Empowerment through connection isn’t just our tagline — it’s how we operate.
Our teachers are here to guide, support, and walk alongside you. Together, we create a space where healing happens in relationship.
Rachel
Rachel VerValin is a yoga teacher, energy worker, astrologer, and founder of Heart Thread Collective. Originally from the Finger Lakes region of upstate NY, she has been practicing yoga for over 20 years and teaching for 16, leading classes, workshops, teacher trainings, and retreats both nationally and internationally.
Her teaching style blends the many traditions she has studied — including Anusara, Jivamukti, Iyengar, Ashtanga, Yin, Restorative, Vinyasa, and Katonah — into classes that are thoughtful, strong, playful, and accessible. She believes yoga should meet you where you are, while gently inviting growth.
Rachel describes herself as a “recovering type A” who found softness, humor, and self-compassion through yoga. Her classes are known for great music, honest reflection, hard work, laughter, and heart. She believes connection is why we are here — and that it’s never too late to begin again.
Leo Sun, Capricorn Moon, Leo Rising
Julie
Julie Mays has been practicing yoga for over 20 years and teaching for the past five. She is 500-hour trained and completed a six-month advanced asana mentorship, along with specialized training in Rocket Yoga, Yin, and Yoga Nidra.
Julie’s approach blends classic asana with modern functional movement and mobility work, supporting strength, longevity, and confidence in the body. She especially enjoys teaching inversions and arm balances, helping students channel focus, courage, and resilience on the mat.
Her current favorite postures? Easy seated meditation and handstand — a reflection of both grounded presence and playful strength.
When she’s not teaching, Julie is spending time with her husband, three kids, and two dogs. She loves cooking, making music with her children, and being outdoors — biking, hiking, skiing, or wakeboarding whenever she can.
She believes it’s never too late to learn, grow, and feel amazing in your body.
Aquarius Sun, Leo Moon, Rising
Savannah
Savannah Edwards is a Louisville native, 200-hour Registered Yoga Teacher trained at YOGAST8 in 2022, and a certified group fitness instructor with additional training in Strength and HIIT. She has been leading group fitness since 2021 and teaching yoga since 2022.
With over a decade of personal yoga practice and a deep love for all forms of movement, Savannah brings both athleticism and creativity to her classes. She currently serves as a full-time studio manager at Shred415 and has completed two mini marathons, blending endurance, strength, and mobility into her well-rounded approach to teaching.
Her classes are thoughtfully and creatively sequenced, rhythmic, and rooted in connection to the body. She loves exploring unconventional transitions and the space between point A and point B — encouraging freedom, confidence, and playfulness along the way. For Savannah, movement is a way to awaken the inner child and appreciate the body through every season of life.
When she’s not teaching, she’s traveling with her husband (engaged in Barcelona, married in Nottingham), spending time with their son and their black lab mix, Belly, or simply putting her feet in the grass.
Sun, Moon, Rising
Christie
Christie Welch is a yoga instructor, social entrepreneur, and community advocate who uses movement as a pathway for healing and empowerment. She is the founder of The Black Beatnik Brand Yoga, a lifestyle practice rooted in mindfulness, self-expression, and intentional living.
With a Master’s degree in Nonprofit Management from Johns Hopkins University, Christie currently serves as Deputy Director of Christopher 2X Game Changers, supporting youth and families impacted by violence. Her deep commitment to community care shapes the way she teaches — centering compassion, accessibility, and resilience in every space she holds.
A Registered Yoga Teacher and Chair Yoga instructor, Christie’s classes are welcoming, reflective, and empowering. She blends breathwork, gentle strength, and mindful movement to help students reconnect with their bodies and cultivate calm, clarity, and confidence — both on and off the mat.
Whether guiding chair yoga, slow flow, or restorative practices, her intention is to create spaces where people of all backgrounds feel seen, supported, and inspired.
Aries Sun, Aries Moon, Capricorn Rising
Natasha
Natasha Triplett has been walking the path of yoga for over 20 years, stepping into the role of teacher after completing her 200-hour YTT at Akasha Yoga Academy in 2024. Her approach to teaching is rooted in breath, presence, and the quiet wisdom that unfolds when we slow down enough to listen.
