Meet Our Teachers
Amy Davis
Executive Director + Meditation Teacher
Amy is a licensed NY Pre-K - 6 educator and a certified 200/hr mindfulness teacher. She has earned an MBA and MSEd, and completed a certificate program in Art Therapy at the New School. During the pandemic, she wrote a book titled “52 Weeks to Sanity,” a curriculum for meditation teachers. Her most recent book is a curriculum for teaching mindfulness to children, employing the six senses in a way that develops focused and curious attention to one’s experience.
Yes, Amy loves school and thinking and puzzling through life’s experiences. But even more than that, Amy loves teaching and approaches every teaching opportunity with the intention of relieving as much suffering in herself and others as she can. She uses her education, intuition, and personal experience of living a life with agency to guide her students towards their own personal sanity. Amy is both the director of HMY and the head teacher for HMY’s after school program.
Amy speaks English and conversational French.
Masako Miyakawa
Yoga Teacher + Director of Yoga Teacher Training
Masako came to NYC in 90’s after moving to Chicago from Japan in 1986. In the spring of 2001 she stumbled into a yoga class at Crunch Gym in SoHo and it was love at first downward facing dog. She completed her first 200-Hour Teacher Training in 2004, with additional trainings in anatomy, restorative, pre and postnatal, yin, chair, aerial yoga and 300-Hour Teacher Training. She has been training teachers both in NYC and Japan over a decade. Her classes are breath-centered, focusing on mindfulness, safe and sound alignments, and is known for light hearted approach to yoga. She serves as Director of Programming and Teacher Training @ HMY and registered E-500 & RPYT (registered prenatal yoga teacher) with Yoga Alliance.
Masako is fluent in Japanese.
Shawna Emerick
Yoga, Meditation & Contemplative Studies Teacher
Shawna Emerick (she/they) is a trauma informed yoga instructor with well over 800 hours of certifications and over 20 years of teaching. She is a Thai massage therapist, Life Coach for Transformation, and an integrative somatic healer who comes from a B.S. in Dance. She is passionate about supporting others' healing and drawing out their Inner Wisdom in order to live from their most authentic place of heart. Currently, she teaches yoga online, has a private practice office in NYC, offers one-on-one 'A.L.I.G.N.' sessions, runs local and international retreats, and is studying with Jack Kornfield and Tara Brach (MMTCP 2025 cohort). She comes from multiple lineage lines of heart-centered healers, givers, and hard workers and is grateful, humbled, and honored to be carrying on the traditions in her own unique ways. Shawna could not do any of this without the support of her partner, two children, and dog! Her most recent expansion is being on the executive board of Three and a Half Acres Yoga; a non-profit that brings trauma informed yoga and mindfulness to many underserved communities.
Meli Rios
Yoga Teacher
Melissa Rios was born and raised in Costa Rica, moved to New York in 2005. Melissa started her yoga practice because she experienced a form of depression. Yoga helped her to connect deeply with her mind and heart, so that she was able to love her life. This journey inspired her to become a yoga teacher not only for adults but as well for children.
In 2012 she decided to take a 200h YTT. Later in 2013 she started studying kids yoga and she finished her 90h in 2017. She continued her yoga studies and in 2018 she completed her 300/500 YTT.
She has studied with Sir Dharma, Yoshio Hama and Dr. Rose Erin Vaughan.
To Melissa practicing yoga is not only about the asanas, yoga is about loving every sentient being, as we are all connected.
Julia Neuber
Yoga Teacher
Julia Neuber discovered yoga when she was in Brazil where she is from in 2000 at a yoga retreat. She felt amazing afterwards and she kept taking classes at her local gym. What amazed her the most is how she feels after class. She started to read many books about it, taking daily yoga classes and when she moved to New York she did her 200-hour training at Sivananda and Om Yoga center. She considers herself a life learner. Her main goal is to make people happier and healthier. Her classes are fun, focused on breath, alignment and she loves to be spontaneous and creative. She taught many years in Williamsburg, Brooklyn and now that she moved to Washington Heights she can’t wait to teach and build a community. Besides teaching she loves reading a great book with her cat Juliet.
