MEET OUR TEACHERS

  • Owner/director of Dennis Port Yoga. Leigh teaches vinyasa flow, slow flow, and restorative classes. She is also certified to teach Yin Yoga and Prenatal Yoga, and always loves having mamas-to-be in her classes. Leigh grew up in the beautiful state of Maine and achieved her undergraduate degree from Bowdoin College in 2000 and received her Masters in Education from UMASS Boston in 2004. She spent much of her young life as a competitive swimmer and athlete, and began practicing yoga after graduating from college, as a way to relieve stress from her first job as a special education teacher. Leigh completed her first teacher training in 2007 and became a full-time yoga teacher in 2010. She has completed over 300 additional hours of trainings, Workshops, Retreats and Continuing Education with amazing teachers, including: Elena Brower, Seane Corn, Baron Baptiste, David Regelin, Ame Wren, Jacqui Bonwell, Jene Rossi, Bec Conant, Josh Summers, and her first teacher, Tom Slattery. She loves teaching and creating what she hopes to be powerful, grounding, creative, fun, and challenging classes that bring students to a greater sense of connection with themselves. In addition to teaching weekly classes, Leigh loves teaching teachers in both 200 and 300 HR Teacher Trainings. Leigh also enjoys co-leading retreats close to home and internationally.

  • Sam is a Cape Cod native and began her teaching journey after falling in love with the practice and the ways it transformed her life. She has had extensive training in trauma informed yoga and has a passion for helping people cope with stress and anxiety through yoga, breathwork, and meditation - a path that has led Sam to working with moms struggling with postpartum, those in recovery, and with PTSD. She is currently teaching at two local non-profits helping to make yoga accessible to all, and has her own business, Lumi Yoga & Wellness.

    Sam brings a genuine calmness and a deep sense of grounded presence to her classes, and her kind and altruistic heart shines through in her teaching.

  • Stephanie Gilrein is a certified and registered yoga teacher through the Yoga Alliance. Versatile in her class offerings, you will always walk away feeling uplifted, inspired and present regardless of the style you wish to practice. Currently, Stephanie teaches restorative yoga and power vinyasa as an exciting invitation to experience both the art + beauty of slowing down as well as building + creating physical heat to transform your life- on and off the mat. Each class is organically sequenced, paired with a thoughtful playlist and will offer a common theme or intention. As a Cape Cod native, Stephanie enjoys the connection of a small knit community and you will always feel welcomed and supported in her classes!

  • Emily is a registered yoga teacher through the Yoga Alliance and completed her 200 hour training in 2013 with Jill Abraham through Power Yoga of Cape Cod. Emily also received her prenatal certification in 2017 with Bec Conant through Om Births in Watertown, MA. Emily began practicing yoga as a way to physically keep in shape, but found the practice to mean so much more than a form of exercise. She quickly learned how beneficial yoga is for the connection of body, mind, and spirit. Emily aims to weave the teachings and practice of yoga in her work in the human service field. In her classes, Emily encourages students to release the heavy burden of the everyday "to-do" lists, and connect movement and breath to create a moving meditation.

  • Darcy Mauke is a 200hr RYT yoga teacher and Yoga Alliance certified. She is currently pursuing her 500hr certification.

    Her goal in teaching is to bring joy, surrender, and transformational healing to her students. She teaches an upbeat, fun, and challenging class with restorative reflection and release. She shows up with unconditional love, integrity, kindness, and a big smile.

  • Jennifer Plusch is a R-500hr yoga teacher, having received her 200hr certification in 2017 at Power Yoga of Cape Cod and her 300hr advanced training in Lotus Flow through Laughing Lotus Yoga Center in NYC. She is a certified Baptiste Instructor, having completed her level 1 training with Baron Baptiste in 2019 and continuing with advancement through assisting courses and Social Impact training through the Baptiste Foundation. She has training in Chair yoga, Restorative, and is currently pursuing a 200hr Katonah Yoga Certification. However, she believes the practice is more than on the mat and has a strong desire to be of service to others. Recently returning to school, working towards her degree in social work.

    She teaches a dynamic class that is lighthearted and accessible to all with a strong concentration on the breath. She enjoys building creative sequences that build on patterns allowing the students to move freely through the shapes, empowering them to find what they need on any given day. Discovering possibilities that can show up on their mats and off. She likes to laugh and keep her students on their toes so they can get out of their heads. Taking the practice seriously but herself, not so much.

  • Abby Rhoads is a certified Kripalu Vinyasa teacher and working towards her 500 hour certification at Kripalu. She teaches Vinyasa yoga with an emphasis on inner inquiry and a focus on the connection of breath to movement. She has been teaching and practicing for over 15 years. Abby’s yoga is inspired not only by her studies with yoga masters from the school of Kripalu, Sivananda, Shiva Rae and the Kundalini traditions, but also through her long-time background in classical and modern dance. As a result of the combination of her influences, her classes bring movement and flow to each of the postures with an emphasis on inward connection. Abby also teaches yoga and mindfulness to high school students where she strives to help guide her students to cultivate an openness of mind and presence in the moment. RYT 200 certified with Yoga Alliance.