With more than two decades in the service industry, Natasha carries a deep reverence for community and connection. She also teaches chess through the Chess Education Foundation and runs her own kayak rental company—guiding others both on the mat and out on the water. A mother, partner, entrepreneur, friend, and ally, she weaves heart and intention into all that she offers.
Her primary focus is Hatha, breath-centered yoga, and she has completed her 85-hour prenatal YTT, with hopes of expanding her prenatal offerings soon. She also shares sound baths, creating immersive spaces for rest, resonance, and recalibration.
Outside the studio, Natasha finds joy in dancing, playing music, seeing live shows, and soaking up time with her family and chosen community.
Capricorn Sun, Libra Moon, Pisces Rising
Lanie
Lanie Hopping is a 200-hour Registered Yoga Teacher with additional training in Yoga for Older Adults and Restorative Yoga through Accessible Yoga, as well as Yoga for Pelvic Health with Leslie Howard. They have also studied with Ramanand Patel and Doug Keller, deepening their understanding of alignment, accessibility, and sustainable practice.
Lanie specializes in making yoga accessible for every body. An experienced Gentle and Chair Yoga teacher, they are passionate about creating spaces where students feel supported, respected, and empowered to move at their own pace. Currently continuing their studies in Restorative Yoga, Lanie’s approach is thoughtful, inclusive, and rooted in care.
A retired psychotherapist, Lanie brings deep listening and compassion into the spaces they hold. As a queer, nonbinary teacher and chronic illness/pain experiencer, they are committed to building community in ways that are healthy and sustainable.
Outside the studio, Lanie loves walks with their dogs, the ocean, roller skating, reading, knitting, and exploring new creative hobbies. They are currently learning French and learning to cook — always curious, always growing.
Sun, Moon, Rising
Taylor
Sun, Moon Rising
Taylor Outram teaches Hatha-based classes that flow with intention while also breaking down foundational skills. Her cueing is detailed and precise, making her classes especially supportive for beginners or anyone looking to refine their technique. Her classes help students build strength, confidence, and understanding step by step.
She believes yoga should be sustainable and individualized. Injury prevention and thoughtful modification are central to her approach, and she consistently offers options so students can experience postures in ways that honor their unique bodies.
Drawing inspiration from The Yoga Sutra of Patanjali and Āyurvedic philosophy — influenced by her mentor, Carrie Klaus — Taylor weaves subtle philosophical themes into her classes.
Outside the studio, she enjoys reading fantasy novels, hiking, camping, and listening to live music with close friends. Recently engaged, she is excited to begin this next chapter with her partner and their beloved fur babies.
Sarah
Sun, Moon Rising
Sarah Lashbrook is a trauma-informed somatic and Kundalini yoga teacher whose classes center on breath, sensation, and embodied awareness. Through therapeutic movement, subtle energy practices, and mindful pacing, she creates experiences that support nervous system balance, emotional release, and deeper connection to self.
With more than two decades of experience in psychotherapy, bodywork, yoga, and sound healing, Sarah brings a holistic and compassionate presence to her teaching. Her classes may include slow somatic exploration, meditative flow, and Kundalini-inspired kriyas and breathwork, always honoring each student’s unique journey.
Warm, intuitive, and free-spirited, Sarah invites students to meet themselves with curiosity and kindness. She believes the body holds deep wisdom — and that through gentle awareness, we can rediscover safety, vitality, and inner connection.
Nikki
Sun, Moon Rising
Nikki Tonini is a Louisville native and surgical nurse who discovered yoga, meditation, and breathwork as powerful complements to modern medicine. What began as a personal healing journey over a decade ago has evolved into five years of devoted teaching and intentional space holding.
Nikki believes breath and mindful movement are foundational tools for regulating the nervous system, shifting stagnant energy, and cultivating deep self-soothing. Her classes thoughtfully weave together the anatomical, emotional, and subtle body — inviting students to explore the interplay between physical practice and spiritual connection.
