Pure Yoga Instructors

Suzy Schaak

Suzy has been practicing yoga for over 10 years. Suzy received her certification through CorePower Yoga in order to share the gifts of yoga with others. She believes that is her responsibility as an instructor to make every student feel welcomed, comfortable, and challenged whether they are a beginner or an advanced student. “Power Yoga gives me such an amazing feeling of strength and peacefulness. It is unlike any other physical activity I have tried. I truly believe yoga is the fountain of youth. It relieves stress and improves your quality of life on a daily basis.”

Daisy Tasch

Daisy sees teaching yoga as her dharma – fulfilling her destined life path. She lets her passionate love of yoga shine through in each of her classes with humor, playful energy, and compassion. Daisy loves to apply the ancient yogic principles to the needs of her students and where they are in the moment. Her focus is a practice of sukha sthira (relaxed effort) in which she asks her students to enjoy the journey rather than fight to get to the destination.

Renee

In 1983, after completing her formal education in nursing, Renee’s career developed in the area of health education. In 2003 she attended her first yoga class. Soon after, she found yoga to be her life’s passion. Since then, she has been certified in several levels of yoga instruction.“Students need to experience yoga that is accessible and understandable; Not by watering down traditions, but by making the practice relevant and personal within the classroom. My hope for each student is that through their practice, they would begin to see the gifts they’ve been given, and in the spirit of appreciation, gift others.”

Brita Sandell

Brita feels that yoga leads to a more productive and fulfilling life. “When I’m practicing yoga, I feel more awake, intuitive, and alive. I have less stress. I sleep better, and I make healthier decisions in general.” Brita was certified through YogaFit in 1995 and also holds certifications in STOTT Pilates Mat and Reformer, NETA, PiYo, and Zumba.

Brenda Linn

Brenda has lived an inspired life of learning and teaching fitness and health for over 20 years. She earned a B.S. in Exercise Science and was certified by the American College of Sports Medicine in 1992. “Asana brings soul to the work of mind and body. Yoga has inspired me to create more space in my life for exploration, connection and joy.” Brenda practices and teaches with a mind for science and in the spirit of play.

Michel Tigan

Michel encourages her students to “live yoga off the mat, take time to breath, and set daily dedications. Manifest peacefulness and live with intention.” Michel completed her 200-hour certification from Corepower Yoga in 2005. She has studied with Rolf Gates and Sean Corn and is passionate about Baron Baptiste style yoga. Michel is also a certified prenatal yoga instructor and a trained birth doula.

Claire Ackerson

Claire has completed Yoga Calm Training I,II, and III. As an elementary teacher for the past 17 years, she was impressed with all the positive research that promotes yoga and the physical, cognitive, and social benefits it provides for children. “One of the many exciting things about YogaCalm for Kids is that it is all about integrating fitness and social, emotional, and cognitive learning in a fun engaging way that maximizes a healthy, happy, and productive lifestyle.”

Megan Babcock

I have always been interested in fitness and found myself consistently drawn back to yoga classes. I decided to become certified through YogaFit in 2009. I love being able to teach a new student about the amazing benefits of yoga: strength, flexibility, stress reduction, living with intention, and the joys of meditation. Sharing these yoga secrets with others is my passion. I also believe that a good teacher is forever a student...when I am not teaching I will be practicing on my mat with you.

Erin Hoffman

Having grown up in River Falls, I am very excited to come back to the Saint Croix area to teach at Pure Yoga! Since 2004, I have truly found yoga to be an inspirational and transformational journey, and teaching has been a wonderful blessing. My 200-hr training is from Sun Moon Yoga in Mankato, MN, and although I have studied many styles of yoga (including Iyengar, Ashtanga, Bikram, Anusara, and Vinyasa flow), my favorite style to practice is Baptiste Power Vinyasa. It is my hope that students will leave my classes feeling physically challenged and mentally calmed.

Annalicia Niemela

Annalicia loves the mindfulness of yoga. She just recently completed the teacher training that pureyoga hosted and is extremely excited to bring this invigorating and healing form of exercise and meditation to her students. Along with being a yoga instructor, Annalicia is a licensed physical education teacher and is currently working in the public schools with students with disabilities. She is also a certified group exercise and stability ball instructor and loves teaching Pilates. Annalicia's passion for wellness extends beyond fitness through her health coaching practice. She is currently in training at the Institute for Integrative Nutrition to become a certified health counselor. Annalicia genuinely enjoys teaching health and well-being concepts to people of all ages and levels.

Erin Newhouse

Erin has practiced yoga regularly for over five years because a physical therapist suggested yoga might help relieve her back pain from a spinal injury. Erin is proud to be a graduate of Pure Yoga's first 200 hour RYT Teacher Training program. She feels that yoga brings happiness and contentment to the body, mind, and spirit and was inspired to become a teacher to help others discover what yoga can do for them. “I believe that when you feel that peace and stillness yoga provides, this feeling transfers into your life. Yoga allows you to stay in the present moment and live life with less stress and more joy.”

Elisabeth Brod

Elisabeth began her yoga journey in 1996, after a doctor suggested trying yoga after suffering injuries from a car accident. After only a few months, she found that the benefits far exceeded the physical relief she initially sought. She also gained inner peace, strength, focus, perspective, and a deeper connection spiritually...which is what made her continue to practice. After 10 years of fulfilling her other passion of being a stay-at-home mother, Elisabeth completed her 200 hour certification. She hopes to encourage and inspire others to find the beauty in their own yoga practice...and find the same joy and peace she has found in hers. "There is no right or wrong in yoga ~ There is only right or left" :)

Lori Lindgren-Volt

Since 2002 Lori has been sharing, through yoga, tools for people to feel healthy in their bodies using self exploration while creating interconnectedness thru community.  From this balance and stability we are able to give, creating an even stronger wellness within our selves and each other.  She supports this upward spiral of wellness through her teaching process.   Certifications in Bikram Yoga, Piedmont Yoga Advanced Studies, Youth Yoga Dharma, Optimum Health Institute, an Anusara immersion and workshops during her 6 years in the Bay Area (gobbling up yoga like a kid in a candy store), Lori gratefully offers local and global health in yoga and Anti trafficking.