Stefanie Clift
Owner, E-RYT 200, YACEP

I am a local gal who loves to be outdoors. Living in paradise allows for some great activities. Some of these activities, however, take a bit of a toll on my body. With my yoga practice I'm able to balance my life with movement, breath and mindfulness. I am even able to play outside better and with more ease! All of my life I have played team sports. My first introduction to meditation was through college soccer, but my first real experience in a hot room was in October of 2013 my friend invited me to Alpine to do yoga for a cause, I have been hooked ever since. Yoga is a wonderful way to balance everyday living for sports enthusiast like myself and for everyone I know. If you know me, I cannot stop talking at any time of the day, or thinking of what I have to do next in my life except for yoga practice. I have learned what my body is capable of and have pushed my limits and I also have learned that practice takes patience, hard work and also rest. So many beautiful ways that Yoga has changed my life, I have learned to be more accepting, patient, kind, gentle and loving towards myself and others. I love how Yoga heals the body from the inside out. Yoga is so many different things to so many different folks, but I truly am blessed to be a part of BHY, the close connection with my Yogi’s and Yogini’s. I want to share with all that I know what Yoga can do for you, I am so excited to be teaching and looking forward to breakthroughs with students and our shared love for yoga.

Liz DeMarco
RYT 200

A transplant to the Wenatchee Valley in 2003 from Virginia, left me with a bit of culture shock.  Then after years of dancing, and a decade of inactivity left me out of shape and feeling my age.  My Yoga journey began several years ago when my best friend from high school, Laura Kay, opened her own studio, Bocas Yoga in Bocas Del Toro, Panama. She suggested I try the practice to combat the aging process and improve my health. I struggled to build a home practice, based around tapes by Elena Brower & Tara Stiles, never finding a good fit at any studio here in Wenatchee. Laura kept encouraging me to keep practicing, and said, “That when I found the right teacher, I would just know”. Fate works in mysterious ways, because in 2013 I met Stefanie Clift and we began our Yoga journey together at bHY in East Wenatchee when it opened. From my very first class, I was hooked on Yin. I had found the practice I had been looking for! As my practice improved and my enthusiasm for both Hatha and Yin increased, I enrolled in teacher training, both to deepen my own practice, and seeing the potential to pay forward the benefits of Yoga through teaching. I completed my 200-hour YTT certification at the Hot Spot School of Yoga, in Yakima WA, receiving my training from Stephanie Howard, and Master Hatha Instructor Carlo Giorno & Mimi Vimont of bHY.  I began teaching in December of 2013. Yoga changed my life so completely I was drawn to learn to bring this amazing philosophy to others. It started with just wanting to deepen my own practice, then during teacher training something changed, and it became more about bringing this gift to others than it was about me.  When my partner of 13 years passed away suddenly, meditation and energy work opened up another branch of Yoga for me in a way that solidified I was indeed on the right life path. Teaching and bringing this gift to others is a calling and I am grateful to answer. Seeing those who struggle, break through a barrier, and deepen a pose. Helping others find balance and peace. That look on a client's face when you say something, and you see it 'click' with them. Watching the progress as new students become stronger, more flexible, more confident in themselves. Just being a small part of that is a joy. I am the oldest instructor in our studios, and struggle with my own issues with strength, balance and flexibility, the  limitations of age and body composition. I love that other women and men in my age group are encouraged to keep trying by watching me. How the younger generations can see that even in middle age, Yoga, life changes and good health are important. I teach, for the humbling sense of service and altruism to others when someone walks out of the studio  after a Yin class with that soft relaxed smile and thanking me for giving them a good class. The energy that fills the room each time I teach. All of this is what I love most about teaching. With a passion for the Yin style and inspired to lead others towards the advantages of meditation, I am so blessed to be able to guide others in both types of Yoga here at Alpine Yoga.  I try to give back to the community that has embraced me with free Yoga for teachers at local elementary schools.  Being part of the Alpine Yoga family & Central WA Kula is an honor and joy I hope I am able to pass on to my students by inspiring them in every class.

Kristen Twitchell
RYT 200

Kristen grew up in the PNW and more specifically calling Leavenworth Washington her home. Kristen has always lived in the mountains and is always happiest when outside and connected to nature. When she’s not on her yoga mat, I bet you’ll find her out in the mountains or creating as professional artist. Kristen started practicing yoga in 2008 and fell in love with the practice right away. She completed her 200 YTT in the Costa Rican jungle in 2017 and has been teaching since then. She believes in the power of yoga, connecting breath, body movement, meditation and ancient wisdom, using it as a tool to connect with our higher self in a deep and profound way for spiritual growth. Releasing what no longer serves us and continuing on the path to align with our authentic selves and expanding consciousness.

