Our Teachers

Urban Barre Teacher Training 2012, UY 200 hr. Deep Study & Teaching Apprenticeship 2013

Amy has been part of the Urban family since its birth in 2010 and in August 2019 stepped into the role of owner / director.  Amy began teaching Urban Barre in February of 2012 and has developed a unique and beautifully balanced blend of yoga, Pilates, ballet and deep stretching.  She is a dynamic and joyful teacher with accreditation both in barre and in yoga teaching. She combines both passions in her welcoming and fun classes.

Amy’s teaching style is purposeful, energetic and fun.   “I love teaching Barre and Yoga because of the deep connection I feel with my body and mind.  I draw inspiration for my classes from music, art, my love of dance and from the support of my husband & daughter.”

M.A., J.D., E-RYT 200, PranaFlow™ 200 HR and Advanced Studies in Krama Vinyasa in the lineage of Krishnamacharya with Shiva Rea

Surya has been a devoted dance, movement and yoga instructor since 1995.  In 2010, she opened Urban Yoga to create a warm, welcoming and inclusive movement and yoga studio in Fort Worth’s Near Southside. Surya is a loving, passionate yoga teacher who brings chanting, spirituality, self-love and inspiration to each of her classes. You’ll sing, chant, flow, meditate, laugh, and experience your true essence in each of Surya’s classes.

Surya has done additional specialty studies in Meditation and Mindfulness; Bhakti Yoga and Sanskrit; Yoga for PTSD and Resiliency After Trauma; Pranayama and Kriya Yoga in the lineage of Paramahansa Yogananda; Shamanic Healing Arts; Astrology and Tarot; and Myofascial Release and Yoga Therapy; the Divine Feminine; Tibetan Buddhism (these trainings are separate from and do not derive from my status as a RYT with the Yoga Alliance Registry).  Important teachers that I honor with gratitude are:  Shiva Rea, Jai Uttal, Saul David Raye, Thaddeus Hedges and Lama Tsultrim Allione.

Yoga Alliance RYT-500, Reiki Master

A mother of 3, yoga teacher and reiki master teacher. Kasey began her yoga practice in 2004 and she began teaching in 2013. Kasey’s style is mindful, energetic, and deeply connected; she draws on both her technical knowledge of yoga and intuitive guidance when weaving a class together. Kasey has taught over 2,500 hours since completing her first yoga teacher training. She finds inspiration in daily life through parenting, gardening, and her personal meditation and yoga practice.

Certified Anusara Yoga Teacher, Yoga Alliance RYT-500, Lead Training Teacher

Lou has been teaching yoga since 2006. His classes are focused on optimal alignment for every body with breath awareness. Steady and highly skillful, Lou’s teaching will allow you to understand each posture more fully while integrating a greater understanding of how yoga relates to your life — how to use the poses, not just do the poses..

My classes derive from my rich knowledge of yoga, my dedication to my work, my sense of humor, and a powerful teaching style that I hope all combines to open students to offering each pose with an intention to connect to yoga’s larger purpose, while always staying aware of their body alignment and finding the balance between steadfastness and freedom. It’s a joyful and fun teaching style that is uplifting and inspires students of any level to live fully from their hearts and celebrate life.

Sally began practicing yoga from the comfort of her own home as a way to dive deeper into healing and strength. A decade later, after experiencing and studying many forms of yoga, she now shares this healing practice with others. 

Sally’s offerings are rooted in cultivating self-awareness, lessening judgements, and calming the mind, all while building strength and resilience in the mind and body. Expect to embody your practice with a light-hearted and breath-focused approach in Sally’s class.

Sally enjoys digging into yoga philosophy and exploring the underpinnings of yoga (the yoga sutras) with others. As a yoga teacher, she focuses on making yoga accessible to everyone.

Urban Barre Teacher Training; UY 200-hr. Deep Study & Teaching Apprenticeship, Nia White Belt & Reiki Certified

In 2012, Emily joined the UY family as a student and her practice evolved quickly after she began sharing as a certified Urban Barre instructor in 2013. She subsequently completed 200-hour RYT, mini yogi Kids, Teen & Tween RYT, Nia White Belt, Nia Moving to Heal, Nia Move IT, Reiki Level I & II, and Reiki Master certification.

