Core Leadership & Instructors

E-RYT 200, YACEP, RCYT, MAT in Teaching, Radiant Child Yoga Ambassador

Brigitte was introduced to yoga at an early age by her father who used to do headstands and sun salutations in their backyard. As an adult, Brigitte was drawn to practice yoga and found that it brought strength, balance, and an overall sense of well-being into her life. In 2006, she completed her YTT and has been teaching yoga ever since. In addition to teaching adults, Brigitte is passionate about bringing yoga to children of all ages. She has trained extensively with Radiant Child Yoga and is a qualified Ambassador Trainer and a Registered Children's Yoga Teacher with Yoga Alliance. Since 2006, she has taught yoga to hundreds of children in studios, schools, and after school programs.

A long-time educator, Brigitte holds a MAT in teaching from George Washington University and has worked as a Kindergarten teacher, an art teacher, and museum educator. Currently, Brigitte works with the National Gallery of Art's Art Around the Corner program, a collaborative program with DC Public Schools that brings elementary students to the museum five times in their school year to experience art, slow-looking, art-making, and artful thinking. Brigitte is passionate about bringing yoga to adults and children of all ages, and encourages her students to discover how their practice can build inner strength, calm, focus and flexibility both on and off their mat.

Licensed Professional Counselor, PhD, LPC, Certified Radiant Child Yoga Instructor Diana is a psychotherapist specialized in early childhood. For over 18 years she has helped young children, parents, educators and administrators to enhance emotional health and decrease challenging behaviors; through her trainings, coaching and therapy (based on art, play and mindfulness). She is an art therapist, doctor in counseling, licensed counselor in Virginia, certified Pyramid Model trainer and coach, certified in Theraplay (L1), and Infant Mental Health Specialist, IMH-E® in Virginia (L3). She has conducted research and published articles and book chapters with the goal of making therapeutic interventions accessible to minority populations. She taught as adjunct faculty in the counseling art therapy programs of George Washington University.

RYT 200 - Radiant Child & Family Yoga Instructor

Eunice has worked with children and the elderly population for over 20 years in the healthcare field, rehabilitation, support services for high-risk populations, and early childhood education in both teaching and administrative roles. She has volunteered locally and in impoverished communities overseas as a promoter of community building and wellness.

As a 200-hour yoga instructor and certified children's yoga educator, Eunice continues to combine her experience, her compassion for the lives of others, and her love of working with children and adults to teach them tools for building a healthy and happy life. Being a mom of three young children provides many opportunities for her to put her skills and knowledge to practice on a regular basis, and is a humble reminder of our dual roles as teacher and lifelong learner.

MA Biology, Certified Children’s Yoga Instructor

Farah began practicing yoga in her early teens after discovering it on daytime television during a school break. Farah continued to practice yoga throughout university, her Master's degree in Biology and while teaching preschool. Her love for yoga spread to her family, motivating her to train as a kid's Budding Yogis yoga and mindfulness teacher at Circle Yoga in Washington DC. A mom to three, certified labor doula and childbirth educator and amateur anything crafty, Farah tries to incorporate mindfulness and good intentions in all aspects of her life. Her teaching experience ranges from toddlers to middle school ages at yoga studios, public and private schools and exclusive sessions at specialty programs. Bilingual, Farah also teaches classes in Arabic. She combines storytelling, music, imagination and movement allowing even the youngest of yogis to blossom and grow.

RYT-200, IKYTA Yoga Therapy Certification, Certified Children's Yoga Instructor

Jenny has been teaching yoga to children in the NOVA area for 2 years. She works with children of all ages and abilities. Jenny is working with Create Calm as a mentor to teens and leads children's classes. She is passionate about bringing yoga to students, teachers, families, children, and parents in hopes to bring a deeper community connection in both schools and home environments. In her free time you can find her at the gym, in the woods, doing DIY projects, or enjoying time with her husband, four kids, and many animals.

Certified Yoga Educator, Personal Trainer, Cancer Exercise Specialist and Energy Healer with a degree from Howard University where she studied Art and Journalism

Julie entered the Wellness Industry in 2003 with the goal of helping people feel better mentally, spiritually and physically. In 2010, she expanded her wellness practice into the Yoga Space and began teaching full time in 2014.

For a decade, Julie has gained the reputation of teaching classes that are not only fun, but are also educational. She has a history of building a strong yoga community that is steeped in integrity, curiosity and laughter.

E-RYT 200, Level 2 (500 Hours), Kundalini Research Institute certified, Radiant Child, Level 1-3

Katalin has been a yoga teacher for more than 15 years. Kati has practiced, studied and taught a rainbow of yoga traditions including hatha, vinyasa, and Iyengar. Through her yoga journey, she has developed her own unique teaching style that focuses on connection to the breath and attention to alignment. She addresses the individual needs of each of her students, creating a challenging but safe environment to help guide everyone through the physical, emotional and spiritual dimensions of yoga. Kati studied under the guidance of teachers including Annie Carpenter, Shiva Rea, Sarah Powers and Dharma Mittra. Kati has a deep commitment to the practice of Kundalini yoga, and is a Level Two Certified Instructor by the Kundalini Research Institute (KRI). She has also studied yoga therapy with Mukunda Stiles and completed an in-depth course on Ayurveda.  In addition to private clients, she teaches at local yoga studios, corporations and government agencies including the National Institutes of Health.

