Brendan found yoga while coping with anxiety at an early age. Generally practicing Hatha, he kept a consistent practice and began to develop a curiosity for new postures and transitions.

Brendan started learning the craft of Ashtanga yoga while in Washington DC under the guidance of Maryl Baldridge and later David Robson and Jelena Vesic. Brendan practices Ashtanga as a means of stress management, lifestyle change, introspection and devotion. Brendan is a 500hr RYT and Certified Education Provider through Yoga Alliance and is a learner for life. He has trained with several notable Ashtangis including Kino McGregor, Tim Feldman, David Swenson, Ty Landrum, David Garrigues and Troy Lucero.

Christiane is an activist, yoga practitioner and nomadic teacher from Mexico City. Her background in dance, alongside her social justice work, drew her to yoga as a vehicle for healing, embodiment and awareness. While exploring various lineages of yoga, she found her passion in Ashtanga and Rocket® Yoga, balancing tradition with creativity.

Christiane is a lead teacher trainer under Yoga Alliance, and a certified Rocket® Yoga Training Facilitator, offering training, continued education and workshops throughout the US and Latin America. While she loves sharing content, she strongly believes in the importance of continuing her journey as a student. She is grateful for her teachers and mentors -including David Kyle, David Swenson, Tim Feldman, among others- from whom she continues to learn.

Christiane’s teaching philosophy is based on creating a safe space for ALL, approaching the practice with curiosity, creativity and openness to explore what is possible on and off the mat.

Yuko turned to yoga for postpartum problems and job hunting stress and stumbled across Jimmy's Ashtanga class, which paved the path to join the Mysore program that Brendan and Christiane were running in 2022. Yuko is proud to have built her entire practice with all three founding teachers at the shala, quite literally one pose at a time. With the 200hrs training with Brendan and Christiane complete, she's excited to start giving back to the community that she loves so much.

Hope fell absolutely in love with yoga during a time of health struggles. She attended her 200 hour teacher training while her health was still a struggle because she wanted to learn as much as possible about yoga. Shortly after the training, she had to have major surgery to remove her entire thyroid and the tumors that had wrapped around her vocal cords. In spite of this, she stepped up and taught her first yoga class only 5 weeks after the surgery, not knowing if her damaged voice would be heard by the students in the back of the room. She then taught at several teacher trainings and received a 100 hour certificate in Yin yoga. Hope completed an Ashtanga yoga-based training for her 300 hour certificate at Miami LIfe Center with Kino McGregor and Tim Feldman. Most recently, she completed her first 50 hour Rocket training with The Yoga Shala. Yoga is where Hope comes to find a calm space within herself. She believes that to be a good teacher, she must continue to practice every morning: facing fears, weaknesses, and gaining strength and flexibility on the mat. She finds it an honor every time she gets to use the voice that was nearly taken from her to teach others the beautiful calming practice of yoga. She attempts to lead students toward the true purpose of yoga: ‘Yogas chitta vritti nirodhah’, which means ‘Yoga is stilling the fluctuations of the mind’. When she is not on her mat, you can find her hanging out with her husband, one of their 4 children, or 2 grandchildren. She also gets out for some beautiful PNW hikes or lake adventures on her paddle board whenever possible.

Erica discovered yoga in 2012. She was instantly hooked and began to rely on her yoga practice to carry her through the transitions that were going on in her life during that time. Erica wholeheartedly believes in the power of yoga as a healing practice for the body and mind as well as a gateway for spiritual growth. She has studied the Iyengar and Ashtanga methods extensively and likes the deep-rooted tradition of both disciplines. She has been influenced by many amazing teachers and is devoted to being a student always. It is her hope to inspire others through her passion and dedication to the practice.

My journey with yoga began in 2015 when I discovered Ashtanga yoga under the guidance of Marque Garaux. After exploring different ways to stay healthy, Ashtanga deeply resonated with me, and there was no turning back.

Through my practice, I have experienced both challenges and growth, especially in overcoming shoulder injuries. Ashtanga yoga has been a powerful tool in building strength and resilience, both physically and mentally.

I am beyond grateful to practice under Brenden‘s and Christiane‘s guidance at The Yoga Shala, who have helped me continue deepening my practice. As a member of this vibrant and beautiful community, I am passionate about sharing the transformative benefits of Ashtanga with others.

After spending years exploring various movement modalities, Kaysha began practicing yoga more seriously in 2020. She completed her 200-hour teacher training while quarantined during the COVID-19 pandemic and has since traveled extensively to practice Rocket and Ashtanga yoga with teachers like Miles Mortensen, Ahmed Jabali-Nash, Brendan Smullen, Christiane Coste Cacho, Daiana Amadeo, Mariana Cisneros Solbes, David Kyle, and Saraswathi Jois.

Kaysha is also a dedicated student of hand balancing, which complements her yoga practice in many ways, and enjoys exploring other movement practices. In her classes, she believes in encouraging play and creativity while keeping the practice accessible to all.

Kaysha divides her time between Seattle, Washington, and Buenos Aires, Argentina. In addition to yoga, she is a barista, freelance writer, and literature enthusiast.

Description goes hGretchen is a former professional ballerina turned Ashtangi. She began studying vinyasa yoga in 2014, falling deeply in love with the familiar samskara of practice and the effortless awareness of moving meditation. She became certified as a vinyasa yoga teacher and began leading classes before she decided to dive deeper, studying at the Ashtanga Yoga School of Philadelphia with David Garrigues and Elizabeth Crozier, exploring the beauty of the eight limbs, respect for yogic lineage, and the power of tapas (dedication).

Despite a long commute, Gretchen maintained her dedication to her practice and traveled to study with other noted ashtanga teachers, such as Eddie Stern, Joseph Armstrong, and Michael Guiou. By chance or kismet, she moved to Seattle around the time Yoga Shala Seattle opened its doors. In 2025, she was certified as an Ashtanga teacher, now holding two certifications with Yoga Alliance, and a whole lot of love for the Yoga Shala community.

My yoga journey began with a 40-day challenge and extended to almost 10 years of practice. Yoga really touches my heart and has transformed me. I feel I have found my purpose in yoga, and I became inspired to start my journey as a yoga teacher. I completed my first 200-hour Vinyasa training back in 2019, followed by a 200-hour Universal yoga training. Later, I found Ashtanga and felt deeply connected to the practice. After another 200 hours, here I am as an Ashtanga yoga teacher. I teach to share this incredible path that allows us to reconnect to our true selves. I teach to support each and every one’s unique journey. I also teach to learn from others! Grateful to be on this inspiring path with all of you!