ANGELA
Our fearless leader at The Bend, Angie is a yogi of many layers! She has always been interested in the human body and its movements. She holds a Bachelors of Science in Exercise and Fitness with an emphasis in Care and Prevention of Athletic Injuries.

Angie received her initial yoga training in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma at Art of Yoga. She completed her 255 hour Samatva Yoga Teacher Certification under Karen Pryor. Angie has since studied with many studios and gained a variety of specialized certificates. Angie has been a yoga studio owner for 7 + years and is an Experienced Registered Yoga Teacher (E-RYT) and a Continuing Education Provider (YACEP) with the Yoga Alliance. Angie is currently pursuing her Yoga Therapist certification. 

Angie loves to share her passion for yoga and wellness. The Bend Academy (RYS) was born out of this passion. The Bend Academy (RYS) is a registered yoga school with The Yoga Alliance and is where Angie shares her knowledge of yoga with future instructors. 

Certifications & Trainings:
The Bend yoga Studio - Founder & Owner
The Bend Academy - Director & Lead Teacher
Naturopathic Doctor (ND) -Trinity School of Natural Health
Certified Natural Health Practitioner (CNHP) -Trinity School of Natural Health
BS - Exercise Kinesiology - University of Central Oklahoma 
*Certified Yoga Therapist -  My Vinyasa Practice - Michelle Young, C-IAYT (in progress)
200 E-RYT - Samatva Yoga - Karen Prior, ERYT 500, RPYT, Doula
300 E-RYT - My Vinyasa Practice - Michelle Young, C-IAYT
​Restorative Yoga - Samatva Yoga - Karen Prior, ERYT 500, RYPT, Doula
Yoga for Freer Hips - Satchidananda Ashram - Karen Prior, ERYT 500, RYPT, Doula
Prenatal Yoga Instructor - My Vinyasa Practice - Michelle Young, C-IAYT
Trauma Informed Yoga Instructor - My Vinyasa Practice - Michelle Young, C-IAYT
iRest Level 1 Instructor - IRest - Richard Miller Ph.D
Yoga Alliance Continuing Education Provider
NES Wellness Practitioner - Harry Massey
BARS Energy Healer - Access Consciousness - Gary Douglas, Dr. Dain Heer
Reiki Practitioner - Master Dana 
Yoga Nidra - My Vinyasa Practice - Michelle Young, C-IAYT
Silver Sneakers Yoga Instructor

DIANA
Diana found yoga in 2010 while looking for a way to release stress and center her mind. "From my very first yoga class, I was hooked! Yoga has been a constant in my life ever since."
Diana, at the urging of her yoga mentors, began teaching in 2015. She is a student of all types of yoga and enjoys teaching a variety of classes. She especially enjoys watching students progress through their yoga journey.
 
Now as a 500-hr RYT & 200-hr E-RYT with Yoga Alliance, Diana teaches with a strong emphasis on finding strength and ease in every posture. She wants students to feel connected to their own bodies and practice. And most importantly, to feel STRONG and CONFIDENT! One of the biggest lessons yoga teaches us is to release our expectations and allow ourselves to just BE. 

Diana enjoys assisting with The Bend Academy (RYS). She has an amazing aptitude for translating difficult material and making it accessible to everyone. 
 
Certifications and Trainings:
200 E-RYT - Yoga Life
300 RYT -  My Vinyasa Practice -Michelle Young, C-IAYT
Yoga Alliance Continuing Education Provider
Prenatal Yoga Instructor - My Vinyasa Practice - Michelle Young, C-IAYT
Trauma Informed Yoga Instructor -  My Vinyasa Practice -Michelle Young, C-IAYT
Yoga Nidra Instructor -  My Vinyasa Practice -Michelle Young, C-IAYT
HIIT & Tabata
Yoga Shred
Senior Fitness
Walk With Ease

BRANDI
Brandi first sought out yoga as a way to cope with the daily stressors of life and calm her busy mind. "After my first class, I couldn't believe how great I felt. I knew this was something I wanted to invest in throughout my lifetime." Intrigued by how her mind and body felt more at peace the more she practiced, she couldn't wait to learn more. When she saw The Bend Academy would be starting a 200-hr yoga training program, she knew right away that she wanted to be a part of it. Brandi feels passionately about giving back and helping others find their own peace through a yoga practice. This training set Brandi up for her next passion, TRAPEZE YOGA! 
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​ "Yoga is truly for everyone. It doesn't matter what age, size, or demographic you might be. Know that there's a place for you on your mat and in my class. All it requires of you is that you come to practice with an open heart and an open mind."