Kati was born and raised in Budapest, Hungary. She began her career at MTV, the Hungarian national television broadcasting organization, buying and producing documentary programming. She later moved to the United States and from 1993 to 2016, worked at Leadership Montgomery in Rockville, Maryland. As Program Director, she was responsible for designing and implementing a leadership training program for more than 120 participants each year. She wrote and edited the organization's newsletter and Annual Report, and managed the annual fundraising gala.

Katherine came to yoga a little over twenty years ago when pregnant with her first child. She appreciates the physical, mental and spiritual benefits of practicing yoga and is now teaching others to cultivate their own yoga practice. In 2018, she earned her RYT-200 certification from Sky House Yoga in Silver Spring, MD. Earlier this year, Katherine became certified as a Radiant Child Yoga Teacher, Level 1-2. She jumped right into working with middle school students and greatly enjoyed watching students find some relaxation and a sense of peace after a full day of school. She's a big fan of young children, too! Katherine has been working with, and on behalf of, young children and their families for many years in a variety of capacities: literacy volunteer, program director, data collector and professional development provider. Katherine enjoys merging her love of working with young children with her passion for wellness.

Certified Radiant Child Yoga Instructor, B.S. in Communications Laurie understands the importance of movement in a child's life, along with finding quiet and mindful moments to help students become centered and calm. Laurie is a busy Mom of three. She hopes that her students will find strength, confidence and kindness through her yoga practice.

Certified Radiant Child Yoga Instructor, Licensed Holistic Esthetician, Reiki Level 1, BA Psychology and Business

Lindsey's biggest passion in life is helping people feel healthy and radiant from the inside out. She has spent nearly a decade working in the wellness industry, most recently as a Holistic Esthetician, and her experience combines eastern methods with modern science to help bring positive change. Throughout her career, Lindsey has worked one-on-one with clients of all ages to create a safe space to relax, rejuvenate, and find inner peace and strength. Through her personal yoga practice, Lindsey has felt more aligned, empowered, grounded and happy. She was inspired to train as a children's yoga teacher after seeing the benefits of mindfulness and movement in her own two sons.

Certified Radiant Child Yoga Instructor, Reiki Master

Lynne has been a practicing Dental Hygienist for over 30 years. 15 years ago, Lynne started practicing yoga and decided to start sharing her love for yoga with her granddaughter in 2016. She began formally teaching children's yoga in 2018 and started teaching yoga in the school settings. Lynne has a special interest in teaching children in grades K-6. She also enjoys sharing tools and techniques with those who work with and care for children. Lynne focuses on practical, relevant and integrative healing modalities to support children and youth in affirming their greatness.

Monya is a certified yoga therapist who began her yoga journey 15 years ago.  She believes in the capacity for healing and transformation in yoga and is dedicated to bringing a unique yoga experience to her students.  She views yoga as the perfect antidote for depression, anxiety, trauma and many other physical and mental barriers to achieving a fulfilling life.  In addition to teaching yoga to adults of all ages and mobility levels, Monya teaches yoga to teens and pre-teens and incorporates yoga and mindfulness in her clinical practice.  When not taking or teaching a yoga experience, Monya practices as a licensed psychologist in Maryland and works with middle and high school students with emotional disabilities.

200 hour Vinyasa, Certified Radiant Child Yoga Instructor

Samar is a first grade teacher and certified special educator with Montgomery County Public Schools. She values the importance of practicing compassion and connecting awareness in the body and mind through her yoga practice. Her love for yoga blossomed during her first year of teaching while concurrently working on her masters in special education. The practice has taught her many lessons, but the most meaningful lesson to her has been how to breathe through challenges that come up during everyday life. She wanted to pass this practice on to her students, hoping to create a mindful and compassionate classroom community. Samar completed her 200-hour vinyasa teacher training in 2017 and the Radiant Child Yoga (levels 1&2) teacher training in 2018. Not only does her passion come from the techniques that Samar teaches, but the lessons taught to her by her students.

MS, Industrial Organizational Psychology, Certified Radiant Child Yoga Instructor

Siji received his B.A in Psychology from the University of Maryland Baltimore County, and went on to receive his M.S in Industrial Organizational Psychology from the University of Missouri Science and Technology. He uses that expertise to bring quality across Create Calm's programming. Throughout his college years he worked with children and teens in varying capacities primarily through the Montgomery County Recreation Department. As a physically active adult, Siji grew increasingly interested in yoga and the benefits it offers in overall health, then he received his certification to bring yoga to children and teens.

RYT-200, Certified Children's Yoga Instructor

Suzy has been teaching yoga for three years and taught middle school for 30 years in Arlington County working with second language learners. She is a certified Kundalini Yoga teacher and Radiant Child yoga instructor. Suzy enjoys working with pre-teen and teenage students to help them use the tools of yoga to face life's challenges and be successful. In her free time, she loves to be on the water kayaking or stand up paddling. She is a literacy tutor in Anne Arundel County and teaches English as a second language in Annapolis.