Kelly DiNardo discovered yoga when she was procrastinating on a writing assignment. Parked on a yoga mat, she not only cleared her writer’s block but developed a new passion. Trained through YogaFit, she has been teaching yoga in the area for over seven years. She opened Past Tense with the hope of giving others the same strength, balance and flexibility in a place that is open and welcoming.
Stacey Vaeth Gonzalez knows what it feels like to get lost in the whirl of our Type-A city. As a yoga teacher, photographer, and dedicated student of yoga, she works each day to shift her focus to the present moment, to sit and be still, and to find the inner balance and strength that comes from that practice. As a teacher, she opens that door for her students to walk through. Expect to sweat, dance, stand on your hands, forearms and head, twist and flow in her classes. Her photographic work can be seen on the walls and website of Past Tense, and at Stacey Vaeth Photography.
Zoë Cooprider Randol, Studio Manager, has been practicing at Past Tense since its welcome debut. Before moving to Washington, DC she studied Iyengar yoga with Patricia Walden in Boston. As a former rower and runner, Zoë deeply appreciates the alignment-based practices that helps her keep her healthy and strong. She is currently becoming certified to teach machine-based Pilates as part of a career transition to become a physical therapist.
Caroline Dobuzinskis first came to yoga as a way to supplement her dance training, but soon embraced it more fully. She’s now been practicing yoga for more than ten years. Caroline completed her training at Yoga District in Washington, DC. She enjoys teaching classes that are creative, challenging and uplifting.
Kit Doyle took her first yoga class as a teenager and was drawn to the stretching and stress relief inherent in the practice. Since then, she has explored different styles of yoga and the physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual benefits of the practice. Research on the use of yoga in psycho-social therapy for under-served communities inspired her to go back to school for her Master’s of Social Work.
Marla Dwyer first rolled out a yoga mat, at age 39 and knew what she had been missing her whole life. Two years later received her 200 hour Teacher certification from the Nosara Yoga Institute in Costa Rica. Students can expect a safe space to explore their own yoga, as Marla encourages her students to feel their practice rather than do their practice. Set to music, often inspired by her 14 year old daughter, students will nurture their capacity to create mindfulness, contentment in the present moment, and a non-judgmental awareness opening space in the body and mind. Off of the mat, Marla loves to cook for her family and friends, to eat good food, and volunteers for the Humane Society.
Tori Ellis’ pilates practice began 2003 when she started Tae Kwon Do as a means of staying in shape. She used pilates to develop the strong core and discipline it takes to be a black belt. After seven years of martial arts, Tori moved on to the restorative practice of Yoga and the strength building of Pilates. She received her 200 hour Yoga certification from Flow Yoga Center in 2009 and her Fuse Pilates Certification in 2010. Her classes incorporate vibrant music with the intensity of core focus, to achieve that rock start body.
Kai Filion spends most of his non-working hours running, biking, or playing frisbee. He discovered that the best way to help his body recover from the strain of these activities is through the strengthening and stretching exercises in yoga. In addition to this physical aspect, yoga gets him to mentally relax by helping him to slow down, focus on the present, and enjoy the simple pleasures of life.
May Hazzah, a Neuromuscular Therapist, Chinese Medicine Practitioner and Nutrition Specialist, found yoga when she was procrastinating studying for her Board exams. She has studied Bikram, Kundalini and power-based Hatha yoga. She has found a practice that strengthens her mind and body and has given her a focus she’s been lacking. As a studio assistant at Past Tense, May is working towards becoming an instructor.
Rob Hess has been practicing many forms of yoga for ten years. He completed his teacher training in 2004 here in DC. After years of trainings with other great teachers, Rob found his home in the Prana Vinyasa Flow community with Shiva Rea, and assists her workshops regularly. Rob loves to get off his feet and turn the world upside down whether it be through inversions or arm balances — he loves to see the world from a different point of view.
John Horan believes yoga is the answer to just about everything. The yoga teacher helps students connect with their own inner guide. John’s approach to making that connection is light-hearted and energetic, with focus on finding the balance within. John began his yoga journey in 2001, and received teacher training at Tranquil Space. In John’s flowing vinyasa classes, you’ll find that inversions are the perfect antidote to an apparently upside down world, while the music flows from rock to raga to reggae.
