OUR TEAM

Yoga/Wellness Training & Experience: 

• 200 Hour Certified Yoga Teacher and B4C Graduate
• Veteran B4C trainer!
• Special Education Coordinator at St. Hope Leadership Academy

Commitment to the B4C mission: I am all about inclusion and social justice! It is through the yoga practice that I have learned what acceptance and integration truly mean

Fun Fact! Honestly, there is no better food than french fries.

Yoga/Wellness Training & Experience:

• 500 E-RYT, Effiji Breath Facilitator, Ayurvedic Practitioner, Life Coach

Commitment to the B4C mission:

•  My life’s work is to empower communities by creating access to wellness practices that increase efficacy, gumption, and resilience. 

3 Fun Facts!

• I play the cello, the piano, and guitar!

Yoga/Wellness Training & Experience: 

• E-RYT 500 Hour Yoga Teacher and Trainer
• Teaches at Y7 in NYC
• Veteran B4C Trainer!

Commitment to the B4C mission: Yoga is so much more than the physical practice, but the physical practice is so often the way in. It is my goal to help create teachers who honor and respect yoga as a whole practice, while having the knowledge and tools to keep all bodies safe and included.

3 Fun Facts! 

1) Hash browns are the only good breakfast potatoes.

2) I am a terrible driver.

3) My Spotify most-played artist every year since 2016 has been the Original Broadway Cast of Hamilton.

Yoga/Wellness Training & Experience: 

• 200 Certified Hour Yoga Teacher and B4C Graduate
• Veteran B4C trainer!
• Middle School Educator

Commitment to the B4C mission: I am committed to supporting educators in prioritizing self care and making this practice accessible to all communities.

3 Fun Facts! 

1) My album “Breakthrough” is on Spotify.

2) Potatoes are my favorite food.

3) The beach is my favorite place to be.

Yoga/Wellness Training & Experience: Karla Huffman is an international Yoga instructor and cultural influencer who has lead yoga teacher trainers and taught vinyasa flow throughout the United States and beyond its borders. She has a relaxed and focused style that encourages her students to not only pursue the deepest benefits that their practice can provide but to indulge their mental and spiritual selves throughout the class as she instructs them.  A patient, intentional rise to a powerful flow is the best way to explain her approach to yoga, as well as life. In addition to teaching yoga, she produces tv/film in Chicago like the popular web series Yogma on the OTV web platform. 

Commitment to the B4C mission: My connection with B4C starts directly from my Heart which leads right into my commitment to educators, facilitators, and wellness practitioners to add more to their change-making toolkit.

3 Fun Facts!
1) Currently in my 300hr YTT.

2) I'm an Indie film producer.

3) I'm a retired microbiologist!

Yoga/Wellness Training & Experience:

• 200 Hour Certified Yoga Teacher
• Additional training and instruction in hands-on assists, adjustments, room environment and sequencing
• Teaches at Core Power Yoga and Yoga Six

Commitment to the B4C mission: I am a yoga instructor and doula who is passionate about health, wellness, and creating community. I believe yoga and mindfulness are great tools for positive transformations in the individual and the the group and I believe the Breathe 4 Change mission aligns with my personal mission as yoga teacher, practitioner, and doula.

Yoga/Wellness Training & Experience: I've been practicing Yoga since 2000. As my practice deepened, I began to notice that I was building strength from the inside out. I noticed that the physical aspects of the practice were far less profound than those affecting my state of mind. With dedicated practice came gifts of calm, peace, and inner strength allowing for balance in all areas of my life. I wanted to share that with everyone! I became a certified instructor in 2005 and have been sharing the practice in non-traditional, accessible spaces ever since. I currently teach classes at a Baptist church and at the American Dental Association. I am also the lead yoga instructor for Strength Thru Stillness, an organization developed to help people find and maintain peace in their lives. E-RYT 200.

