Teachers

  I am a Birmingham native and I love teaching and practicing with my fellow yoga lovers in our magic, little city! I received my 200-RYT certification at Birmingham Yoga, training with Akasha Ellis, and I also completed a 40-hour Power Yoga Teacher Training with Bryan Kest in 2011.   With my training based in Ashtanga and Power Yoga, and also holding a high-ranking belt in Yoshukai Karate, I incorporate a strong physical practice and high energy into my classes.   My teaching philosophy is rooted in the belief that yoga is for everyone.  No matter what type of yoga we practice, no matter how young or old, thin or thick; no matter how closed or open-mind we are, or what religious or cultural background we come from, yoga can help us become the best versions of ourselves. Everyone brings his or her own unique body and life experience to the mat, making this practice incredibly personal while helping us embrace the truth of who we really are.   My purpose in teaching is to provide a physical challenge that helps cultivate the ability to tune into yourself, listen, pay attention to what you experience and develop the courage... Read More ››

Karen Scott-Thomasino is a native of Birmingham, Alabama. She has a strong foundation in dance, gymnastics, and figure skating. Pretty much anything that does not involve a ball or competition!! She began practicing yoga 6 years ago (at the Yoga Circle!) while completing her undergraduate degree at the University of Alabama at Birmingham. She credits her yoga practice with helping her finish graduate school, in 2011, with her sanity intact. Karen recently completed the 200 hour Teacher Certification at Birmingham Yoga under the amazing and accomplished Akasha Ellis. She also recently submitted her application for the 300 hour certification under the Shiva Rea, Prana Flow™ method. She hopes to complete that training by 2014. Karen’s class is Vinyasa flow style with a strong Ashtanga foundation. Various Pilates type movements are also incorporated in the flow. Her class will help you build strength, compliment any athletic training you are currently involved in, help you to relax, and foster a greater awareness of the interconnectedness of all living beings. Karen works in the financial industry and spends her free time volunteering with local animal rescues/shelters, advocating for various animal rights issues, running, cycling, dancing, and spending time with her various conventional... Read More ››

Shawn is a native of Alabama and while growing up he was involved in various sports and activities, but lost touch with those things after going off to college and starting his career in medical research and teaching at the University of Alabama at Birmingham. Shawn was first introduced to yoga in 2006 after a back injury left him searching for an alternative treatment/therapy for chronic back pain. As his yoga practice grew, he was greatly inspired by yoga’s potential for healing at a physical, emotional and spiritual level. Through his journey, trying various disciplines of yoga, he found himself gravitating to Ashtanga yoga. To deepen his practice and understanding of Ashtanga, he completed the 200 hour Yoga Teacher Training Program at Birmingham Yoga in 2012, studying under the wonderful guidance of Akasha Ellis. As a teacher, Shawn tends to focus on alignment, energetic expression, and, most importantly, the breath. Each inhale and each exhale, from one asana to the next, Ashtanga allows one to travel inwards slowly bringing the vision of one’s true nature to the surface, he says. Shawn loves teaching but continues to be a passionate student. He is extremely grateful for the opportunity to teach... Read More ››

Melissa Scott is a yoga teacher, counselor, life coach, writer, and presenter, on a mission to help others live their most authentic life possible. Her Core Vinyasa classes develop deep core strength and focus on moving from center, both on and off the mat. She combines her knowledge of Western psychology and Eastern philosophy for classes that are creative, challenging, and deeply centering. A passionate yoga student for nearly a decade, with a background in dance and martial arts, Melissa uses her knowledge of the mind-body connection, energy dynamics, and deep core anatomy to move past fears to a deeper, more empowered place. In addition to teaching yoga and working with individual clients, she presents regularly on stress management, mind-body psychology, and sacred activism. Melissa has been featured on Veria Network’s “Rock Your Yoga with Sadie Nardini.” She serves as an ambassador for Off the Mat, Into the World and a co-facilitator of Yoga in Action Birmingham. She writes and blogs at NamasteYall.org and at her website,MelissaScottYoga.com. Read More ››

Cheri Stewart grew up in the majestic Blue Ridge Mountains of NC where she discovered the gift of yoga at a young age. After graduating from UNC Asheville with honors in economics and Spanish, she decided to pursue teacher training with her beloved teachers at Asheville Yoga Center. Cheri has studied with many teachers but continues to be most influenced by AYC’s Stephanie Keach, Shala Worseley, and Joe Taft. These individuals helped her discover and trust the teacher within, the divinity of intuition and its role in practice, and the alignment principles that bring asana to life. Cheri believes the yoga practice connects us to spirit and can lead to the flowering of human consciousness, that it is a celebration of life and the gift of embodiment. She believes that it makes us more fit vessels to serve our communities and fulfill our roles in the cosmic order. Everyday Cheri is deeply inspired by the divine play of Shiva (consciousness) and Shakti (creative potential), which manifest into music, flowers, sunsets, the human form, and creative vinyasa – all of which are explored in her shakti-inspired vinyasa classes. Cheri’s classes are fluid in nature and incorporate, pranayama, meditation, and yoga... Read More ››

