Instructors and Support Team
Alex
Alexandra "Alex" Ramirez is a non-profit leader, mental health advocate, and E-RYT200/RYT500 yoga instructor in the South Florida community.
Since 2017, she has woven her spunky and authentic personality into trauma-sensitive teachings across yoga studios, substance-use treatment centers, schools, homeless shelters, senior centers, and more.
She’s trained in Trauma-Informed Yoga, Children’s Yoga, Yoga Nidra, Yoga for Athletes and Adaptive Yoga. She leads with compassion and creatively brings her students back into connection with Mind and Body. Alex’s journey to the mat comes from her own struggles with anxiety, depression, and substance-use, and she has vowed to share the healing tools of the yoga practice as a way to cultivate self love, resilience, and ultimately community.
Cathie
RYT 200
Cathie feels blessed to be able to combine her love of teaching (taught in the schools as a Speech Pathologist for 35 years and is still teaching at Nova Southeastern University) with her love of Yoga. Although Cathie discovered Yoga “later in life,” she acknowledges that many prior activities- including playing tennis, running, and weight lifting, have led her to this “perfect place!” When the first Yoga 1 teacher training was offered by Dar and Steve, Cathie seized the opportunity and feels it was one of the best decisions of her life (second to marrying Ricky, her husband of 48 years, of course!) She was hired to teach “Gentle” Yoga the week that she turned 70, making that “milesetone” birthday all the sweeter!
The skinny on Cathie: nicknamed “Chatty Cathie” for a reason, she loves to talk…… but she’s a great listener as well. Inversions are her passion…. She can even talk while upside down!
Teaching Yoga Since: 2014
Trained in: Hatha yoga
Cathie’s Teachers: Dr. Steve and Darlene Feinzig
Cathie instructs the following:
•Gentle Yoga
Kim
Kim is an original member of our Yoga 1 community. As her interest in yoga grew in the early years, she expanded her practice by completing teacher training with master teachers Jordan Bloom, Christy Nones McKenzie, and Peter Barber. Kim continues to grow her yoga practice by practicing with and learning from many skilled yoga teachers in our South Florida yoga community and beyond.
Kim leads a challenging, yet approachable, and thoughtfully-sequenced flow class, with an emphasis on alignment, breath, balance, and building strength and flexibility. She weaves life-affirming themes into her classes, along with a hint of yoga philosophy, a dollop of inspiration, and a pinch of humor. Kim invites you to “come as you are and leave feeling better.”
Kim’s Teachers: Jordan Bloom, Christy Nones McKenzie, and Peter Barber
Kim instructs the following:
•Mixed Levels Yoga •Power Flow Yoga
Kristin
RYT 200
Kristin started practicing yoga in 2011 and loves the emotional and spiritual aspects as much as the physical elements of yoga. For years people would tell Kristin that she could become a yoga teacher, so when Steve and Darlene offered Teacher Training in 2017, she decided that would be her 60th birthday gift to herself!
Kristin loves the history, philosophy, anatomy and Sanskrit she learned, as well as the strengthening and deepening of her physical practice. She truly appreciates the support of all the Yoga 1 teachers and students in her ongoing yoga journey.
Teaching Yoga Since: 2018
Trained in: Hatha yoga
Kristin’s Teachers: Dr. Steve and Darlene Feinzig
Kristin instructs the following:
•Gentle Yoga •Livestream Gentle Yoga •Restorative Yoga •Yin Yoga
Laura
Laura parle français
Laura has been teaching yoga since 2008, and is certified in various forms of practice including hatha, hot yoga, vinyasa, yin, mindfulness and meditation. Her love for yoga started as a child, and remains a part of her approach to living mindfully with compassion every day. Laura's other loves include acting, dance, baking, travelling, her family and her two dogs, Kai and Frankie.
Mari
Mari Marrero is a registered yoga teacher (RYT 200) trained in Hatha Mindful Alignment by Yoga One in Hollywood, Fl.
She has been practicing yoga since 2012, and her journey with cancer inspired her to share her passion for holistic wellness through yoga, nutrition, meditation, and Ayurveda.
Her yoga classes focus on foundation alignment, breath, and meditation.
As a breast cancer survivor, she believes in the power of yoga to begin a healing process that comes from deeply understanding your body, mind, and spirit connection.
Mari creates a safe and inspiring practice that elevates the quality of life for those who want to improve their overall health.
Mari is also trained as:
- Holistic Health Coach certified by the Institute of Integrative Nutrition.