  • For me, yoga is a life path and the choices that I choose along the way. It is about connecting to the body, to the heart, to nature, to Mother Earth, to Spirit - to something much larger than this life. The practice is our greatest teacher inviting us to slow down, breathe, to move inward in order to observe, listen and investigate the fabric of our being - our light and our shadows, our joys and our fears, our humanity and our divinity.

    Yoga is how we live our lives. It is in how we communicate and connect, how we take care of ourselves, how we take care of others and how we take care of our planet. It is our ability to look beyond the physical, connect to the soul, to love and be loved with compassion, empathy, understanding and joy. It is an ever-evolving, unfolding, intimate and exquisite love story.

    I feel truly blessed to be able to share my love for the practice with others through teaching. It has changed my life completely and continues to do so each and every day. My intention as a teacher is to meet every student exactly where they are on their path and hold space for them to feel what needs to be felt and allow it to move through them - physically through the body, and emotionally and spiritually through the mind & the heart. My hope is that through this journey, my students are able to discover their own inner strength, and that place of stillness, peace and home within.

    I believe my role as a teacher is to plant the seed, help to water that seed, and allow my students to grow and evolve in their own unique and beautiful way. My classes are soulful, explorative and creative, emphasizing intuitive movement, a deep listening, connection to oneself, to nature, to spirit and to Source.

  • Eric is a student of life. He can help you get into shape inside and out and make you feel better. Eric can legally stick hundreds of tiny stainless-steel pins in you to elicit health benefits. It has been said that Eric gives a good massage. Eric used to teach high school mathematics, but he now uses those skills to help people buy and sell real estate. Eric practices and teaches yoga to help him in his pursuit of his most authentic and powerful self. Eric’s mission is to create his dream life and by doing so help you create yours. Eric loves his wife and their two beautiful daughters. He tolerates their dog Loki, but secretly loves him too. When Eric is not working really hard to help people, and he isn’t in his own way, banging his head on the metaphoric wall, he can be found enjoying the woods, the water, and the snow. Eric’s “why” is a magical life filled with time playing in the surf, the forest, and the mountains with his family and friends. In this wonderful reality, he still works hard, he still helps people, he still makes mistakes, and learns, and grows…………but the surf is always up, the sun is shining brightly, and the mountains are full of snow, and he is surrounded by babes (wife and two daughters).

  • Julie loves yoga.

    She was introduced to yoga as a teenager, developing a deeper and more steady practice two decades ago.

    She received her 200hr RYT certification in June, 2020 with Jaqui Bonwell’s Sacred Seeds Yoga.

    Local studios were closing and so she began teaching outdoors in both her backyard and at a friend’s. The transition was seamless and connecting to nature during the pandemic was grounding.

    Julie believes the benefits of a yoga practice to be more than physical postures but also a beautiful way to get out of the head and drop into the heart. The positive benefits of staying present and connecting to the inner self can transcend into daily living long after stepping off of the mat.

    Her classes are a blend of mindfulness, music and movement, helping to create a peaceful and balanced experience.

    Julie enjoys consistent learning and is passionate in educating herself about mental health issues. She has been a volunteer at NAMI since 2018, co-facilitating as a trained Family to Family leader and the completion of three F2F teachings.

    She has completed countless yoga workshops and recently received a certification in Lymphatics and Yoga with Tiffany Cruikshank and Yoga Medicine.

    Julie spends as much time as possible in, on or beside the ocean with Brownie, her chocolate lab, and works part time on a local oyster farm.

  • Cristal Gould is a certified instructor influenced by many styles of yoga. She has practiced under various teachers, creating a balanced fusion fitting for first time yogis and seasoned ones alike. While living in Florida, in 2011 Cristal received her 200 hr and has been teaching full time since. She’s happy to be back on Cape the past few years teaching and offering sound baths. Cristal loves the chance to travel, allowing her to have shared at multiple wellness festivals, international conventions and retreat centers at some of her favorite places. Her experiences are fun, intentional and heartfelt. Cristal believes yoga is a gateway back to our true self and a powerful way to access spirit. “Yoga allows us to stimulate the physical, mental & emotional bodies and surrender completely to the moment.”

  • Sid completed his 200 hr yoga teacher training from Nosara Yoga Institute in 2005. Since then he has practiced with many different teachers and has been influenced by many different styles. Sid's personal practice is a combination of Hatha(movement), Bhakti (devotion) and Jnana (meditation/truth seeking). Sid believes that through our yoga practices we can calm the mind and rediscover our own innate brilliance! With an emphasis on mindful breathing, intentional movement and concentration Sid guides his fellow practitioners to radiate their own loving awareness inward to the sensations that arise in the body. When not at work or on the yoga mat Sid can be found on the water kite sailing, on the bike trail cycling, hiking in the woods, or connecting in some other way with the natural world.