I love yoga because it’s for everybody.  Maybe you can’t touch your toes; maybe you just finished your seventh marathon; maybe you’ve been doing yoga for 30 years.  To yoga, we are all the same.  We arrive at the mat, whether it’s our 3,000th time or our very first, and make the most of our practice – moving with the breath, increasing our flexibility and strength, on top of bettering our self-awareness. Yoga is all-inclusive in every way.  It improves every aspect of our lives, from physical health to mental, emotional, and spiritual health.  Yoga steers us toward our healthiest weight and also removes clutter and debris from the mind and spirit.  Yoga helps us sleep more soundly; it brings awareness to our breath, enabling us to live more peacefully;  and it make us better in all of our relationships, from being a better friend to being a more productive employee.  Along the path of yoga, we become better individuals, which eventually betters the world. I officially began my yoga journey at age nineteen, though I can remember doing yoga as a child – from sitting quietly and breathing while listening to classical music, to playfully performing handstands in... Read More ››

Pilar has been athletic since graduating from college and really just a big fan of movement since the time she could crawl. After the birth of her first child she became swept away with the freedom of running and was able to enjoy the sights and vistas of some pretty far flung locales atop those running shoes — including some extra-long runs that came about from being completely lost. Over the years she added some other cross training through swimming (especially while pregnant), biking and group exercise but in her fourth decade she discovered yoga. She can’t honestly say that it was love at first sight since all those years of athletics led to crazy tight hamstrings and shoulders, but ultimately it was a match made in heaven. So much so that she wanted to share this gift of love with everyone. Hence, her 200-hr Vinyasa training with the lovely Dolly Stavros of Asmi Yoga at North Shore Yoga in Chattanooga began a true passion for yoga and the catalyst it can be in anyone’s life. Her classes are always a labor of love and you never quite know what you’ll be getting. A student once described her teaching... Read More ››

Although I practiced martial arts for 7 years prior, I began teaching from the Western world of fitness. Back in 1997 I received my BS degree in Exercise Science and Wellness and was certified as a ACE Personal Trainer, after that Pilates, Spinning, Snow Skiing, and Intrinsic Coach. My emphasis has always been using exercise as a tool to manage stress, even snow skiing. After two years in the industry, I decided to learn more by taking a Yoga teacher training which was 13 years ago already! Half way through the class I realized this is it, this is all I need! I soon converted all my clients I could and let the others go, and dedicated myself to continuous personal and professional growth in the field of yoga. I even took another teacher training right away because I was kind of like a yoga junkie and wanted more! It’s been a wonderful choice and journey. Blessed, I was hired at a growing Community College to teach several credited yoga classes. It was the first offering of yoga there and I felt responsible to teach the full spectrum of yoga, and just as importantly, to help grow the community... Read More ››

Jennifer has been involved in fitness for over 15 years. She grew up a classically trained ballerina with The School of Fine Arts and then went on to dance in college at the University of Alabama at Birmingham and Birmingham Southern College. Around the age of twenty Jennifer decided it was time to give ballet a rest. She became a certified personal trainer and group fitness instructor during her college years. Jennifer graduated from The University of Alabama at Birmingham with a BA in communication studies and a minor in Spanish. With a desire to try something different Jennifer began practicing Bikram and Ashtanga yoga in 2000. She was drawn to yoga instantly because it offered a great workout but also offered something more meaningful, a chance to connect with the mind, body, and spirit. In 2001 Jennifer began teaching a vinyasa style yoga class at Spa Moksha and has been teaching yoga ever since. She is certified in Ashtanga yoga by David Swenson. Some of her favorite yogis are Baron Baptiste, Bryan Kest, and Sean Tebor. Jennifer is married with 3 children. She is also an artist working in acrylic and oil and loves to paint anything that... Read More ››

Stephen Fletcher, Director and Principal Teacher, graduated Bikram’s 9-week teacher training course in Los Angeles in November, 2002, and has been teaching yoga ever since. He recently attended a 200 hour Kundalini teacher training in Asheville, NC. Stephen has a love for all styles of yoga and encourages students to be aware that they are all connected. He has practiced and studied with Akasha Ellis, Sean Tabor, Shiva Rea, Rodney Yee, and Brian Kest. Stephen’s class is inevitably spiritual in nature and pulls from every yoga and discipline that exists. He will help you see the inherent oneness of all things as his physical instructions emerge as a philosophy. Stephen will emphasize that good yoga lies in perception and reception. His background is in music and massage, both of which help expand his view of the body and mind and their ultimate union. Your Yoga philosophy: Make room for all the paradox. Everything is symbiotic and ultimately one, so follow no set path as a living truth is always changing. Style of yoga: Hot, Kundalini Favorite Yoga Quote right now: Nothing need define you, only shape you. Favorite Yoga Pose right now: 5 min Plank Pose Read More ››

