Our Amazing Teachers

Yuuki is the proud owner of Dou Yoga as well as the co-founder of Suryaside Yoga and  Hosh Yoga. He is the Co-Director and Co-Lead teacher of the 200 hour teacher training program at Dou Yoga. 

In addition to a decade of practice, Yuuki has been teaching since 2008. He completed his 500 hour training with ISHTA Yoga but his thirst for knowledge and passion for the subtle body and energetics has brought him the  Tri-State  College of Acupuncture where he is currently to studying Oriental Medicine to become a licensed acupuncturist.

Yuuki believes in the importance of functional movement and using the breath as a foundation and progression of one’s yoga practice. With his understanding of anatomy, body mechanics, meditation, the breath and the energy that weaves all it together, Yuuki wishes to educate and create an environment of inquiry, healing and growth for his students.

https://www.acupuncturenewrochelle.com/

Anna is a Brooklyn based dancer, astrologer, and yoga teacher. She has been studying and practicing yoga for the past 15 years. Although she initially maintained a yoga practice to complement her dance training, she has come to experience a deep transformation in her life through the subtle and healing aspects of yoga. 

She received her 200 hour yoga certification through Prajna Yoga under the direction of Tias & Surya Little and Djuna Devereaux. Additionally, Anna is a certified pilates mat instructor through Equinox. 

In her classes, Anna prioritizes alignment and creating a practice that feels good for all bodies. She enjoys infusing creativity and movement into her classes to help spark the imagination of her students. Anna is thrilled to continue growing and learning as a part of the Dou community.

Learn more about Anna at groundnspace.com

Vibrant movement has always been an integral part of Carrie’s life; whether through yoga, sports, dance or connecting with the beauty of nature. She is most at peace when moving and living mindfully. 

After a few injuries Carrie began to devote more time to practicing yoga and developing an understanding of benefits a regular practice has, not just for the body, but for the mind as well. In 2017 she decided to deepen her practice by becoming a 200-hr certified yoga instructor. From her first class she absolutely loved it. Sharing her passion for yoga with her students inspires Carrie every day. Teaching has brought her more joy and excitement then she ever could have imagined. 

In her classes she focuses on alignment and functional movement with accessibility of poses for all levels of ability. Along with regular classes at Dou, Carrie also teaches private online and in person classes by request. 

Passionate about sports and wellness, I was initially drawn to yoga through the physical practice of asana. As a runner, regularly participating in competitions, I felt like I needed a complementary practice focusing on stretching, strength, and stillness. I soon came to learn that practicing yoga not only served as an ideal counterpart to running, but that I felt more balanced and calm. 

This intrigued me to deepen my knowledge, completing an immersive 200 hour yoga certification with Shambhala Yoga in Tenerife, Spain, diving deep into different yoga styles, yoga philosophy & history, and the anatomy of the body. As I believe in lifelong learning and have a strong desire to continue to expand my yoga journey, I completed another 300 hours of advanced training in 2022 at Yoga Bliss Lembongan, specializing in Vinyasa, Pre- and Postnatal Yoga. 

My teaching philosophy is based on my personal experiences and beliefs of finding a sense of inner calm, joy and mindfulness while building a strong and resilient body. In my classes, my focus generally lies on creating a well-rounded and balanced flow for all levels, challenging at times but with enough room to unwind and relieve stress, to have fun and find joy in the practice. I am thrilled to be a part of the Dou Community and can't wait to meet you on the mat!

Instagram: all.about.blnc

Website: https://blissful-cschmitzdraeger.wordpress.com/

David is an actor, director and teaching artist who shares his love of acting and theatre in addition to yoga with children and adults alike. David lives in Brooklyn and originally hails from Kentucky, but has called NYC home for more than 20 years.

Drawn to meditation and Buddhism while growing up, David found his true home while training in Prana Yoga under Dr. Jeff Migdow and Priti Robyn Ross. David is also certified to teach children's yoga through Kidding Around Yoga, and HOSH kids yoga.

David brings humor, joy and an eye for detail to his classes, creating a safe space for students to be present and explore their bodies.

I tried Yoga for the first time my freshman year in college. Along with my RA and peers, I followed a guided video in our dorm common room.  I could barely keep up with the number of times we were asked to place more body weight into our hands and bring our hips above our heads. I left, bewildered by how sweaty and challenging it was (and half hoping I'd never be asked to participate again). I promptly forgot the experience once my body stopped aching a few days later. I came back to Yoga in 2016 when one of my dance teachers recommended it as a way to support my dance training. I felt a grounded awakening, a slowing down of my mind, and presence. Yoga and meditation soon became a way for me to get closer to myself.
In 2017, I  completed a 200-hour RYT Vinyasa Yoga teacher training program with JP Centre Yoga. During the training, I studied under Daniel Max, Alana Brennan, Magi Pierce, and Tim Kelleher. I also completed Alana Brennan's mentorship program. I taught at 4 Corners Yoga + Wellness in Dorchester, Massachusetts. I became certified as a Restorative Yoga teacher under Brenna Matthews and Alex Bauermeister (25-hour RYT) in 2020.
Yoga has the capability to ground us, decondition our minds, and bring us closer to ourselves. When I teach, I strive to create a safer and inclusive space in which anyone can access this valuable practice from wherever they are physically and emotionally. I offer ample modifications and tools that students can take with them off the mat after class.