Trained in Vinyasa, Yin, and Somatic Yoga, and attuned to Reiki, Nikki creates spaces that feel intentional, graceful, and safe. Her approach honors both science and spirit, blending her medical background with intuitive guidance to support students in softening, expanding, and reconnecting within.
Outside the studio, you can find Nikki dancing with friends or hiking in nature with her pups. As a neighbor and community member, she is grateful to connect, grow, and practice together.
Abbie
Sun Gemini, Moon Aries, Rising Libra
Abbie Guard trained in Ashtanga, Hatha, Flow, and Pranayama in India with teachers from Rishikesh, deepening her understanding of breath, discipline, and the transformative roots of the practice.
She teaches breath-centered, breath-led flows that emphasize tapas — the inner fire that helps burn away what no longer serves. Her classes are steady and intentional, inviting students to cultivate strength, clarity, and resilience through the power of conscious breathing and focused movement.
Deeply connected to the outdoors, Abbie finds joy in hiking, running, backpacking, climbing, and swimming. She is also a musician, playing banjo, fiddle, and piano, and enjoys writing music inspired by old-time Appalachian traditions.
Through movement and breath, Abbie encourages students to connect to their inner fire and move through life with purpose and presence.
Maria
Sun, Moon, Rising
Maria Whitley is a somatic educator devoted to helping people feel at home and happy in their bodies through joyful, mindful movement. For more than 25 years, she has guided students toward greater freedom, presence, and ease in the way they move and live.
Maria teaches group classes and offers one-on-one sessions designed to help you move, feel, and function better in everyday life. She is a 2nd Degree Black Belt in the Nia Technique, a Level 5 MELT Method Instructor, a Reiki Master, and an intuitive bodyworker — bringing a wide range of embodied tools to support each individual where they are.
With a playful spirit and deep belief in the power of movement and energy, Maria creates experiences that are grounding, energizing, and empowering. Her classes invite you to reconnect with your body, awaken vitality, and rediscover the joy of being fully present in yourself.
Dre
Sun, Moon, Rising
Dre teaches from lived experience.
“I experience, I learn, I teach.”
Their practice is rooted in the understanding that life holds both weight and wonder. Dre brings their own stone — their own lived truths — with the hope that its weight can help balance our collective suffering. Rather than leading with accolades, they lead with presence.
They believe the world can feel inherently dark at times, but through breath and movement we can better equip ourselves to recognize — and capture — the pockets of light.
Dre’s classes are intentional and honest, inviting you into resilience, awareness, and the quiet strength that comes from moving through challenge together.
Luisa
Sun Libra, Moon Capricorn, Leo Rising
Luisa Trujillo is a native of Bogotá, Colombia, and has called Kentucky home for the past 20 years. She has been practicing yoga for over 14 years — a practice that continues to bring her peace, steadiness, and a sense of lifelong learning.
After completing her Yoga Teacher Training in 2025 at 502 Power Yoga in Louisville, Luisa began teaching in community spaces with a focus on offering Yoga en Español and bilingual classes. She is passionate about making yoga accessible to Spanish-speaking communities and creating spaces where culture, language, and movement come together.
In addition to teaching, Luisa serves as Heart Thread Collective’s Studio Manager, helping steward the daily rhythms of the space with care and intention. Community-building is at the heart of her work. She leads Caminantes, a Latinx-led hiking and outdoor group, and is an active artist who has participated in Aflora, a collective of Latinx artists in partnership with La Casita.
Creativity flows through her life in many forms, especially fiber arts — including crochet, hand sewing, patchwork, and embroidery. Through yoga, art, and leadership, Luisa cultivates connection, belonging, and joy..
Jennifer
Sun, Moon, Leo
Jennifer Schonschack is originally from Michigan but has spent much of her life in Louisville. She discovered yoga in 2009 alongside a mentor and friend who helped spark a lasting connection to the practice. She completed her 200-hour Yoga Teacher Training at YOGAST8 in 2022 and has been teaching ever since, along with continuing her studies through Yin Yoga training.
