JILL D
Jill, started practicing yoga in 1996 but it wasn’t until her move to California in 1997 that yoga became a permanent fixture in her life. That year Jill also experienced the sudden loss of her father and yoga became a place where she could go and find peace. The concentration on breath, mind and body was the perfect distraction. Jill recognized that the more intently she focused on the process she began to connect on a deeper level and began to heal and find tranquility. Yoga gave Jill the tools to maneuver the path of life and she knew that this was something that would always be a part of her life. Jill's quest then became to share her love of yoga with others. In 2002, Jill completed her first 200-hour teacher training with Leeann Carey at Planet Yoga in Hermosa Beach, CA and that training sparked her passion even more. It led her to train with some of the top teachers across the country including John Friend, Mitchel Bleier, Desiree Rumbaugh, Sianna Sherman, Martin & Jordan Kirk and Douglas Brooks. Jill has over 2000 hours of immersion and teacher training studies. In 2019 she completed her 500hr Kripalu Yoga Teacher Training and is an Experienced Registered Yoga Teacher, E-RYT500. She is also a Yoga Alliance Continuing Education Provider, YACEP.
Jill's goal in creating Wildwood Yoga & Wellness is to open the door of possibility to healing, contentment and connection through the practice of yoga.
MARY
Mary began practicing yoga in 1999 and immediately fell in love with all the benefits the practice provides. Each time we come to our mat, yoga meets us where we are and provides what we are most in need of; whether it’s quieting the mind, strengthening the body, becoming more flexible, reducing stress or improving balance. As a former runner, cyclist, aerobics and spinning instructor, Mary found yoga to be a more mindful way to move and deepen her mind, body, spirit connection. Mary spent thousands of hours practicing yoga regularly for over twelve years before completing LifePower Yoga Teachers Training in 2015 and has been teaching regularly at Wildwood Yoga & Wellness since its inception. As a certified Roll Model Method Practitioner, Mary enjoys sharing her knowledge on how to utilize the Yoga Therapy Balls to open, release and heal the “issues” in our connective tissues! Mary is also a Master Level Reiki Practitioner, certified in Plant Based Nutrition and SomaVeda Thai Table Yoga. Her classes often incorporate yoga philosophy, lessons from nature and sharing the yogic message of unity, peace and ahimsa!
KRISTA
Krista has practiced yoga for over a decade to improve her physical conditioning and to tone down her type A personality. Yoga became an integral part of her self-care when she had twins born with congenital heart defects. At the urging of a friend, she completed a 200 YTT with Pam Schulte to both deepen her practice and spread the joy of yoga, regardless of what brings a person to their mat. She strives to make yoga accessible to ANYONE regardless of age, gender, ability or socio-economic status and meet her students wherever they are in that moment. She loves teaching beginners, bringing a sense of playfulness to practice and learning from each and every student. When she is not on her mat, you will most likely find her doing something involving one of her five children whom are her greatest blessings and best teachers.
SHRIKANTH
Shrikanth began his yoga journey in 2004 with programs from the Art of Living Foundation. He is a lifelong student enhancing his understanding about Yoga Philosophy, Asanas, Pranayama and Meditation techniques. Shrikanth completed his 200hr YTT Certification from Yoga Source in Sep 2016 with key teachings from Anusara/Ashtanga schools.
Shrikanth encourages students to come out of their heads and into their bodies, emphasizing being present and gracefully integrating breath with movement. Shrikanth is passionate about taking yoga to the people - where they live, work, study or relax. Shrikanth inspires his students in improving their physical-emotional wellness and above all enhancing their human potential to lead satisfying, stress-free and fulfilling lives.
Shrikanth also works as an IT Professional in the Healthcare industry. Shrikanth and his wife and two boys have been Wildwood residents for the past 19years.
KRISTEN
With over a decade of practice, Kristen’s yoga is the peace within the sweet chaos of her everyday life. She enjoys all things active and loves to teach classes such as Hatha, Vinyasa and Mat Pilates. She received her 200-hour yoga teacher training certificate in 2019 and continues to learn and expand with her ever evolving yoga journey. Being a mother of two who loves to learn, motivate and share in the art of mindful movement, Kristen works to provide opportunity for students to practice and tune-in while creating a playful, comfortable atmosphere for all levels. In teaching, Kristen focuses on the intention of breath while building strength, balance and body awareness. Her classes will leave you feeling recharged, reset and totally refreshed. Join Kristen each week for Vinyasa and Pilates Fusion!
KASEY
Kasey has been a dedicated yoga student for over a decade and received her 200hr training in 2020 with a focus in Vinyasa and Yin from Urban Breath Yoga in Maplewood MO. Yoga and meditation have served her as helpful tools with managing anxiety and balancing the nervous system, as well as building strength and flexibility. Kasey loves that there is a style of yoga to meet any need and believes the greatest lesson learned through yoga is how to get comfortable with being uncomfortable, on and off the mat. She hopes students leave her classes feeling more connected to their body and mind.
