Abril has more than 12 years of experience teaching group fitness classes and providing private instruction to help people reach their goals. After suffering personal injuries, Abril learned to honor her body and understand the importance of a consistent and mindful practice. In her classes, she emphasizes proper form and technique while also offering modified […]
Deanna has been a personal trainer with Columbia Association for more than six years and has been co-teaching Zumba® Circuit for four years. She is thrilled to be teaching TRXⓇ at Haven. Her favorite part of teaching TRX is that the practice engages the core consistently and that it is ideal for anyone with physical […]
Amy has always been extremely active, with a background in dance and gymnastics morphing into a passion to inspire others. She started working in the health and fitness industry in 2007, managing a health club in northern Minnesota for eight years while completing a degree in massage therapy from the Duluth Business University and a […]
Tavia brings 20 years of fitness experience to her classes. She is a Registered Clinical Exercise Physiologist and received her Level III Exercise is MedicineⓇ Credential through the American College of Sports Medicine. As a group fitness instructor, Tavia leads a range of athletic fitness experiences, including TRXⓇ, Aqua, HIIT, BodyPumpⓇ, CXWorx and Kickboxing. She […]
Vicki started dancing at age 8 and participated in sports, dance and drill team in high school. She wanted to find a career that would keep her active and able to share her love of fitness with others. In college, she danced with the Miami University Dance Theatre (Ohio) and majored in physical education, with […]
Tahis has been a personal trainer and fitness instructor since 2013. She enjoys teaching challenging modalities including TRX® and Insanity because they are adaptable to everyone’s level of fitness. Tahis is passionate about inspiring people to find the strength they did not know lived inside of them. She truly believes that physical fitness is a […]
Susan has been a group fitness instructor since 1998, teaching a variety of classes for Columbia Association. In 2009, she discovered Pilates and became a certified Peak Pilates instructor. She then moved on to attain her Level III Certification in Mat and Reformer instruction. She went on to complete her training on the MVe Pilates […]
Shayna’s classes pair her love of creativity and self-expression with imaginative sequencing and playful exploration of breath, movement and music. She fuses her love of yoga philosophy, mythology, chakras, mantras, mudras and ayurveda to craft dynamic classes rich with spirituality and originality. Drawing from her personal experiences with injury and healing, Shayna emphasizes alignment and […]
Stella has more than 30 years of experience as a health and fitness professional. Stella holds certifications in group fitness, personal training from the National Association of Sports Medicine (NASM), has completed her 500-hour Registered Yoga Teacher (RYT) training and is a licensed massage therapist. She has a master’s in Pilates from The Pilates Center […]
Sabine has been passionate about fitness her whole life. A competitive figure bodybuilder who won her pro card in 2013, she believes that age is nothing but a number and everything starts in the mind. Her goal is to bring out the best version of you and taking you to the next level while having […]
Yoga has been a part of Rodger’s life for about 20 years. His yoga practice has helped him stay young and healthy and to be strong yet flexible, in both body and mind. It has also helped him recover from lots of injuries over the years, including having his knee broken into eight pieces in […]
Rimmi Singh has received her E-RYT (Experienced Registered Yoga Teacher) 500-hour and E-RYT 200-hour certifications. She’s a dedicated practitioner who has been teaching yoga for more than 14 years. Her passion for yoga is contagious. Rimmi encourages students to experience the joy of realizing their true potential and how to integrate yoga into their daily […]
Pat Stewart has her Pilates Comprehensive Instructor Certification from Peak Pilates which certifies her to train others on all pieces of Pilates equipment, including Mat, Reformer, Tower, Cadillac, Chair, Spine Corrector Barrel, Ped-O-Pull and more. She has had her Personal Training certification with the American Council on Exercise (A.C.E.) since 2006. Her most recent accomplishment […]