Inma Serrano
Yoga Teacher
My Yoga practice started in the summer of 2005 when my niece invited me to take a class as a way to bond and find a holistic approach to face the demands of daily living. I felt a deep sense of self-awareness as the teacher instructed us through the poses and I became more conscious of my breath. As I continued my training, I noticed how my body was becoming stronger and how I was beginning to develop a new a perspective of the world around me. In the summer of 2013, I completed the Mind Body Soul teacher training and was assigned to teach a bilingual class soon after graduating. I taught at Mind Body Soul studio from September 2013 to March 2020. Additionally, I teamed up with the Alumni Association and Girls’ Track Team at The High School of Fashion Industries where I taught Hatha yoga several times a year from October 2013 to February 2020. My favorite part about teaching is watching my students grow and helping them develop their inner strength, compassion, and wisdom in order to face whatever they may be going through on a personal level.
Luma
Sound Healer and Yoga Teacher
Meet Luma, an energy healer and yoga teacher who blends sound healing, movement and meditation to create sacred spaces to help you can reconnect your mind and body to the present moment. Her journey began in 2016 when she was experiencing trouble breathing and doctors couldn’t explain or help her understand the source of her problem. She began exploring different meditative practices and tools that helped reconnect her body and mind to the present moment, which allowed her to balance out the energies in her environment with her inner feelings, thoughts, and somatic sensations. Since then she has been helping people to honor and explore their true flow often working together with other wellness practitioners, coaches, mentors, and collaborators through events, workshops, and online support.
Amy Lee Pearsal
Yoga Teacher
Amy Lee Pearsall received her 200-hr training from MindBodySoul Yoga and Wellness in 2019 (Hatha / Vinyasa with Alyssa Snow, Stacey Linden, Amy Soucy, and Colleen Kerns), and went on to receive additional certifications in Yin and Restorative (Sacred Brooklyn / Masako Miyakawa), Accessible Yoga (Integral Yoga Institute / Rev. Jivana Heyman), and Trauma-Informed Yoga (Exhale to Inhale / Julie Fernandez). In 2021, Amy Lee completed MNDFL's Mindfulness Certification and Training program under the guidance of Rev. angel Kyodo williams and David Perrin. In tandem with her work as a mind-body facilitator, Amy Lee is an actor, voice over artist, and writer.
Demetra
Reiki & Yoga Teacher
Demetra is a Reiki Master teacher and practitioner, musical artist and yoga teacher. Trained in the Usui Method of Natural Healing, her Reiki practice includes treating private clients (both in person and via distance healing worldwide), leading healing circles and offering trainings. She creates Reiki infused custom-made essential oil blends, which are crafted to support vitality and well-being. As a sound healing practitioner, she combines her expertise in both the musical and healing arts, incorporating singing bowls, tuning forks, voice and other instruments to foster calm and enhance life force energy. Her immersive specialty classes and workshops integrate sound, yoga, Reiki and essential oils to create a state of deep meditation and facilitate healing. She has been a yoga practitioner for 22 years and received her 500-hour yoga teacher certification from YogaWorks in NYC. Through yoga, Reiki and sound healing, Demetra aims to enhance joy, well-being and connection to one's True Self. Please visit www.dragonheartwellness.com to learn more about her offerings.
Sarah Almodovar
Prenatal Yoga Teacher
Sarah Almodovar is a pre- and postnatal certified yoga teacher who has been teaching as long as she's been practicing (10+ years). Sarah lives in Washington Heights with her husband and two boys and believes that our neighborhood--and all moms everywhere--deserve support and high-quality care on the journey through pregnancy and postpartum. Sarah's mission is to help moms feel good pregnant, have a positive birth experience, and love their bodies postpartum.
Eliana
Trauma-informed Yoga Teacher
Eliana is a trauma-informed rest & restore yoga teacher, somatic practitioner, scientist, abstract artist, and social justice lawyer. She is the founder of Neuro-Somatic Alchemy, an embodied approach to nurture mind-body integration. Eliana has experienced first-hand the healing powers of yoga and seeks to create safe spaces where students can journey into deep relaxation and healing. She completed her 200hr Yoga Teacher Training at Heights Meditation & Yoga. She also holds certifications in Yin, Restorative, and Yoga Nidra. Her classes encourage self-inquiry and foster interception to develop self-awareness and compassion – both on and off the mat. Through the use of props, Eliana’s class meets students where they are. She curates the deepest level of relaxation to help students restore from the stress of everyday life.
Join Eliana to restore the body and mind for the week ahead!
