After a lifetime of avoiding all types of movement practice, Zahra (she/her), found yoga very unexpectedly. She signed up for an introductory membership at the local studio with the sole intention of introducing her mother to the practice. Much to her surprise, she fell in love and hasn’t looked back since.

Zahra enjoys teaching a powerful and mindful alignment-based yoga class. She likes to incorporate unique sequences and functional movement into her classes. Her personal asana practice is a potpourri of Rocket, Ashtanga, and Vinyasa Yoga.

Zahra has most recently studied with Jason Crandell and Leslie Kaminoff. Her teaching philosophy is deeply informed by her personal yoga journey – she wants people to walk out of her class with a smile and a sense of mental and physical empowerment.

With a background in dance, Sara has been teaching expressive movement for well over half her life. Having studied to earn her 500hr RYT with master teacher Shiva Rea, each class with Sara is a creative, flowing and inspired exploration of the body and breath in space, a full experience for the senses. You can find her on the mat leading vinyasa classes at extendYoga in Maryland or in the air with aerial classes at Yoga Heights in Washington DC.

After offering a number of fully immersive local yoga retreats, Sara officially launched EndlessOM in 2021. In addition to its flagship Retreat Festival event, Sara hopes to create a sort of "yoga collective" - a growing community of teachers, studios and students coming together for truly unique and transformative experiences, all without having to venture too far from home. For as the Radiance Sutras reminds us, "every perception is an invitation to revelation."

Sara is also an aspiring aerialist, embracing Aerial Dance as a way to fulfill the circus girl dreams of her childhood. And she's also a pretty grateful wife and mother, who in her spare time tie-dyes socks, makes jewelry out of rose petals and studies the mysteries of the Tarot.

After leaving a career in politics and public service, Maggie took a deep dive into the ancient studies of yoga and meditation. Initially looking for a way to naturally support her family, Maggie found Ayurveda, which seeks the root causes that bring disease into our lives and provides the building blocks to establish rituals and routines to support us during challenging times and all times.

As the founder of GRANTED Wellbeing, Maggie is a certified Health Coach, Yoga and Meditation Instructor, Nutritionist, and Ayurvedic Practitioner. Her passion and nearly 20 years of studies, research and teaching have been honed to be your guide on learning how to get in sync with your true self and discover preventative health techniques and routines best suited for your health needs and well-being goals.

Paula is obsessed with various forms of non-traditional yoga - SUP Yoga, Ai chi, Acro Yoga, she's done it all and she loves it all! She may even be a little addicted to working out, since whether it's boxing or rowing, weight training or spin classes, you can almost always find her at a studio or gym.

But after taking her first Aerial Yoga class in 2014, Paula was hooked as she began exploring new ways to find relaxation in strength. Her classes can be described as relaxing, energetic and challenging all at the same time. She encourages her students to listen to their bodies, breathe and then push themselves higher.

Be prepared for a dry sense of humor and some pretty corny jokes.

Jana is passionately committed to sharing yoga with others who need intentional time and movement to internally check-in and align mind, body, and spirit. Jana has been drawn to the practice of yoga since childhood and began practicing as a way to manage stress and anxiety.

Jana is particularly focused on those who, like herself, may struggle to find time to slow down and come home to self. She enjoys creating spaces that invite others to reconnect and realign. Her classes can be described as meditative, grounding, and strengthening. In addition to yoga, Jana is also a policy analyst and a published stylist.

A decade ago, Matthew's friend invited him to a Bikram Yoga class, and while he is not fond of heat nor humidity, he accepted the challenge. For almost two and a half years, he practiced Bikram Yoga four to five days a week, and though he enjoyed the challenge of this particular approach, he sought to broaden his practice. And while his physical body needed the high energy Yang side of the asana practice, he was more attracted to the subtle side — namely Yin, Restorative, Yoga Nidra — as well as various approaches to meditation.