IG: @hanneliis

www.hanneliislarsen.com

As a yoga instructor I teach to the whole person. I believe every individual should and can be successful. And I want yoga to serve a person on and off the mat.

My yoga practice and teaching is influenced by my Quakerism. I believe deeply in the Light that burns bright in every person. I have a strong testimony of simplicity, peace, integrity, community, and equality. I use these tenets as the core of my teaching and believe strongly that our yoga practice must serve us on the mat and in our daily lives as well.

My teaching is also influenced by my extensive professional experiences. I first began my career working with adults with various developmental disabilities. I always wondered if these adults' quality of life would have been improved if intervention work had begun for them as children. This lead me to earn a BA in Early Childhood Education. For over 25 years in the classroom, I bring a whole child approach, teaching to all their interests.

Similarly these early childhood teaching practices I follow, I look at the whole person when instructing my adult and child yoga classes. How do we meet the needs of the whole person, whether in the classroom or on the mat, through asana (physical practice) meditation, mindfulness or Thai massage, while still maintaining a playful mind and heart.

JuAn came to yoga practice like many, in search of a quieter mind. She began her practice about a decade ago while still living in Korea. She moved to New York in 2008 where she has continued her practice and has completed 200 hours of Teacher Training at Yoga People in Brooklyn Heights which drew from Jivamukti and Ishta influences. JuAn has been a teacher at Dou Yoga since May 2017, at which time she completed another 200 hours of teacher training under the amazing guidance of Yuuki, Ariel and David.

Always continuing to deepen her yoga practice, JuAn is very much excited to continue on my yogic journey with the Dou Yoga community who are all completely amazing. 

Kate’s aim, guiding a yoga practice is to create an environment of curiosity and exploration for each person to discover doorways within themselves where there once may have been walls.

Based in Brooklyn, Kate has been practicing yoga for the past 20 years and teaching yoga classes for the past decade. She works with young people K-12 as a yoga and mindfulness facilitator in public schools throughout NYC.

She serves all bodies, ages, and ability levels to adults in studios, online and in 1-1 private sessions with multiple organizations across the country. She earned her first 200 hour yoga teacher training with HOSH Yoga in 2013 and has since taken numerous specialized trainings focusing on: restorative yoga, anatomy, mindfulness based meditation, trauma informed teaching, restorative justice focused facilitation and yoga therapeutics focusing on grief, trauma and holistic mental health.

Most recently, Kate completed a 200 hour yoga therapy training focused on somatic grief and trauma processing through The Grief Support Network and The Center For Somatic Grieving. The immersion into this work has inspired Kate to work toward her 1,000 hour Yoga Therapy accreditation. She is currently enrolled at the Kripalu School of Integrative Yoga Therapy.

Kate is also an artist and musician with a rich background in performing arts and has integrated both of her passions by empowering teachers to connect to their authentic voices combining various vocal, breath and meditation techniques.

Kate is thrilled to be a co-lead of the Dou Yoga 200 hour teacher training and has been teaching at Dou, her “home studio” since 2014.

IG: @Katchee22

Website: Kate-Liberman.com

Kelley received her 200 hr RYT certification from Dan Ward Yoga School in Los Angeles in 2014 and has been practicing for the last ten years. In 2015, she traveled to Sofia, Bulgaria with teachers Dan Ward and Rudy Mettia to participate in the production of streaming yoga classes through Udaya Yoga. Prior to moving to New York, she taught classes at Power Yoga Santa Monica.

As a teacher, Kelley emphasizes safe alignment and rigorous focus in the context of a strong and grounding flow. The yogic texts are foundational to her practice, and she aims to bring their insights into class when appropriate. In yoga, she found the invaluable practice of paying attention to the moment one finds oneself in, and she strives to imbue each class with this equanimity.

Kimo Gray is a staunch humanist and a lifelong student. His classes are friendly, funny, and focused on emotional awareness and creating a sense of community.

He encourages students to use his class as a safe space to release all ego and discover new opportunities, both physical and emotional, for themselves through loving awareness. He completed his 200-hour RYT certification in 2019 with Jewel City Yoga in Brooklyn, NY. To Kimo, yoga is the opportunity to examine our minds, bodies and spirits, “trapped in the amber of the moment”.

Inhale Love. Exhale Love. Leslie teaches from her heart. She guides her students to be present in their bodies through intelligent sequencing and the art of intention. Her classes are a playground for personal growth and self-discovery; helping students to explore the power of the mind, body, Spirit connection. Leslie creates a welcoming, warm, creative space for all-levels to move, breathe, feel and respond.

She has cultivated the healing and transformative benefits of this practice. It continues to empower her to live with intention and integrity, both on and off the mat. 