Commitment to the B4C mission: My personal mission in life is to inspire all people to reach their full potential by providing the encouragement, tools, and education required to succeed. When one person reaches their full potential, we all benefit. I am currently an educator at the Museum of Science & Industry Chicago developing curriculum and training educators to teach STEM to elementary students in out of school time settings. Our recent curriculum focused on health and the human body. I included a lesson on using breath to bring about mental calmness. The students then had the opportunity to think about their future with focus, using the power of imagination and hope for a better future. 

3 Fun Facts!
1) I love to dance.

2) I'm an inventor.

3) I love the ocean.

Yoga/Wellness Training & Experience: I have practiced yoga for 10 years and graduated from the Boston Summer 2019 training. As a classroom teacher, instructional/leadership coach, and facilitator, I am on a mission to create spaces for educators and womxn of color that foster community, self-discovery, and self-love.

Commitment to the B4C mission: Grounded in justice and equity, I envision a world where students and educators from all backgrounds with unique interests and abilities have access to transformative and culturally responsive education. It is one in which they are empowered to overcome challenges on the path to achieve their self-directed goals and dreams. In order to reach this vision, educators and students must be supported to develop their critical consciousness around wellness. I am excited to play a role in supporting teachers on their well-being journeys!

3 Fun Facts!

1) My parents gave me the name Catherine but my older brother could only say “Cap” when I was born. I’ve been Cap ever since. :) 

2) I am constantly working on practicing speaking and listening in Spanish.

3) I lived in Perú for three months in 2018.

Yoga/Wellness Training & Experience: 

• E-RYT 200 hour yoga teacher & teacher trainer
• Dance Artist in Residence at TAPA - Trinity Academy for the Performing Arts
• Founder of the Glitter Goddess Art Collective & Haus of Glitter Dance Company

Commitment to the B4C mission: 

• 10+ year classroom educator, professional development coach, curriculum & instruction consultant
• Passionate about bringing this work to educators, healers, mental health workers, families, and making yoga/wellness spaces accessible and inclusive for oppressed and underrepresented communities
• Artistic practice is centered around connection; Afro-Latinx healing; and dismantling sexism, racism, and heteronormativity through performance, installation, ritual, drag, jewelry, mixed media, music, and dance.

3 Fun Facts! 

• Plays cello; Obsessed with Spaghetti; Loves Glitter

Yoga/Wellness Training & Experience:  An E-RYT500, I’ve been teaching since 2002. I lead international retreats, workshops and teacher trainings. I teach yoga asanas with a sense of humor, curiosity and compassion. Expect my classes to be challenging and uniquely tailored to meet the needs of each student regardless of experience, age, gender, ability or body shape. Practicing since 1996, I’ve studied most of the major styles found in the West:  Ashtanga, Jivamukti, Iyengar, Vinyasa, Forrest and Yin.  

Commitment to the B4C mission:  I’m known for being fiercely caring, and I lead from a place of love and authenticity. I believe that vulnerability is one of my greatest strengths.  I’m thrilled to work with an organization that so closely aligns with my own personal values.

3 Fun Facts! 

1) I love to pole dance. 

2) I spent the last year living in Santa Fe, NM.

3) I have a sweet little rescue dog named Dilli.  

Yoga/Wellness Training & Experience: I first started dabbling in yoga and meditation in 2004 when I began studying cognitive neuroscience. Fast forward to 2015...I began teaching 2nd grade and started implementing daily mindfulness and meditation practices with my students. Then, in summer 2017, I made the best decision of my life: I decided to take the B4C training in the Bay Area! I had been using meditation in my classroom but I had not been embodying the practices in my own life. Since then, I have been on a journey of actively learning and growing in my own practice and holding space for other educators and students to learn and grow in their journeys. I humbly co-facilitated SEL*F and Meditation in the Bay Area (fall 2017, fall 2018) and Tampa (summer 2018). I continue to use daily meditation and yoga as tools to support my students' social and emotional well-being.