“The more we share our gifts and our authentic selves, the more we can see past the illusion of separation.”

Mary Klarich
RYT 200

Mary is an avid runner who has been running half marathons, marathons, and ultras for the past 30 years. She has also been a middle and high school administrator for 18 years. A couple of years ago, her husband, James, gave her a hot yoga gift card for her birthday. With the encouragement of her daughter, Megan, Mary went to a Hot Hatha class and in her words, “it felt better than a massage.” Mary’s yoga journey began. After several months of Hatha, Vinyasa, Power, Fusion, and Yin practice, Mary decided to become an instructor. She trained with Just Breathe in Yakima, Washington. Mary enjoys guiding people through their own practice and journey. She also enjoys the positive connection yoga has with one’s own mental, physical, emotional and spiritual state of being. Breath and movement: who I am.

Madeleine Bong
RYT200

Madeleine Bong is an International, Trauma-Informed Yoga and Meditation Teacher. Her focus revolves around releasing stress and anxiety through breath, movement, and meditation. Madeleine’s aim is to help guide and facilitate safe spaces for her clients to find more joy and freedom in their body, mind, and spirit .

Madeleine has been a practitioner since high school, but her fascination for Yoga grew when she noticed the practice was not only healing her physical spinal injury, but also soothed her emotional pain and anxiety.

She has found more space and freedom in her body, mind, and heart to continue her other passions of golfing, hiking, and painting with less pain and a whole lot of fun. 

Her journey has helped her find a reconnection and sense of safety in her body. The result has been, growing confidence, compassion, and resilience on all levels with herself and her relationships. 

From teaching in Australia and Indonesia, Madeleine is thrilled to be back in the States to share her teachings with the communities in her home country. Madeleine acknowledges the vital growth necessary in the yoga community and stands with BIPOC and LGBTQIA communities. She is committed to listening, furthering her education and awareness, and standing for justice in her teaching practice.

Morgan Cassidy
RYT 200

Morgan has a 20 year background as a student and practitioner of yoga. She stumbled upon asana in efforts to heal a knee injury and fell in love with the all-encompassing wisdom and breadth of virtue this discipline represents. She attributes her well being to this practice and all the ways 8 limbs of yoga have inspired her life's path. Morgan strives to create a welcoming space focused on common humanity, humor and connection. She is excited to offer a platform for you to explore your own relationship to yoga and the deeply profound benefits of this work.

Tarcy Rosario
RYT 200

Tarcy is a 200 hr RYT and completed her training at Big Power Yoga in Houston, TX, a studio leader in the practice of Baptiste Yoga. She began practicing yoga in 2013 where she quickly fell in love the with practice. It was the hot room, sweat, vulnerability that her mat offered that got her hooked. The powerful flow practice has given her access to the possibility, fun awareness and love for her body. Tarcy is a stand for helping others discover that same possibility and connection to their bodies. Her fun, powerful flow classes are a great way to up level your practice. As a community member you can find her coaching Volleyball at Cascade High School. Tarcy is also an avid crossfit athlete. She currently practices at Crossfit 791 in Cashmere. She looks forward to meeting you on the mat

Lindsay Gonzalez
E-RYT 500, YACEP/HBCE

Lindsay is always looking for adventures on and off the mat. She is known for her keen understanding of Breathwork practices, Ayurvedic studies, body alignment, sense of humor and ability to empower her students to live fully. With over two decades of experience in her field she is the founder of OJAS Collective Yoga School guiding 200 & 300 teacher training programs. You will find Lindsay guiding in-person classes and events near her home in Leavenworth WA and at her business Balancé Surf & Yoga Center in El Salvador. 

On the subtle side, Lindsay is an intuitive guide and a student of Ayurveda & Yoga Therapy. For over 10 years she has studied the healing modality of Transformational Breathwork and leads group and private Breathwork experiences. 

As a mama of two little ones, Lindsay was inspired to dive into the world of birth work to support women on all sides of motherhood. She teaches prenatal yoga, HypnoBirthing educational birth classes, she is a Doula and offers postpartum Ayurvedic counseling and support. 

Skye MacLeod
Certified Pilates Instructor, Physical Mind Institute NY
Certified Personal Trainer, National Academy of Sports Medicine

Skye is an avid believer in all things Pilates. After surviving a near-death car accident in 2006, Pilates was the only thing that healed her body completely. Born and raised on the Westside, Skye is a recent Leavenworth transplant, and is eager to bring her passion of teaching to this beautiful community. A lifetime athlete with a career in School Counseling and Coaching, her classes incorporate breathing techniques, restorative movement, weight training and meditation.

