OUR TEACHING TEAM
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Anthony Carrillo (he/him)
Dr. Anthony Carrillo passionately advocates for holistic wellness, intertwining the principles of Yoga and Chiropractic to create an environment that is soothing, joyful, and primed for authentic expression.
Anthony's approach developed after sustaining a fractured spine and overcoming the mental, emotional, and physical challenges it presented. Dissatisfied with the Western model of symptomatic treatment, Anthony turned toward Eastern traditions to investigate reclaiming wholeness and the interconnectedness of all things.
As a practitioner with seven years of teaching experience, Anthony blends clinical expertise with specializations in Yin, Yoga Nidra, and Traditional Chinese Medicine. He aims to authentically connect with and empower students to move with freedom, confidence, and self-awareness.
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Chottip Nimla-or (She/Her)
Chottip first fell in love with yoga as a sanctuary amidst the hustle and bustle of modern life. She not only connected with the physical relief the practice provided but the equilibrium it brought to her mind and heart. She wholeheartedly believes yoga opens pathways for self-discovery while bringing awareness to the harmony of life.
Through fluid movement she aims to help practitioners access their own unique alignment through mudra meditation and consistent flow, in turn amplifying their connection to the pranic flow moving throughout the body. Drawing from the lineage of Prana Vinyasa via Shiva Rea, Chottip aims for unification of prana and living flow for herself and her students , exploring the heart cave, moving with the ebb and flow of life.
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Joy Wegs (She/Her)
As a yoga instructor, Joy has a playful way of reintroducing you to your own personal awakening by gently nudging you to declare freedom from all self-made limitations. Her teaching style is bright, challenging, playful, inspiring and sometimes upside down. One of Joy’s strongest values is G-R-O-W-T-H and you will find this embedded in every levity-filled class she guides you through.
Joy first discovered yoga in college where she happily practiced and studied Iyengar. From there her asana practice went rather dormant while life surrounded her in a variety of other ways. In 2008, she took her first vinyasa class, and as some would say, the rest is history! Joy is ERYT 200-hr certified having trainings in Vinyasa, Iyengar, Baptiste and Bhakti. Outside of yoga, Joy loves to spend time with her family and her pups!
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Dina Paz (She/Ella)
Dina knows what it's like to live a demanding life. After spending over two decades in the fast-paced culinary industry, she understands firsthand the physical and mental toll a busy lifestyle can take. It was her own path of overcoming personal challenges through yoga that inspired her to become a certified instructor to share this transformative practice with others.
Today, Dina is dedicated to helping the Denver community find peace and balance amidst the hustle of life. She specializes in creating classes that are a refuge from stress, promoting overall well-being through mindful movement and reflection. Dina teaches a variety of styles—including Vinyasa, Yin, and Restorative—and proudly offers her classes in both English and Spanish, making her classes accessible to a wide range of individuals.
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Andy Jans (He/Him)
Andy is a lifelong resident of Colorado. He loves everything outdoors including hiking, camping, and skiing.
Music plays a big role in Andy's life as well, he enjoys attending live shows and even learning to play the banjo. He discovered yoga as a way to supplement his many activities, but fell in love with all the other more subtle aspects and benefits of yoga.
Since his early years of practicing, he has been committed to learning more and diving even deeper into this amazing practice. Andy's classes are grounding, powerful, creative, and fun. -
Rebekah Boatrite (She/Her)
Rebekah has been practicing yoga and meditation since 2010 and began teaching in 2016. For her, yoga is a path of deeper study of the self, philosophy, and the body’s innate intelligence. Guided by the wisdom of non-dual Tantra, she sees yoga as both a recognition of our inherent wholeness and a path of upaya (skillful means), offering tools to navigate the shifting seasons of life.
Her classes are rooted in an alignment-based, anatomy-informed approach, with an emphasis on moving with integrity, awareness, and curiosity. She weaves asana, breathwork, and philosophy into monthly themes, creating practices that feel steady, sustainable, and infused with a spirit of play. Rebekah is deeply grateful for the many gifted teachers and mentors whose guidance continues to shape and expand her practice and teaching.
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Michelle Shive (She/Her)
Michelle has been a student of yoga for over 20 years and a skillful guide for more than a decade. Born in Toronto, her background as a dancer influenced her learning from diverse lineages of yoga and meditation.
With an enduring curiosity, Michelle embraces all forms of movement. She advocates for moving what you can, when you can, however you can, and encourages others to stay committed to both learning and unlearning. She has been shaped deeply by life and those she loves, including the profound influence of her Trinidadian and Tobagonian parents and her children, Quinn and Rowan.
Michelle is committed to creating community wherever she goes and loves traveling to learn about other cultures. Recently, she has found joy in her local pottery studio in Denver, where she lives with her husband, children, and French bulldog, Obi.
