Teachers

In June of 2016, Melissa acquired studio space on California Ave. and created the boutique healing oasis, Temple. She envisioned Temple Yoga as a place for stress management, community, and a living alter where your body is the inspiration for your devotion.  She began studying yoga in 1999, took her first yoga training course in 2007, and began teaching full-time after the 9 week 500 hour course. A passion for attending training courses immersed and she hasn't stoped learning since. Melissa is dedicated to the Dharma of the path and considers her role as a Mother to be her greatest accomplishment in life. Her yoga instructor training includes over 2,000 hours of Yoga Teacher Training courses beginning with Bikram Yoga Training in 2007. Mel's enthusiasm for sharing yoga eventually led her to training in Bhakti Flow with Rusty Wells. She completed a 500-hour journey that continues with Janet Stone Yoga immersing through travel, India, South America, and many more sources of inspiration. Finding joy through teaching public yoga classes yet wanting to create community, she began We Are One Yoga Teacher Trainings in 2013. The teacher trainings are in-depth study modules exploring the many ways to embody the teachings of yoga. Her yoga classes are strong yet basic, sweaty and also cool, radiant and relaxing--an experience of yoga.

I have been practicing asana for many years, and bit by bit, experiencing little openings to something bigger. After traveling and working different jobs, I felt pulled to come back to Reno and dive in deeper. This led me to completing my 200hr RYT in Reno with We Are One Teacher Training. Since then my practice, studentship, and curiosity have grown into something I can’t help but love to share. The classes I offer intend to create a space for someone to explore whatever it is they are looking for in the practice. The beauty of it is when one gets on that mat, and experiences a connection to themselves through the mind, body, and breath. The results can be limitless! My classes consist of Hatha yoga with flow and attention on concentration.

Deanna understands busy lives and strives to help people balance a life that includes work, family, and personal time through the practice of yoga. Deanna is in the midst of her 20+ year career in marketing and communications and understands the stress, posture challenges, and constant connectivity expectations that a successful career can afford someone. While she remains dedicated to helping Reno, her hometown, she intends to do it differently now. In the past, she helped by using her creativity to position the authentic side of Reno increasing tourism. Recently, she inspired the community to more easily connect and better understand issues facing our local government. After meeting her true love, getting married and having two children later in life, a chance to refocus presented itself. Yoga has been the path towards achieving balance, finding her patient breath, and allowing movement to reenergize her tired life. Earning her 200hrRYT from her teacher Melissa Martinez at We Are One Teacher Training in 2015, Deanna quickly took up teaching to her colleagues at the City of Reno. Juxtaposing politics next to the "yama and niyama" practices was challenging, but clearly needed. The offering brought many the opportunity to bring a more peaceful, focused, healthy, and positive approach to a stressful environment. At Temple Yoga, Deanna tunes into her students needs, incorporates her love of music, provides a glimpse into yoga philosophy and leads an asana flow practice for all levels to enjoy.

I grew up as a competitive athlete and was always pushing my body. After a few repetitive stress injuries from the sports I played I turned to Yoga as a way to heal my injuries. My whole world flipped upside down and my views about “fitness” changed. I learned the value of being gentle and kind to oneself, the power of breath, and the beauty of stillness and quieting of the mind, and living in the present moment. I strive to demonstrate to my students that yoga is so much more than just the physical practice. Yoga is truly transformative for mind, body, and spirit.

Tracy went looking for a yoga teacher in 1996 with a few of her closest friends. They found Lorna Benedic, and started this life changing journey. She completed her first teacher training with Erich Schiffmann in 2002 and has been teaching yoga ever since. She also has studied with Lynne Ramsey, Eddy Modestini and Nicki Doane, Lama Chistie McNally-Tibetan Heart Yoga and most recently Carol Lyons, here at Studio 8. She finally understands the saying, "do your practice and all is coming. " After many years of "studying" yoga, Tracy has finally found how to "practice yoga"  here at Studio8, practicing astanga. She prefers to practice mysore style, but will try to attend a led class once a week so that she can "hear " Sanskrit, chat with the class, and to learn more about the practice. Tracy came from a completive swimming, triathlon and marathon running background. She also has raised three children.  She can honestly say that Yoga has enhanced everything in her life, and she hopes continue the practice always. When not practicing or teaching  yoga you can find Tracy at Studio 325 where she works as an Aveda Aesthetician.   “ I finally understand the saying ‘Do you practice and all is coming'."

