"I have always been drawn to yoga classes and instructors where there is freedom and playfulness and opportunities for exploration."

Sara co-founded Bloom after 18 years of practicing yoga in the Chapel Hill area — and a lifetime of knowing that the best rooms are the ones where people feel free to be exactly who they are. A marathon runner and former track athlete, she brings that same energy to her teaching: attentive, playful, and genuinely invested in every person on every mat. Expect real-time adaptations, gentle assists, and a playlist heavy on 90s hip-hop.

Certifications: 200 RYT · various fitness certifications

Favorite Pose: Child's Pose — "This pose instantly brings me to my mat and the present moment."

Playlist: 90s hip-hop, curated fresh for every class

"Yoga makes me feel alive. It is the place and the way that I reconnect with myself. In yoga, I can hang up my 'toughness' and move, feel, flow intuitively — and doing so actually makes me feel more powerful."

Ashley co-founded Bloom after a journey that took her from elite springboard and platform diver to serious injury, hip surgeries, and nearly a year on walking aids — and back to physical freedom on her mat. A former coach, teacher-scholar, and lifelong movement enthusiast, she brings all of it into her teaching: clear cueing, strength-based sequencing, and a genuine belief that every body can move through her class. She'll challenge you, offer modifications, and remind you out loud how capable you are.

Certifications: 200 RYT · Pilates training

Favorite Pose: Tree Frog — "Perhaps the most difficult thing for me is to surrender. But when I actually do, this pose is pure magic."

Playlist: Wide open — Hozier to Snoop, Green Day to Lady Gaga

"For me yoga is an outlet, a refuge, and a time for connection."

Deana came to yoga as a public health advocate and never stopped seeing the practice through that lens — as something that should be accessible, equitable, and genuinely communal. In her classes, the words are a guide and the mat is yours. She creates space where students can fall, laugh, and feel fully supported, and she's most inspired watching people grow into their own practice over time.

Certifications: 200 RYT · strength-based yoga modalities

Favorite Pose: Scorpion — "It is a balancing act and helps us tap into a more vulnerable space."

Playlist: Hozier, Ethel Cain, J Cole

"When we give ourselves the space and time, there is much to discover about ourselves."

Kelsey has been teaching yoga for nearly a decade and brings a rare combination of methodical sequencing and genuine lightness to her classes. She'll cue you clearly, take you somewhere new, and then remind you that it's just yoga — no burden, no pressure, just the practice. She loves watching students discover something for the first time, whether it's their very first class or a pose they've finally nailed.

Certifications: 500 RYT · strength-focused yoga modalities

Favorite Pose: Child's Pose — "This pose always grounds me physically and mentally."

Playlist: Taylor Swift, The Head and the Heart, Krishna Das

"I believe yoga is a tool for empowerment, and I love holding space for others to discover their strength and light."

Lexie is a 200-hour certified teacher currently completing her 300-hour training, with additional mat Pilates certification — and the energy of someone who genuinely can't wait to share the practice. Her classes are upbeat and encouraging, with thoughtful sequencing that offers options at every level, from props and modifications to full inversions. She's chasing a feeling in every class — joy, freedom, connection — and she wants you to find it too.

Certifications: 200 RYT · mat Pilates · 300-hour training in progress

Favorite Pose: Half Pigeon — "Nothing beats the release after a deep, juicy flow."

Playlist: Rufus du Sol, John Summit, Taylor Swift — and a lot more

"I hope my students feel a sense of acceptance from me and for themselves, listen to excellent music, and leave class feeling a bit lighter that day."

Alexis is a former Division 1 athlete, a practicing attorney, and a five-year yoga teacher who came to the mat looking for stillness — and stayed to make it more accessible for everyone else. Trained under Claudia Chambers, founder of Raleigh NC Yoga, she brings a judgment-free approach that has no interest in flexibility or grace as prerequisites. Ditch the expectations at the door, meet your body where it is, and let the playlist do its job.