Laura Ivers began her yogic journey as a means to balance a physically active lifestyle. She quickly learned that yoga offered much more than flexible hamstrings and the practice became a way of life. Laura became a Yoga Alliance certified instructor in 2004. In her own practice and as a teacher, Laura’s emphasis is on fluidity in movement, freedom through strength, and a quest for self knowledge through using the yoga mat as a mirror for daily life.
Simone Jacobson found yoga after tearing her ACL and meniscus during a dance battle. When post-surgery recovery seemed insurmountable, she was grateful for the spiritual and physical rewards of a new practice. Yoga continues to bring quiet to her life in a way that gives her both positive challenges and a safe space for reflection. As a studio assistant, Simone is a regularly welcoming students to Past Tense. Off the mat, Simone is a dancer, poet, student, arts administrator and community organizer.
Sonja Kubota Johansson first encountered yoga and felt as if she were re-united with an old friend. Since then, a committed practice has helped her work through both emotional and physical pain. Sonja studied at Sivananda Yoga Vedanta Dhanwantari Ashram in India and has since completed two 200-hour teacher trainings, the second with Max Strom. As a teacher, Sonja emphasizes yoga as a physical, emotional and spiritually healing practice in a unifying, non-dogmatic way.
Clare Kelley completed her 200-hour teacher training in classical hatha yoga in 2001 as a complement to various physical activities, including running, rock climbing, surfing, dancing, and even a stint on the Costa Rican national aerobics team. A debilitating rock climbing injury forced Clare to reconsider her approach to her body, strengthening her relationship to the spiritual aspects of yoga. Her classes inspire creativity, buoyant power, and vitality through fiery moving meditation, awakening spaces in the body to allow the spirit to grow. Students will be challenged to dance at their edge in a lighthearted, non-competetive, and safe environment, while listening to some sweet tunes to tap into the rhythms of the world around us.
Ronni Key developed a perpetual love of yoga after her first class in 1996. Exploring many styles and instructors, she made a true connection while taking a Yoga Works workshop and began her 200-hour teacher training shortly after. Each of her classes focus on alignment to create a safe space allowing students to listen to their bodies and quiet their minds.
Jeanette Lee has always felt a strong connection to movement and progressed into yoga after dancing for many years. She discovered that yoga inspired her to find freedom and release in more subtle and deeper ways than she could before. From this discovery, the journey began. Jeanette received her initial teacher training in 2007. From there, the path soon led to Prana Flow, Shiva Rea’s transformational vinyasa practice. Under the mentorship of Maria Garre, Jeanette is currently completing her 300 hour certification in Prana Flow. Jeanette enjoys creating yoga practices that connect us back to the natural cycles of life – to the seasons, the weather, and the basic elements.
Sarah Miller first tried yoga as a way to meet new friends while living on the fast-paced, jam-packed island of Hong Kong. Ever since, yoga has been a source of calmness, serenity, and friendship. In 2008, Sarah was inspired to learn to teach, and completed Om Yoga’s teacher training in New York City. Her classes endeavor to balance athleticism with deep relaxation, and a sense of fun and community with quiet introspection.
Caroline Millet‘s first “guru” was her godmother. She started meditating at age 12 and, although she had no idea what Om meant, she liked the sound. A complement to her day job in international development, Caroline’s teaching is her “heart’s work,” a way to engage with the community and support vulnerable populations. She is certified as a Vinyasa teacher and has been teaching traditional and outreach classes ever since. Expect to set intentions, feel the music and work towards taking yoga off the mat.
Jeffrey Platts integrates his many years of DJ experience into his yoga classes, infusing them with a mix of funky, soulful and uplifting rhythms as students stretch, strengthen and balance the body, and cultivate mindfulness and intention. Jeffrey reminds his students while it’s important to seek inspiration from others, yoga practice is really about honoring your own path and listening to your own heart and body.