Emma Poole
Yoga Teacher
Emma has been teaching yoga in New York City for the last 9 years. She completed her 200-hour training at Pure Yoga in 2013, shortly after moving to the city to pursue a path in music and theatre. A believer that everything is connected and that life is our biggest teacher, Emma infuses her classes with intuitive movement, storytelling, and wisdom from her own experience and practice. In addition to yoga, Emma writes and sings. She has lived in Washington Heights for 10 years.
Alex Tripp
Yoga Teacher
Alex is a dedicated yoga teacher with 8+ years of teaching experience in New York City. She holds a 500 Hour Certification from Sonic Yoga, and specializes in Vinyasa Flow classes for all levels. Her teaching style is fluid and dance-like, drawing inspiration from yoga philosophy and storytelling. Originally drawn to NYC for her passion in Musical Theatre, Alex balances her artistic background as a performer, with her current role in Human Resources at Anthos|Home, a nonprofit startup focused on housing New Yorkers with vouchers. When not on the mat, she enjoys being outdoors and spending time with her family at their pond house in Massachusetts. She has been a Washington Heights resident since 2010, and is a mother to a very silly 3 year old named Clementine.
Carolina Lindoff
Yoga Teacher
Carolina grew up in Sweden and came to New York City to continue her dance studies and decided to move here permanently because of love. Through her dance studies she came across yoga and since her move here, yoga became the anchor that helped her through that transition and beyond.
Carolina completed her 500 hour Teacher Training with YogaWorks in 2015. She got certified in Prenatal Yoga through Maha Mama in 2017. She has since then continued to study restorative yoga, Accessible yoga and Carolina is, through Yogi Beans, a certified kids yoga teacher and teaches kids all around the city.
In her kids yoga classes, joy is at the center of the practice! We go on adventures, learn to breathe in different ways, play mindful games, practice relaxation and have a lot of fun together.
For her adult yoga classes, Carolina likes to teach different styles and always incorporates a spiritual or emotional theme to explore. She’s a firm believer that yoga is for everyone and loves the connection that is created in the practice, both the inner connection and the connection within the community.
Keely Garfield
Pat Maldonado
Dorita Ortegón
Yoga & Ayurveda Teacher
Dorita Ortegón, originally from Cali, Colombia, is a passionate and experienced yoga teacher and Ayurvedic mentor with over a decade of dedication to these ancient practices. Her journey began in Colombia, where she was certified as a yoga instructor and spent six transformative years living in an ashram. During this time, Dorita immersed herself deeply in spiritual practice, gaining profound insights and experience in teaching yoga.
With a background rooted in the wisdom of Yoga and Ayurveda, Dorita combines these ancient sciences to guide her students toward a balanced and harmonious life. Her classes are not just about physical postures; they are a holistic experience that integrates breathwork, meditation, and the principles of Ayurveda to help students connect with their true selves and the rhythms of nature.
Dorita moved to New York City in 2024, bringing her passion for these practices to a new community. Her approach is centered on authenticity, wellness, and spirituality, aiming to inspire her students to embark on their own journeys of self-discovery and transformation.
Yoga Teacher
Keely Garfield is a certified E-RYT 500, YACEP yoga teacher, and a highly regarded YTT instructor. She is an Urban Zen Integrative Therapist, Reiki Master, and an ordained Buddhist chaplain board-certified with the Association of Professional Chaplains. Keely has been faculty at Yoga Shanti, Yogamaya, YogaWorks, and Equinox and in many other settings. Highlights include leading UZIT trainees in Haiti, creating a popular online restorative yoga training for YogaRenew, teaching yoga and Reiki for Yoga Journal NYC, and facilitating a pranayama workshop for MIT. Alongside her work in wellness, she is an acclaimed choreographer, dancer, and educator, and is currently a Director of Spiritual Care and palliative care chaplain with Northwell Health. Keely’s broad experience has provided her with exceptional insight into the ways health and vitality are deeply rooted in the awareness of our mind and body. She centers a spirit of philosophical inquiry and compassionate concern at the heart of all her endeavor. www.keelygarfield.nyc
Meditation Teacher
Pat Maldonado has always had a strong desire to be of service, which led me to become a teacher and administrator in the NYC schools. She is Puerto Rican, and speaks fluent English and Spanish. She taught bilingual education and English as a Second Language in schools in Manhattan and the Bronx, and then founded a community-based school in Lower Manhattan called the Neighborhood School.
Looking for solutions to my own personal life challenges, I explored mindfulness meditation and energy healing. Both energy healing and mindfulness meditation have helped me to alleviate stress and develop inner peace. I have been practicing mindfulness meditation for close to 20 years.