Maria always wanted to be a teacher. As a teenager, she was talked out of pursuing a degree in teaching by a well-meaning mentor at her high school…but teaching found her anyway, when her son was diagnosed with autism. She became her son’s full-time therapist and teacher, which led to several years of substitute teaching in the public school system while also teaching fitness classes at her local gym. It was during this tumultuous and uncertain time of her life that Maria discovered yoga. The effects on her health and wellness were so profound that she made it her vocation to teach others.

Maria completed her RYT 200-hour teacher training at Dancing Feet Yoga in 2003 and her Advanced Yoga Teacher training at Yogaview in 2011. She is also certified to teach Yin Yoga and Prenatal Yoga. She is a certified Level 2 Reiki practitioner.

Maria infuses her classes with passion, creativity, and a spirit of playfulness. Some of her most influential teachers come from various yoga disciplines: Gabriel Halpern, Seane Corn, Ana Forrest, Desiree Rumbaugh, Rolf Gates, Paul Grilley. Rather than subscribing to any one “style” of yoga, Maria synthesizes aspects from each, to create a practice that challenges and inspires her students while emphasizing safe alignment and breath awareness. Maria strongly believes in educating her students about their own anatomy and body mechanics. Using insights she’s gained from rehabilitating and learning to avoid injuries to her own body, Maria is adept at customizing yoga poses for anyone, regardless of age, experience, or physical limitation.

Maria is continually curious about ways to enhance health and wellness through nutrition, mind-body healing, and positive thinking, and enjoys passing on her knowledge and experience to others. When she’s not teaching yoga, Maria loves to travel, drive her vintage 1971 Buick Riviera, and cook for family and friends. She is also working on a memoir.

Maria currently teaches at several of Chicago’s premiere yoga and fitness studios, including Yogaview, East Bank Club, Midtown Athletic Club, and the Chicago Athletic Clubs.

When she’s not teaching yoga, Maria loves to travel to national parks, drive her vintage 1971 Buick Riviera in Michigan, and cook for friends and family.

Maria has chosen to dedicate her series to Pro Bono Network, an incredible nonprofit that provides legal services to marginalized communities. If you would like to join Maria in helping removing the barriers an providing a support structure to make it easier for volunteer attorneys to help low income people receive critical legal services, consider making a donation by clicking here and selecting “Maria Rosner- Pro Bono Network” from the PayPal dropdown menu.

Follow Maria on Instagram here.

Stefanie came to yoga as a skeptic in 2009 to support for a friend who had just started teaching and she immediately became hooked.  Never viewing herself as athletic, coordinated, nor flexible or strong, yoga helped her push past those fears and limiting beliefs to find the strength (both mental and physical) and flexibility that she never knew she was capable of.  Through yoga, Stefanie also found her emotional grounding and felt much more centered and calm. As a mom of two, it became her “me time”.  Stefanie completed her 200hr Teacher Training through Corepower Yoga in the Spring of 2011 and has been teaching throughout Chicago ever since.

She finds the connection to her students, fellow teachers, and the amazing sense of community to be the most rewarding aspects of teaching yoga. In her classes, Stefanie caters to all levels and leads a challenging, but safe and accessible practice.  She hopes to leave her students feeling invigorated, strong and with a sense of peace and calm to take into their daily lives with them.  Stefanie is a certified pre/postnatal yoga teacher and kids yoga teacher as well.

Stefanie has dedicated her series to Gabriel’s Light, and incredible organization that seeks to prevent teen suicide through education, cyber safety, and kindness campaigns.

If you would like to join Stefanie, consider making a donation by clicking here and selecting “Stefanie Coslow- Gabriel’s Light Fundraiser” from the PayPal dropdown menu. All donation proceeds go towards helping them further their mission of preventing teen suicide.

Follow Stefanie on Instagram  here.

Trish has been practicing yoga for 10 years and teaching for 6. She discovered her love for this practice during a very dark time in her life, when nothing made sense, she found herself again through yoga. As her passion grew, the next step in her journey was to help other students find their light by becoming a teacher.

For Trish, yoga is a time to turn off the race in her mind and be present. It’s a time to understand where your body meets your practice in that exact moment and be grateful for it. There is no winning at yoga, it’s an ever-evolving practice with no ceiling. Each day you can reach your mat is a gift to your body + mind.

Trish is an advocate for self love and self care. She emphasizes the benefits that her practice brings into her daily life by applying yoga techniques off her mat.

Trish has chosen to dedicate her series to Best Buddies, an amazing nonprofit that creates opportunities for one-to-one friendships, integrated employment, leadership development, and inclusive living for individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities. To join Trish in providing individuals with IDD opportunities, consider making a donation by clicking here and selecting “Trish Guisch- Best Buddies” from the PayPal dropdown menu.

Follow Trish on Instagram here.

Rose Sunila (she/her) is RYT500 yoga teacher with a background in dance and movement studies. She is a lover of all movement flow initiating from the breath, as well as movement explorations on our mats. Rose aims to teach in an inclusive and empowering manner, and believes there should be no barriers for practicing yoga and compassionate self study.

