Jill has worked in the healthcare profession for many years, starting with direct patient care before elevating to management and administration. Her professional journey was supported by a holistic wellness lifestyle, which included aerobic exercise, biking, hiking and various other forms of physical fitness. When she first discovered yoga, the physical, emotional, and spiritual benefits were nothing short of miraculous, and she realized she wanted to teach yoga and share this amazing practice with others.
Indigo Yoga Loft is the result of Jill and her life and business partner Matt Baker's years of personal discovery and hard work. Health and mindfulness are Jill's passions, and she is dedicated to helping you realize your own personal wellness goals.
Before opening Indigo Yoga Loft, Jill worked for various yoga studios, wellness and fitness clubs throughout the Pittsburgh area. She has an Associate of Science (AS), Radiologic Technology/Science – Radiographer, and a Bachelor of Science in Business Management. She is a registered yoga teacher with her 200 hour training completed at Stray Dog Yoga in Wexford PA and completed her certification as an Integrative Nutrition Health Coach through the Institute for Integrative Nutrition in May of 2017.
Jill's passion is to inspire others to be their radiant selves, by trusting their intuition, being authentic and incorporating healthy foods and choices into their lives. She believes that everyone has a unique path towards wellness and appreciates individuality and choice!
Britney Kwiatek is an RYT specializing in beginners, vigorous flow and restorative practices. Her training comes from a 200 hour YOGAworks certification, 2013. Her study was done under the mentorship of Anna Gilbert Zupon at Breath Yoga Studio. It is Britney's mission in conjunction with the mission of Yogaworks to teach a signature style balancing precise instruction, alignment with breath, fluid movement andthoughtful sequencing. Britney's educational background is a BA in English literature from Dickinson College, Carlise, Pa. Work history involves sales management positions in major medical device companies. When She is not practicing yoga or spending time with her family, as a busy mom of 2 boys, Jude and Julian, Britney loves running, Cross training, Mud Runs and 5K's. Rooted in Pittsburgh, Britney looks to share her passion of Yoga to the community.
Yoga feeds my center! It creates awareness with its stillness, and defines my presence through it's movement. I stumbled upon exactly what I needed after years of beating myself up physically and mentally. I became a certified RYT-200 in 2013 after many years of regular time spent on my mat in various studios identifying mentors throughout a brilliant yoga community! Personally my practice has grown, and continues to shift over time. My goal is to connect a powerful flow to mindful observations with enthusiasm and joy at each breath. I want to share with each student who walks in the door a passion to find their sense of self and just enjoy the moment!
Elizabeth is a wellness enthusiast. She earned her Associates degree in Dietetics from the Community College of Allegheny County in 2011 and loves to share her knowledge of healthy living with everyone she meets. Elizabeth grew her fitness knowledge by completing her 200-hour teaching certificate in Baptiste Style Power Yoga in August of 2016. Her love for yoga could not be contained. She feels compelled to share her passion with the local community. For Elizabeth, yoga is more than just a killer exercise, it's been physically, emotionally and spiritually healing. Yoga is a life changer. When she is not at the studio or teaching at a local library you can find her hanging out with her husband and two cats, reading, drinking tea, hiking, or spending quality time with her friends and family. Elizabeth enjoys creating creative flows to challenge the mind and body while focusing on safe alignment in her classes. She is here to serve her community and looks forward to seeing you on your mat soon!
Erin believes in embracing life – learning, growing and finding the joy in every opportunity. She first discovered the joy exercise brought her at age 11 as she followed along to her mother's step aerobics DVDs and 18 years ago she attained her first certification as a spinning instructor. Since then, she has learned and grown her teaching to include boot camp, strength conditioning, personal training and yoga. Erin loves the way yoga brings a balance and connection to the body, mind and spirit that she finds is unlike any other form of fitness. She received her yoga teacher training through American Fitness Professionals Association (AFPA). She is always looking for ways to expand personally and in her teaching through workshop trainings, reading and practicing. Her teaching style is to provide the melding of work and fun– taking what serves you and letting go of what doesn't. Erin strives to bring the lessons and observations she experiences in teaching and on her mat into her daily life. Some days can prove to be easier or harder than others – this is the amazing gift of yoga – being a continual, evolving and living practice to grow in.