- Ayurvedic Lifestyle Instructor certified by the Chopra Center.
- Meditation Instructor, certified by the Chopra Center.
Currently instructing:
Yoga Basics
Mariella
Mariella is a passionate 11th grader with a love for photography, yoga and extra golden doodle- Samson. As her family’s in-house photographer, Mariella has an eye for capturing the beauty in every moment. With a heart full of enthusiasm, she embraces the art of yoga and is excited to embark on her own journey as a yoga instructor.
Mariella’s warm and friendly nature makes her a natural at connecting with others.
Maura
Maura Holland will be our front desk support on Tuesday and Thursday evenings.
Maura has a true passion for the Florida Panthers hockey team. Her love of exercise began as a 6 year old where she began gymnastics and cheerleading. In her spare time she enjoys reading and traveling to new places.
Maura has two dogs Koda and Stella and eventually would want to become a yoga instructor and further her practice
Maya
Maya has been a part of the Yoga 1 community as our front desk receptionist since 2020. Her love for yoga and meditation comes from an academic background in Religious Studies. With a BA and MA in Religious Studies, her research focuses on mysticism and spiritual healing within numerous religious traditions. Maya's literacy in Sanskrit and yogic philosophy gives her a deep appreciation for yoga's spiritual and philosophical roots. She loves reading, connecting with nature, and listening to music.
Michele
E-RYT 500 & YACEP
Michele is a native New Yorker who loves to cultivate her artistic and creative core with the spiritual and meditative teachings of yoga. Her two top character traits include, “Learner” and “Achiever”, as she truly enjoys being a student, almost as much as teaching and sharing yoga. After twenty years as a media- marketing professional in the corporate sector, Michele opted to use her business savvy and solid interpersonal skills to cross over into the healing realm that yoga provides. She received her RYT 200 certification in “Hatha Mindful Alignment” from Yoga 1 in 2014, with her teachers Dr. Steve and Darlene Feinzig, and her RYT 300 advanced yoga training, as part of “The Alchemy of Flow and Form”, from the San Marcos School of Yoga, with Christina Sell and Gioconda Parker, in 2017. Most recently, she has completed her E-RYT 500 hour accreditation, and has received certifications for: Yoga for First Responders | Kidding Around Yoga (KAY – kids yoga) | Y Medica - for students undergoing Breast Cancer Treatment | Yoga Nidra | Yin Yoga - with Master Paulie Zink, and later this year will study with Bernie Clark. Her teaching style fosters a safe and supportive class environment for students to develop and practice yoga at any level. She continuously works to provide a class balance that utilizes solid foundation and alignment with modifications and progressions, allowing students to “deepen” their practice, as they see fit. Her goal is for students to leave every class – smiling and feeling great.
Michele holds a B.S. degree in Marketing from New York University – Stern School of Business, and is an avid animal rights advocate, who works with local and national rescue groups.
Monica
Monica (she/they) has recently moved back to Florida after living in Atlanta/Macon since 2017. She is currently in her renaissance period of studying the healing arts, having spent a decade in environmental/humanitarian engineering. Monica is on a personal journey to discover the powers of yoga, meditation, and qi gong as tools to overcome severe career burnout, grief, disability, and losses in her life. She is a sports & outdoors enthusiast who thoroughly enjoys bouldering, cycling/biking, hiking, and more! She has lived a vegan lifestyle since 2018.
MusTafa
MusTafa has over 15 years of practice experience, his extensive yoga training started in California and continued in Florida. He completed his 200 YTT at I Love Yoga in 2018.
He is born in Germany, originally from Turkey, living in South Florida for 25 years, He is blessed with a wonderful daughter, Layla. His specialty is Vinyansa and Hot Yoga. He believes in Play Explore Love in Life with harmony.
Feel free to drop into any of his all levels classes for a unique, balanced yoga experience and connect in Joy.
MusTafa creates a unique environment for vinyasa which allows for exploration of the body through movement. You will be guided by a dynamic flow sequence in coordination with the breath.
Hot Yoga- Yoga modality which takes place in a hot room where you can push your body to desire limits through a vinyasa inspired flow. Come in and enjoy the connection with your inner self.
Rosie
RYT500
Rosie’s fitness career began as a teenager instructing an assortment of dance classes in high school and continued through college while earning her degree in Modern Dance. She spent the next 20+ years in commercial aviation holding various leadership positions and earning her BSBM from the University of Phoenix. With each promotion came less and less fitness and self-care in her daily routine.