With nearly two decades of personal practice, Jennifer is drawn to the balance between strength and restoration. Her background in ballet influences her appreciation for both stillness and movement, often guiding students to connect deeply with the rhythm of their breath. Her classes are creative and responsive, shaped by both her own embodied experience and the needs of the students in the room.
Outside the studio, Jennifer is completing her ABSN nursing degree while staying committed to her own physical and mental well-being. She enjoys reading whenever she can and is always working through a growing list of books.
At home, she shares life with her boyfriend and their three cats - Sheldon, Penny, and Bernie - and is excited to welcome their first child this year, the year of the Fire Horse.
Lee
Sun, Moon, Leo
Lee (she/her) is a yoga teacher, retreat leader, spiritual mentor, and heart-centered guide with over 900 hours of training across meditation, yin yoga, breathwork, deity yoga, Bhakti yoga, mindfulness, and asana. She has co-taught three 200-hour yoga teacher trainings, supporting students in deepening both their personal practice and authentic voice as teachers.
Her classes weave rhythmic, fluid movement with breath, mantra, and meditative awareness — creating experiences that feel both energizing and grounding. Rooted in devotion and informed by somatic understanding, Lee invites students to move with freedom, listen inward, and reconnect to the wisdom of the body and heart.
She is devoted to creating welcoming spaces where strength and softness coexist, expression is encouraged, and practice becomes a pathway back to wholeness.
Maddi
Sun, Moon, Leo
Maddi Clements has been practicing yoga for over 10 years and completed her 200-hour Yoga Teacher Training in Colombia. Her journey with yoga has helped her develop a deeper connection to her body, learning to listen with compassion and offer herself grace on both strong days and more challenging ones.
In addition to teaching yoga, she is a third grade teacher, bringing patience, encouragement, and a playful spirit into every class she leads. She enjoys creating a welcoming environment where students can move, explore, and not take themselves too seriously.
Her classes are lighthearted and fun, with the intention that everyone leaves feeling just a little bit better than when they arrived — more open, more grounded, and more connected.
Outside the studio, she loves reading, traveling, and meeting new people.
Steven
Sun, Moon, Leo
Steven moved to Louisville from Chicago three years ago with his husband and two dogs, and now calls Shawnee home. They have been practicing yoga for 16 years and are a 200-hour Registered Yoga Teacher.
His journey began with Hatha yoga and later deepened through eight years of Ashtanga practice. Yet through every exploration, Steven found himself drawn back to Kundalini Yoga - a path that ultimately felt like coming home. In his first Kundalini class, something clicked. It was as if a door opened inward.
Steven is especially passionate about sharing yogic technology - the meeting place of ancient wisdom and modern science - where nervous system regulation, breathwork, mantra, and movement intersect with concepts now echoed in neuroscience and quantum theory.
In class, you can expect to learn something unexpected. Their intention is to create a space where you feel safe, welcome, and supported. They describe their role as a teacher as a “spiritual forklift” — meeting you exactly where you are and gently lifting you into a more elevated experience of yourself.
Whether you’re seeking grounded regulation or expansive bliss, their hope is that you leave feeling more connected, empowered, and at home within yourself.
Lexi
Sun, Moon, Leo
Lexi Wermers completed her 200-hour Yoga Teacher Training at Yoga Baum in 2019 and has been teaching for over six years at studios across the community. Her foundation is in vinyasa and restorative yoga, and her approach continues to evolve through an eclectic and ever-expanding relationship with the practice.
Lexi’s journey into yoga opened the door to a deeper sense of relaxation and inner connection, especially through the integration of movement, meditation, and breathwork. She believes in the power of breath as a guiding force — each inhale bringing renewal, each exhale offering release.
Her classes are fluid, supportive, and rooted in positivity, blending intentional flow with moments of pause and awareness. She creates space for students to build strength, move with ease, and reconnect to themselves in a way that feels both energizing and grounding. Lexi believes yoga is for every body and honors the idea that our practice grows and changes alongside our lives.
Deeply grateful to share this work, she is passionate about helping others feel better — physically, mentally, and spiritually — through the practice of yoga.