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Faye Blumberg (She/Her)
After years of soccer and running, Faye stumbled across the practice to find recovery of her aching body. The more she practiced, she witnessed the shifts and transformations within her that went far beyond body restoration. She believes yoga can affect every individual and every community.
In 2019 she decided to combine some of her passions; teaching, yoga, and inclusivity. Her 200 hour teacher training was focused on empowering all bodies to practice yoga. She strives to provide an environment where individuals feel safe and supported to express their individuality and uniqueness. Truly believing yoga is for everyBODY, Faye is eager to provide considerations and modifications for all abilities. -
Ashleigh Humphrey (She/her)
Ashleigh aims to help students unplug and journey inward as a balance to their busy, outwardly focused lives. Since completing her 200-HR YTT in 2012, she has instructed regular yoga classes and remains a lifelong student, continuing her education in Yin Yoga and Chinese Meridian Theory. She passionately shares slower styles of yoga through skillful sequencing, infused with seasonal wisdom and an understanding of the subtle body.
Ashleigh’s classes encourage a consistent practice of self-awareness by bringing attention to the breath. Her clear cues, slow pacing, and frequent modifications ensure an approachable and digestible experience. She hopes her classes help students achieve greater ease and cultivate self-healing. Off the mat, she owns an interior design company, loves to trail run with her two doodles, and enjoys traveling with her partner.
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Lex Irias (She/Ella)
Lex is a bilingual yoga instructor and therapist with over seven years of experience teaching in both Spanish and English. She creates an accessible, intentional, and trauma-sensitive space, guiding students toward a more present and regulated state.
Lex’s classes are a purposeful blend of dynamic vinyasa flows—often infused with a vibrant Latin flair—and deeply restorative practices that support nervous system regulation. Lex is passionate about digital wellness and invites students to pause from their fast-paced realities, free from the distractions of technology to be fully present with their physical, mental and emotional world. -
Liz Terry (She/Her)
Liz is an eRYT500+ Vinyasa & Yin teacher, Yoga Teacher Trainer, and Certified Rolfer who marvels in the magic of life, especially through embodied movement and guiding others out of pain. Her classes challenge the idea of what asana is, allowing students to explore and empower themselves by learning what their bodies and minds can do.
Liz completed her 200hr training with Yoga Works in Southern California in 2008 and her 300hr in Thailand in 2011. That same year, she moved to Dubai and continued to study with teachers from around the world. Liz has led 200hr YogaWorks teacher trainings globally since 2013, spanning from the UAE to Japan. Now residing in Denver, she continues to support local YTT programs. What Liz has learned from her international teachers and students goes far beyond what being on the mat alone has taught her.
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Sara Chaplin (She/her)
Sara Chaplin is a yoga teacher and community builder with over 20 years of practice and a decade of teaching experience. For Sara, yoga is a source of grounding and self-inquiry—a consistent practice of "coming home" to herself.
She completed her 200- and 300-hour trainings in Denver and holds additional certifications in Yin, Yoga Nidra, and Restorative Yoga. Her teaching style blends thoughtful sequencing and breath awareness with accessible philosophy. With a focus on nervous system support, Sara creates a welcoming, spacious environment where effort and ease coexist.
Known for her lighthearted, down-to-earth approach, Sara invites curiosity and self-trust into every session. Whether guiding a strong flow or a quiet restorative practice, her goal is to help students feel more connected to themselves, their community, and the present moment.
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Rossi Dimitrova (She/Her)
Rossi’s yoga journey began at 17 in her native Bulgaria, where the practice "found" her and sparked a lifelong passion. Since completing her first Vinyasa teacher training in 2014, she’s dedicated herself to exploring yoga’s depth, embracing all eight limbs of Patanjali’s teachings. With thousands of training hours, Rossi’s expertise spans Power Vinyasa, Iyengar, Hatha, Restorative, Yin, and Yoga for addiction and recovery.
Rossi’s classes blend strength, education, and emotional connection, empowering students to deepen self-awareness and cultivate balance. She weaves humor, intention, and deep insight into her teaching, creating spaces for transformation. In addition, Rossi is a Mindset Coach, Reiki Master, and Bodywork Practitioner who is currently pursuing a Doctor of Physical Therapy. Rossi’s mission is to guide others toward healing, resilience, and the joy of self-discovery.
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Shanti Rodrigues (She/Ella)
Shanti, a Venezuelan native, discovered the transformative power of yoga in 2010 while living in New York City. Since moving to Denver in 2020, she has deepened her practice completing both her 200 HR and 300 HR yoga teacher trainings. Her immersion in the study of yoga asana, philosophy, and sutras fueled her passion to help others cultivate inner peace through the profound connection between mind and body.
