Our Awesome Professional Instructors

I began my yoga journey in 1975 with Richard Hittleman's  book "28 Days of Yoga". Taking the book to live in the bush with my husband, I established a daily practice of yoga and meditation  that has served me to this day. After moving to Fairbanks I became  involved in several Mind-Body disciplines. I studied the art of  Shudokan and Gosoke Ryu karate for 22 years and hold a 6th degree  blackbelt in Shudokan karate and 3rd degree blackbelt in Gosoke Ryu. I enjoyed Tai Chi for about 13 years and currently try to find time to practice the ancient art of Qigong and Tai Chi.  I returned to  pursuing yoga passionately, instructing since 2003.  I  taught yoga classes at the International Karate Association back in the day,  as a private instructor, for seniors in the OLLI  program and pre-pandemic conducted weekly classes at the Senior Center and at the Fairbanks Correctional Center. Co-founder and now owner of Heart Stream Yoga, I teach prenatal, beginner and senior/gentle classes. My teacher training has come about primarily through Sundari's Anusara  teacher trainings and Lynn Minton. I am grateful for the influence of  Susanne Lyle and Teri Vierick. My certification process was  through White Lotus Yoga with Ganga White and Tracey Rich.  I am an RYT  200, YCEP, and E-RYT 200 with Yoga Alliance. I bring to my classes a love of alignment, the beauty of a quiet center, and the joy of inner discovery.

I took my first yoga class as a Freshman at the University of Memphis, almost 20 years ago now.  I didn't even have a mat, but from the first movements, I felt a sense of "Ah!  This, this is what I've been looking for!" - and I've been practicing ever since.  As I've moved through the years, I've grown to really love and understand the reason behind calling yoga a practice.  As the stages of our lives move forward, our needs, experiences and relationships change - but a yoga practice can be the thread throughout it all.  It has been that for me, a thread binding me together, through my changes.  The physical practice of yoga gives me joy, strength, resiliency and flexibility in my body, and the spiritual practice of yoga gives me these same gifts, so that I can access them as a wife, as a mother, as a teacher, as a friend, as someone moving through the layers of themselves in order to connect with that which connects us all.  My initial introductions to yoga were through Hatha and Iyengar classes in my hometown of Memphis, TN.  In 2015, I trained under yoga teacher and OT Lindsey Lieneck of Yogapeutics, in Austin, TX, studying mindfulness techniques, therapeutic tools and methods of sensory integration for teaching children, utilizing yoga hammocks for an aerial yoga practice beneficial to both bodies and brains.  In 2016, I received my certification through the Golden Heart School of Yoga, here in Fairbanks, as a 200 hour RYT.  In 2018, I received valuable training in Trauma Informed Yoga under Jody Hassel.  That same year I also received the gift of training with renowned instructor Lynne Minton.  Today I find great joy in teaching to families and kids, at Heart Stream Yoga, and in different school settings in Fairbanks.  I teach an adult class each week in my awesome community of Two Rivers as well.  In all of my classes, my goal is to safely offer a practice that will give my students the knowledge and confidence to begin or deepen their own home practice.   

I have been in the fitness industry for over 25 years, with certifications in teaching aerobic dance, Zumba, and personal training. In 2003, I received my certification in Pilates Reformer (pilates equipments), and Mat, which enabled me to help open and run a Pilates Studio at the Jewish Community Center in Indianapolis, Indiana. I continued my work there as a Pilates Instructor until I and my beloved Jeff relocated to Fairbanks, in Dec 2015. Becoming employed at Downtown Pilates in October 2016 allowed me to continue my love for instructing Pilates. I am currently working for Alaska Brain & Spine in the Pilates department, which Downtown Pilates merged with in June 2019. My hobbies are dancing, organic cooking, second-hand shopping and gardening. 

Born and raised in Montana, I came to Alaska in 1985. I started getting interested in fitness as a teenager, starting with running, then on to biking.  I enjoyed staying active and enjoyed how I felt being active, so I decided at that point, that this would be a part of my life. I attended many group classes and was inspired to become an instructor.

After moving to Alaska, I owned my own nail salon and cardo kickboxing business. Retiring from these businesses many years later, but still staying active I got certified for Spin and Cardio Kickboxing. In 2020 I got my SOL Barre Certification, which I am very excited about and want to share with others. Teaching is not a job for me. It is a fun way to work out and interact with others and the positive energy they bring to class. 

  I was introduced to yoga when I was 13, but officially started my yoga journey as a sophomore in high school in California, around 7 years ago. I primarily practiced Bikram yoga, as I enjoyed the heat that relaxed my tense muscles, and I valued being able to practice the same poses every class to better feel and connect with the changes in my body. I attended Miami University in Ohio, where I studied zoology and environmental science and was introduced to Vinyasa yoga. This is where I got trained to teach Vinyasa, and where I got my RYT 200. Safety is the most important part of my classes, as I want everyone to reap the benefits of yoga without injury. I also believe the meditative, mindful aspect of yoga is key to a strong practice, as yoga is the union of mind and body. Vinyasa helps bridge this union, as it deeply connects you to your breath throughout the entirety of the practice. Other than yoga, I am very passionate about nature, conservation, and sustainability.  

