Meet our amazing teachers

Amy’s practice and teaching have evolved over more than 25 years. An RYT 240 from Asheville Yoga Center, she believes that the practice is inclusive - you bring who you are and what you need on any given day to the mat, and yoga provides. Some things that Amy always includes in her classes are safety and joy. As a trained massage therapist, Amy makes suggestions for alignment, depth, and ease that are anatomically appropriate for each student. She takes the practice of yoga very seriously, but believes that laughter, creativity and community are the heart of every class. She encourages feedback and will always consider herself to be a student, too.

Anna has been practicing yoga regularly for the past 15 years and has found immense benefit in not only the physical

aspects of the practice, but also the mental. She primarily appreciates yoga as an avenue towards mindfulness,

encouraging herself and her students to find pleasure and balance in the present moment through yoga’s physical

asanas.

She completed her first 200-hour teacher training at the Andean School of Yoga in Peru, and her second right here in

Durham at Yoga Off East. When she’s not practicing yoga you can find her working at a residential design studio or

spending time with her family and friends — ideally outside or over a lovingly prepared home-cooked meal.

Annie found yoga in 2017 when a studio near her university in sunny Santa Barbara, California offered free classes for students. Trying this new hobby became a fundamental force for change in her life as yoga took her on a journey of self love and self expression. After seeing how much joy and peace yoga had introduced into her life, Annie sought out her 200 hour yoga teacher certification so that she could share the bliss of yoga with others. In Annie's classes, students can expect a balance between energizing flows and mindful meditation. She loves to incorporate themes from poetry, music, and yoga's history into her classes to make her time with students about more than just the movement. Annie strives to create a safe and fun environment where everyone can feel free to express themselves in class, whether that's through taking an extra child's pose, hanging out in your favorite arm balance, or simply going with the flow. 

Deana has been practicing yoga since starting college. She completed her teacher training in 2015 at the Wilmington Yoga Center, and has been teaching yoga since then. She has additional training in strength-oriented modalities and Pilates. She hopes to cultivate an experience where mind, body, and soul can be unified, via the physical asana and cultivated breath. Her classes are intentional and light-hearted. For Deana, yoga is a time to work through the tensions in our daily lives, create community, and have fun discovering the strength of our bodies and minds. 

Jane began practicing yoga in 2018 while she was a student at the University of Delaware and began to explore her practice deeper when she came to NC in 2022. She completed her 200-hour Teacher Training at CorePower Yoga in Chapel Hill and has since dived deeper into restorative and hot power yoga. Jane is currently a physical therapy student at UNC Chapel Hill. Within her passion for physical therapy is a belief that there is happiness in movement and a modality for everyone to feel joyful in their own bodies and confident in their abilities, may it be through yoga or otherwise. Jane envisions her teaching journey in a similar light; helping guide students to become more aware of their body and appreciative of all the wonderful things that the body can do.

Jill (she/her) took her first yoga class while pregnant, and hasn’t stepped off of her mat since. After practicing for over ten years, she decided that she needed more yoga in her life.  One yoga training led to another and just like that, she is a RYT-500 with Yoga Alliance.  She is continually learning about the body, mind, and spirit.  A deep interest of hers is the intersection between science and yoga. Ideas written in ancient texts come full circle as their tools are supported by modern research.  Expect classes to sprinkle in many variations and options, with the focus always returning to your own self as the expert.  Jill holds space for you to explore your body, feel into your personal appropriate alignment, and to pause from your daily life to become aware of your thoughts. She believes that being aware of yourself is imperative in order to be aware of others and the world around you.  “If we want yoga, we can not run from what it truly means to practice yoga. If we can breathe, we can do yoga.  If we can feel, we can represent liberation. And when we breathe together, we get a little more free.” Susanna Barkataki. 

While living in Los Angeles in 2007, I hiked past a free yoga class in the park every day for months. Finally, my curiosity led me to try it out, and after a few classes, I was hooked for life. During this time, I was going through some difficult life changes, and yoga taught me how to connect to my authentic self. I came through with a profound appreciation for the power of the practice. Inspired by this power and the desire to facilitate this process for others, I began my 200-hour teacher training in 2009 at Yogaworks and completed an apprenticeship through Yogaworks to reach my 500-hour certification in 2013. I taught classes in the Los Angeles area until March 2019, when I moved to North Carolina with my husband and 3-year-old son.