Kasey also has 85 hours of training as a Prenatal Yoga Teacher. Besides yoga, she enjoys being active outdoors, raising her 2 children, and new adventures with her husband.
ASHLEY
Ashley started practicing yoga at home in 2013, at a time when she had quit her job in the ‘corporate world’, due to her anxiety reaching an all-time high. After a lifetime of dealing with anxiety due to PTSD, Ashley sought out yoga for a healthier way to deal with life. After 1 year of practicing at home and seeing the benefits, she decided to start taking classes in studio so she could learn more about the practice. Ashley began taking classes at Wildwood Yoga & Wellness and instantly fell in love. Yoga gave her the time and space to quiet her chattering mind…the space to seek the answers she was looking for external guidance on…and the safety to heal her inner wounds. Ashley became a 200 hour Registered Yoga Teacher in 2021 with Wildwood Yoga & Wellness + Joy of Yoga to help share this practice with the community since it has helped her so much in her life over the years.
Ashley’s classes are designed to help students give themselves grace on their mats, build self-empowerment & to help students find space between their hectic day. She encourages everyone to come as they are…to leave comparisons & negative self-talk behind. Her hope is that her students leave their mats feeling more confident & self-aware of where they are needing balance in their lives, both on and off their mats. Ashley’s classes will incorporate philosophy, wisdom and chakra knowledge, as well as essential oils to help get students into deeper meditation. Her intention is to slow the practice down so that yoga isn’t another thing to “get through” in our day, but something that slows us down so that we can feel, hear and heal.
In addition to teaching yoga, Ashley runs the office for her husband’s landscaping company. In her off time, she enjoys hanging out with her husband & fur family (3 rescue kitties). Some hobbies Ashley enjoys besides yoga are traveling, concerts, hiking, kayaking, swimming, running, gardening & reading.
SHANNON
Shannon has been exploring her inner and outer environment for as long as she can remember. A perpetually curious mind led her to study many Eastern wisdoms, but most extensively Early Buddhism. She found that Buddhist philosophy aligned beautifully with her deep devotion to Nature and conservation. And it was here that she discovered the life-changing gift of meditation. Shannon’s mission is to teach others to meditate while inspiring them to live each day for the benefit of all beings.
Shannon teaches mindfulness meditation, vipassana (insight) meditation, metta (loving kindness) meditation, and nature-based meditation (including forest bathing). She has completed meditation trainings and silent retreats under teachers from the Theravada school, including Jack Kornfield, Tara Brach, Oren Jay Sofer, Dawn Scott, Jessica Morey, Devin Berry, and others. She is also a 200-hour certified yoga instructor and Level 3 Reiki Master (Usui lineage). She is currently studying to become a Master Naturalist and enjoys educating on conservation and rewilding techniques. She is also part of the ARK movement (Act of Restorative Kindness), devoting land back to Earth and pledging to restore it to its natural state.
JENNA
Jenna started practicing yoga in 2017 as a way to deal with life's everyday stressors. She was immediately hooked after experiencing the physical and mental benefits in such a short time on her mat. Her strength training workouts became easier with the added flexibility she achieved and her stress levels dropped due to the mindfulness she was obtaining from her practice as well. Yoga was a true life changer for Jenna. She wanted to share her enthusiasm and devotion to her practice by teaching others, so she obtained her 200 RYT from Wildwood Yoga and Joy of Yoga in 2021.
Her approach to yoga is focused on the balance between strength and flexibility, and exertion and release. Her classes combine both strength and mobility work in a dynamic and fun vinyasa flow style. When Jenna isn't on her mat, you can find her hiking with her dog Peggy O and enjoying family life with her twin boys, daughter, and husband.
MARIA
Maria’s passion for yoga began years ago when training for a marathon and a half iron man. In the beginning, practicing yoga was solely a physical practice to help achieve flexibility and build core strength in order to enhance performance. Little did she know at that time the practice of yoga would completely change her life.
Her oldest son, Cameron, was very instrumental in her yoga journey. Maria knew she needed to deepen her practice when she witnessed Cameron independently incorporating both yoga and meditation at a young age to help him reduce his severe anxiety and debilitating depression. His transformation was so powerful that she immediately knew there was more for her to learn about yoga & meditation.
Conscious breathing in the practice is the tool that created a powerful sense of calm and peace for Maria. By uniting the body, mind, and emotion through breath, Maria sees her energy levels increase, she feels happier & joyful, and her anxiety, stress and depression have greatly reduced. She has a deep sense of living life in the moment instead of being stressed about the past or future. She is grateful to be able to share her love & passion for this practice with others.