Bringing her passion, knowledge and infectious energy, each class is designed specifically to the needs of her students. Her clientele range from professional athletes to young adults, physical therapy patients, wellness programs, schools, hospitals and retreat centers. Outside of the studio, Skye works as a Real Estate agent and loves spending time in the mountains with her boyfriend and golden retriever, Chief.

Kristen Acesta
200 HR YOGA TEACHER

Kristen focuses on our foundations of health, as a naturopathic physician in her Wenatchee clinic (Mission Health & Wellness), all the way down to the breathwork in her yoga classes. Her movement patterns are rooted in physical therapy, structure, and form; with a heavy emphasis on internal awareness. Our ability to breathe, hold intention, and move with grace is the foundation of mind body integration. This creates a base in which we can unveil deeper patterns of our being; everything from anxiety and depression, to structural abnormalities and spiritual awakenings. She received her 200YTT in 2013 from 8 Limbs in Seattle, worked as an acroyoga student and teacher with Knotty Yoga from 2013-2015, opened/operated a yoga studio 2017-2020, currently apprentices with Wudang Pai and Longemn Taijiquan, and has been teaching in the valley since 2015. Her preferred style is vinyasa and yin, taught and taken as a moving meditation and internal dialog, but has since been evolving into a better power and bikram style teacher.

Katie Kassa
RYT 200

Katie moved to Leavenworth in 2018, the day after finishing her 200hr RYT at The Grinning Yogi in Seattle. Katie fell in love with yoga in Seattle during college, then spent over ten years practicing before attending yoga teacher training. It took another few years to finally find space in her life to actually start teaching yoga. Katie loves the possibility that yoga offers to slow down and reground within our bodies and become aware of our breath. She also loves thinking about alignment within poses. In her spare time, Katie loves to run, hike, skate ski, downhill ski, read and eat. The best though is to play with her young daughter and make up yoga poses together!

Michaela Myers
RYT 200

Michaela, grew up in the Pacific Northwest and moved to the Hwy 2 corridor 4 years ago. She works as a wildland firefighter and ski patroller, and enjoys any kind of playing in the mountains. She is passionate about the mindfulness and body awareness aspects of yoga. She sees yoga as a powerful vehicle for healing and resiliency. In 2016, Michaela studied under a yogi in India for 6 months and was hooked. She then formally completed her 200hr Yoga Alliance teacher training in 2018. She can’t wait to share no-pressure yoga with the community!

Alex Ulmke
RYT 200

Alex is well known to have a deep love of movement. From her personal travels in her trusty VW van, to her constant dancing wherever she is, yoga has been a sense of home wherever she goes. That sense of a big exhale when you get into your first down dog, no matter where you are you can always roll out the mat. Gaining her 200 hour YTT at the Grinning Yogi in Seattle, she is an experienced instructor with lotus flow- a thoughtful and intuitive sequence where postures are build on, mudras are incorporated, and there’s always a theme running throughout class. In her class you can always expect a groovy playlist, a few corny jokes, and a flowing sequence that will leave you feeling excited. She hopes to not only provide a place for people to play with expanding their practice safely but also a place where people are able to reflect. A place where people can use the posture as a road and not the final destination- to inquire further within themselves. All the while falling over, dancing, and laughing through a great vinyasa flow. Outside of the studio you can find Alex scheme up her next trip with her fiancé and German Shepherd Taz (mania).

Shaylnn Johnson
CYT 200

My name is Shalynn. I am a Leavenworth local for 15 years who transplanted from Idaho. You can find me and my little crew Homeschooling through Nature and soaking up the sun at the rivers. I love to read. Create art. Hike. Fish. And dance Burlesque with my local Troupe, The Radar Dames. I began my Yoga Journey in August 2020. 8 months sober and mid pandemic, I had a break though moment on my mat that inspired me to look at what Yoga can do for the mind and not just the body. I decided to enroll in teacher training to learn the history and experience the knowledge of those who also found Yoga. I completed my 200 hr Power/Vinyasa training in April of 2021 and thus set forth more self study. Having just completed another 200 hour Ojas Collective Training, I am BEYOND ready and so elated to share my knowledge, and that of my past teachers with the community. My goal is to provide my class a safe and all inclusive space to be themselves without fear of judgment or experience. To guide their bodies in the safest alignment for them to flow beautifully through Asanas like a dance. I strive to help others through Yoga the way Yoga has helped me grow and heal in my own life!

Kristin (Kiki) Burke
MA Ed., E-RYT, RMT, CLC, LMT(22), IAYT(23)

Kristin started on her yoga & energetic healing path as a young adult: seeking for answers and solutions to her own auto-immune and energy depletion challenges. Nearly two decades ago, as an Elementary school teacher, she also began connecting the impact of mind-body supports with a child’s ability to thrive. This work of her heart has never ceased along the way. Kristin has a gift as a teacher and when working with children (age 0-102!). Currently you can find her leading personal and professional development courses & special events as her passion resides in empowering others and shining a light on the mind-body-spirit connection as a gateway to discovering Soul Purpose —navigation towards living in alignment, passion, flow — and helping you live your life in THRIVE!!