Then came Covid! Like millions of others around the world, the slow-down allowed Rosie to take time to gain perspective. Rosie has set out to make it a mission to make a difference through mindfulness, health and fitness. As such she now holds a Group Fitness Instructor Certification through AFAA, YIN and Restorative Certifications from YogaRenew, and has a variety of Zumba licenses.
Rosie is laser focused and committed to bringing joy, happiness and mindfulness for those she interacts with
and is the proud owner of Yoga 1.
Certified in: Hatha, Vinyasa, Restorative and Yin Yoga as well as Licensed in: Zumba®, CIRCL Mobility™, Zumba Gold ®, Zumba Toning®, and Plate by Zumba®
Shazia
اردو زبان
हिन्दी बोल सकते हैं।
MBA, RYT500, E-RYT500, C-IAYT (Certified Yoga Therapist)
Yoga Teacher, Yoga Therapist, Ayurvedic Practitioner, Meditation Teacher. Author of “Alchemy of Ayurvedic Cookery”.
A life-long yogini and meditator, Shazia started teaching yoga in 2005. With 800 hours of training in classical Hatha, Integrative Yoga Therapy, “Yoga of the Heart” - Cardiac and Cancer Yoga Therapy, Yin Yoga & Mindfulness Meditation Training from Insight Yoga, and E-RYT500 (Experienced Registered Yoga Teacher who has taught at least 2000 hours of yoga), Shazia brings almost 2 decades of experience in Hatha yoga, restorative, gentle, yin, yoga therapy, senior yoga, chair yoga, mindfulness and meditation. As an experienced yoga therapist, she works with chronic conditions like digestive problems, heart conditions, BP, Asthma, mood management (anxiety, depression), migraines, insomnia, pain-management as well as with structural/physical issues like back pain, hips, spine, alignment, arthritis, scoliosis, sciatica etc. She is also trained in Yoga of the Heart”® Cancer and Cardiac Yoga Therapy program (Dr Dean Ornish program for reversing heart disease).
Shazia is also an Ayurvedic Practitioner and Ayurvedic chef with 1000 hours training in Ayurveda, and author of “Alchemy of Ayurvedic Cookery”.
Learn more about Shazia at http://shazyogaayurveda.com/
Sophie
Sophie parle français
Sophie aspires to help those around her in a more balanced lifestyle, bring peacefulness and inner harmony in our busy life and challenging times. She has the enthusiasm and desire to share some of her tools: Sound and vibrational therapy and Qigong Flow practice.
Her path in energy work started 17 years ago with a strong foundation in Ayurveda (Ayurvedic Lifestyle Coaching and Ayurvedic Dietetics) she also received the 200 hour certification in Kundalini Yoga in 2012.
Suffering from a neck injury she started to look for gentle therapies and softer practices. She discovered the sound and vibrational therapy using tuning forks on acupuncture points and experienced their profound effects. Shortly after she became a practitioner (Acutonics) and combined this therapy with a variety of sound healing instruments. She has been leading private and group sound journeys since 2015.
Naturally she expanded her knowledge in TCM (Traditional Chinese Medicine) and energy work practicing Qigong: a safe practice for all, combining gentle movements with conscious breath to cultivate our life force energy (Qi) and allow it to circulate smoothly throughout our body and energy fields. She discovered Qigong in 2019 and “fell in love” with the practice. Since then she has been practicing on a daily basis, studying and teaching it, to become certified in 2022. Qigong flow has become her core practice as she has experienced its benefits in her daily life. She is excited to share with others this practice that is becoming more and more popular but that is not yet well-known. Truly a practice to discover and experience!
Besides her knowledge in yogic breathing techniques, Sophie learned Buddhism and Daoist breathwork, and was also certified as a Conscious Connected Breath (CCB) facilitator in 2023. CCB is a specific breathing technique to help release energies that no longer serve us and connect with our True Self, our inner wisdom.
Sophie is inviting you to a journey of learning, practicing and experiencing through sound healing therapy and Qigong practice: When balance and harmony set in, it results in a sense of well-being and peacefulness, it enables our self healing abilities!
Meet Tia
Tia is currently in training here at Yoga 1 to learn the upward and downward dog. She loves meeting new people and chasing her small ball.
Hispanic Heritage All Levels Spanish Class
Sunday September 24 at 12:15
This class will be taught entirely in Spanish with Latin Music to experience some of the rhythms and melodies that represent the heart and soul of Hispanic culture.
We'll flow through gentle yoga poses and stretches that will leave you feeling connected and inspired with a community that celebrates diversity, unity and culture.