Leslie is an Experienced 200-HR Registered Yoga Teacher with over 1000 hours of teaching experience. She explored yoga as a teenager to compliment her dance and athletic background. In 2009 she deepened her practice with Forrest Yoga and has been teaching since 2013. She is grateful for her teachers Ana Forrest, Allison English, Heidi Sormaz, Cat Allen, Jill Miller and continues her advanced studies with them. When Leslie is not teaching she lives her yoga through traveling, dancing, cooking, reading, laughing and connecting with nature, people and furry friends. 

Maddie has been drawn to teaching her whole life. As a high school social studies teacher in the New York City public schools, teaching is an integral part of how she interacts with the world.

Maddie’s yoga journey started while living in France and studying with Pascale Petit. Upon returning to New York, she found a home at Bend and Bloom (now Brooklyn Flow) and received her 200-hour teaching training there with Julie Dohrman. After years as a long distance runner, Maddie finds yoga to be a refreshing way to ignite curiosity and challenge her body in subtle and invigorating ways. She brings authenticity and a positive spirit to her teaching practice, and always leaves space for humor.

Michelle Addo-Chajet completed her 200-HR YTT at Abhaya Yoga under the guidance of Tara Glazier, and will earn her RYT® 500 certification when she finishes the 300-HR program in December of 2023. She teaches yoga online, in-person, and via private lessons at several studios throughout Brooklyn. Although she dabbled in yoga during high school, her practice became consistent in 2010 upon moving to NYC - finding the city's numerous donation-based programs a relatively accessible way to explore the city.

As a teacher, Michelle strives to empower students of all backgrounds to explore the nuance and strengths of their physical and subtle bodies through an encouraging, yet technical and challenging practice. With sequences structured around rational progression, students will find an emphasis on alignment and modifications for their unique physicality. As a student, she uses her own practice to apply ahimsa – an accessible way to stay active, participate in a far-reaching, diverse community, and find peace through practice. Indeed, Michelle finds a calling within the dual - internal and external - nature of yoga and the concept of devotion to a collective. (Sutra 2.1: The practice of yoga consists of self-discipline, self-study, and dedication to Self.)

Born and bred in and around Boston, MA, I recently relocted to Brooklyn to shake up my late-pandemic lifestyle! I began doing yoga as a teenager, after I'd left behind my years as a gymnast and ballet dancer and spent most of my time on the ice hockey rink. As an avid athlete, finding a slower and more mindful way to move and stretch my body became the best way to keep my body strong and my mind healthy. I find ways to incorporate my practice into my career as performing artist and youth educator, fostering stillness and breathwork to combat the rat race mentality that most contemporary humans find themselves in. In 2018, I travelled to the island of Koh Phangan, Thailand to complete my teacher training at La Casa Shambala with Micha Albecete. Life is too short to be serious, so my classes incorporate moments of laughter and freedom to experiment and explore, even if/when we fall over or just need to have a good wiggle.

IG: @sgtmarge

Always a student, Polina has immersed herself in the practice of yoga for over 10 years. She studies, practices and teaches yoga around the world. Her unique style, influenced by master teachers in the USA and India, incorporates elements of Vinyasa/Ashtanga, Kundalini,  Himalayan Kriya yoga and Meditation. These practices are designed to awaken practitioners to their highest potential. 

With over 1000 hours of training in different traditions, Polina shares  the teachings from the heart, helping students experience and embody their inner wisdom, strength and grace. 

Polina believes that yoga is the way of living.

An attuned and compassionate teacher, Polina creates space for students at all levels, sharing practices in approachable ways and always encouraging the exploration of the inner world with curiosity and kindness. 

An avid surfer and snowboarder, Polina’s adventurous spirit and love for life infuses all of her yoga classes with joy and enthusiasm

Shieri is a Yoga/Pilates Teacher, Personal Trainer and Self Esteem/Branding coach for Yoga Teachers.

Driven by a transformative personal experience—a foot injury paired with a panic attack— Shieri's journey into the world of yoga and Pilates began. This journey led her to obtain her Pilates certification from the prestigious Kane School of Core Integration. By 2013, she had completed her 200-hour RYT yoga teacher training at Dou Yoga and further deepened her expertise with a 500-hour RYT training under the tutelage of Guta Hedewig at The Yoga School NY in 2018. Her focus and dedication lie in the Krishnamacharya/Desikachar tradition, a lineage of yoga renowned for its adaptability and individualized approach. With a passion for restorative practices, Shieri also undertook specialized training in Restorative Yoga and Yoga Nidra at Ishta Yoga.

Eager to delve even deeper into the roots of the Krishnamacharya/Desikachar lineage, she traveled to the Krishnamacharya Yoga Mandiram in Chennai, India. There, she completed the Jivadhara Intensive Course, enriching her knowledge on subtle anatomy, mastering pranayama and breathing techniques true to the tradition.

Shieri's teachings are imbued with her deep respect for tradition, paired with her own experiences of healing and self-discovery. She seeks to guide her students/clients on a journey that transcends the mat, nurturing body mind, and spirit.

IG: @shieri_shelly_yamafuji

www.shierishellyyamafuji.com