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Meet our Certified Teachers

The following individuals have completed our Trauma-Informed Yoga Immersion, and passed a certification exam.

Kaylyn Alexander headshot

Kaylyn Alexander

Kaylyn Alexander is a 200hr yoga and meditation instructor based in New York City. She leads all-levels classes with compassion and authenticity, creating an environment that is warm, nurturing, and supportive. She encourages her students to focus on just one breath at a time as an anchor to the present moment. She believes yoga is for everybody and is passionate about making it accessible to all. Off the mat, Kaylyn can be found by the ocean (or any body of water!), buried in a good book, or hanging with her fluffy white cat, Leonardo "Leo" Da Vinci.

Chanda Creasy headshot

Chanda Creasy

Chanda Creasy, E-RYT 500, has been practicing yoga and mindfulness-based meditation since 1997 and teaching since 2003. She is certified at the 500-hour level with both Shiva Rea and Shri Kali Ashram in Goa, India, and holds a Trauma-Informed Yoga certificate through NYC-based Feet on the Ground. Chanda leads leadership trainings built around the pillars of mindfulness, neuroscience, and emotional intelligence, and she serves as a mentor for the Africa Yoga Project. Chanda teaches at The Studio DC and leads retreats globally, focusing on retreats in Africa. Through her work as an anthropologist and in geopolitics and conflict resolution, Chanda has been inspired by human resilience. She is committed to offering practices, retreats, and trainings that cultivate resilience, strength, and inner peace.

Catherine Dubois headshot

Catherine Dubois

Cat was introduced to yoga in high school and began to practice regularly after she graduated college. She has maintained and deepened her practice through the years. Cat loves the physical benefits of her practice, which have allowed her to develop strength and flexibility. She also deeply appreciates the mental benefits of the practice, which leaves her centered, calm, and aware of herself and those around her. In Cat's classes, you can expect to go through a series of fluid movements with intentional cueing to help you become aware of your body and breath. Cat is also passionate about working with populations who have experienced trauma; she has vast experience working with survivors of sexual violence and communities in post-conflict settings. Cat completed her 200-hour yoga teacher training in 2018 under the leadership of Angela Meyer and Jess Pierno. 

Kayla MacFarlan headshot

Kayla MacFarlan

Kayla is a full-time yoga instructor, teaching at Namastuy Healing Collective in Bed-Stuy, Dou Yoga in Clinton Hill, and to private and corporate clients around New York City. She received her 200hr YTT certification from Laughing Lotus Yoga Center, under the instruction of Ali Cramer and Sheri Celentano. Prior to finding yoga, she trained in classical ballet and modern dance at Tisch School of the Arts at NYU. She has completed trauma-informed yoga trainings through Liberation Prison Yoga (LYP) and Feet on the Ground, and teaches trauma-informed yoga at Rikers Island Correctional Facility once a week on behalf of LYP.

Kayla served with Feet on the Ground as a social media and marketing volunteer from August 2018 through August 2019. She is inspired by Emily and Samara’s passion for this work and feels honored to work beside them.

Macklen Mayse headshot

Macklen Mayse

As an artist and teacher, Macklen seeks joy in the simple parts of life. Poetic movements and quirky humor guide her form of communication. As an encouraging yoga instructor, she creatively weaves insight meditation, anatomical understanding, Viniyoga and Hatha-based asana, with a focus on safe mindful movement. She nurtures an environment in which her students can release, be seen, and open to the inner experience of their radiant potential.

Macklen earned a 200-hour yoga teacher certification from Dou Yoga, under the guidance of Yuuki Hirano and Ariel Kiley. She is a certified Level 1 Yoga Tune Up® Teacher, after completing seventy hours of study. Additionally, she completed eighteen hours of training in Trauma-Informed Yoga with Feet on the Ground. She holds a Masters in Fine Arts from Pratt Institute and a 25-hour Kids Yoga certification from Hosh Yoga. She can often be found playing the harmonium, tooling around on a Raleigh 3-Speed bicycle, or creating found-object sculptural performances.

Gianna Mercaldo headshot

Gianna Mercaldo

Gianna is dedicated to cultivating resilience through self and community care. Gianna completed her 200-hour teacher training at Asana Soul Practice under Meghan Kramer and Celeste Cusamano. She then went on to complete her Trauma-Informed Yoga Training with Feet on the Ground at Yoga to the People in NYC. Gianna has found presence and healing through yoga in her own life and is grateful for the opportunity to share that gift with others.

Gianna seeks to meet students where they are and hold space for all that they are working with as they step onto their mats. Gianna has spent her career serving survivors of human trafficking, domestic violence, sexual abuse, and labor exploitation. She currently manages a crisis intervention and suicide prevention hotline for LGBTQ+ youth. Gianna loves to spend her time camping and hiking with her partner and their incredibly sensitive pitbull, Jack. Gianna’s pronouns are she and they.

Lindsay Monal headshot

Lindsay Monal

Lindsay Monal is a yoga teacher and student based in NYC. She completed her 200-Hour Yoga Teacher Training at Hosh Yoga in Brooklyn, NY under the guidance of Roque Rodriguez and Amy Hansen. Interested in deepening her understanding of yoga, Lindsay completed an additional 18 hours of training in Trauma-Informed Yoga with Feet on the Ground.

Lindsay has experienced the benefits of yoga in her own life, on and off the mat, and hopes to give her students tangible tools for grounding, reflection, and transformation. Her primary intention as a teacher is to support the physical, mental and emotional wellbeing of her students, as they explore the practice in their own bodies and minds. She is grateful for the opportunity to share this practice with the world, especially with those who have not traditionally had access to these teachings.

Lori Rock headshot

Lori Rock

Lori is passionate about breath awareness and the power of the breath – on the mat and off. Chronic pain invited her to yoga in the nineties. A sense of peace and balance kept her coming back, and inspired her to become a teacher in 2006. Since then, she has taught hundreds of students including: at-risk youth, busy professionals, and people who've celebrated many, many birthdays! All with a gentle reminder to let the breath lead.

She specializes in gentle and restorative vinyasa yoga as well as yin and yoga nidra (deep breathing and guided meditation). Lori is a Registered Yoga Teacher (RYT-200) with certification in Trauma-Informed Yoga through Feet on the Ground.

Sara Tumey photo

Sara Tumey

Sara Tumey is a 500hr registered yoga teacher and doula in training. Sara’s teacher philosophy is to teach yoga to empower confidence, honesty and integrity.

Sara completed her 200hr with Three Sisters Yoga and continued on with her 300hr with Yogaworks under Dani Zuccheri. She became certified in the Yogaworks Method under the guidance of Josie Rufty. She also trained with Krissy Shields of Maha Mama for her prenatal certification and with Feet on the Ground for Trauma-Informed Yoga. She is currently enrolled in the Yoga Therapy program with Prema Yoga Institute, studying under Dana Slamp.

For Sara yoga brings a sense of calm and confidence that she did not have prior to practicing. Sara started practicing yoga over ten years ago with a friend as a fun girls's night. Yoga gave her time to unplug from her hectic, stress filled life. It calmed her mind for two hours a week. Knowing what she wanted in life and having the confidence, the courage to stand up for it manifested on her yoga mat. It was her "ah-ha!" moment.

Sara loves sharing yoga with others and currently teaches several online classes each week. Her motto is, “be confident, be honest, build integrity.”