Olga holds an Experienced Registered Yoga Teacher (E-RYT) 500-hour certificate and has 35 years of yoga teaching experience. After discovering yoga in her native Czechoslovakia, she augmented her studies with courses at The Sivananda International Yoga Institute in Vienna, Austria, from 1983 to 1989. Her deep respect and love for Iyengar yoga is clearly evident […]
A drama major from the University of Zaragoza (Spain), Menchu also studied jazz dance. Once in the United States, she worked out to stay fit while performing in musicals in Washington, D.C. Menchu eventually became a member of the Aurora Dance Company at Howard Community College (where she also worked as a choreographer) and the […]
In 1988, Mei-Ji met the late Dr. Tom Tang, a disciple of Master Cheng Man-Ching, and began her study and practice of the Yang style of tai chi, which Master Cheng introduced to the Western world in the early 1960s. From 1988-2002, Mei-Ji continued her learning of Tai Chi Chuan, Tai Chi Sword and Push […]
Megan has been dancing her entire life. She was a Maryland Distinguished Scholar in the Arts for Dance with extensive training in ballet, modern and jazz dance. Her career in fitness began while she was completing her master’s degree in counseling at the University of Maryland. Although she only began teaching fitness because it forced […]
Maria Jose found her love for dance at an early age and hasn’t stopped dancing since. Whether it is LaBlastⓇ or ZumbaⓇ, Maria Jose brings passion and enthusiasm to every class she teaches. With a background in ballet, modern and ballroom dance, Maria Jose currently teaches LaBlast, Zumba and Dance Trance. Classes
Ling completed her 200-hour Registered Yoga Teacher (RYT) training under Kim Manfredi at Charm City Yoga. She is grateful to all her teachers for sharing the gift of yoga, especially Kim Manfredi, Kathryn Budig, Shiva Rea, Maria Garre, Jason Crandell, Dharma Mittra and Michael Carroll. She teaches flow yoga, where she emphasizes stability over flexibility […]
The water is Linda’s passion and helping people of all ages and abilities gain health and healing through its awesome power is her calling. She has more than 20 years of experience in creating, instructing and managing aquatic training and group classes. Linda’s focus remains on safe, quality instruction that is taught with fun, kindness […]
Kristy has been an instructor for Columbia Association for 22 years. She love teaching all types of classes, in particular anything dance-related. What Inspires you? I get inspired by music, especially Motown. What is your haven? My haven is giving my clients a memorable experience and for them to reach their a state of happiness […]
Krysta was looking for a new exercise regimen and decided to try Pilates. Fast forward nine years and what started as an interest quickly grew into a passion. Krysta tries to instill that passion in others and enjoys the accessibility that Pilates offers to clients at all levels of fitness. Krysta’s certifications include Peak Pilates […]
Krysta French For Krysta, yoga is much more than simply a physical practice for the body; it is a way to challenge and center the mind, an approach to tap into the ebb and flow of life, and a place to not take yourself too seriously. Through the practice, she discovered how to better tune […]
Kerri is a warm and welcoming instructor whose approach is to meet the client where they are and gently inspire them to reach their next level — physically and spiritually. Kerri teaches a Vinyasa-style class combined with moments of stillness and emphasis on alignment. Kerri played Ultimate Frisbee competitively for more than 10 years. One […]
Kennedy’s love for movement began as a child, having come from a family of professional dancers, choreographers and dance studio owners. She spent her childhood in Miami, dancing at her parents’ studios and quickly developing a talent for tap, jazz and hip-hop. Kennedy toured the country as a teacher and judge for Dance Educators of […]
Kelly’s classes focus on a fun and relaxing style of yoga that cultivates mental and physical balance and flexibility. Her classes are all about feeling the energy, vitality, and breath in the postures. She likes to explore energetic intent, the chakras and yogic philosophy in her practice. She is also passionate about helping mothers achieve […]
Katie found herself teaching group fitness courses almost by accident. As a dancer and dance instructor with a background in tap, jazz, musical theater and hip-hop styles, she started taking group fitness classes to help train and tone her body in a relatable way. She ultimately jumped into leading the courses and has instructed a […]