Rose has dedicated her series to Accessible Yoga Association, an inspiring nonprofit organization whose mission is based on the belief that all people, regardless of ability or background, deserve equal access to yoga. They share the teachings and benefits of yoga with those who have been marginalized through education and advocacy. To join Rose in helping AYA make the healing benefits of yoga accessible to all, consider making a donation by clicking here and selecting “Rose Sunila- Accessible Yoga Association” from the PayPal dropdown menu.

Follow Rose on her YouTube channel here and on Instagram here.

Shevy believes that in a time where it becomes ever so challenging to pull ourselves away from our many screens and devices, our yoga practice oers us the opportunity to uietly return home to our bodies and learn how to settle within ourselves. We learn how to check in, and train ourselves to move from moment to moment to the best of our ability. She believes this path helps us identify who we are, discern how we move and show up in the world, and this self-inuiry (svadhyaya) is vital to resisting and dismantling systems of oppression. Shevy turned to yoga as a respite from a toxic work culture while working in the fashion industry. She soon discovered how the 8 limb practice was a roadmap on how to navigate our world ethically, with compassion, clarity and grace.

Shevy is most interested in the intersection of the yoga practice with social justice and racial euity work, and facilitating classes that help us explore how our liberation is interdependent. She received her initial 200HR training at Om Yoga with Cyndi Lee, learning yoga through the lens o Tibbetan Buddhisim. Shevy is currently a faculty member & teacher trainer at e Shala Yoga House, an Ashtanga yoga studio in Brooklyn, NY. She also developed Yoga Stages, a wellness consulting rm in 2018. She oers several bows to her teachers, past and present, she has been woven by your deep threads of wisdom and is humbled to be holding and sharing this practice.

Shevy has dedicated her series to the Loveland Foundation to help them further their mission of providing opportunity and healing to communities of color, with a focus on Black women and girls. They support the communities they serve by maintaining a therapy fund to provide free therapy, fellowships, residency programs, listening tours and much more.

If you would like to join Shevy in helping the Loveland Foundation support communities of color with access to healing that will impact generations to come, click here and select “Shevy Katan- Loveland Foundation Fundraiser” here.

Learn more about Shevy here and follow her on Instagram here.

Born in Memphis, TN, Zac now resides in Chicago, IL and works for a major soccer organization. He has made his passion of soccer into a life-long career as a coach, club director, state director, educator, and educator developer and has strived to help brighten people’s lives through the sport.

He’s a learner, teacher, maximizer and achiever that loves to inspire others to be the best versions of themselves. While always working towards growing the beautiful game, Zac also believes strongly in multi-sport participation and is a 200-hour registered Yoga Teacher as well as a PSIA-AASI Level 1 Snowboard instructor.

Soccer and yoga have given him so much in life to be grateful for and he loves to share the benefits with anyone that crosses his path. These passions have given him a sense of community and helped him learn how to live a healthier and more active lifestyle while also inspiring others to do the same.

Zac has dedicated his series to 901 Girls with Goals, an incredible organization based in his hometown of Memphis, TN. The city of Memphis has endured a lot of pain recently and has some of the highest crime rates in the nation. Children growing up in inner-city Memphis are surrounded daily by this violent crime. They need opportunities to see that there’s a brighter future with more opportunities for them. 901 Girls with Goals supplies schools with soccer equipment, free training clinics for coaches, free skills clinics for players, and create additional opportunities for play and personal development.

901 Girls with Goals was founded by Paula Seward and Carrie Hough who have created a program from their own hearts to make a difference in the children’s lives through the sport Zac loves, all in his hometown. To join Zac in making a difference in the lives of young girls in Memphis through soccer opportunities, consider making a donation towards 901 Girls with Goals by clicking here and selecting “Zac- 901 Girls with Goals” from the PayPal dropdown menu.

Follow Zac on Instagram here.

Sarah is a full-time yoga teacher in the Bay Area. She specializes in delivering therapeutic and goal-oriented private and group yoga sessions to busy professionals, people healing from injuries and the yoga-curious. She has been teaching since 2010 and has an extensive background in therapeutics, functional movement and fascial release. Her teaching style is straight forward, light hearted and informative.

When she’s not teaching, you can find her cycling through the hills, drinking coffee and rock climbing with her husband.

Sarah has dedicated her class Yin for Late Winter/Early Spring to the LoveYourBrain Foundation, an amazing organization that improves the quality of life of people affected by traumatic brain injury and raises awareness about the importance of brain health.

Isolation, unemployment, failed relationships, and suicidal ideation are stark realities, compounded by gaps in community-based services and resources. On top of that, TBI is often invisible, leaving people misunderstood and without compassionate care.

If you would like to join Sarah supporting the LoveYourBrain Foundation in helping those with TBI access their resilience, connect with a compassionate community, and reach their full potential, click here and select “Sarah Moody- LoveYourBrain Foundation” here.

Learn more about Sarah here and follow her on Instagram here.