Shanti strongly advocates for cultural humility and inclusivity within yoga communities, believing in yoga's power to liberate and connect all people. As a dynamic and engaging bilingual instructor, Shanti fosters a sense of belonging by sharing yoga's unifying power with a diverse community. She is excited to share her love for yoga with her students, empowering them to cultivate self-awareness, self-love, and independence on their individual journeys.
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Kris Loose (She/Her)
Kris is an RYT 500 who has been teaching yoga since 2015. Her journey began in 2009 as an athlete in need of help recovering from surgery, and she fell in love with yoga after experiencing profound healing both physically and spiritually. She completed her training at Shoshoni Yoga in Nederland, CO and Konalani Yoga on the Big Island of Hawaii.
Expect powerful, alignment focused classes that offer a unique combination of playfully sequenced flows, meditation, breathwork, and fun playlists. Her goal is to leave all levels of students feeling strong, confident, and energized - and bonus points if we enjoy a laugh during class. Kris is also a Vipassana meditator; and outside of teaching she spends time trail running, sewing, cooking, practicing Muay Thai, and playing with her french bulldog.
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Pam Faith (She/Her)
Pam has worked in the fitness and wellness space for over 42 years. With more than 1000 hours of formal yoga training, she holds certifications in vinyasa, yin, yoga nidra, restorative, Iyengar-inspired, mobility, HIIT, pranayama, and mantra and TM meditation.
Her passion is teaching yoga to all levels. Yoga transforms the body and mind in the moment, while continued practice cultivates self-awareness, resilience, and compassion. Practicing in community allows humor and curiosity to expand the energy of the space; it is a thing of wonder to experience a room breathing and moving together.
Colorado has been home to Pam for 36 years. she enjoys travel, trail running, paddleboarding, and hiking with her deaf dog, Stevie. Indoors, she loves reading, cooking, and sleeping.
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JORGE MELQUIADES (he/él)
Jorge began his yoga journey in 2009, honing his discipline through years of intensive Hot Yoga practice in high-heat, high-humidity environments. Since earning his 200-hour certification in 2016, he has become a familiar face in Denver’s Capitol Hill and Westwood neighborhoods, teaching in accessible community spaces.
Jorge specializes in bilingual instruction (Spanish–English) and is passionate about creating inclusive classes that welcome all bodies and backgrounds. Grounded in a deep respect for the philosophical roots and sacred traditions of India, his teaching offers a thoughtful balance of rigorous presence, intentional breathwork, and mindful movement.
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Brittany russell (She/her)
Brittany is a multi-disciplinary educator specializing in yoga, Pilates, and dance. Her classes are a unique integrated experience that harmonizes somatic healing tools, therapeutic dance, and yogic wisdom. She skillfully weaves in the principles of 5 Element Theory to create sessions that are deeply grounding and transformative.
She strives to co-create a warm, welcoming environment in her classes that attract beginners and experienced practitioners alike. She offers trauma informed cueing and choice for each student to feel strong and comfortable in their own skin. Brittany encourages a learning space for in depth reflection, empowerment and nourishment.
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Sara Marie Cook (She/her)
Sara has spent a lifetime collecting wisdom and information from incredible mentors and students alike within the realm of movement and mind body connection. She has travelled as a teacher trainer and built training programs for a variety of movement modalities including The Willpower Method, Barre and Yoga.
Sara’s teaching experience has given her a profound understanding of human movement, in the body and in the heart. Her classes are a creative and challenging alchemy of traditional yoga poses and functional movements. Her classes tell a story and guide a connection to deeper sense of self.
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Iza Robels (she/ella)
Iza discovered yoga as a college elective, quickly falling in love with how movement, breath, and mindfulness support well-being. After earning her Master’s in Physician Assistant Studies in 2008, she began a healthcare career while exploring holistic and preventative approaches to health.
As a Latina with asthma and a family history of heart disease, Iza is passionate about empowering others to take ownership of their health beyond the traditional Western medical model. Experiencing the benefits of her own consistent practice inspired her to share this transformative work within her communities.
In 2021, Iza completed her 200-hour Hot Yoga Teacher Training and began offering welcoming, accessible classes that emphasize connection, resilience, and sustainable well-being. Iza sets out to create inclusive spaces for all students and proudly offers classes, en inglés y en español.
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Lauren Mueller (She/Her)
In 2012, Lauren was dragged to a yoga class by her big sister (and yes, she does mean dragged) and something clicked. Through the rigors of a tough class focused on breathwork, Lauren found a glimmer of that "yoga high" she had heard about. Since then, her practice has grown to include teaching, and she completed her 200-hour certification with Zenver Yoga in 2018.