Emily is certified to teach all movement modalities currently offered at Urban Yoga in both group and one-on-one settings.

Rooted in the principle of loving kindness, bolstered by her curiosity and love of learning, Emily’s teaching style is inspired and playful. People who know her well may tell you she has never met a stranger, and is always up for adventure. 

Emily’s Gentle Yoga & Movement practice is an intuitive blend of yoga styles and movement forms designed to nurture, strengthen, and heal. All are invited to explore form and freedom, and honor their body’s way of moving from one present moment to the next.

Contact the studio to inquire about private instruction, Reiki, or intuitive healing work. 

Dustin began practicing yoga in 2014, and ultimately completed a 200 HR teacher training in 2018. He’s continued to pursue personal practice, teaching and further training since. Dustin uses his teaching to facilitate a more intentional, richer experience of embodiment for his students.

Dustin’s class, Mindful Flow, focuses on mindful integration through core stabilization, longer holds to create presence and heat and plenty of time at the end for release and rest.  

Urban Yoga 200 hour Deep Study and Teacher Apprenticeship (2019)

Blake is a RYT-200 hour certified yoga instructor, ecstatic dance facilitator, and is completing his certification as a Koru Mindfulness Meditation teacher. His yoga classes are an exploration of embodiment through careful attention to the dynamic interrelation between breath, movement, and stillness. He focuses on intention setting, visualization, and alignment to help students deepen trust in themselves and sustain life-long flourishing. Koru Mindfulness Meditation is grounded in traditional Buddhist practices and fully supported by evidence-based research on how mindfulness meditation can contribute significantly to personal and collective well-being.

Blake is Professor of Philosophy and the associate director of CALM Studies at TCU in Fort Worth, Texas. ‘CALM’ stands for Compassionate Awareness and Living Mindfully. He acknowledges and honors the Wichita and Affiliated Tribes on whose sacred ancestral lands Fort Worth rests. He is co-founder and co-director of The Mind Body Ecology Institute and a member of the Flourishing Academic Network.

He enjoys nature wandering, yoga, leading eco-retreats, listening to music, storytelling, and dancing, and has travelled throughout North America, Japan, South Korea, Europe, and parts of Central America.

Blake’s favorite quote:  “We all become the composite of the places we’ve been and the people we see.” –Bill Withers

MEd., C-IAYT | Nia Black Belt, 200-hr. Yoga Therapy & Reiki I Certifications

Nia Black Belt, 200hr and Yoga Therapy certification through Priya Yoga, Yoga for the Special Child certified, Pre and Post-natal yoga certified, Nia MoveIT certified instructor, Nia DJ, Moving to Heal trained, Mindful Schools trained, Reiki I certified

Katy’s classes are playful, grounded, and inspired. With over a decade of yoga and Nia teaching experience, she will leave you feeling more connected body, mind, emotion, and spirit.

I practice Nia, yoga, and meditation to fill myself up; “you cannot pour from an empty cup”.  

I teach to pass on what has been given to me and to witness others grow and transform their lives both within and without.  I draw inspiration from my Faith, family, friends, fellowship, dancing, reading, playing, creating, nature, learning, running.

Nia Black Belt

Yoga 200 hr RYT, Nia 1st Degree Black Belt; Pop Pilates, LM Bodyflow

Kellie began teaching Nia in 1998 and later became certified in various fitness formats including Yoga,  Les Mills Bodyflow, and Pop Pilates. Being a Licensed Professional Counselor, Kellie adds the intention of physical, mental, and emotional healing to her classes.

“The connection I experience through the Urban Yoga community keeps me motivated in my practice and teaching skills. Moving with others is inspiring, fun, and fulfilling. I believe in the healing process and enjoy being  part of others in their healing process through movement and fitness.”

RYT 200, Certified Life Coach & Reiki Master 

Lynnette’s classes are an equal balance of breath work, strength building, and stretching, always with a long savasana so you walk away with that yoga glow.