Commitment to the B4C mission: I am deeply committed to improving the social and emotional well-being of students, educators, and myself.

3 Fun Facts! 

1) I was born in Albuquerque, NM but grew up in Fresno, CA. 

2) I took my first flight at the age of 19 and have since traveled to over 30 countries. 

3) I love baking cookies and cakes!

Yoga/Wellness Training & Experience: Teaching yoga since 2017 at high schools, juvenile halls, studios, outdoors, yoga events.  Completed 200 hour training at Yoga Tree, trauma informed yoga for youth with the Art of Yoga project, yoga for teens training with RISE yoga for youth and recently completed a month long Vipassana meditation retreat at Spirit Rock Meditation center. 

Commitment to the B4C mission: As I deepen into my personal practice (yoga and meditation) and am able to embrace my true Self, I am continually inspired to empower others to do the same. I believe that Breathe for Change and I are aligned in this way. 

3 Fun Facts!
1) I can listen to the same song on repeat while running a full marathon. 

2) I've spent about 6 months in Tanzania - but haven't climbed Mount Kilimanjaro...yet! 

3) I've moved at least once every year for the past 10 years. 

Yoga/Wellness Training & Experience: I was introduced to yoga classes in high school, and in college (Boston U) I studied Psychology and Music and was part of the campus yoga club. While working towards an Education and Human Development MA, I joined a studio in Denver called The River Yoga and completed 500+ hours of YTT. I taught Power Vinyasa, Deep Stretch Meditation, and Candlelight Vinyasa classes for 3 years at The River. During this time in Denver, I also supported a B4C summer intensive, where it was interesting to see how this training compared to my own.

Commitment to the B4C mission: I have devoted my career to education and wellness by working in community service, early childhood education, yoga instruction and teacher training, behavioral coaching, and undergraduate education in human development and family relationships.

3 Fun Facts! 

1) I do my best to practice a vegan lifestyle. 

2) I love singing and musical instruments.

3) My husband and I just moved back to Boston (with our dog) to live close to our growing family.

Yoga/Wellness Training & Experience: I found yoga in 2003 while seeking out some peace and quiet opportunities as I lived in NYC. As a seeker of personal and professional development, I seek out opportunities to deepen my practice and understanding of yoga, mindfulness and wellness. I enjoy practicing power vinyasa and building community where ever I go! In additional to being a B4C graduate and wellness champion, I am also certified to teach kids yoga to 2-7 year olds. 

Commitment to the B4C mission: I lead my life with love and kindness with the goal of making our world a better place. As work, I strive to support the whole child, whole family and whole community. As a B4C grad, I reaped the benefits of becoming a better person and one of the main reasons that I am serving as a graduate fellow is to pay it forward to the next cohort of change agents and educators.

3 Fun Facts! 

1) I interned at Good Morning America.

2) I was the elementary finalist for the 2012 Colorado Teacher of the Year. 

3) I co-wrote an ebook with Dr. Jean Feldman!

Yoga/Wellness Training & Experience: I completed by B4C training May 2019 and teach yoga to middle school students and sometimes elementary school students. I also completed Rainbow Yoga 95 hours kids yoga training. I have a lot of experience in teaching and practicing mindfulness and have completed Oakland's Mindful Schools Mindfulness Fundamentals and Mindful Educator Essentials courses.

Commitment to the B4C mission: I love this movement of bringing yoga and wellness into school and am so happy to be part of it. 

3 Fun Facts! 

1) I play the trombone.

2) I love to go backpacking. 

3) I am a kitesurfer.

Yoga/Wellness Training & Experience: I have been a yoga student with a strong home practice since 2014. As a stressed-out college student, I fell in love with the practice and knew immediately that I wanted to share it with any and every one around me! I completed my yoga training through Breathe for Change in Fall 2018 in the Bay Area. Since then I have been teaching yoga classes regularly in the Bay Area in various settings: yoga studios, school districts, community spaces.

