Meet Our Instructors
Our instructors don’t just teach yoga - they hold space for healing. Each of us brings years of experience, continued specialized training, trauma-sensitive care, and a heartfelt commitment to helping you feel safe, seen, and supported. Whether you're navigating anxiety, chronic pain, pregnancy, or just need time to reconnect with yourself, we’re here to walk with you every step of the way.
Our Teacher's Credentials
RYT200
Registered Yoga Teacher
Completed a 200-Hour Teacher Training.
E-RYT200
Experienced Registered Yoga Teacher
Completed a 500-Hour Teacher Training & has a minimum of 2 years and 1,000 hours of teaching experience.
RYT500
Registered Yoga Teacher
Completed a 500-Hour Teacher Training and has at least 100 hours of teaching experience.
E-RYT500
Experienced Registered Yoga Teacher
Completed a 500-Hour Teacher Training & has a minimum of 4 years and 2,000 hours of teaching experience.
RCYT
Registered Children's Yoga Teacher
Completed an additional
95-hour training with a registered children's yoga school.
RPYT
Registered Prenatal Yoga Teacher
Completed an additional 85-hour training with a registered prenatal yoga school.
YACEP
Yoga Alliance Continuing Education Provider
A Registered E-RYT (Experiened Yoga Teacher) with significant experience or education in yoga.
Y12-SR
Yoga of 12-Step Recovery
Completed an additional 26-Hour Yoga Training for 12-Step Recovery.
Our teachers are more than just certified—they’re heart-led facilitators of healing. Many have backgrounds in trauma recovery, spiritual practice, and therapeutic care. This diversity of training and life experience creates a rich, supportive environment for students of all levels.
Instructor Bios
Learn more about each of our certified instructors, their training backgrounds, and their unique approach to yoga and healing.
Kevala
Yoga Therapist, E-RYT500, RCYT, RPYT, YACEP
Leads Teacher Trainings, Private Sessions, Healing Foundations Therapeutic Yoga, & Ashtānga
Kevala is a certified yoga therapist and the founder of The Mind-Body Connection Yoga Studio. Her journey into yoga began as a personal path of healing from trauma and PTSD, where she found deep relief through the integration of breath, movement, and meditation. With over two decades of experience, Kevala is known for creating safe, compassionate spaces that honor each student’s unique process and inner wisdom.
She is currently pursuing a master’s degree and Ph.D. in Yoga Studies at Vivekananda Yoga University, and specializes in yoga for trauma recovery, emotional healing, and self-realization. Her mission is to make yoga accessible to all and to restore its roots as a path to deep inner transformation—not just physical fitness.
About Kevala
I don't practice yoga, Yoga practices me."
~Kevala
Kevala's yoga foundation and training comes directly from the Krishnamacharya lineage. She has been fortunate to have been privately trained and mentored in the Ashtānga tradition as her personal practice by David Miliotis, who is an authorized teacher of Sri K. Pattabhi Jois; and in the Viniyoga tradition, Yoga Philosophy and Yoga Therapy under the personal mentorship of Chase Bossart, student of TKV Deśikāchār.
Lineage & Training
-
Trauma-Informed Yoga Certified
-
Yoga Trapeze Certified
-
Yoga of 12-Step Recovery Certified
-
Children's Yoga Certified
-
Prenatal and Postnatal Yoga Certified
-
YA Continuing Education Provider Certified
-
Advanced Yoga Philosophy
-
Reiki Master Healer
Additional Trainings
Larissa
RYT200
Leads Therapeutic Yoga, Yoga Trapeze, Ashtanga, & Vinyasa Classes
Larissa discovered yoga in 2021 and felt an immediate calling to the practice. She began with a Yoga 101 class at a local community center, which led her to a nearby studio where yoga quickly became a deeply grounding and transformative spiritual practice which helped to heal and transform her life. In late 2023, she found her way to The Mind-Body Connection Yoga Studio and immediately knew it was the perfect place to deepen her journey.
Before becoming a yoga instructor, Larissa spent 18 years teaching TK and Kindergarten, where she honed the skills of structure, adaptability, and meeting students where they are. These qualities seamlessly translate into her yoga teaching, allowing her to create classes that are both thoughtfully designed and adaptable to individual student needs.
About Larissa
Larissa completed her 225-hour Yoga Teacher Training at The Mind-Body Connection Yoga Studio under the guidance of Kevala. Her training is rooted in the Krishnamacharya lineage, drawing from both the Ashtanga and Viniyoga traditions. She studied the foundational principles of breath-centered movement, yoga philosophy, and therapeutic applications of yoga, with an emphasis on trauma-informed care and individualized practice.