Nani came from a rich multicultural background. Born in Germany, she was raised by Vietnamese immigrants. Ready to embark on a new transformative journey, she came to Fairbanks,Alaska on an athletic scholarship in2014. As an ambitious student-athlete, she studied and swam competitively at the collegiate level at                                                                                       the University of Alaska Fairbanks. Overall,her active swim career spans over 18 years. Perhaps her biggest athletic achievement consists of winning three national youth championships in Germany. In the US, Nani earned four-time All-American  honors. Her queen discipline was in breaststroke sprinting. In2018, Nani graduated with a bachelor’s degree in psychology. Nani’s journey to yoga began when a friend invited her to  one of her yoga classes in Germany in 2011. Feeling more recharged and rejuvenated, Nani began to view yoga as a gateway to balance her rigorous swim training.Yoga slowly became more than just practicing asanas. She appreciates the ancient history, philosophy and holistic approach that comes with yoga. However, it wasn’t until her sophomore year in college that she bega nto practice yoga more regularly. She took several yoga classes in college and found herself experimenting with different styles: vinyasa, hatha, yin, power, anusara,and kundalini yoga. After Nani retired from competitive swimming in 2017, she tried out MMA, BJJ, bouldering, and dancing classes. However, she always came back to yoga. Nani completed her 200-hour yoga teacher training under teachers, Donna Lanni and Marsha Munsell at Golden Heart School of Yoga in 2019.After years of traveling back and forth between Germany and Alaska, Nani has finally returned to Fairbanks and is in the process of acquiring her Green Card. Nani enjoys practicing and teaching vinyasa, yin and restorative yoga. However, her focus has been on prenatal and post-natal yoga. Nani's vision for teaching prenatal and postnatal yoga is to provide a space for pregnant women to feel safe, cared for and seen, offering guidance for accessible yoga, specific to the demands of pregnancy.She would like her students to embrace pregnancy as a catalyst for radiant health, well-being and transformation. Nani’s prenatal and postnatal classes are designed with a holistic approach,combining mind-body-spirit through pregnancy-specific meditations, mindset work, pranayamas, and asanas so her students can feel empowered throughout their pregnancy, and bold in labor and delivery. Most importantly,her classes are made available for all ability levels, pregnant or not. Besides yoga, Nani enjoys spending time with her husband and their two fur babies. She is passionate about health, wellness, personal development, adventuring, and attending to her growing garden.                                                                                                                                                                                                                  

Greetings and namaste! My name is Jennifer McMullan. I teach Anusara-inspired vinyasa yoga, an alignment-based, heart-centered flow linking breath to movement. I strive to help each student find their inner wisdom to feel good in body and mind. In 2015, I completed my 200-hr teacher certification at Akasha Yoga in Jackson Hole, WY and registered as RYT-200 with Yoga Alliance. Since then, I’ve been teaching classes at Heart Stream Yoga every summer. I live in Fairbanks, Alaska in the summer and in Lake Worth, Florida in the winter. My husband and I have been doing the snowbird thing since 2002, following the sun from palm trees and warm ocean to moose, midnight sun and majestic mountains. My yoga classes start and end with the vibration of OM. There’s no music in the background during practice, to better listen to the innate wisdom of the body. I offer lots of alignment cues to encourage each student to feel optimal position and not avoid sensation. My sequences are presented in a playful, curious, all-levels manner. Pranayama instruction, breath awareness and linking breath to movement cultivate mindfulness and allow the hectic mind to settle. Each class ends with a long, timed savasana to soak up the benefits of the practice and relax completely.

Brittany found her connection with yoga after having an ACL reconstruction surgery; the recovery fueled her desire to build a strong mind and body connection. Her passion for movement and flow has evolved over the years and she loves to help others feel their best, as well as feel comfortable in their own bodies and minds. Her teaching is based on the principle that yoga is for everyone, and every single body. Brittany completed her 200 hour teacher training in Costa Rica and has followed her curiosity and enthusiasm for yoga around the world. The course was Vinyasa and Hatha based but she also loves to teach Gentle and Restorative yoga. In her classes the main focus is strengthening mobility movements and feeling comfortable in your own skin. Flexibility is great, but often the thing our bodies need the most is strengthening of the ligaments and joints so we can be supported to perform dynamic movements that feel good and are pain free. As a music enthusiast she always has a fun new playlist for every class. Outside of teaching yoga, she is very passionate about cooking, art, adventure, play, exploration and more. Born and raised in Palmer, Alaska. "I'm excited to meet new students and learn from them as well. The teacher in me honors the teacher in every single one of you."  -Brittany

Hi! My name is Alissa McKnight, and the one thing you should know about me is that yoga changed my life. It was the catalyst for self-awareness, respect for my body, discipline and freedom of spirit that has helped me build a beautiful life. Because of this I feel full-heartedly that yoga is for everyone, flexible or not, quiet-minded or not. It has the power to better connect you to yourself and others, of which I feel like our world needs more. 

I received my yoga teacher training certification from Samyak Yoga School in Ashtanga and Vinyasa styles in Dharamshala, India in 2014. I have continued practice of Mysore style yoga as I’ve moved around the country. My body has gone through many changes over the years. I could do advanced poses that are no longer accessible to me at the moment. Knowing that the body changes over time, I try to cultivate an open mind within myself and students to the possibilities and to practice compassion with your practice.

I’ll be teaching the Mommy and Me class at Heart Stream. I welcome all the kiddos of any age to be in the space while moms attend yoga. As a new mom, I know how hard it can be to carve out time for yourself. Though the class will be geared toward moms, I believe that we can practice yoga while also being present for our children. It will be a relaxed environment; you’re free to chase a little one down, stop to breastfeed, or just take a breather. My daughter, who is one year old, will also be joining! The space will just be filled with grace for all the moms doing the best they can. :)

On a personal note, I love backpacking, pack rafting, biking, writing poetry, and making art. For my day job, I’m an pediatric occupational therapist so I really just love the energy children bring to the world! So looking forward to meeting you and sharing space together in practice. 

OM. 

Naomi hopes to create a space for women to feel uninhibited to access that deeper feminine within. Sharing movement and space without any expectations of outcome, just being in the moment and having fun!!