My classes offer a safe, balanced asana practice that emphasizes proper alignment. I encourage my students to find that they can exceed their own expectations by connecting to their breath. I lead classes with compassion, guiding students toward self-awareness. I believe that through linking movement with breath the mind is cleared, and we are open to connect to our true nature.

Kate is a classically trained ballet dancer and a certified barre and mat pilates instructor with fifteen years of teaching experience in dance and exercise. After graduating from the pre professional dance program at San Francisco’s City Ballet School in 2007, Kate moved on to dance professionally in contemporary dance troupes, touring musical theater productions, and as an independent artist all over California. Alongside her career as a performer Kate worked to develop dance programs for several prestigious performing arts schools in the Bay Area introducing the students to classical technique in ballet and barre. When she moved to Brooklyn, NY in 2016 she continued her teaching career as a barre instructor and in 2020 her class was rated the #6 "Best Barre Class" to take in NYC by ClassPass.com. In 2021 Kate received her certification in mat pilates from “Lila Core” and spent the last three years teaching mat pilates and strength & conditioning classes at various yoga and pilates studios all over New York City. 

Kate’s long standing passion for movement runs deep. Her goal in each class is to help guide her students towards finding that magical connection you feel when breath, technique, and strength join forces to build a full and satisfying physical practice. She is thrilled to be a part of the Recess Yoga community and can’t wait to see you on the mat! 

Katy completed her 200 hour yoga teacher training through Yandara Yoga Institute  in Pahoa, HI in 2017, where she became trained to teach vinyasa, restorative, and yin yoga. In 2019 she became certified to teach aerial yoga at the Boulder Circus Center in Boulder, CO.  In Katy's classes, she offers herself as a guide to the student's experience of linking movement and breath with emphasis on mindfulness and moving meditation.  She encourages students to meet their personal challenges on the mat - whether that means strengthening the body or soothing the mind. 

Kelsey has been teaching yoga for almost a decade. She is 500 RYT and has certifications in strength-focused yoga modalities. Her background as a college soccer player and marathon runner shape her relationship with yoga. She believes yoga is for everyone and can complement any person no matter how they like to move!

Kyle believes that living life is about filling the time and space between stillness and movement. The movement choices you make can create freedom, release, expression and magic! Let’s find that together on the mat. 

Kyle found his way to leading others in movement by way of the stage. Involved in professional theater and performing in musicals since the age of 6, Kyle found a lifelong zeal for expressing himself through voice and movement. Upon entering the High School Theater Department at the University of North Carolina School of the Arts, Kyle discovered his passion for fitness through a daily practice of T'ai Chi Ch'uan, pilates, yoga and dance which he continued for 5 years during his further training at the California Institute of the Arts. 

Kyle’s full-time work is in the wellness space and you can find him leading science-driven, music-fueled, high-intensity pilates, strength, cardio and yoga classes in every corner of the triangle.  It’s his goal to fill every moment of his class experience with fun, panache and sass. You show up and we’ll show out! 

Lily is a competitively trained dancer who turned to yoga as a way to explore movement without the constraints of following ‘perfect’ techniques, alignment, and aesthetics. She received her 200-hour certification from Carolina Yoga Company in 2024, which came long overdue after many years of refining her practice and discovering how yoga compliments the nature of dance. Lily has a passion for strength-based movement and incorporates her creative arts background—spanning dance, theater, and creative writing—into her teaching. She uses this artistic foundation to inspire and empower her students, encouraging them to express themselves freely on the mat. Beyond the studio, Lily works in the Pediatric Nutrition Department at Duke Hospital and will begin a Master’s in Nutrition Science in Fall 2025 to become a Registered Dietitian. Her passion for nutrition fuels her yoga practice and shapes her holistic approach to movement, allowing her to guide students toward not just physical strength, but mental and emotional well-being as well.

Lindsey (she/her) believes yoga, at its core, is a practice of self-care that prepares us for community care. Being able to hold a pose is one way to mark progress, but if yoga can help us treat each other with greater compassion and respect—well, now we're really getting somewhere. Students in Lindsey’s music-driven classes can look forward to an uplifting balance of centering meditation and invigorating asana. Her sequencing draws inspiration from Ashtanga, Jivamukti, and Power Yoga, with an emphasis on helping students feel strong and steady. She received her 200-hour certification from Carolina Yoga Company, and her 300-hour Advanced Studies certification at the Asheville Yoga Center. Off the mat, Lindsey edits books and teaches creative writing.

