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
Darlene
Darlene is the co-founder of Yoga 1 and life partner to Steve. Mommy to Sammy and Max. Darlene’s classes are welcoming and insightful. She instructs with grace and kindness and loves making yoga available to students of all levels. In addition to her yoga studies, Darlene has done many workshops on improving one’s life and transformation. Darlene’s classes weave an inspiration or intention through them, touching on universal topics and uplifting the whole.
The skinny on Darlene: Darlene keeps her cards close, but don’t be fooled by Darlene’s gentle demeanor. Behind that sweet smile is the woman who is feisty enough to put up with Steve every day. The same goes for class, while there is something for everyone, don’t expect pillow yoga!
Teaching Yoga Since: 2005
Trained in: Anusara Yoga, Itsy Bitsy Yoga
Darlene's Teachers: Christina Sell, John Friend, Jordan Bloom, Betsey Downing
Darlene instructs the following:
•Mixed Level Yoga
Ellie Blue
Ellie Blue is a RYT & Level 2 Certified AcroYoga Teacher. She has a BA in Dance, a Massage Therapy Diploma, and 30+ years experience in Movement Arts. She completed her Yoga Teacher Training at Yoga 1 in 2016 and her AcroYoga Teacher Training with AcroYoga International, Level 1 in Mexico in 2016 and Level 2 in Greece in 2017. Ellie Blue's love of movement arts drew her to the practice of yoga, the symmetry and balance in the body that yoga provides is what led her to become a teacher. Through dance, massage, and yoga training, she has acquired a knowledge of anatomy that easily lends a strong alignment-based style to her classes. And she enjoys choreographing sequences that flow organically from one pose to the next.
Prepare to surprise yourself! She loves to explore variations of poses and find interesting ways to experience the poses more fully.
Teaching Yoga and AcroYoga Since: 2016
Ellie Blue instructs the following:
Mixed Levels, Power Flow,
Vinyasa, Yin and AcroYoga
Emma
RYT 200
Emma is a 200 hour RYT. She was certified at Yoga1 in 2017 with Dr. Steve and Darlene. Emma was an avid golfer her whole life. When she first started yoga in 2015 she didn't realize she could love something as much as she loved golf. Came to find out Emma was a yogi at heart and just fell in love with yoga. When Emma is not on her yoga mat or at work you can find her at the beach, or in her garden.
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 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
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
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.
Rosie
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 hold a Group Fitness Instructor Certification through AFAA, the RYT 200 designation from Yoga Alliance, 300 YTT from YogaRenew, YIN certification from YogaRenew, and has a variety of Zumba licenses.
Rosie is laser focused and committed to brining joy, happiness and mindfulness for those she interacts with
and is the proud owner of Yoga 1.
Trained in: Hatha, Vinyasa and Yin, Circl Mobility, Zumba, Zumba Gold and Zumba Toning
Shazia
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/
Dr. Steve
Dr. Steve teaches with a unique blend of immaculate alignment instruction and uncanny humor, all while creating a safe space for experiential transformation. As a chiropractor, Dr. Steve is very knowledgeable about the body’s structure and function; he has also trained extensively in yoga therapeutics. He is a loving father to Sammy and Mas, and a civically active member of his community in Hollywood, Florida.
The skinny on Dr. Steve: He wants to see you succeed, and is not afraid to encourage you to attain your best. He’s definitely not your mama’s yoga teacher! Come to class ready to laugh and challenge yourself.
Teaching Yoga Since: 1992
Trained in: Anusara Yoga
Dr. Steve’s Teachers: Christina Sell, Betsey Downing, John Friend
Dr. Steve instructs the following:
•Heated Alignment Power Yoga
Victoria
Victoria first started at Yoga1 as a student taking classes and soon joined our team last year. She is a full time student studying International relations and Political Science. She believes it is important to have balance in life, including in her workouts. She loves going to the gym but also takes our gentle, yin, and restorative classes to keep her body in tune. She hasn’t been practicing yoga for long, but can’t imagine her life without it!
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.
New Membership Special
The Fine Print:
*Limit 1 promotion per person- 1st Time Yoga 1 Yogies Only
*Unlimited Yoga and Zumba classes for 30 days
*Classes are non-transferrable/sharable
*Purchase on-line or in-person
*Must be 12+ to participate