Erin enjoys her work as the intranet manager at her company and loves to spend family time with her husband, two boys and dog hiking and playing in the woods of the Laurel Mountains.
Shawna took her first power yoga class in January 2013 and left the studio feeling as if she was exhausted and bursting with energy at the same time. Over the years, she has used yoga and meditation as a means of healing, working through the stresses and challenges that life brings, and learning to accept herself as she is right at this moment. While she appreciates the physical strength that yoga has given her, it's the mental strength, focus, and balance that she's gained that drives her to seek more, do more, learn more.
She obtained her 200 hour certification from South Hills Power Yoga in August 2017 and then went on to become certified as a yoga teacher for cancer patients and survivors through Tari Prinster's y4c teacher training in June 2018. She is currently studying to become a yoga therapist through Breathing Deeply Yoga Therapy with Brandt Passalacqua.
After finding (and continuing to find!) that yoga can aid in healing both mentally and physically in her own self, teaching has become the ultimate way for her to share her passion for yoga with others. She truly believes that yoga is for every body and level of ability.
Gina is a storyteller, truth seeker, nourisher, nurturer, lover, and yogi. Her life's purpose is to continuously awaken herself and others through stories that help us get and stay curious about being open, receptive, and of love in this world. In her classes, expect a balance of creative and familiar movement peppered with stories about life on and off the mat, all to the backbeat of some killer tunes. She completed a 200-hour teacher training at Stray Dog Yoga in Wexford in 2014 and is humbled by all of her life's teachers for guiding her along this path. Follow along with her writing at ginacz.com.
I discovered yoga over 20 years ago but did not become truly dedicated to the practice until 2012. The introduction of hot yoga & power yoga resonated with me. I went from studio to studio trying a variety of teachers and styles and loved each and every teacher that I practiced with. About 4 years ago, I landed at a studio close to my home and as a regular student I quickly learned to listen to my body. Even though I was witnessing amazing changes in my overall strength and body composition through power yoga practices, I quickly realized that my body was telling me to add variety. Listening to this message, I started adding in more gentle and restorative practices and discovered that this new awakening was transformational!
I adore how my yoga journey has taught me to listen to my body and want to encourage others to find the same! I also love how my practice gives me the opportunity for constant learning as a student and an instructor. Time on the mat gives me peace and serenity and it is a time I look forward to every day, even if my sole focus is to watch my breath and to breathe!
I truly, whole-heartedly, am 100% convinced that EVERYONE needs yoga and that EVERYONE can do yoga. I am a RYT 200 hr certified instructor thru South Hills Power Yoga and enjoy practicing all forms of yoga, experiencing new styles, and techniques. You don't have to be flexible or young. You don't have to sit on the floor and twist like a pretzel. Let me show you how you can have a beautiful yoga practice. I want to help my students learn all that they can about yoga and to show them how to find what they need from their practice in both mind and body. I adore showing people the many benefits of this beautiful practice. I love when friends far and wide message me that they have started a regular practice. Warning: you will fall in love with it….Warning…it is addicting.
Gigi has been practicing yoga since her college days. She received undergraduate and graduate degrees from Duquesne University in Psychology and Education/Counseling, along with a graduate degree in Library and Information Science from the University of Pittsburgh, Yoga, on and off the mat has been a grounding place in her life. Gigi trained in classical yoga tradition by completing her yoga teacher training at the Himalayan Institute of Pittsburgh, and is an RYT-200 hour teacher with Yoga Alliance. While her personal style is a blend of Hatha yoga and vinyasa flow, she teaches various styles of yoga. Gentle yoga classes are Hatha-based, while more advanced classes are influenced by vinyasa flow.
