into their classrooms.

ANATOMY AND PHYSIOLOGY

Michelle was introduced to yoga in 1995, immediately fell in love with the practice, and began teaching in 1997. She considers herself a perpetual student with a deep love of learning and a reverence for the body-mind-spirit connection. As a physical therapist and former professional dancer, her teaching incorporates extensive knowledge of anatomy & rehabilitative science along with unique insight into the subtleties of human
movement. Michelle encourages individual exploration and supports each person in finding their optimal balance of effort & ease. She believes in the transformative power of showing up on the mat – and in life – with a beginner’s mind and an open heart. Michelle has a Doctor of Physical Therapy from the University of Puget Sound, a Master of Fine Arts in Dance from Temple University, a Professional Diploma in Dance Studies from Trinity Laban Conservatoire of Music and Dance, and a Bachelor of Arts in Anthropology from University of California, Davis. She received her 200 hour Yoga Certification through Yoga Arts and is currently a Professional Yoga Therapist Candidate through the Living Well Institute.

Kara O’Toole E-RYT® 500 brings over 30 years of dance teaching experience to her yoga classes and is devoted to sequencing aligned poses with a joy of movement and breath. Her love of yoga has been building for over 20 years and her practice has been fueled by the restorative power yoga has had in her life as a retired professional dancer. Kara has studied with many inspirational yoga teachers, most significantly Gina Caputo, Shiva Rea, Troy Lucero, and Djuna Mascall. Kara holds an MFA in Dance from the University of Washington and moved with her family to Tacoma from Orcas Island. She was Artistic Director at the Tacoma Urban Performing Arts Center (TUPAC) and currently teaches Dance for Parkinson’s for the Seattle Theater Group and is studying Yoga Therapy with Brandt Passalacqua. She is honored to be part of the inspired community at Tuladhara Yoga.