Midtown Yoga Memphis : Teachers

Sarla Nichols

Sarla is the founder and director of Midtown Yoga. The studio has flourished since she opened the doors in May 2001. Yoga students from all corners of Shelby County and the surrounding area can be found practicing there on any given day.

Sarla’s love for yoga and commitment to her students permeate the studio and keep it humming. Her commitment to the community is reflected by the large staff of certified teachers at Midtown Yoga and the nearly 50 classes offered there each week.

Sarla has been practicing yoga for 20 years and teaching for 10. Her instruction is clear, confident and compassionate. Her passion for yoga and for teaching is almost palpable, “I love this practice and credit it in no small part with saving my life. I consider the seat of the teacher a place of honor and responsibility. I hope that through my teaching I can pass on to others what my teachers, Felicity Green, Rodney Yee, John Friend and Hart Lazer, have given me.”
contact me: Sarla@midtownyoga.com

Sarla's classes:

Monday: 05:30pm - 06:30pm Hot Vinyasa All Level
Tuesday: 05:30pm - 06:45pm Hot Vinyasa All Level
Wednesday: 08:30am - 10:15am yoga for life; 05:15pm - 06:15pm beginners
Saturday: 10:15am - 11:15am beginners; 11:30am - 12:45pm all levels
Sunday: 09:00am - 10:15am beginner: pay what you can; 10:30am - 12:15pm all levels

Kathy Fish

A financial planner, business owner, wife and mother, Kathy Fish is also a devoted yogini who relishes her early morning classes at Midtown Yoga. Her students are equally enthusiastic about their practice with Kathy.

“Yoga has helped me bring balance to a very hectic life. I know about multi-tasking, and am so grateful for yoga – and for the opportunity to share something I love with others.”

Kathy teaches with humor, compassion and grace. Her attention to the subtleties of correct alignment helps her students to both deepen and refine their yoga practices.
Contact me: katfish912@hotmail.com

Kathy's classes:

Monday: 07:00am - 08:00am all levels
Wednesday: 07:00am - 08:00am all levels
Friday: 07:00am - 08:00am restorative

Peggy Kay Perhac

Peggy has been a teacher in one capacity or another for the past thirty years. Most recently, she taught tai chi chuan for seven years. Her first class at Midtown Yoga convinced her that yoga was the next natural step in her spiritual journey.

Peggy believes that yoga only begins on the mat, that it must be a 24-hour practice. Peggy brings rich perspective and spiritual depth to her teaching. Midtown Yoga students benefit not only from Peggy’s thoughtful asana instruction, but also her appreciation and integration of many wisdom traditions in her teaching. She is grateful that she can share her love for yoga with Midtown Yoga students.

Peggy's classes:

Monday: 10:00am - 11:15am gentle yoga
Tuesday: 10:00am - 11:15am gentle yoga
Thursday: 10:00am - 11:15am gentle yoga

Yolandrea Clark

From her first yoga class, Yolandrea felt an instant shift in her total awareness and considers yoga to be perfect for simultaneous nourishment of the mind, body and spirit. She enjoys sharing her passion for yoga with others and employs a three-dimensional approach to teaching, by incorporating breath awareness, physical alignment and yogic philosophy in each class.

She has attended workshops with Rodney Yee, Cyndi Lee, Jennifer Brilliant, Richard Freeman, Chris Coniaris, Hart Lazer and Shiva Rea. She has studied with Sarla Nichols since 2002.

When not on the mat, Yolandrea navigates through the world of finance as both an investment professional and an adjunct college professor. During less taxing times, Clark can be found reading or poring over a game of Scrabble.

Contact me: phnxrsng@aol.com

Yolandrea's classes:

Monday: 06:45pm - 07:45pm buddha body
Wednesday: 08:15pm - 09:30pm pay what you can : yoga 1 & 2
Friday: 07:15pm - 08:30pm pay what you can : yoga 1 & 2
Saturday: 10:45am - 11:45am buddha body

Shantih Smythe

Knowledge, experience and commitment distinguish Shantih’s teaching. Her calm, down-to-earth demeanor endears her to Midtown Yoga students. Her classes are grounded in her ongoing study of anatomy and inspired by her love of movement.