Commitment to the B4C mission: I have an English teaching credential and a Master’s in Education, focusing my research mostly on social justice pedagogies and practices in the classroom. When I found Breathe for Change, it really connected all of the dots for me; mindfulness work was the missing link in the social justice work I was already doing in my classroom. I believe that yoga and mindfulness practices are the key to unlock the full potential of school communities, and also serve as a stepping stone to creating positive change within communities. Most of my yoga and wellness work has been centered around serving educators, just like the mission of Breathe for Change! In addition to continuing to offer yoga and wellness professional development opportunities in my community, I am looking forward to working directly with Breathe for Change, changing the world one teacher at a time. 

3 Fun Facts! 

1) I love karaoke

2) My husband and I are equipped with survival gear to get us through any potential apocalyptic situation

3) I love making fancy cheese boards!

Yoga/Wellness Training & Experience: I completed the B4C training in the fall of 2018.  It transformed my work in the classroom as well as my personal practice.   I have fully implemented SEL*F practices in my classroom and continue to see my students flourish as a result. I have had the opportunity to regularly lead professional development for my whole school staff around SEL*F and to teach after school yoga classes to grades 2-8.  I am in the process of completing my 95 Hour Children’s Yoga Certification with Kidding Around Yoga. It has been a beautiful journey of self discovery in my own personal practice and the journey of sharing the gift of yoga with children.

Commitment to the B4C mission: I am fully committed to the B4C mission stiving to share social and emotional wellness with as many people as possible, especially in the realm of education.  My masters in education was a social justice focus and Breathe for Change gave me the tools to positively advocate for such change. I hope to to share and support as many people as possible in the gift that is B4C.   

3 Fun Facts! 

1) I have traveled to 56 countries and have barely scratched the surface.

2) I ran 26 miles on my 26th birthday in the Paris Marathon. 

3) I’m getting married this summer!

Yoga/Wellness Training & Experience: I graduated from the Boston Summer 2019 training. I currently teach yoga and wellness classes at the Waldorf School at Moraine Farm, and at Bright Day Yoga Studio on the North Shore.

Commitment to the B4C mission: B4C had personally changed my life and helped me to find my life’s purpose. I hope to support as many individuals as possible through their own journey.

3 Fun Facts! 

1) I love to sing and have Friday night kitchen karaoke dates with my husband.

2) I am usually reading at least 5 different books at once. 

3) I have performed in over 40 plays in my life.

Yoga/Wellness Training & Experience: I graduated with Breathe For Change in Boston Summer 2018 have been teaching restorative and gentle yoga privately and will be starting to teach soon at a studio. I will also be subbing for a chair yoga class. I bring meditation and mindfulness into my mental health counseling job.

Commitment to the B4C mission: To be a support for both the mind and body!

3 Fun Facts!

1) I sing in an adult community chorus.

2) I have a new kitten Milo.

3) I love to read horror novels.

Yoga/Wellness Training & Experience: I am a B4C trained 200hr yoga teaching and a registered children’s yoga teacher! Currently, I teach yoga and mindfulness to prekindergarten to 8th students. 

Commitment to the B4C mission: My training with Breathe For Change literally changed my life. I was at a crossroad and new something needed to change. B4C renewed my passion for education and inspired me to follow my passion in teaching yoga and mindfulness full time in schools. Breathe for change truly embodies the change we need in the education system; care for teachers, community and SEL*F strategies for our students. I am eternally grateful for B4C and will carry the lessons into the classroom and life. 

3 Fun Facts! I am a reiki practitioner, love to dance and can juggle scarves.

Yoga/Wellness Training & Experience: I’ve been a certified yoga teacher since 2013. I did my first 200-hour yoga training at the Yoga Center of Minneapolis and love to teach yoga to beginners (especially teens!). During the summer of 2018, I completed my second 200-hour training with Breathe for Change which lit a flame of momentum for action towards my dream of sharing yoga with teachers and students. I completed a Yoga to Transform Trauma Teacher Training in Chicago during August 2019 and participate on a trauma response team for my school district with the Partnership for Resilience. 