Tippi Polo, a relatively new convert to yoga, joined Past Tense Yoga after recognizing the negative effects of stress and long hours behind a desk. In less than two years yoga has helped her regain comfort in her body and her mind. Now a studio assistant, she maintains a regular practice that has allowed her to be effective in her career while also pursuing her love of music, dance and the artistic life.
Bethany Shaffer first came to yoga asana practice in 2004 as a way to cope with a variety of physical ailments. Today, she firmly believes the path of asana, meditation, and consciousness studies is responsible for the physical and spiritual well-being she now enjoys. Bethany has studied Vinyasa, Sivananda, Ashtanga and Jivamukti yoga in the Czech Republic, India, New York, San Francisco and Washington, DC. In 2010 she completed a 200-Hour Teacher Training program through Yoga District. When not teaching or practicing the great path of yoga she works as a freelance writer and editor.
Aashumi Shah believes that patience, perseverance and faith are integral to all life experiences. Yoga is her link to keep this equilibrium. Off the mat, Aashumi is a textile designer and owner of Mirasa, homemade kids toys. As a studio assistant, she is a regular presence on the mat at Past Tense.
Patrick Smith loves bicycles, cats, television and yoga. By day he is a freelance filmmaker. In 2007 he used a film school how-to video project as his own personal introduction to yoga and hasn’t looked back. He is 200-hour certified by YogaWorks as a yoga teacher, but teaching is not a priority. For Patrick yoga is a source of self-discovery and a sense of community. As a studio assistant he is a regular presence at Past Tense.
Kelly Tobin believes in the power of yoga to cultivate inspiration and foster community spirit, to support and permit good health, to be one with life and focus on the importance of being versus doing. An enthusiastic DC yogini, Kelly is trained in Vinyasa Flow from Tranquil Space. Kelly is also a certified Fuse Pilates teacher offering upbeat challenging core workouts choreographed to music to keep you moving and having fun.
Caitlin Van Hecke discovered her need for yoga while living amongst the creative chaos of NYC. She fell in love with the discipline it brought to her life, as well as the freedom that opened up within. In 2008, Caitlin received her 230-hour certification from Asheville Yoga Center in NC, her home state, and is registered with Yoga Alliance. Her fascination with the connection between what happens on and off the mat is what propels her to share yoga with others.
Caitlin Watson discovered yoga as a neurotic college student and, through her practice during the 8 years since, has become a far more easy-going yoga enthusiast. These days, she hopes her yoga practice allows her to be a peaceful, positive, and exciting presence in other people’s lives. In addition to yoga, Caitlin enjoys dabbling in a chaotic array of projects and interests, reading, running, and talking to interesting people
Jenna Widmann has played multiple sports all her life, but it wasn’t until moving to DC from Indiana that she realized yoga was the perfect balance for her active lifestyle. Jenna was introduced to Past Tense when she moved to Mt. Pleasant by her sister, Sunny, another student assistant. Beyond yoga, Jenna works for Habitat for Humanity of Washington, D.C. and loves a good dinner party.
Sunny Widmann first fell in love with yoga while practicing on a beach in Thailand, having recently completed her Peace Corps service in Togo, West Africa. While sinking into Virabhadrasana II, Sunny realized that yoga was exactly what she needed to help her transition into the next phase of her life with ease and intention. She has landed comfortably as at studio assistant at Past Tense. When not practicing yoga, Sunny can be found working as an arts administrator, planning world travels, or baking cookies.
Caroline Weaver, MA, RYT, first learned sun salutations as a teenager, then took a long detour before she found her way back to yoga as a grown-up. She has completed two 200-hour teacher trainings—from Flow Yoga Center (2008) and Max Strom (2010)—and 50 hours of therapeutics training with Doug Keller. A student of both vinyasa and Iyengar styles of yoga, Caroline strives to create a noncompetitive atmosphere where students feel comfortable exploring breath, alignment, and energy.
Jackie Zubrzycki discovered yoga twice: once in college as a way to balance running and stress, and then again as a way to recover from injuries and find a solid center while teaching in D.C. She’s not planning on having to rediscover it again. When she’s not at Past Tense, where she’s a studio assistant, she’s teaching music lessons, working as a journalist, or playing music around the corner from Past Tense.