Gigi also studied with Cyndi Lee and completed her Restorative Yoga Teacher Training with Cyndi Lee in 2016. She also is certified in Yoga for All, having completed this certification with Dianne Bondy and Amber Karnes. Every body is truly welcome in her classes. With a background in psychology, the effects of yoga on healing trauma is of particular interest to Gigi. She has done some study in this area and will be pursuing further training in this area with Hala Khouri. Having experienced the healing power of yoga herself, Gigi is inspired to bring yoga to all populations. When she is not teaching or practicing, Gigi can be found researching the migration of the Northern saw-whet owl and hiking, biking, and kayaking with her family.
In 2018 Philicia completed her 200-hour teacher training through South Hills Power Yoga. She loves to share her practice with others; focusing breathe and allowing each student to have their own unique experience in their practice.
Growing up as a dancer with a passion for music, Tracey was naturally drawn to the physical discipline and creative expression of yoga. She began practicing through community programs and home videos. In 2011, as a means to ease stress, she developed a consistent practice. Tracey initially enjoyed Vinyasa flow for its beautiful transitions through challenging asanas guided by breath. Her devotion to the practice has led to a greater understanding of the emotional and spiritual aspects of yoga, a life changing and priceless gift. Tracey completed her 200 hour RYT in 2018 through Yoga Flow and feels blessed for the opportunity to "give back" and share her love of yoga through teaching. She is also certified to teach children.
Tracey earned a BA in Business and Spanish at Grove City College and an MBA from the Katz Graduate School of Business at the University of Pittsburgh. Work history involves claims management positions with multiple large insurance carriers. When not practicing yoga or spending time with her husband, son and large extended family, Tracey enjoys long walks with her dog, hiking and reading.
Tracey hopes to inspire students to create time in their lives for physical well-being and space for the peace and serenity so vital to emotional health. She looks forward to a lifelong study of all aspects of yoga to continue to grow as a teacher and a student.
Bethany has been guiding Hatha Yoga classes since May 2012, and has transitioned her teaching style to a restoring Hatha/ Vinyasa hybrid after receiving her Vinyasa certification in 2015. Bethany has a strong self practice which started in 2011 after her first time in a yoga studio, and was a student of dance for eleven years. She graduate from California University of Pennsylvania with a BA in dance, focusing on modern ballet. Bethany is in love with all types of movement, and brings that love into her classes. Some of her biggest inspirations are the teachings of Clara Roberts-Oss, Ana Forrest, and Rodney Yee. Bethany has been fortunate enough to receive her training under a strong yoga lineage through the Shambava School of Yoga founded by Babaji Sri Shambhavanada, for her 200 hr. She continued that training under Gayatri Devillier and Stacey Vespaziani and is looking to continue on to receive her 500hr certification.
Bethany's yoga style is that of slow, thoughtful, and creative movement. Her teaching includes strong alignment cues, blended with heartfelt affirmations and a healthy does of lightheartedness. She loves using all types of music to inspire and create a fun atmosphere, and believes that all movement should stem from a place of ease.
Having a lot of drive has helped Kathy, to be successful in her career, however with that came a lot of stress. Through the years yoga has helped to melt away that stress and she found herself leaving each class feeling grounded and refreshed. The more she attended classes, the more she yearned for something deeper out of her practice. Deciding she needed to share that with others, she completed her Yoga Teacher Training in July 2018 through South Hills Power Yoga.
Having a strong sense of compassion and a need to help serve others, Kathy took her journey further and completed y4c (Yoga for Cancer) training in November 2018. She feels honored to be teaching yoga and hopes to provide students with a class in which they will leave feeling, strengthened, refreshed, well-rounded, and at ease in mind and body.
Allie loves to share this practice with students of all ages. Since completing her training through 3rd Street Yoga at Schoolhouse Yoga in 2011, she has taught for the YMCA, Schoolhouse Yoga, Chatham University, Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh, and private lessons for students recovering from illness and injury in NYC and Pittsburgh. Her sequencing is fun and flowing, with a special focus on helping students safely grow in strength and mobility.
Off the mat, Allie works as a voice actor, assistant director, and stage manager. Proud member of Actors' Equity Association and the American Guild of Musical Artists.