Meet Your Instructors

  • I remember vividly when I discovered yoga. It was New Year's Eve 2008, the year my father died.

    Through my yoga practice, I grieved. I also uncovered a sense of groundedness and inner peace that led to a profound shift in my self-talk and perception of the world around me.

    After 17 years as a dedicated yoga student, I embarked on my formal yoga journey, again at a turning point in my life. Feeling depleted, I chose to begin prioritizing myself—my self-love revolution.

    In nine months, I transformed through yoga, mindfulness, and meditation. I lost over 100 pounds, ended my 19-year marriage, and quit my job of 14 years. This journey led me to joyfully enroll in and graduate from the Awake To My Soul Yoga Teacher Training program in Spring 2025.

    Over the years, I have practiced yoga with many different body sizes. I am deeply passionate about making yoga accessible to all bodies and experience levels. I've learned that showing up authentically, AS WE BE, is the greatest gift we can give ourselves. As your instructor, I envision co-creating a practice where we all feel seen, valued, and empowered.

    I believe in empowerment through evolution. I embrace yoga as a daily act of self-love that nurtures the mind, body, and soul. When prioritizing our well-being, we are better equipped to support our communities and the world.

    I invite you to step onto your mat just as you are—perfectly you. Whatever your size, mood, or clothes, you are. Welcome. Join us. Be.  

  • I started my yoga practice 10 years ago, hoping it would help my creaky back and sedentary lifestyle. The asana poses definitely helped, but there was more: feelings of gratitude, balance, and stillness in the face of adversity, and I became a life-long student. As an instructor, my foremost goal is to create a secure and inclusive environment for individuals at any stage of their yoga journey. My classes embody a blend of both effort and ease, ensuring an invigorating and enjoyable experience for all students.

    Outside of practice, I enjoy spending time with my partner Sarah and our pets in our Detroit Shoreway home. Favorite activities are biking, traveling and volunteering in the community.

    My Teachers: Theresa Gorski, Laurie Myers, Becky Verner, Jen Gomez, and Sara Syed

  • Developer of THE SCHATZ METHOD™

    “There is something tremendously rewarding about helping people be well and empowering them to live healthy lives.”

    Gina Schatz is a Nationally Board Certified massage & bodywork therapist licensed in New York, Ohio and California with a liberal arts BA in physical science and psychology. Gina is also a Registered Yoga Teacher & approved continuing education provider. While in Cleveland, Gina was director and creative mind behind Cleveland’s first integrated wellness clinic.

    In 1993, Gina started and still is the owner of her own successful private practice. The Schatz Method emerged in response to her clinical experience as a way to specialize in integrating the whole person through tailored treatment and education that achieve balance and well-being centered on postural excellence. After receiving a Massage Therapy degree, Gina obtained a self designed undergraduate degree that included graduate level pathophysiology, biomechanics and extensive anatomy and physiology.

  • “Having struggled with mental health issues my entire adult life, and having trained and practiced numerous types of yoga, Kundalini Yoga is like medicine for my mind. It has been essential to maintaining my mental health.”

    I (Annapurna Devi / Devta Kaur), LMT, E-RYT 500, have been a wellness professional since 1986, and am guided by my lifelong dedication to the balance and harmony of mind, body, and spirit – the holistic self. My intuition, enthusiasm, and creativity have been bolstered by my many teachers and from my beloved gurus, including Shirdi Sai Baba, Sathya Sai Baba, Amma Sri Karunamayi, Mother Meera, Paramahansa Yogananda and Osho. My mantra in life is inspired by Sai Baba’s message: “Love All! Serve All!”

    I am a certified Kundalini yoga teacher and the creator of “STAY SANE with Kundalini Yoga” a program that includes specific meditations, exercises (kriyas), and support groups to promote optimal mental health.

    My classes are rooted in Bhakti Yoga – the path of devotion. I combine a focus on the spiritual as well as the physical. All bodies and levels of practice are welcome and encouraged to practice and explore.

  • Since my early days, right out of yoga teacher training 12 years ago, my focus has been on beginners—introducing them to the practice of yoga AND the intricacies of anatomy, and how the body moves during yoga. Initially, I started practicing yoga for its physical benefits, but over time, it transformed into a mental and spiritual practice. As my body ages, I’ve shifted fully into teaching optimally aligned yoga so all bodies can move freely and without pain. Which in turn clears the mind and allows for spiritual growth.

    My Vision is for all people to be empowered in their bodies and thrive in their lives.

    My Mission is teaching mindful, optimal movement and providing bodywork.

    My Teachers: Jason Crandell, Sharon Gannon & David Life, Sharon Salzberg, Gina Schatz, Marni Task.