Commitment to the B4C mission: I feel passionately about the movement to “change the world one teacher at a time!”  I have found my tribe at Breathe for Change.

3 Fun Facts!: 

1) I am blessed with the most handsome, sweet dog in the whole world. 

2) I helped build a school cafeteria for an indigenous community in Peru. 

3) I I use tarot cards often for my journaling/meditation practice.

Yoga/Wellness Training & Experience: I began my journey with mental health a year ago. I took a Transcendental Meditation class and I was just smitten. I have been meditating every day for 30 minutes a day since then and it makes me feel like a new person. As for my yoga journey, I took a few classes at a local gym and I desired more. I have only been practicing since January, 2019 and I completed my 200 hour certification this summer. Additionally, I am slated to complete my MSW next year.

Commitment to the B4C mission: As a new graduate, I know the stress that accompanies being away from family and just general. I am committed to providing comfort and calm to all participants. 

Three Fun Facts

• I’m a cusp (11/22)
• I have over 250 pairs of shoes
• I’m in bed by 8:45 and up by 3:45

Yoga/Wellness Training & Experience: I am an alum of the NYC Spring 2018 B4C training program and that experience was so transformative that I joined the team as a Mental Health Consultant and a SEL*F trainer. I currently integrate breathing, meditation, and yoga practices into my counseling work in schools and ministry.

Commitment to the B4C mission: As a mental health professional in schools I am committed a holistic approach to the health of students and their families. I connect with the mission of Breathe for Change because it encourages practitioners to care for themselves first in order to care for others better. 

3 Fun Facts!  

1) My favorite member of the Wu-Tang Clan is Raekwon the Chef 

2) I LOVE to DANCE!!!! 

3) My favorite color is navy

Yoga/Wellness Training & Experience: Born with Sickle Cell Anemia, Shatera has had to be mindful of her body and breath in ways  others overlook. A regular Asana practice over the past five years has allowed Shatera’s body, breath, and mind to flow. Grateful for this resource, she’s become devoted to using her 200hr RYT & Wellness Champion certifications to get others (particularly her peers of color) to meet her on the mat - inviting their minds and bodies to reunite. Every Monday, Shatera leads a yoga class catered to people of color in Brooklyn.

Commitment to the B4C mission: During the weekday, Shatera is the Dean of Culture at a NYC public school, who is dedicated to decolonizing education. Ultimately, Shatera will open her own school that challenges the current inadequate and inequitable status quo of the current education system. All with the intent of enhancing individual and collective well being.

3 Fun Facts!
1) I’ve traveled to 20+ countries

2) Ethiopian food is my favorite

3) Wants to eat vegan, but cheeeeese! 

Yoga/Wellness Training & Experience: I am a B4C trained 200hr yoga teaching. I teach private classes, mostly to friends and family, but teach small group yoga and meditations classes to my students as well!

Commitment to the B4C mission: I have learned so much about myself physically, emotionally, and spiritually through Breath For Change and I am honored to help others learn more about themselves through this training. I want to help others along their journey of self care and personal development; I am especially eager to help fellow teachers take better care of themselves so that they can continue to take care of the young people they are in front of every day! 

3 Fun Facts!

1) I have moved to and from NYC more than 3 times.

2) I currently teach 7th grade reading.

3) I’m originally from Upstate NY (and I LOVE my hometown)!

Yoga/Wellness Training & Experience:

• 200 Hour Certified Yoga Teacher and B4C Graduate
• K-12 Mindfulness Teacher
• Reiki Practitioner

Commitment to the B4C mission: B4C was a transformational experience that I truly believe all educators would benefit from. I am excited to be a part of growing this movement.

3 Fun Facts! 

1) Zeynep is my 3 year old daughter and the light of my life.

2) I love to knit and make jewelry.

3) I can speak 5 languages.