She is a Certified RYT 200, Certified Life Coach, Reiki Master, and dog lover extraordinaire.

Lynnette uses her gifts of unshakable optimism, intuitive heart, and passion for knowledge to offer yoga, meditation, and coaching to help others create a life of more peace, fulfillment, and joy. She’s passionate about people and loves having conversations that bring on those “a-ha!” moments.

Lynnette has two little girls and is an avid volunteer in the community serving as the PTA Fundraising Chair at her daughter’s school and as the Vice Chair of Board Development for SafeHaven of Tarrant County.

“I teach to help others clear out old energy and bring in new. My intention for class is to get each person out of their heads, tune-in to their body, and feel more connected with their true self.”

200 hr. RYT, 500 hr. Yoga Therapist, Reiki Master & Nia Blue Belt

Megan began teaching yoga and movement classes in 2002. Her outgoing and fun-loving personality shine in all of her offerings. An advanced and all-encompassing teacher, Megan’s classes will leave you feeling energized and empowered.

Megan’s offerings are spirited, grounding, empowering, systemic, playful, encouraging, joyful, unifying.  

My personal practice is to re-connect, over and over and over again, to God inside of me.  When teaching I share yoga and Nia because it is what I love. I teach yoga and Nia to hopefully share some of the gifts that have come through my teachers, and healed me like no other.

God, prayer, community, gardening, my neighborhood, children, music, family, all of my teachers, my body, the human body and Spirit, nature, Super Soul Sunday are my inspirations.

200 hr. RYT,  Pre/Post Natal Yoga Certification & Reiki Master

ERYT-500, IATY Certified Yoga Therapist

Relish a perfect complement to our more dynamic offerings with a practice that gently encourages release in the connective tissue of the hips, pelvis, and spine. Suitable for all levels, this class invites students to savor longer poses, often fully supported by props, in order to reach deep physical and spiritual balance and relaxation.

I fell in love with yoga in 1999, and have been lucky to study under amazing teachers in the art of creative yoga flow and yoga therapy. Since I first began teaching yoga, 20 years ago, I’ve led students aged 12 weeks to over 90 – yes, everyone can do yoga!

I believe that a yoga practice is really about working with our habits, patterns and beliefs – moving more energy to experiences that provide joy and learning to see and shift out of the things that bring pain.

I strive to provide each student with new insights into their body-mind-spirit, while nurturing acceptance, gratitude and playfulness.

Gina studied yoga therapy at Loyola Marymount University with top doctors, chiropractors, physical  therapists and yoga therapists from around the country and completed a year-long gait training program for physical therapists.

UY 200 hr Teaching Apprenticeship, 200 hr Alchemy Advanced Training, Outreach Yoga and History and Philosophy of Yoga with Indigo Academy, Mindfulness Foundations training with Mindful Schools, and Trauma Sensitive Mindfulness with David Treleaven. 

I practice yoga and mindful living to stay connected to my true self. To learn and to grow, to be present in the moment, and to be open and grateful.  It is a true blessing to share our practice and to evolve together through yoga. I aim to teach a very welcoming class with gentle, mindful movement and lots of attention on breathing. We will move with the breath and pause in the moment. This class is for all levels and aims to leave you feeling both relaxed and energized. 

ERYT 200

Anya has taught over 1,000 hours of yoga classes since first becoming certified in 2015. Getting her certification at New York City’s Yoga Vida studio, she has had an opportunity to teach all over the globe, including Tanzania, Ukraine (her home country), Colorado, and now Texas.

Anya’s primary focus in her teaching is the breath. You’ll often hear her say: “As long as you’re breathing deeply and smoothly, you’re doing Yoga. Everything else will fall into place”.

Having incurred several injuries through her yoga practice over 12+ years, she likes to focus on safe alignment that helps bring ease into the yoga practice versus strain/rigidity. Be prepared to flow and be playful, as Anya always encourages her students to find their own expression of each pose.

Anya loves music and incorporates fun playlists and chimes into her classes. Get ready to have some fun while harnessing ease and calmness for your whole being!