Certifications: 200 RYT · extensive coaching background

Favorite Pose: Reclined Butterfly — "I use this pose during Savasana to release whatever is not serving me that day."

Playlist: Curated for escape — expect something excellent

"Every time I step on my mat, I learn something new — about a posture, my body, or myself."

With 10+ years of teaching and a Health Coach Certification from the Institute for Integrative Nutrition, Karen brings a deeply holistic approach to alignment, strength, and self-discovery. Inspired by her mentor Natasha Rizopoulos, her classes are thoughtfully sequenced to help students get the most out of every posture while staying connected to their bodies and minimizing injury. She's been doing Chaturanga for thousands of reps and it still has her full attention — that kind of presence is exactly what she brings to every class.

Certifications: 200 RYT · Health Coach Certification, Institute for Integrative Nutrition

Favorite Pose: Chaturanga Dandasana — after thousands of repetitions, it still demands her full presence.

Playlist: Drake, Miguel, Troye Sivan

"Yoga meets you exactly where you are — not where you think you should be."

Aya's teaching is rooted in mindfulness, embodiment, and the belief that the mat is a place for collective healing as much as individual practice. Her classes are welcoming and deeply supportive, with options in every pose and a genuine attentiveness to the room — she notices when breath softens, when tension melts, when the collective exhale fills the space in Savasana. She's in it for those moments. Her favorite pose is whichever one she's resisting most, because that's exactly where the work is.

Certifications: 200 RYT · emphasis on accessible movement and breath awareness

Favorite Pose: Whichever one she resists the most — resistance points toward what needs to be released.

Playlist: Maggie Rogers, Dua Lipa, Harry Styles

"Yoga offers me a safe way to move, and the group dynamic makes it fun. In the yoga room, I've made many friends — both as a student and a teacher."

Steve came to yoga the hard way — after years of high-intensity training left him injured and, famously, vowing never to return after his first hot class. He came back anyway, and it changed everything. Now certified in Power Yoga, Yoga Sculpt, and Yogi Training, he teaches flows that are dynamic, alignment-focused, and genuinely fun — calling students by name, offering options for every level, and making sure no two classes feel the same.

Certifications: Power Yoga · Yoga Sculpt · Yogi Training

Favorite Pose: Half Pigeon — for the hip opening and the transitions in and out of it

Playlist: Classic and current rock — R.E.M., Block & Crown, Cold War Kids

"Every time I step on my mat it is a chance to seek play, feel the grounding of my breath, and cultivate joy."

Catalina brings a warmth and aliveness to her teaching that is entirely her own — heart-forward, strength-focused, and genuinely fun. A seasoned instructor trained in multiple yoga modalities, she builds classes around strength, mobility, and range of motion, with variations and props to support every body in the room. Off the mat you'll find her with a good book, on an outdoor adventure, cheering on Colombia in any sporting event, or curled up with her pups.

Certifications: 200 RYT · multiple yoga modalities

Favorite Pose: Wild Thing — "Joyous, heart-forward, unbridled — wild in the very best ways."

Playlist: Karol G, Taylor Swift, Lindsey Stirling

"Movement has always been medicine for me."

Gina brings a well-rounded depth to her teaching that most instructors can't match — certified in Strength, Pilates, Barre, and Kickboxing, she blends deep body knowledge with a warm, lighthearted energy that makes every class feel both supported and fun. In her room, students are invited to listen inward and do what feels good, even if that means stepping away from the plan. She's also been known to inspire a little humor that lingers long after class ends — and she's a little obsessed with Bon Jovi.

Certifications: 200 RYT · Strength · Pilates · Barre · Kickboxing

Favorite Pose: Extended Mountain — "It makes me feel both strong and tall."

Playlist: Journey, Lady Gaga, Bon Jovi

"Yoga invites us to simply begin again."