Gabriela Pomplova first began her yogic journey intuitively, “When I was tired and needed to rejuvenate, I always went into a strange pose. My body especially liked to curl into KARNAPIDASANA (knee-to-ear pose). I had no clue I was practicing one of the yoga asanas.” From 1995-2001 “I was going through a very emotional and painful period of my life. I only knew The Five Tibetans’ exercise (which is a derived sequence of yoga poses, practiced in repetitions). The Tibetans kept me afloat in my thoughts and developed a new awareness of my body in the meantime.” In 1999 a friend lent her a book about yoga as the old adage says “when the time is right, a teacher appears.” She was ready to come out of her ignorance. “I was determined to learn more about yoga, not only through performing postures but through every aspect of my being, acting, and doing. Working on my breath became an important everyday task. My abilities enhanced. My artwork took a different, a more meaningful direction. I began to work with new mediums. Now, in addition to painting and mosaics, I also enjoy designing yoga clothing.” In 2005 I completed my first... Read More ››

After the first time practicing yoga in 2002, Shannon fell in love with her mat and felt like she had come home to her true self. She became a Yoga Alliance certified yoga teacher in 2007 after completing her training at the Tallapoosa Center for Inner Arts in Carrollton, GA. There she studied an eclectic style of Yoga and Tai Chi with Karen Sifton and Roger Hornsby. She has experience teaching prenatal and mom & baby yoga. She is also a freelance graphic designer, artist and aspiring musician. Shannon currently teaches Sacred Flow (a soulful heated vinyasa) and Sacred Dance (a unique yoga dance flow) at The Yoga Circle. Her classes are open to all levels, but come prepared to sweat! She believes the more you let go and allow for your own authentic movement to evolve, the more you will awaken the freedom in your body and your life. She incorporates bhakti yoga into her classes with meditation and song. She encourages you to smile through your practice, befriend your body, let your intuition guide you to a new awareness, and enjoy the gift of presence. Shannon is the founder of the Birmingham Kirtan group which meets monthly... Read More ››

I turned to yoga eight years ago when my workouts weren’t “working” anymore. I would spend hours at the gym or take long, hilly runs to escape my stressful life, and I would end up feeling tired, ravenous and spent. I was drawn to vinyasa yoga, because I heard it was a vigorous workout. My first vinyasa classes were wonderfully sweaty, but they also left me feeling calm, refreshed and aware. I began to see my yoga practice as an opportunity to be in my body, to observe my thoughts and emotions, and to learn to breathe through the complex sensations that are the product of being alive and a part of this world. I have had the joy of training with Richard Freeman, Ana Forrest, Shiva Rea and Patty Townsend of the Yoga Center Amherst, where I completed a 200 hundred hour certification. I teach the type of class I love to take: warm, flowing, deep and surprising. My classes are open to all levels, ages and body types, and I believe that transformation is available to all of us through daily practice. Read More ››

Christine Marie Caiola is a native of Birmingham Alabama, with a strong foundation in dance and gymnastics. After graduating with a BA in Psychology in 2000, Christine returned to Birmingham and began studying Ashtanga Yoga under Akasha Ellis, who received his training in Bangalore, India. In March of 2002, Christine received her Ashtanga Yoga certification from David Swenson, a renowned American teacher and one of the first Westerners to learn the Ashtanga system under Master Shri K. Pattabhi Jois. Since her certification, Christine spent six years teaching Ashtanga yoga in the Birmingham area. During that time, she developed her practice under many noteworthy Yoga masters, including Shiva Rea, Bryan Kest, Sharon Gannon and David Life. In 2008-2009, Christine lived and taught in England, where she not only received a teacher training in Shiva Rea’s Vinyasa Flow technique, but also practiced the Jivamukti method at Jivamukti Center, London on a regular basis. She continued teaching in 2009-2010 in the Republic of Palau an island nation in the Pacific Ocean where she spearheaded and organized the country’s first participation in the Global Mala for Peace. Most recently, in May 2011, Christine received a 300-hour Jivamukti teacher certification, conducted at the Omega... Read More ››

Melissa’s love for yoga began 10 years ago, when she started practicing yoga as a counterbalance to her workouts. However, she quickly noticed improvement in her strength, flexibility, and posture and found a sense of peace and purpose that deepened each time she returned to her mat. She also fell in love with the cardiovascular aspect of power yoga. In 2010, she started a new yoga chapter in her life when she completed her first teacher training with Baron Baptiste and began teaching vinyasa flow classes. Melissa is thankful to be able to share her journey and love for yoga through teaching, and combine her passion for music into each class. As a teacher and a student, it is her intention to share all the benefits of yoga with others and have fun with each practice. Read More ››

When you step onto your mat, be prepared to for anything. Yoga has a way of changing us from the inside out. The more we connect with our breath and bring awareness to our bodies, thoughts, and emotions- the more we open ourselves and make space for change to come in. In this way, Yoga truly does “make you flexible.” ‘ Katie McClung is an artist and arts teacher born and raised in Birmingham, AL with a love for surfing and traveling the world. She has studied and trained in Ashtanga Yoga with Akasha Ellis from Birmingham Yoga. (200hrs RYT) Katie also practices Kundalini and Vinyasa yoga, incorporating both styles into her classes, which are open to all levels. “Yoga is fun. And who doesn’t want to have more fun?” Read More ››