Alyssa Dougherty

Alyssa is a Meditation and Mindfulness Instructor, certified through the McLean Meditation Institute. In 2017, she completed her 200-hour Meditation Teacher Training which focused on the theory, neuroscience, practice, and teaching of meditation and mindfulness. Alyssa turned to meditation and other holistic therapies after a debilitating, chronic digestive illness changed her life. Experiencing the tangible benefits of a daily meditative practice, including reduced stress and inflammation, was an integral part of her recovery. Adopting mindful eating techniques also helped her to embrace newfound dietary restrictions, which led to the creation of AlyssaUnsweetened.com, an allergy-friendly food website devoted to balancing mind, body and spirit. As a teacher, Alyssa offers restorative sessions focused on healing the body through the mind by targeting stress, cultivating more self-compassion, and embracing change.

Artis Moon Amarche

Artis Moon Amarché is honored to integrate her role as healer, musician, dancer, and artist, and loves to integrate various traditional meditation practices with innovation. Artis brings to our Take Five family Yoga Nidra and other meditation classes, sound healing / sound baths, special events including monthly Full Moon ceremonies, and unique 1:1 sessions incorporating meditation, sound healing, Reiki, Holistic Life Coaching, mind-body skills, and arts processes. Artis' offerings are heart medicine and aim to simultaneously be incredibly relaxing and restorative, while also providing opportunity for you to dive deeper in your personal work, if you wish. A DC native, over the past 25 years, Artis has lived a rich life as a independent interdisciplinary artist and educator, teaching and performing tap dance & percussion in the U.S. and abroad; teaching visual & language arts; and working as a photographer, writer, & editor. During this time she has also worked with a range of mindfulness and meditation approaches. Artis earned a BFA in Fine Arts from Corcoran College of Art + Design, and holds the following certifications - Usui Reiki Master, Life Coach, Cognitive Behavioral Therapist, Childbirth Educator, Diploma of Advanced Training from the Center for Mind-Body Medicine - and is a trained Yoga Nidra guide.

Ben Shalva

As a writer, rabbi, meditation teacher, and yoga instructor, Benjamin Shalva leads seminars around the world in Spiritual Cross-Training, Kabbalah Yoga, Jewish Meditation, and Mindfulness Meditation. He received his rabbinical ordination from the Jewish Theological Seminary in New York City and his yoga teacher certification from the Yogic Physical Culture Academy in Los Cabos, Mexico. Shalva serves on the faculty at the Jewish Mindfulness Center of Washington, leads musical prayer services for the 6th & I Historic Synagogue and Bet Mishpachah in Washington, DC, and serves as the camp rabbi for Tamarack Camps in Detroit, Michigan. His writings have been published in numerous publications including the Washington Post, Elephant Journal, and Spirituality & Health magazine. He is the author of two books -- Spiritual Cross-Training: Searching through Silence, Stretch, and Song and Ambition Addiction: How to Go Slow, Give Thanks, and Discover Joy Within. Born in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, he lives in Reston, Virginia, with his wife, Sara, and their two children.

David Martin

David combines his skill set as a yogi, healer and sound worker to create an immersive experience in sound meditation designed to release students from subconscious patterning, habitual tendencies and past conditioning.  David received his 200 hour registered yoga teacher training certification and Reiki master training certification from the University of Maryland Center of Integrative Medicine in 2015.  He is now an avid daily student of Kundalini Yoga as taught by Yogi Bhajan and presented by his masterful teacher, Jai Dev Singh Khalsa. 

Ellen Kangas

Ellen received her training at Ishta, the Integral Shcool of Tantric Arts, in Johannesburg, South Africa. She has been teaching for over 10 years. Ellen's classes are based on the chakra system, which allows her to bring a unique and specific focus to each class.

Jen Young

In her meditation classes, Jen Young guides you to unite the wisdom of your body, the compassion of your heart and focus of your mind to bring you into greater wholeness.  From this place of wholeness, you can find clarity and ease.  You can more readily see the path in front of you and trust your inner guidance.

A student of flow states, Jen's work is about personal growth through breath, imagination, creativity, physical movement and connection to the natural world.  She believes that when people have the tools they need to heal and express who they authentically are, the world also heals.