Julia Greiwe-Martinez, a Pranakriya teacher with yoga therapy and massage therapy/healing arts training, draws inspiration from a variety of traditions to create a playful, reflective and challenging practice. Julia is a 500-hour Registered Yoga Teacher (RYT) and has been a yoga instructor for over 11 years and a yoga enthusiast since 1995. In addition, she […]
Jennifer is an ACE certified personal trainer and group exercise instructor. She has been teaching group exercise since 1984 after attending a class on how to teach aerobics at a community college outside of Los Angeles. While she has seen many fitness modalities come and go over the decades, her takeaway message is that we […]
Jennifer has been teaching yoga since 2007 and completed her 500-hour Advanced Teacher Training at the Yoga Center of Columbia in 2013. In 2004, Jennifer suffered a back injury that required emergency surgery. She felt blessed and energized by the healing benefits of yoga and has been happily practicing yoga ever since. In addition to […]
Janet’s fitness career began over 20 years ago after a career in marketing and sales. She began teaching group fitness classes such as low-impact aerobics and step in clubs around the D.C. area, including Spa Lady, YMCA and Sport and Health. As the fitness industry evolved, so did Janet’s fitness career. Joining Columbia Association’s group […]
Jacqueline took her very first yoga class out of curiosity in 1997. She immediately became devoted to the graceful practice of uniting alignment-based movement with the breath. While traveling extensively for many years, it was a practice she could take everywhere, always finding “home” on her mat. Once settled in Columbia, she enrolled in the […]
Heather Thamer has been teaching since 2004, is an Experienced Registered Yoga Teacher (E-RYT) at the 500-hour level and certified cancer exercise specialist. Heather teaches yoga for a broad range of skill levels and also those affected by special conditions and illness. Her classes are a blend of the styles in which she has been […]
Gabrielle began practicing yoga in 2000. After many years, she found master teacher and guru Sri Dharma Mittra, her beloved teacher, with whom she has been studying since 2010. In 2015, Gabrielle received the honor of being initiated into Sri Dharma’s lineage as Yogini Kali Om. With more than 1,000 hours of teacher training certifications […]
In 2011, while writing her dissertation, Felicia discovered a lump in her breast. At 39 years old and as an Asian, Felicia had less than a 0.5 percent chance of having breast cancer. Along with the cancer, however, came profound life-altering perspectives, experiences and gifts. Amid chemotherapy, surgery, radiation and seemingly impossible life and death […]
Emily loves to empower students through yoga, meditation and movement to discover what she herself discovered when she first began her yoga journey in 2008 — that the physical body and mind are not separate, but one and the same. She believes that when the body and mind are united, they unlock a deep healing […]
Deb began a career in group fitness with Lynne Brick of Brick Bodies in Timonium, Maryland. Having been a member since 1986, it seemed to be the perfect job for a young mother of two sons. As time went by, her skills expanded to include muscle conditioning, aqua fitness, step aerobics and basic aerobics. Deb […]
David has been teaching tai chi for over 20 years and QiGong for 15 years. He has taught children, teens, adults and seniors. David currently teaches tai chi and QiGong at the college level for credit and noncredit courses and specializes in working with the physically disabled. He recently developed a modified form of tai […]
Bonnie’s classes are an expression of meditation in motion; she emphasizes the importance of breath awareness, good alignment, calming the monkey mind and having fun. When teaching, Bonnie draws upon her years of training and personal practice to focus on how yoga cultivates self-awareness to enhance overall physical, mental and spiritual well-being. She described her […]
Arielle began practicing Pilates and yoga at a young age as a complement to her dance training. After graduating from college with a degree in musical theater, Arielle’s passion for mind body movement eventually surpassed her passion to perform. Today, Arielle is certified in ballet barre, has earned her 200-hour Registered Yoga Teacher (RYT) certification […]