“I believe that flexibility of the body brings flexibility of the mind, and that strength of the body builds confidence and creates courage both within the yoga practice and out in the world.”

Shantih’s ability to clearly relay fundamentals of the asana practice and to maintain a compassionate and supportive environment results in students that are among the most loyal at Midtown Yoga.

Contact me: sbsmythe1@aol.com

Shantih's classes:

Monday: 10:00am - 11:15am Hot Vinyasa Level 1 & 2
Tuesday: 05:15pm - 06:15pm beginners
Wednesday: 10:30am - 11:30am yoga 1 & 2
Thursday: 08:30am - 09:40am all levels
Friday: 10:30am - 11:30am yoga 1 & 2

Vickie Wooten

Vickie sees yoga as a way to create health, peace, and space in both the body and the mind. She is intrigued by the subtle ways in which the practice of yoga highlights and explores the inherent paradoxes of life. This interest is reflected in her teaching which incorporates both the vigorous, solar elements and the restorative, lunar aspects of the practice.

Vickie encourages her students to challenge themselves but be patient with their bodies and nonjudgmental about results. Vickie hopes to share the practice of yoga with her students in such a way that the benefits seep off of their mats and into their daily lives. When not on the mat, Vickie teaches high school English and Mathematics at Fournier Learning Strategies. Vickie holds her certification through OM Yoga at the 200-hour level.

Contact me: vkwooten@comcast.net

Vickie's classes:

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Debbie Denny

To know even one life has breathed easier because you have lived. This is to have succeeded! -Ralph Waldo Emerson

Debbie walked away from a 10 year career in gaming hospitality to teach yoga. The quote from Emerson summarizes her approach to teaching, “As we practice yoga, we learn about ourselves through the breath.” Debbie’s personal practice includes traditional asana, meditation, and breath awareness. This enriches her classes and gives her students the opportunity to deepen their own individual practices. Debbie’s classes are challenging and humorous, a true reflection of life off the mat.

Contact me: Debbie@DebbieDenny.com

Debbie's classes:

Thursday: 07:00am - 08:00am yoga 1 & 2

Thom Perhac

“Thom began practicing yoga in his mid 50’s and in 2005 received his 200 hour, Yoga Alliance certifications through Om Yoga. Previous to finding yoga, he practiced Tai Chi Chuan for 15 years. His yoga practice is strong and elegant and his classes are well structured and invigorating. Thom has attended workshops with Rodney Yee, Shiva Rae, Hart Lazer, Richard Freeman, Mark Whitwell, Chris Coniaris and Jennifer Brilliant. He completed a 100 hour, advanced teacher training with Hart Lazer in 2006."
Thanks

Thom's classes:

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Maggie Reese

Maggie’s classes invariably bear the distinctive mark of her own individualized form of instruction. She teaches from an intuitive understanding of the body. Her instruction is slow and purposeful, and skillfully weaves together poses designed to open and strengthen even the most resistant bodies.

“Yoga is an opportunity to get to know your own body at a much deeper level. I like to think of teaching as a way to help people sort of ‘come home’ to themselves.”

Maggie brings a mix of soul and teaching precision to the yoga mat, a combination that makes her classes a real treat.

Contact me: maggiereese@hotmail.com
Visit my website: www.maggiereese.com

Maggie's classes:

Thursday: 07:00pm - 08:15pm beginners
Friday: 04:15pm - 05:15pm beginners
Saturday: 05:00pm - 06:15pm pay what you can : yoga 1 & 2
Sunday: 04:00pm - 05:15pm beginners

Jimmy Lewis

Jimmy's classes:

Wednesday: 06:30pm - 08:00pm all levels
Thursday: 05:30pm - 06:45pm Hot Vinyasa All Level

Caroline Schmidt

Caroline is a natural vinyasa teacher, and effortlessly imparts her enthusiasm and affection for yoga. She favors creative transitions and deep opening. Her style is reminiscent of Shiva Rea, but her spirit is all her own. She is a bright light and you know it when you meet her. You’ll feel it when you come to her class.