Kristin is the founder and director of Bodhi Academy/Bodhi Wellness and O2Studio.org and if you’re lucky enough to cross paths with her in a yoga practice, you are in for a real treat!

Keisha Cuff
CYT 200

I am a certified yoga teacher who practices with safe alignment, anatomy and healthy boundaries in my yoga practice and teaching style. i specialize in vinyasa and hatha hot or non heated classes. I love to live life slow and steady and with some humor, you can't always be so serious.

Elley Clark
RYT 500

Yoga has lit my path for devotion, dedication and discipline. If you show up for yourself - your capacity to show up for others is unparalleled. Movement with breath helps us find connection and intention. It brings us back to equilibrium every time. I’ve been practicing yoga for 10 years but I’ve always been drawn to movement and creativity within that. Yoga has offered me patience, forgiveness, mindfulness, understanding and flexibility of the mind, spirit and body. I became a 500hr RYT through Love Evolve Awaken in Lake Atitlan, Guatemala back in 2016. Living in an Ashram and fully diving head first into yoga and the studies around it changed my life! I love deep dives into the science, history, and benefits of yoga. I love deep dives into the body. Each time we step into our practice we find alignment, breath, freedom and so much space - emotionally, spiritually, physically and meta physically. How fortunate are we?! I think it’s time we get out of our heads and out of our way and get into our bodies and find the way.

Colbie Schmidt
RYT 200

Colbie shares her love of movement through the healing power of energetic and wave-like yoga classes infused with unique soundscapes and intuitive sequencing that guides each student to feel empowered in their mind and body.

She is a certified Prana Vinyasa Teacher and student of Shiva Rea. Her offerings are also influenced by her background in dance and continued study of samurai arts. Outside of the studio she spends a lot of time trail running in the beautiful cascade mountains.

Heidi Krumland
RYT 200

Born and raised in Alaska, I found Leavenworth to be my Alaska 2.0! There are so many fun adventures and activities to be had and winters are gone before May! What could be better? Not only was moving to Leavenworth, WA (2016) recreationally enhancing for me but it was
transformational as well. I realized living in an amazing town was not the only change I needed to make in my life - I needed to go inward and tend to what needed tending for quite some time. Through this internal work, I became a school psychologist and yoga instructor. I was fortunate to complete my 200 YTT with the organization, Breathe for Change, whose mission is to enhance the health and well-being of educators, students, and entire communities. I love to incorporate
mindfulness into each of my yoga classes. I hope you find space, warmth and presence when moving and breathing with me.

Justin Kollman
RYT 500

Hello Friends, my name is Justin Kollmann. I’m a student first and foremost and forever growing. Yoga has changed my life into waking up everyday with a purpose and passion to do what I love. More importantly, yoga made me feel again, to detach from my everyday routine and cycle and go inward, and find self acceptance and discovery. I teach 26/2, Vinyasa, Yin, Fusion, Hatha and Kids Yoga. I’ve also led posture clinics, workshops and guided meditations. I play crystal sound bowls for sound healing and to realign your meridians or chakras. I have earned my 500 hour certification and have hatha, vinyasa, yin and kids certificates. With mind, body, connection we all can achieve peace, love, unity inside and out! Namaste 🙏 much love!

Karlie Wight
RYT 200

Grandest Day! I am Karlie. I am here from Snohomish for the winter. I feel stoked to have the opportunity to be here at Alpine Yoga sharing sweet presence and movement with you all! My asana practice extends about 10 years and last winter I took my first Y.T.T. with Rasa Yoga, hosted by Greta Hill in Seattle. Rasa in Sanskrit is the nectar, emotive essence, the juiciness. I resonate with much of this teaching style and find it to beautifully balance and express the full potential of yoga in a class setting. Calling individuals into their heart space - interweaving theme, mantra, mudra, breath and alignment for a wholesomely rich practice. I love networking in community, thoughtful conversations, the path of becoming and all personal growth/development. I spend much of my time in the woods, hiking, foraging and integrating greater familiarity with our plant brothers & sistars, in the kitchen baking sourdough bread and all nourishing delish dishes, cultivating my yoga practice and offering, interweaving dreadlocks, playing guitar, creating in my studio space - curiously interacting with several different mediums and playing with my nearest and dearest. I look forward to snowed in days with a cup of coffee by the wood stove & serving tea bar bliss up at the pass for the happy winter humans. I love wildly, live intentionally, dance in synchronicities at the will of spirit and choose each day so fully!