Lucy, a Chapel Hill native, started her yoga journey while backpacking in Bali post-grad in 2019. Upon returning to the Triangle just before the pandemic, she began going to as many local yoga classes as possible before transitioning to a consistent at-home practice. She started with the initial goal of being able to touch her toes, but throughout the years, has discovered much more, especially the deeply transformative power of the mind-body connection. Yoga has given her confidence, acceptance, and a deep trust and love for her body and all it is capable of and she wishes to inspire the same in her students! In 2022, she received her 200RYT in Hatha Yoga in Lake Atitlan, Guatemala, and furthered her education the following year with a 50RYT in Yin & Yoga Nidra in Isla Mujeres, Mexico. She began her teaching journey at coliving communities in Mexico, Spain, and Colombia, and is so excited to find her studio home at Recess.

Her approach to teaching is curious and intuitive, encouraging students to feel where they are without judgment, while also holding space for self-trust and growth. Additionally, as a full-time astrologer, Lucy loves to weave the energy of the moment into her classes, using the lunar phases and planetary aspects as inspiration for her flows. In her free time, you can find her on nature walks, dancing to pop songs, doing improv comedy, watching bad reality TV, making collages, and playing with her numerous oracle and tarot cards.

My classes offer a safe, balanced asana practice that emphasizes proper alignment. I encourage my students to find that they can exceed their own expectations by connecting to their breath. I lead classes with compassion, guiding students toward self-awareness. I believe that through linking movement with breath the mind is cleared, and we are open to connect to our true nature.

Matt (E-RYT 200) began his path in yoga by way of group fitness. He completed his Yoga Teacher Training with LifeTime Fitness in 2013 where he also taught several strength and Vinyasa Flow classes each week. During his career as a middle school teacher, he introduced his students to yoga and cultivated that into teaching three daily yoga classes as electives during the school day. Matt’s philosophy centers around the idea that yoga is for everyone, regardless of body type, age, fitness level, or any other perceived barrier. He is excited to bring his unique twist on Vinyasa based classes to Recess and invites all to come breathe, move, and play.

Pasquale Antonio moved to Durham from New York City in 2020. Pas is a Wellness & Movement Professional with over 20 years of experience that includes Manual Therapy, Martial Arts, Yoga, Eastern Philosophy, Dance, and Personal Training. He obtained his 500 Hour Yoga Certification in 2016 through the Yoga School NY in the therapeutic lineage of TKV Desikachar and T. Krishnamacharya.  Pasquale's classes are simple, balanced and include gentle asana, pranayama, yoga philosophy, and vedic chanting. His philosophy is 'yoga is medicine' meaning that the teachings should be communicated with the individual's needs in mind so that the student may find their own authentic path to yoga. In this way anything can be yoga if it creates a state of focused attention and unity. He has taught yoga in classes, workshops, corporate settings, and one-on-one.  Pasquale owns Jiyu Holistic Wellness in Durham where he offers a unique blend of massage, personal training, and his own brand of movement classes.  He also teaches martial arts at NC Systema in Durham. 

Rebecca is a RYT500 yoga teacher. She took her first yoga class in 2016  and has been in love with the practice ever since. Her daily practice is a vital part of her life. Helping her navigate whatever life has to offer and replenish her energetically and physically.

Rebecca's classes invite students to be compassionate and curious about their bodies through movement and breath. Her classes are designed to move the student inward, helping students recharge themselves so when they go back out into the busy world they are replenished. 

Rebecca finds inspiration from The Upanishads, The Bhagavad Gita, The Sutras of Patanjali, Nature and the Human Body.  Her main yoga teachers are Caroline Wybar, Lori Hernandez and Tiffany Cruikshank. This year she completed 100hr Yoga Nidra Training and a 14hr Lymphatics Yoga Training. Currently she is in a 1000hr YTT for Therapeutic Yoga. 