Certifications and Trainings:
​200 RYT - The Bend Academy
​300 RYT - My Vinyasa Practice -Michelle Young, C-IAYT
*Yoga Therapy Certification - My Vinyasa Practice (MVP) - Teacher Michelle Young, C-IAYT Yoga Therapist (*In-Progress)
Yoga Trapeze - Yogabody - Lucas Rockwood
Prenatal Yoga Instructor - My Vinyasa Practice -Michelle Young, C-IAYT
Trauma Informed Yoga Instructor - My Vinyasa Practice -Michelle Young, C-IAYT
Yoga Nidra Yoga Instructor - My Vinyasa Practice -Michelle Young, C-IAYT

Tina

Tina is an Experienced-Registered Yoga Teacher 500, a Yoga Alliance Continued Education Provider, and a Level 3 Original Hot Yoga Teacher. 

Tina finds that exploring different hatha yoga practices is mind-opening, stimulating, and promotes diversity in her teaching style. She aspires to meet people where they are in their journey. Tina is classically trained in various methods of Hatha Yoga. She incorporates the 8-Limbed Path, Compassionate Self-Forgiveness, Raj Yoga Meditation, Reiki, the BodyTalk System, and Access Consciousness into her personal life and teaching approach.  

Tina relishes attending local and online workshops, yoga classes, and subtle bodywork intensives. She appreciates being outdoors and loves hanging out anywhere with her daughter. Tina affirms that not taking life too seriously and laughing a lot is incredibly healing for the soul. One of her favorite sayings is, you cannot stop the waves, but you can learn to surf!

Certifications & Trainings:
​200 RYT - Spirit House Yoga - Teachers Martha McQuaid and Ted Cox
200 RYT - Kundalini Level 1 - Kundalini Research Institute - Teachers SatInder Khalsa & KartaPurkh Khalsa
200 RYT - Level One Teacher Training - Kashi Ashram - Teacher Acharya Swami Jaya Devi
500 RYT - BKS Iyengar Method -Yoga institute for Yoga -Teachers Betty Larson & John Charping, Ph.D
Original Hot Yoga  - Bikram's Yoga College of India Teacher Training - Teachers Bikram and Rajashree Choudhury
*Yoga Therapy Certification (*In-Progress) - My Vinyasa Practice (MVP) - Teacher Michelle Young, C-IAYT Yoga Therapist 
7-Day Raja Yoga Meditation Course - Teacher Sister Bindu
Mindfulness Coach - MVP - Teacher and Coach Michelle Young
Artist's Way Course - LaTasha Timberlake
BodyTalk Fundamentals 1&2 - Teachers Kathi Springman, Todd Adkins, and Dr. John Veltheim
Bodytalk Fast Aid Protocol - Teachers Kathi Springman and Todd Adkins
Mindscape System of BodyTalk - Teacher Angela Adkins
Usui Reiki Level 3 - Teachers Cindy Finley and Sedona  
Radical Forgiveness 3-day Weekend Intensive - Teacher Colin Tipping
Thai Yoga Bodywork - Teacher Saul David Raye
BARS technique - Access Consciousness - Teacher Cindy Finley
Certified Young Living Raindrop Bodywork - Teacher Kathy Jo Higgins

DANA
Dana enrolled in the 200 hr yoga teacher training at The Bend because she wanted to deepen her knowledge and understanding of yoga. Her goal was to be able to share this beautiful gift with other women who may be struggling like she was. Dana's drive is to help women who maybe need permission to set down the enormous load they carry everyday and spend some time taking care of themselves.

Dana loves teaching gentle and restorative yoga because she enjoys providing a caring, safe space for people to learn to love themselves during an hour of relief from the constant load they carry. 