Tamira completed her Hatha training with Paul and Sommer Sobin at Thousand Petals Yoga — a foundation that shaped her teaching around curiosity, presence, and connection. Her classes are warm and unhurried, with an emphasis on props, exploration, and the reminder that yoga is practice, not perfection. Outside the studio, she tends chickens, floats in lakes and oceans, lifts weights, and is deeply committed to environmental stewardship and the creation of spaces where people can simply be present with one another.

Certifications: 200 RYT · Hatha yoga, Thousand Petals Yoga

Favorite Pose: Uttanasana (Standing Forward Fold) — "It allows me to experience my heart over my head while staying rooted to the earth."

Playlist: KAYTRANADA, Little Dragon, Tems

"Move the way your body is asking — take what feels good and leave what doesn't."

Jane is both a certified yoga instructor and a licensed Physical Therapist, which means when she talks about anatomy and safe movement, she really means it. Her classes create space for students to tune in, honor where they are that day, and connect with their bodies in ways that feel genuinely supportive — whether that's working toward an arm balance or simply settling into rest. She shows up curious about what each practice reveals, and she hopes you leave more of yourself than when you arrived.

Certifications: 200 RYT · Licensed Physical Therapist

Favorite Pose: Savasana — "Because no practice is ever complete without it."

Playlist: The Beatles, ABBA, Beautiful Chorus

"Yoga teaches us how to stay present with what is — and how to move forward with strength, integrity, and a little joy along the way."

Sarah is a U.S. Marine veteran, a two-time Iraq deployment survivor, a 500-hour E-RYT with over a decade of teaching experience, an MSW with a Mental Health concentration, an Institute for Integrative Nutrition graduate, the founder of SEMPER Sarah®, and the author of Just Roll With It: 7 Battle Tested Truths for Building a Resilient Life. She came to yoga reluctantly through sports and military injuries — and never left. Her teaching is trauma-informed, alignment-focused, and grounded in the belief that resilience comes from showing up, not forcing outcomes.

Certifications: 500-hour E-RYT · MSW Mental Health · Institute for Integrative Nutrition · trauma-informed

Favorite Pose: Breath — and any pose that requires both strength and surrender.

Playlist: On the Spotify link — something tells us it earns its own listen.

"When we allow ourselves to play, to fall, and to try again, we realize just how capable we truly are."

Seneca brings one of the most layered movement backgrounds on the team — 300-hour and 200-hour yoga certifications, NASM-certified personal trainer and flexibility coach, TRX certified across four modalities, and a registered nurse whose clinical understanding of anatomy and safety informs every sequence she builds. Rooted in dance and strength training, her classes are playful, energetic, and deliberately progressive — breaking down complex poses into accessible steps so students build real confidence over time. She's passionate about helping women feel strong and vibrant at every stage of life, and she brings that conviction into every room she teaches.

Certifications: 300-hour RYT · 200-hour RYT · NASM personal trainer · NASM flexibility coach · TRX (group fitness, personal training, yoga, suspension training Pilates) · Registered Nurse

Favorite Pose: Supine Twist — "Sometimes the most powerful practices are also the simplest."

Playlist: On Spotify — expect something that moves.

"When we tend to our inner world and reconnect with ourselves, we create the possibility for a more loving and liberated world."

Nimesha's relationship with yoga began in her teenage years when her grandmother first shared the practice with her — and it has been a grounding thread ever since. She deepened her studies through years of exploring yoga philosophy, including the Yoga Sutras and Bhagavad Gita, with the late Subhash Mittal of Integral Yoga Studio, before completing her 200-hour teacher training in 2024 under Shelley Roupas and Heather Kasey. Her classes are warm, attentive, and rooted in the belief that meaningful change begins within — expect thoughtful sequencing, generous use of props, and a playlist that feels like its own kind of medicine.

Certifications: 200 RYT · Feel Better Yoga · yoga philosophy studies, Integral Yoga Studio

Favorite Pose: Pigeon and Frog — she can't choose between two hip openers that keep teaching her patience, surrender, and breath.

Playlist: Burna Boy, Leon Bridges, Lauryn Hill