Caroline's classes:

Tuesday: 07:00pm - 08:00pm pay what you can : yoga 1 & 2
Friday: 05:30pm - 06:15pm restorative
Sunday: 05:45pm - 07:15pm community all levels

Sarah Ledbetter

Sarah brings a genuine love of life to her teaching, as well as a sense of openness and discovery. She feels honored to be part of this teaching and practicing communitity, and views teaching as the most rewarding learning experience of all. With a passion for dynamic alignment and the movement of the breath, Sarah shares a vigorous, sound, and refreshing practice with her Midtown yoga students.

Sarah's classes:

Thursday: 05:15pm - 06:15pm beginners

Gary Edge

Gary's classes:

Tuesday: 08:30am - 09:30am all levels: pay what you can, starts 4/8

Allison Foster

Allison's classes:

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Astrid Smith

Astrid's classes:

Saturday: 01:00pm - 02:15pm prenatal yoga

Danielle Cardinal

Danielle's classes:

Monday: 03:45pm - 04:45pm Mommy and Me/toddlers
Tuesday: 03:45pm - 04:45pm mommy and me/infants

Lisa Nezwazky

Lisa has been a physical therapist since 1983. She has been working in that capacity with children in the Memphis City Schools for 12 years. Lisa believes that children move to learn and that children’s minds and spirits are expanded when they use their bodies to explore this beautiful world. She enjoys combining yoga, art, dance, and story telling in her work with special needs children. As the Kids Yoga teacher, I want to encourage children of all abilities to come to my classes at Midtown Yoga.

Lisa's classes:

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Grace Harwood

Poise and precision aptly describe Grace’s teaching style. A dancer for 21 years and a mother of three, she found that yoga filled the void dance left in her life and taught her how to slow down and breathe in the often chaotic routine of raising a family. Grace values the strength and beauty of Vinyasa Flow and encourages her students to find joy in their practice. Practicing with Grace (too good not to say!) is a treat not to be missed.

Grace's classes:

Monday: 12:00pm - 01:00pm all levels
Tuesday: 12:00pm - 01:00pm all levels
Thursday: 10:00am - 11:15am Hot Vinyasa Level 1 & 2
Friday: 08:30am - 10:00am all levels

Leanne Thomas

Leanne found yoga through a discarded library book 13 years ago and has been practicing ever since. A natural teacher, Leanne inspires art students at St. Anne School to explore their creative potential. She offers similar opportunities to Midtown Yoga students.

“Yoga has opened my heart and soul to the possibilities of life, to things I never thought I could do. That has filtered into my creativity, art teaching and relationships. I feel open and present to the basic goodness all around me.”

Leanne’s yoga teaching style is best defined by ‘connections’. She focuses on connecting the breath with movement, making anatomical connections to promote stability, strength and proper alignment. She encourages the ultimate connection of body, mind, and spirit through meditation and restorative asana.

Leanne's classes:

Monday: 05:15pm - 06:15pm beginners
Wednesday: 05:30pm - 06:30pm gentle yoga
Friday: 12:00pm - 01:00pm all levels

Christi Fiorenza

Cristina is one of the newest additions to the Midtown Yoga family of teachers. She brings her own style and grace to the yoga classroom. Cristina credits yoga with helping her find more joy in her life, and more acceptance of her limitations as well as her strengths. “Yoga has helped me deal with the everyday stresses that come with being a single mom. I see more of the beauty around me now, and look forward to growing in it with my daughter. Nothing pleases me more than being able to share some of that with my students.”

Christi's classes:

Monday: 07:00pm - 08:15pm all levels

Leslie Jones

Leslie Jones is especially interested in the physical and emotional changes yoga initiates. Her teaching style has been described as quietly challenging. She explores both the physical power and the transformative potential of yoga, and her classes endeavor to develop mindfulness, confidence, and compassion through an emphasis on the breath, heart, and body alignment. Originally from Tucson, Arizona, Leslie began practicing yoga in earnest shortly after moving to Memphis. A lifelong athlete, Leslie grew up riding horses and ran track at the University of Arizona. She continues growing as a teacher and yogini through her own practice and attending advanced workshops.

Leslie's classes:

Saturday: 08:30am - 09:45am yoga 1 & 2

Lisa Nezwazky

Lisa's classes:

Sunday: 01:30pm - 02:15pm kids yoga

Sarah Ledbetter

Sarah's classes:

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