Dana's journey with yoga is far from over! In the future, she hopes to learn to play the harmonium and teach Bhakti yoga. She would also love to teach restorative aerial yoga. Dana is excited to begin her 300 hour teacher training later this year!

Certifications & Trainings:
200 RYT - The Bend Academy 
​Teaching to The Beginner - The Bend Academy 
​Restorative Yoga - MVP
​Gravity Yoga - Yoga Body
*Trapeze Yoga - Yoga Body (in progress)
​*Bhakti Yoga -BAli (in progress)
​

KAYLA
Kayla began yoga after the birth of her two children in the hopes of 'getting back into shape'. She was looking for something more than just exercising at the gym. And she found it! 
 
After experiencing such a shift in her own life with the practice of yoga, she felt led to enter The Bend's 200 hour yoga teacher training program. Kayla loves hiking, sports, anything outdoors, and spending time with family and friends.

"I am a giant puzzle full of different pieces, free of judgement and ego. If you can't find your shine, bring your mat and allow me to help guide you to it!"

Certifications & Trainings:
​200 RYT - The Bend Academy

LINDSEY
Lindsey started down her yoga path in search of relief from pelvic pain. To find a new and better way to relax and strengthen her pelvic floor - to find a balance in her body. She did find balance. And she found a new love. A love for yoga. 

Lindsey soon realized that yoga was bringing balance into every aspect of her life. A sweaty power flow is her favorite type of class. She has found that she can go to class stressed out with a million unanswered questions in her head and by the end of class her stress has evaporated and she’s found answers! “I'm able to burn off stress and sort through life subconsciously, strengthening my mind and all while strengthening my body too. Win win!”

When Lindsey’s not jamming and flowing? She is a caretaker at heart. Nurse, mother, animal lover, plant enthusiast, and yogi! “If it’s a living thing - this mother hen needs to care for it!

Certifications & Trainings:
200 RYT- The Bend Academy

TISHA
Tisha started her yoga journey in 2014 when she began to experience mobility issues. She was WAY too young for that nonsense and turned to yoga to see if it could provide her improved movement. She found so much more than that! Not only did her issues disappear, she also fell in love with the yogic philosophy. She went beyond asana and delved deeply into meditation and pranayama as tools for her life. "The kindness to oneself that comes with meditation and pranayama practice continues to shape who I am becoming."
 
Tisha did not originally think that teaching would be in her future. She began her 200 hour training to simply expand her knowledge of yoga and yogic philosophy to help her on her personal journey. However, as she says, "when you are full of the knowledge and the passion, it is nearly impossible to not share or gift this beautiful practice."

Certifications & Trainings:
​200 RYT - The Bend Academy
*300 RYT - My Vinyasa Practice - Michelle Young, C-IAYT (pending)
​Prenatal Yoga Instructor - My Vinyasa Practice - Michelle Young, C-IAYT
Trauma Informed Yoga Instructor - My Vinyasa Practice - Michelle Young, C-IAYT
Yoga Nidra Yoga Instructor - My Vinyasa Practice - Michelle Young, C-IAYT

BRANDI C
Brandi found The Bend Yoga Studio because she was ready to try something new. She started yoga as a way to reduce stress and work out. That decision made history when she enrolled in The Bend Academy.

​Originally her intention was just to gain more knowledge of the activity that she enjoyed so much. Once she finished her training she couldn't  wait to start sharing her passion for yoga. 
​Brand enjoys teaching alignment based yoga and building all parts of her practice mind, body, and spirit. 
 
Certifications & Trainings:
​200 RYT - The Bend Academy
Teaching to the Beginner - The Bend Academy 
Yin Yoga - My Vinyasa Practice - Michelle Young, C-IAYT

Carley
What does a collegiate gymnast do when she retires? Just ask Carley. Carley is a certified personal trainer and Yoga Body trapeze yoga teacher. Carley loves to spend time with her husband and new son Enzo when she isn't hanging upside down on the yoga trapeze or Lyra. 

A learner at heart, Carley is almost finished with her second college degree in sign language. That's right she will be an ASL interpreter. How cool is that? 

Carley loves to hike and is always on the lookout for new trails for her and Enzo to traverse. 

Certifications and Trainings:
Yoga Body Trapeze Certification
*200 Hour Rocket Yoga (in progress)