The inspiration to teach struck in 2016, and Matthew completed his 200-hour Vinyasa Yoga teacher training and a 100-hour Yin Yoga teacher training in 2017, followed by certifications in restorative yoga, and Yoga Nidrā. In the spring of 2018, he left his career in congressional affairs to focus exclusively on guiding yoga and meditation. He is also an avid writer who has been featured in Yoga Journal.

Linda is passionate about working with clients of all ages to support them in living their best and most blissful life. She loves creating fun, effective, and focused programs for individuals and groups that combine research-proven techniques with ancient traditions from around the world. At her offerings, you can expect a safe and judgment-free space to pause and “be” in a world that is constantly asking you to “do”. You will be led to connect with your breath, body, and heart with curiosity, openness, and acceptance of the present moment through meditation, movement, inquiry, humor, and journaling.

During her father's terminal illness in 2009 and later while working through her own depression after his death, Linda experienced the tremendous healing power of mindfulness training, and she is grateful to be able to share this with her clients. In addition to being a Mindfulness Based Life Coach through the Maryland University of Integrative Health, Linda participated in the 200-hour vinyasa yoga teacher training at Flow Yoga Center, is Level I iRest certified, is a certified .b mindfulness teacher, and completed the Mindfulness Meditation Teacher Certification Program (MMTCP) taught by Tara Brach and Jack Kornfield. Linda is an Insight Meditation Community of Washington (IMCW) teacher and the founder of Rooted In Bliss in North Bethesda, where she offers private coaching, mindfulness, Reiki, and yoga sessions.

Jess' classes can be described as flowing, spontaneous and light-hearted. She loves empowering people to feel better, stronger, balanced, and/or peaceful.

In her classes, Jess always reminds students to "check-in with yourself, and say thank you to you" because it's a gift to yourself when you prioritize your own wellbeing and the practice of gratitude for that time sets you on a path of contentment for the day.

Jess is an E-RYT500 with training in Aerial Yoga, Prenatal Yoga, Baby & Kids Yoga, Mindful Yoga Therapy, and is the lead teacher trainer and owner of Yoga Heights.

Lauren discovered yoga in her teenage years as a way to balance her athletic pursuits, passionate heart, and overall curiosity of being.

In her 20’s, she trained in the Ashtanga tradition and began teaching shortly after. She has been teaching for over twenty years and directing yoga teacher training programs for over a decade. She continues to learn and grow from her inspiring student trainees. She teaches a fun and dynamic series that promotes healing in the body and encourages a greater ease of being.

When she’s not teaching yoga or leading teacher training, you might find her reading, playing tennis, soaking up some sun, enjoying time with her three crafty daughters, and joking with her husband.

Originally based in Tokyo, Mana left her creative director role in the fashion industry in 2015 to travel through Southeast Asia, and it was there that her yoga journey began.

Since then, she has extensively studied, practiced, and taught yoga as she traveled throughout the world, bringing her to the United States, where she was Washington City Paper's "Best of D.C." yoga instructor finalist in 2021 and 2022!

Yoga and meditation bring Mana a deep sense of joy and peace, and she endeavors to share that with her students. Rooted in the Ashtanga tradition, her classes are challenging and inspire discipline that guide students towards personal transformation.

Ayanna is a lifelong athlete who first found yoga in a search for community and belonging. After completing her 200 HR yoga instructor certification with her home studio, extendYoga in Rockville, MD in 2018, she immediately started teaching yoga and its philosophy to a variety of bodies, abilities, and belief systems from mixed martial artists, older adults, children, and college students at American University.

Her passion for yoga centers around introducing the practice to people who wouldn’t traditionally be exposed to it and encouraging her students to go inward for a better understanding of self.

Her business, Ayanna L Wellness LLC, focuses on educating people on how to live a healthy lifestyle through physical activity, yoga, meditation, and healthy eating ultimately impacting future generations.

Whether on the mat or in the air, Amanda’s classes offer each student the opportunity to build at their individual comfort level. In each sequence, she offers varying stages of difficulty encouraging everyone to express themselves uniquely.

Amanda strives to create welcoming, challenging, and creative classes that open pathways for students to fall in love with both the practice and their bodies.