Lineage & Training
-
Trauma-Informed Yoga Certified
-
Aerial Hammock Yoga Certified
Additional Trainings
I don't practice yoga, Yoga practices me."
~Kevala
Maddy
Certified Sound Healer
Leads Aerial Yoga, Sound Baths and Sound Healing & Meditation Classes.
Maddy is an aerial yoga and sound healing practitioner at The Mind-Body Connection, blending mindful movement, therapeutic awareness, and nervous-system-focused practices to support deep healing and self-regulation. With a long-standing personal and teaching practice in aerial yoga, she brings a grounded, compassionate presence to every class, helping students feel supported, safe, and empowered in their bodies.
Her work integrates therapeutic and trauma-informed applications of yoga into aerial practice, making movement more accessible, intentional, and restorative. Maddy emphasizes functional movement, breath awareness, and nervous system regulation, allowing students to experience the benefits of aerial yoga not just as a physical practice, but as a tool for emotional balance, resilience, and embodied healing.
About Maddy
Maddy’s teaching is informed by a diverse yet integrated lineage that includes Viniyoga, Ashtanga Yoga, aerial yoga, and sound healing. Rooted in the therapeutic and adaptable principles of Viniyoga, her approach emphasizes breath-centered movement, function over form, and nervous system awareness. Influences from Ashtanga provide structure, strength, and mindful sequencing, while aerial yoga offers a supportive environment for traction, decompression, and embodied exploration. Her sound healing practice, centered on crystal singing bowls, weaves vibrational therapy and meditative presence into her classes and sessions, supporting regulation, relaxation, and holistic integration of body, breath, and mind.
Lineage & Training
-
Certified Crystal Singing Bowl Sound Healing
Additional Trainings
Rita
RYT200, Certified Mat & Barre Pilates Instructor
Leads Mat and Barre Pilates Classes
With over a decade of teaching experience, Rita has guided countless students toward greater strength, balance, and well-being. Her classes are known for being thoughtful, accessible, and intentionally sequenced to meet a wide range of physical needs. She brings a warm, grounded presence and a deep respect for each student’s unique body and journey. Whether you're working with injury recovery, building core strength, or seeking a more mindful movement practice, Rita meets you where you are—with compassion and care.
About Rita
“Pilates is not just exercise, it's a practice of self-love, discipline, and transformation."
~Rita
Rita began her journey in 2011 and has trained extensively in multiple movement disciplines to support whole-body healing. She is certified in vinyasa yoga, classical mat Pilates, and STOTT Pilates, with additional training in Barre Bootcamp, Yoga Body Sculpt, and Ballet Barre Pilates. Her teaching approach blends mindful movement with body awareness and breathwork, creating a strong foundation for functional strength, mobility, and resilience.
Lineage & Training
-
Classical Mat Pilates Certified
-
STOTT Pilates Certified
-
Personal Trainer Certification
-
Reformer PIlates Certification
-
Barre Bootcamp
-
Yoga Body Sculpt
-
Fat Burning Pilates
-
Ballet Barre Pilates
-
Pilates with Props
-
Magic Circle
-
Fit Ball and Bands
Additional Trainings
Yvette
Level 1 & Level 2 Certified Foundation Training Instructor & Nutrition Coach
Leads Foundation Training Classes
About Yvette
Yvette’s passion is helping individuals of all ages and fitness levels reclaim their strength, reduce chronic pain caused by modern-day imbalances, and improve balance through a unique corrective exercise system called Foundation Training.
Her “why” runs deep—because she has seen how this method transforms lives. By guiding clients to reduce or even eliminate pain, Yvette helps them get back to enjoying life and the activities they love. Foundation Training, combined with proper nutrition and strength training, forms the powerful trio that she uses to support lasting health and vitality.
Lineage & Training
Yvette is a Level 1 & Level 2 Certified Foundation Training Instructor, personally trained in person by Dr. Eric Goodman, the founder and creator of Foundation Training. This corrective exercise system activates the body’s natural healing abilities while correcting degenerative movement patterns.
She is also a Level 1 Certified Nutrition Coach through Precision Nutrition and is certified through ACE Fitness. Earlier in her career, she earned certification as a Cardio Kickboxing Instructor through Krav Maga and received her first belt in Krav Maga.
Continuing to expand her expertise, Yvette recently completed certification through the Peace and Happiness University Program, further strengthening her ability to support clients in mind, body, and spirit.
“Power up your posture and thrive!"
~Yvette
-
Level 1 Certified Nutrition Coach
-
Cardio Kickboxing Certified
-
Peace and Happiness University Certified