Whether you're a new or seasoned yogi, her classes makes sure to meet you where you're at--and she will help you still your mind through a challenging flow. When not on her mat, you can find Lauren skiing, hiking, enjoying patio drinks and snuggling her little ones!
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Katie Davis (she/her)
Katie is a veteran student of yoga with over six years of teaching experience. Recently relocated to Denver from Washington, D.C., her dedication to yoga began at the U.S. Naval Academy and as an active duty Marine Corps Officer. There, she turned to yoga for grounding and mindfulness, finding hot power vinyasa to be a powerful tool for growth and mind-body connection.
Katie loves creating a dynamic space that balances ease and effort. As a teacher, she focuses on creative, challenging transitions and helping students explore new edges. She believes every asana offers a spectrum of amplifications and adaptations, empowering you to choose what best supports your practice.
When she's not teaching, Katie stays active by training for road marathons, exploring local run clubs and hiking trails, and working at Strava building social and community features.
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Raymond Tapia (He/They)
Through years of embodied study, Raymond has come to view yoga as a way to access spaciousness, clarity, and ease amidst the complexity of daily life. As a contemplative somatic therapist, he brings clinical insight to his classes, offering yoga as a practical tool for navigating life’s challenges with gentle, body-based awareness.
In class, Raymond invites you into connection with yourself and others through shared stillness. These quiet pauses help expand your relationship to the present moment with greater curiosity. His classes use accessible, incremental movement to build a meditative foundation, allowing your own inner knowing to guide your practice.
A passionate advocate for mental wellness, Raymond helps students use yoga to find emotional balance and build a kinder, more connected relationship with their bodies and lived experiences.
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Melanie Brochard (She/Her)
Melanie fills each class with breath, heart, warmth and great music. She believes in slowing down and savoring each breath and fully feeling into each movement, both in her own practice, and when leading. Melanie views teaching as an offering, as her opportunity to share what she loves and cherishes about yoga, which is time for breath and time for feeling alive, empowered and strong.
Mel typically gets on her mat before each class and feel what is needed in her body, believing in the wisdom of our own bodies to guide our practice and dictate what we need. When she is not teaching, Melanie enjoys spending time with her husband and 2 sons, friends, family and 2 dobermans. Melanie completed her 200 hour YTT in 2014, under a Baptiste and a Bhakti trainer. -
Sarah Terranova (She/Her)
Sarah’s yoga practice began in 2009. At first it was about getting herself to stretch, and “workout” differently, but it quickly became more than just a physical practice. Not only was she moving her body in a new way, but her mind was also changing. Yoga sparked connection within, taught her to trust, to feel, to get to know herself deeply.
In 2013 Sarah completed her 200-hr Power YTT at Zuda Yoga in Sacramento before expanding her education to include Yin, Bhakti, Yoga Nidra and Trauma-informed yoga. As a student of life, Sarah believes in the benefits of all forms of yoga. The power of connection is prominent in Sarah’s classes and her message is one of growth. She strives to invite each student to find their unique growth edge, wherever it may be in the moment, to meet the practice and spark the potential for change.
Our Foundations team
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Lex Irias (She/Ella)
OWNER
Lex embraces the paradox of being human—the push and pull of rest and growth, solitude and connection, technology and humanity. Passionate about digital wellness, she sees the studio as a refuge—a place to step away from algorithms and reconnect with personal and communal rhythms.
As both a yoga instructor and psychotherapist, she invites students to use movement, stillness, and breath as practices of self-care and pathways to nervous system regulation.
Deeply proud of her Honduran heritage, Lex is committed to supporting and elevating the Spanish-speaking community in Denver. For more than seven years, she has taught yoga in Spanish and over the last 4 years has created grant-funded educational programs on mental health and substance misuse, serving hundreds of individuals and families.
She is honored to step into the role of studio owner at Better Buzz Yoga and is committed to cultivating a community where everyone feels seen, welcomed, and supported—a community rooted in intergenerational wisdom, cultural diversity, and compassionate curiosity.
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Raymond Tapia (He/They)
DIRECTOR OF YOGA
Raymond has guided students as a teacher at Better Buzz Yoga since 2019, fostering a strong sense of community. With over a decade of experience in teaching, a background in meditation instruction, and an M.A. in Contemplative Psychotherapy and Buddhist Psychology, Raymond brings a diverse depth of understanding to the role of Director of Yoga.
Inspired by the liberatory nature of yoga, Raymond is passionate about cultivating spaces where this transformative practice can be shared and experienced in community. Driven by a deep belief in yoga's power to truly alleviate both individual and collective suffering, Raymond strives to nurture inclusive and supportive environments that welcome others to authentically connect, heal and grow with one another through the shared practice of yoga.