"All this is full. All that is full. From fullness, fullness comes. When fullness is taken from fullness, fullness still remains. OM shanti, shanti, shanti "- Isha Upanishad Invocation  

Roxie completed her Yoga Teacher Certification in 2019 through the Asheville Yoga Center and has been teaching full-time ever since, guiding students online from around the world and leading in-person workshops and retreats. In 2022, she earned her Trauma-Informed Practitioner Certification from the Phoenix Path Coaching Institute, and she frequently integrates somatic nervous system regulation techniques into her classes.

At the core of Roxie's teaching is a deep passion for helping others heal stress and trauma patterns held in the body through spiritual embodiment practices. She combines this with her expertise in movement, offering detailed alignment cues and a strong foundation in anatomy to empower her students in transforming the way they move. Her unique approach helps unlock pain-free strength and flexibility, enabling students to reach their fullest potential.

In addition to her yoga practice, Roxie is a Professional Pole Dancer, traveling across the country to perform and teach both dance and yoga. Her diverse background and holistic approach to movement inspire her students to explore and expand their physical and emotional boundaries.

Sarah completed her 200 hr certification under Claudia Chambers at Respira Yoga in Raleigh, North Carolina. Her yoga journey began as a form of trauma recovery, and through it she fund healing, community, and a powerful connection to the practice and philosophy of yoga. Sarah’s   classes are breath and energy based, and  she facilitates healing, release, and deep relaxation while exploring the mind-body connection, and the subtle shifts in our inner sensory world. 

Susannah Simpson started practicing yoga as a teenager with a yearning for physical exercise that included a spiritual element. She completed her 200-hour teacher training through the Sivananda Center in 2012, and since then has been facilitating yoga, improvisational movement, interdisciplinary creative workshops, and restorative circles and meditations. A multidisciplinary artist, performer and poet, she approaches facilitation from an anchor of fluidity, expansiveness, curiosity, and play. She is guided by the desire to support people tuning into their sensations more deeply, and exploring the messages therein as venues for healing, greater self-understanding, acceptance, and pleasure. With a deep belief in every body’s inherent sacredness, she seeks to re-activate a remembrance of our magic and vast potentialities. 

Tessa Joseph-Nicholas has been practicing yoga and movement since 1998. She is RYT200 certified, has completed teacher training workshops with her longtime ashtanga inspirations David Swenson and Beryl Bender Birch, and has studied yoga, Pilates, Gyrotonic, and bodyweight fitness with too many wonderful teachers to count. Tessa now works to apply her training in more classical forms to an accessible, healthy, playful vinyasa practice. Her classes may take a variety of forms, but her goal is always to cultivate joy, build energetic balance, and encourage healthy exploration of the possibilities. She considers teaching an honor and a privilege, so when she's off the mat, she also professes at UNC-Chapel Hill.

Tom Sowders, PHD, is first a student of yoga and second a sharer of it. He took his first class in 1994 and has been sharing yoga as an instructor since 2018. Tom earned his YTT 200 with Claudia Chambers-Conty at Y Respira Yoga in Raleigh, NC. Tom's style of yoga is informed by hatha yoga, ashtanga, and meditation. A major goal for Tom is to train the mind to be fully present on and off the mat in order to experience the joy that comes flooding once you remove the old layers of familiarity from the way you see the world. Can you tap into the power of your inner child in order to see your practice (and the world) with fresh eyes? That's what he wants to find out. Tom brings a background in studying poetry and music to his practice and teaching.

Zac is a 200-hour certified yoga teacher with a deep passion for the connection between movement, breath, and recovery. His yoga journey began as part of his own healing process—both physically and mentally—leading him to explore the profound impact of breathwork, meditation, and Yin yoga in cultivating strength, resilience, and balance.

After spending 15 years in the Bay Area, Zac recently returned to his hometown of Carrboro/Chapel Hill, bringing with him a love for movement in all forms. His classes are rooted in an understanding of physiology, emphasizing yoga as a tool for strength, recovery, and healing. He believes that Yin yoga, breathwork, and meditation don’t always get the attention they deserve, yet they are some of the most powerful practices for deep restoration, nervous system regulation, and overall well-being.

When he’s not on the mat, Zac loves spending time with family, skateboarding—whether for fun or teaching lessons—or getting creative in the kitchen, cooking whole-food, anti-inflammatory vegan meals. He’s always looking for new ways to move, connect, and stay present in the world around him.