Jen is the founder of Spitfire Arts through which she teaches yoga, healing and expressive movement.  She also offers guidance on Belly Love, a self-Love/self-care practice of sending Love from your heart to your belly.

Jeneen Piccuirro

Jeneen is our Sound Healing guide incorporating crystal bowls, Tibetan bowls, gong drum, or tuning forks, into some of the most popular, relaxing, mind blowing classes we offer. Jeneen's background and teaching experience in yoga and meditation which began at age 18, has spanned decades and flows from a diverse group of renowned teachers from various backgrounds. A short list of some of her instructors include Dharma Mittra, Sri Karunamayi Ma, David & Shannon Life, Swami Bua, Shiva Rea, Andres Mamet, Yogeshwar (Darin Soma) and many more. Jeneen brings an energy and passion to her classes that is second to none. 

Jennifer O'Sullivan

Jennifer has been teaching in the Washington, DC area for more than a decade after completing her first yoga training in 2004. She is one of only 20 endorsed Insight Yoga teachers worldwide. Developed by Sarah Powers, one of the most senior Yin Yoga teachers, Insight Yoga is a heart-centered approach that interweaves the insights and practices of Yin and Yang Yoga, Buddhism, Taoism, and Transpersonal Psychology. Jennifer has also studied Yin Yoga with its founder Paul Grilley and Biff Mithoefer. Jennifer is a dedicated Dharma student and regularly attends practice retreats at Bhante Gunaratana’s Bhavana Society. She received the Five Mindfulness Trainings and her Dharma name, Peaceful Family of the Heart, from Zen Master Thich Nhat Hanh. After years of primarily practicing and teaching dynamic forms of yoga, Jennifer’s interest in and appreciation for Yin Yoga blossomed after the birth of her daughter. At a time when everything in her life was changing, the emphasis on receptivity and stillness in Yin Yoga offered a much-needed balance. Jennifer deeply believes in these methods, and in her classes she shares the tools that she uses every day to maintain steadiness and equilibrium in all aspects of her life.

Jennifer Parde

Jennifer's root meditative practice is Shambhala Buddhism, and she is an active teacher of Buddhist Studies and Contemplative Arts at the Baltimore Shambhala Meditation Center.  She fervently believes that we all possess intuitive wisdom within us, and we can access our inner presence of calm knowing whenever we need it.  We need only to drop our pre-conceptions, and "tune in", and listen.  She also believes that wisdom resides in the body, and so we must listen to our body, in order to listen to our soul.

Naina Arora 

Naina teaches the Kundalini yoga and meditation classes. She has been practicing meditation for over 10 years. She was drawn to Kundalini yoga because of its effectiveness in changing the subconscious mind, strengthening the nervous system, magnetizing opportunities, and energizing the body.  

Nana Nazeeha Howard

Nana Nazeeha Howard , a 20 Year experienced “Music Therapist”, “Sound” and “Intuitive Energetic Practitioner” will submerge you in a Co-Creative Sacred Environment. Elevate Your Awareness and Be Connected to the Spirit of Love & Oneness.

Sihnuu Hetep

Sihnuu Hetep a Washington D.C. native started her yoga and meditation journey in 2008 with Ausarian Master Teacher Kwesi Karamoko and took healing into her own hands after the passing of her son in 2011. Self care became an essential tool for healing and spiritual growth. She dug deep, used what she learned on the mat and applied yogic principles and meditation to her everyday life in order to remain balanced in her journey. In the following year she received her 200 hour certification in Hatha Yoga. Not too long after she was invited to train in Kemetic Yoga with Master Yirser Ra Hotep of Yoga Skills. She is well versed in Vinyasa Yoga, Power Yoga, Restorative Yoga, Yin Yoga and Yoga catering to Trauma sensitive and underserved populations. She is trained in Corepower Yoga formats including: C1 (Beginners Vinyasa), C2 (Intermediate Vinyasa), Hot Power Fusion, and Sculpt. In 2015 she took her understanding of yoga and meditation to the next level while studying for her 500 hour in Yoga Therapy and Stress Transformation. It is her mission to share the healing power going inward with her loved ones and community.