Dawn loves to style hair at her salon by the river and she is a cosmic hair wizard. Her classes are soothing and powerful as she uses her awareness of the elements. She is the owners favorite yoga teacher to receive the calm and peace of mind that the practice offers. She only teaches 7:30am on Fridays due to her long list of clients. We're grateful that Dawn shares her yoga practice with us at Temple.

A Pilates instructor since 2004, the transistion into Yoga Instructor was a natural 'next step'. In addition to many Pilates trainings, I have now completed 200hr- YTT, and another 200hr YTT on consecutive years with We Are One YTT. Also, having completed an intensive training for Restorative Yoga at Ananda Village a year ago, I'm happy to offer that peaceful and meditative experience as well. As most instructors will agree, the training is never over and continuing to seek out growth through education is part of the offering we all bring to our practice and to our students. All are welcome! Namaste

Justine Anderson hails from the wonderful city of Austin, TX, where she discovered her life-long passions of yoga, the outdoors and fabulous music. She started practicing yoga in 2003 with her mom and fell in love with it after the first down-dog. In 2007 she recieved her yoga teacher training with Dharma Yoga in Austin, TX. Over her teaching career she has taught yoga to all walks of life from children to professional athletes to traumatic brain injury victims all across the country. With a bachelor's degree in kinesiology and a doctorate degree in physical therapy, she brings a strong knowledge base of proper alignment and technique along with a passion for movement and meditation to her yoga classes. She believes strongly in the intimate connection between our mental and physical bodies and believes yoga is a beautiful way to cultivate that union. The most important things yoga has taught her is not to take life too seriously and to take each day one breath at a time.

Kim Arnott teaches an energetic class for all to enjoy who prefer a vigorous vinyasa-style flow class. She's full of good tips on the alignment and pose build-up and loves teaching yoga. She is the owner of the beautiful glass bottles with the Sri-Yantra that you see all over our community. She does great work with assisting in green houses and is a dog-mom to two very cute boxers.

Having always been passionate about wellbeing on every level, I sought life practices that would support a healthy mind, body and soul. I discovered that through a consistent and committed Yoga practice I could heal and transcend challenges and setbacks in life. By embracing the philosophy and soulful teachings of Yoga I learned to experience and express those thoughts and feelings through the physical postures. In my group and private classes, I create the space and offer the instruction for students to explore and express what they learn through their own Yoga practice. I guide them in developing better body awareness and safe postural alignment as well as in improving their strength and mobility. In addition, students can experience an introspective awareness and inner growth through healing chants, profound breathing exercises and a philosophical focus. My teaching style offers a blend of Hatha, Vinyasa and Bhakti styles of Yoga along with a heavy focus on postural alignment. I’ve been teaching Yoga since 2012 and have completed 290 hours of Registered Yoga Teacher Trainings. I’ve earned a B.S. degree in Health and Human Science and am a Certified Holistic Health Coach as well as a Certified Reiki Practitioner.

Yogini, Healer, and Gypsy SOUL. I recently moved hOMe to Reno after a decade in Southern California. I believe that blending love with connection creates magic. Life has taken me on a journey of self discovery and cultivated a desire to deepen my knowledge about the Shakti power. I love to travel and get lost in foreign countries. Although, I was introduced to yoga in 2002, my yoga journey didn’t begin until 2009 while I was living in Los Angeles. Soon after a life renewing adventure in Bali, I decided to deepen my practice and I obtained my 500RYT Yoga Alliance certification through Cloud Nine Yoga in Hawaii. With my background in dance, I combine fluidity, grounding, and deep connection into my classes. Being a Certified Massage Therapist, I believe that human touch and connection is one of the most magical experiences that can ignite the soul. It is my hope that I can form authentic connections with fellow Yogis as we learn from each other in this gift of life.

From an early age, physical movement and mental discipline were imprinted on Sara. With a background in gymnastics and dance, she experienced first-hand the importance of the energetic mind-body-breath connection. This path ultimately led Sara to yoga and her daily practice. She is now living out her swadharma-discovering her unique role in this life. Sara’s teachings pull strongly from the Ashtanga tradition, while interjecting dynamic free-flowing sequences of Bhakti yoga. Her style is athletic & challenging, yet accessible for all levels. She sequences her classes with an emphasis on creativity, breath and freedom, while maintaining ease and integrity within the poses. Sara sees, recognizes and honors the unique individuality of each of her students and seeks to empower and uplift each being as they step on to the mat. Sara is a passionate lover of life and all things yoga. When she is not practicing or teaching, you can find her smiling, laughing and enjoying every moment to its fullest! She bows humbly in service to this practice.