Maria is a Reiki Practitioner and completed her 200HR Yoga Alliance Registered Yoga Teacher Training & Immersion through Joy of Yoga and Wildwood Yoga. Maria is also the owner of Home Care Solutions, a local Eureka company that provides holistic care to the elderly community.
VALERIE
Valerie has a passion for healthy living and movement. While she enjoys anything movement based, she fell in love with Yoga. She found that it was so much more than movement, and she realized that you don’t just practice yoga, you live it! It has brought her so much awareness & mindfulness, and that changed how she approached everything. She has seen that effect trickle into every aspect of her life, and now loves sharing that lesson with others who wish to experience the same!
Valerie has been teaching Yoga for over a decade and is excited to be joining our team at Wildwood Yoga. She enjoys teaching all levels and creating a space for people to come as they are. Her teaching style gives a lot of modifications, while also giving progressions for those who want them, making her class accessible to anyone who wants to join.
Outside of teaching, Valerie is a full time Life Coach. She also enjoys hobbies such as hiking, paddle boarding, AcroYoga, paragliding, riding her motorcycle, and anything that can keep her moving and having FUN!
JEN
Jen began pursuing yoga in 2006, and began studying yoga in earnest in 2007, when her first teacher, Emmet Schmelig, appeared in a beginner yoga class that was being offered through her school.
By the time she graduated college, she had developed a yoga habit that far outstripped her income as a bartender and part-time music teacher. She approached a local studio owner with a “will work for yoga” proposal. The owner accepted, and Jen gained access to serious students of specific disciplines who studied directly with legendary teachers.
Through this studio Jen spent several years taking Power Vinyasa classes with students of Baron Baptiste, Yin classes with students of Sarah Powers, Restorative and general Hatha classes with a student of Tias Little, and Anusara classes with students of John Friend. She also continued to study with her first teacher who was primarily Ashtanga/Baptiste oriented. When it was time, she ultimately chose Anusara and Jan Herzog and JennTara Ward became her primary teachers.
In 2017 Jen found Joy of Yoga. Throughout the pandemic, she practiced online with Joy Page and other Joy of Yoga teachers several times a week. Those years left her with a deep appreciation for community, both in practice and in life. In September of 2023 she completed the 200HR Yoga Alliance Registered Yoga Teacher Training Program and Immersion with Joy Page and Jill Dunlap.
Her asana practice is alignment-based and heavily influenced by her early and consistent exposure to Anusara, Ashtanga and Baptiste yoga teachers. She has a BA in Psychology and a BA in Music Performance. She loves animals, nature, reading, snow, lawyers, music, and being upside down.
ABBY
Abby found the practice of yoga in 2018 at a time when she felt depleted by the anxiety and self-doubt that life can bring. After integrating online videos into her daily routine, she discovered her yoga mat to be a place of peace, acceptance and freedom within herself. To deepen her own practice and share the beauty of yoga with others, she became a 200-hour certified yoga teacher through Wildwood Yoga & Wellness and Joy of Yoga in 2023.
Abby’s approach to teaching is one that holds space for you to come as you are — no matter what you’re bringing to the mat. Through mindful movement and gentle flow, her classes are designed to help you nourish the body, enhance your strengths and explore pathways to inner healing.
When Abby is not teaching or practicing yoga, you can find her tending to her many houseplants and soaking up all the love from her two pets.
CINDY
Cindy discovered and fell in love with the practice of yoga in 2014, soon recognizing the unexpected underlying benefits that are still being exposed, each time she steps onto the mat. Cindy loves how the practice of yoga pulls people together in union for internal growth. As well as the practice of yoga, she began the practice of Kung Fu. Both martial arts and yoga are timeless practices, and are very complimentary spiritual practices to help shine the balance on the outward life and the inward journey, providing strength, flexibility, mental and physical awareness, along with health and inner peace, as one embraces the essence of the gifts revealed in these spiritual practices. In 2016, Cindy completed her 200 YTT in Calgary, Alberta, Canada, through Yoga Alliance, and began teaching to help share her knowledge and passion with others. Her passion led her to additional yoga teacher training certification classes, completing over 400 YTT hours. Her wish as a yoga instructor is that, collectively, we can try our best to help everyone find their way back to home, as we peel back the layers of fear that block out the light to find our true essence, with a persistence and consistent yoga practice. Cindy believes that it is up to each individual to discover the practice for themselves, as yoga teachers, we are merely guides along the way, and each person is their own inner guru that will, perhaps, one day, uncover the truth for themselves. Cindy is forever grateful to all of the lovely mentors, yoga/spiritual teaches, Kung Fu Masters, yoga communities, and fellow yogis that have brought inspiration, love, and encouragement, along the path. May you enjoy each step and breath along the way, with all the hidden treasures, and we hope to see you on the mat!