  • Ayanna has been an integral part of the DPY community for many years, as both a student and teacher, sharing her knowledge and wisdom in workshops and special offerings. She is a powerful leader, teacher, speaker, and author, who is devoted to helping empower others to become a better version of themselves, in all aspects of their life. And she does just that, and more!

    From years of research in restorative yoga, Yoga of 12 Step Recovery, and multiple trauma sensitive yoga informed programs, Ayanna has developed an approach to wellness that gives people an opportunity to release complex trauma out of the body using movement and holistic and mindful techniques. She is also an active contributor to the social justice movement and founder of “Love & Revolution,” an action based anti-racist social media group serving on Cape Cod and beyond.

    Outside of the studio you can find Ayanna dancing, writing, and “mom-ing” as a mother, stepmom, and dog mom. She is a person in joyful recovery, yogi, and a lover of breath.

  • Stephanie’s yoga practice is a practice of love. She is committed to sharing the transformative practice of yoga with her students. Through a fun, challenging power vinyasa class, students awaken to the potential in their physical bodies and in their lives. Her teaching and practice continues to be inspired by her teachers, Baron Baptiste, Denise Bonnaig, Jill Abraham, her own family of yogis and her amazing students!

    In addition to teaching yoga, Stephanie is CEO of a non-profit working to create solutions that address anxiety, depression, and substance misuse in teens. Stephanie is a certified yoga teacher through Yoga Alliance. In addition to completing Baptiste Levels 1 + 2, she also completed a 200HR Princeton Power Yoga Teacher Training Intensive with Certified Baptiste Teacher Denise Bonnaig.

  • Victor earned his 200 hour certificate as a Registered Yoga Teacher in 2014 here on Cape Cod.

    As a full time carpenter Victor understands the benefits of proper alignment for a well supported structure. This is also important in our bodies. Victor's classes prioritize breathing, awareness and proper alignment. Yoga is boundless; like the cartoon image of leading a horse by holding a carrot on a string on a stick just out of reach. Yoga can sometimes feel just out of reach. As such breathing fully where we are is much more important than fighting to get to a position in which we cannot breathe!

    Yoga is for everyone and Victor is happy to hear any questions about yoga poses in order to better cater class to help you. Feel free to ask!

  • Michelle was born and raised in Switzerland, and lived there until a few years ago, when she moved to Cape Cod.

    Michelle completed her 200 hour yoga teacher training with Marianne Wells Yoga School in the jungle of Costa Rica. This experience helped define her practice and made Yoga a part of her life. Yoga is a beautiful way to feel more energy, grounded, and connected to the Self. After completing the training, she went on to teaching online, in corporate office settings and in public parks. Michelle also completed a pre-and post natal yoga certification.

    In her classes, Michelle likes to emphasize the ways to feeling a pose with proper alignment as well as moving through asana creatively. Her classes are designed for everybody at each level and meant as a gateway to reconnect to the heart.

  • Serene (she/her) is a Yoga Instructor, Massage Therapist and Circus Performer. She discovered the joy of movement while studying aerial dance, flying trapeze, and circus performance in Boston, Massachusetts and has since traveled around the world teaching and performing. In 2015 she received her 200HR CYT at Kripalu School of Yoga with a dedication to spread the Kripalu method of cultivating compassionate relationships with the mind and body. In 2017 she received 770 hours of Massage Therapy training and has worked with anyone from receptionists to carpenters, supporting easeful movement as they work through their day. In her yoga classes she encourages students to merge functional movement with creative flow while practicing loving awareness. Her classes have been described as “a great celebration of the body!”

  • Julia has a background in Frequency and Acoustics engineering, with several certifications and trainings in life coaching, yoga, meditation, energy healing, and emotional alchemy. Julia looks forward to supporting you to engage in authentic healing for a solid life-foundation. Together, we can enhance your body, soul, and restructure your emotional patterns to reduce burn-out, create self-security, radiate confidence, communicate clearly, and establish lasting happy, healthy relationships, starting with yourself!

  • Susannah has been teaching yoga on Cape Cod since 2011. Susannah’s yoga practice and teaching mirrors the inner work she continues to explore and examine by slowing down, strengthening, and creating space. Her classes are thought provoking, serious yet playful, challenging but approachable. She leads a slow movement focused class, with an emphasis on understanding one’s own body through alignment and examination of how to create mobility through stability. Her teaching also explores pranayama and the more subtle aspects of yoga that moves beyond the physical to explore habitual patterns that interfere with maintaining a fluid and stable center off the mat. Susannah’s teaching encourages students to tap into the depths of their being by aligning the physical with a pragmatic approach to spirituality.

    Susannah came to yoga as an athlete who pursued exercise as a means of addressing mental and physical limitations. In the past she fought frustration, anger, sorrow and body image through athletic endeavors. At that time her approach to most aspects of life was with great enthusiasm and impatience. As Susannah’s yoga studies and practice have deepened her insights have served to settle many bad habits. She continues to love and appreciate her practice and studies for it’s discipline, rigor, self-study.

    Susannah is honored and eternally grateful to the unconditional love and support from her family, students, and teachers.