Our Teachers
Bobbie Chase
Bobbie completed her 200-hour yoga teacher certification with the Kunga Yoga School at In Balance Yoga in Blacksburg, Virginia. She is currently working on her 500-hour yoga teacher certification and has already completed training in Bhakti Yoga (the yoga of love and devotion) with Noelle Whittington and also earned a certificate in The Barkan Method Hot Vinyasa Level II-III teacher training. Bobbie’s yogic studies are supported by her previous experience as a competitive athlete, professional educator, and coach. With a Virginia Teaching License for grades 6-12, a personal trainer certification through the American Aerobics Association International (AAAI), and having completed several coaching courses, Bobbie is a lifelong learner, with a grateful, open heart, focused on creating a safe space where people feel supported to learn, grow, and have fun. She loves sharing the union of mind and body in yoga because the yoking of mind and body helps spread joy, strength, love, and peace in our world.
Taylor Cherry
Taylor completed her 200-hour yoga teacher certification through the Kunga Yoga School at In Balance Yoga. Taylor has been practicing yoga for over 10 years, beginning in college in her hometown of Spokane, WA. Taylor is a runner and a nurse and appreciates how the philosophy and physical practice of yoga augments, complements, and provides peace and balance with her active and busy lifestyle. She enjoys teaching with the intention of connecting breath and movement, which helps her bring mindfulness to her life on and off the mat. Taylor hopes to share this philosophy with her students to help them feel connected and empowered in their own practice.
Chris Chittenden
Chris iis the founder of Sweetgrass Yoga and a Kunga-trained teacher who believes yoga is less about performance and more about presence. After a significant neck injury in 2018, she committed more deeply to sustainable movement, meditation, and mindfulness.
Chris primarily teaches Yin and restorative classes, honoring the balance of yin and yang…effort and ease…both on the mat and in everyday life. Her classes invite curiosity, spaciousness, and self-trust, encouraging students to slow down and listen inward.
Off the mat, she loves deepening her meditation practice, reading, traveling, and spending time with family and dear friends.
Maria Flaccavento
Maria is a Licensed Professional Counselor in the Blacksburg area and online in the state of Virginia. She was born and raised in southwest VA and completed her 200-hour YTT in hatha and vinyasa at Amrita Yoga in Philadelphia in 2016. Since then she has gone on to complete trainings in Yin, Restorative and Trauma-Informed yoga as well as Somatic Healing. Maria strives to offer a practice environment that is curious, encouraging, playful and safe, with lots of options for challenge along the way. Sequencing is informed by the principles of ayurveda and always invites you to choose what’s right for you and your practice.
Sarah Gibbs
Sarah has practiced yoga for over 20 years and deepened her path during the pandemic, eventually completing her teacher training with a mentor she deeply resonated with. Rooted in both yoga and the natural world, her teaching invites presence, resilience, and wholeness. Alongside yoga, Sarah is a certified Permaculture Designer and herbalist-in-training with a lifelong connection to plants and healing.
Today, Sarah’s teaching draws from both yoga and the natural world, inviting presence, resilience, and wholeness on and off the mat.
Lauren Lucas
Lauren is RTY200 certified teacher with Yoga Alliance through the Kunga Yoga School, completing her certification through In Balance Yoga in November 2021. Lauren has been practicing since 2010 when she realized not only the physical benefits of a yoga practice but also the improvements to her own mental health. She now works to share the benefits of yoga in her professional life, in the community mental health world, as well as with friends and family. When she isn’t practicing yoga she enjoys traveling, engaging in a variety of outdoor adventures, gardening, and spending time with her husband and their cats. Join Lauren for playful flows with a lovely mix of effort and ease.
Lisa Machi
Lisa is a yoga instructor, meditation facilitator, and Reiki practitioner. Her approach to yoga is one of service that unites mind, body, and spirit. She offers a gentle style of yoga that incorporates meditation and breath work with a focus on stress reduction and calming the nervous system.
Lisa enjoys teaching Yin and Restorative styles of Yoga as well as chair yoga and has a passion for making yoga accessible to all.
- August 2024: 200 Hr YTT Kunga Yoga School at In Balance Yoga, Blacksburg VA
- August 2024: Yin Yoga Certification- Bodshere Health and Wellness Yoga Teacher Training, online
- August 2024: Restorative Yoga Certification- Inspire Movement Coaching, Amanda Lawford MA online
- July 2023: Meditation Teacher Certification- Priority Academy, Graham Nicholas, online
- June 2023: Reiki Level 1,2, Master/Teacher Certification , Traditional Usui Reiki- Lisa Powers online
Chelsea McCreight
Chelsea, RYT 200, discovered yoga when she moved to the New River Valley 8 years ago. Tired of aggravating old sports injuries through traditional exercise, she quickly fell in love with yoga and gentle, compassionate movement. Inspired by her friend Kady, Chelsea completed a Yoga Teacher Training program in 2021. Since then, she has been committed to teaching body-positive classes filled with laughter and killer playlists. Her favorites classes to teach are Slow Flow, Hatha, and Athletic Recovery.
Chelsea currently works at Virginia Tech and lives in Christiansburg with her husband and 70-pound lapdog. When she isn’t in the studio, she enjoys reading, going to local breweries with her friends, and ridiculously long trips to Aldi.
Cortney Mosholder
Cortney started her yoga journey in 2011 and in 2023 completed her 220 hr RYT training with Yoga-Mojo in Cary, North Carolina. She believes yoga is an incredible gift that helps to align the head, heart and body and guides us home to our own inner light. Cortney’s goal with sharing the practice is to help students connect to their own magic through breathe and a powerful practice that offers strength building and mindfulness. She has a passion for teaching Vinyasa and Hatha, and continues to study different styles for future offerings. Off the mat you can catch her hiking with her dog, trying out a new local brews and spreading laughter where she goes. She looks forward to meeting you on the mat.
Diana Shippee
RYT200 & Aerial yoga basics level one.
Diana completed her RYT 200 and Aerial yoga basics in 2021. She completed the Kunga Yoga School 200RYT.
Instructed by Nicole LaFon, Lisa Pelanne, Aaron Richards, & Erin Nuckols.
Aerial yoga certification through FlyDog Yoga, instructed by Eliza Whiteman.
Diana teaches yoga flow, restorative yoga, aerial yoga basic, and restorative aerial yoga. Her passion is helping others find peace and joy within their practice. She enjoys making yoga accessible to all ages and body types.
Athena Spencer
Athena is a RTY200 certified teacher with Yoga Alliance through the Kunga Yoga School, completing her certification through In Balance Yoga. She has been practicing yoga since 2016; initially drawn to the mat to boost flexibility and support her endurance running, she soon discovered yoga's profound ability to quiet her mind and provide a space for stillness. Athena believes yoga's infinite adaptability makes it accessible to all bodies. She delights in seeing students embrace different variations-or entirely different postures-during her class, as she knows they are listening to their bodies. Off the mat, you'll find her running the Huckleberry, lost in a good book or soaking up time outdoors. Join Athena for flows that blend effort and ease, offering a range of options to suit everyone.
