Kelly 200 E-RYT / Baptiste Yoga

Kelly began teaching yoga in 1998 while studying massage therapy in Anchorage, Alaska. She has several YogaFit Certifications and 200 yoga teacher training with Gotta Yoga through Pink Lotus Yoga Center. She is also a certified Group Fitness instructor. Kelly and her daughter, Cassiel, are currently training with Baron Baptiste to become certified Baptiste Power Vinyasa instructors. ​She is Baptise level 2 trained, and ​hopes to be fully certified ​Baptise instructor ​by ​2016. She hopes to be fully certified by Fall 2015. Kelly has found mindful movement to be a powerful vehicle for grounding. She brings this to mind in every class she teaches. It is her intention to share that with her classes.

Sierra 200 E-RYT

Sierra began practicing yoga on and off approximately ten years ago. Recovering from knee surgery in 2011, Sierra stepped back onto her mat, looking for an easy (ha!) workout once she received the all-clear from her doctor, and hasn't left it since. Yoga quickly became a refuge and a place to breathe, and it started permeating her life off of the mat, too. It was then that Sierra realized she wanted to share her love of yoga with others. She completed her 200-hour Vinyasa teacher training certification with Gotta Yoga in June 2013. Always a student, Sierra continues to deepen her knowledge of yoga by attending of trainings and workshops relating to the eight limbs, and has learned from a variety of knowledgeable yoga teachers including Kino MacGregor, Carmen Aguilar, Tim Feldmann, and Michael Johnson. Sierra believes that yoga is for every body and will meet you where you are. When not on her mat, Sierra enjoys spending time with her husband and dogs, cooking, and reading.

Kimi 200 RYT

Kimi took her first yoga class in 2005 while in graduate school in California and quickly discovered that from 8-9 PM on Tuesdays and Thursdays, her mind would enjoy the only escape from stress it could find for the next four years. She brought her love of yoga back to South Carolina upon graduation and felt that she truly found her yoga home when she stepped in the doors at Pink Lotus. Kimi had always been a runner, but started participating in triathlons in 2010 and found that yoga was an invaluable element of her cross-training regimen. Alas, her tenure as a triathlete only lasted a few years, but she maintains that yoga is an essential cross-training component for simply life itself, both physically and mentally. Furthermore, her day job as a dentist predisposes her to a myriad of neck, shoulder, and back ailments, but she knows that her regular yoga practice is what keeps her pain-free. Kimi finished her 200-hour yoga teacher training in May 2013. Her initial intention when signing up for the training was simply to learn more about yoga and to enhance her own practice, but soon realized that she loved teaching and sharing her love of yoga with others. She blended her love of yoga and athletics by completing Yoga for Athletes training in February 2014 at Enlighten Yoga in Charlotte, NC. While PLYC is most dear to Kimi's heart, she loves to travel and sleuths out a yoga studio or two in each town she visits to connect with yogis from all around, broaden her yoga horizons, and gain inspiration.

Denis Ann 200 RYT

Denis Ann has found Swarupa, which means, "loving what you do; sitting in your own essence," in her yoga practice and wanted to bring that love and joy to others. Denis Ann sees teaching yoga as an act of love, caring and giving back. She considers it a privilege to share her knowledge of yoga and the many healthy benefits that yoga produces in the body and mind. It is her intention that people journey through their own personal yogic path and find the joy of yoga on and off the mat. Denis Ann received her 200-hour yoga teacher training from Sakhi Yoga in Columbia, SC in 2013. She continues to deepen her study with her personal practice, workshops and reading a vast collection of books on yoga. She has been teaching yoga for 7 years and currently teaches at Pink Lotus Yoga Center since its inception in August 2011. Denis Ann honors the glory of all the yogis and yoginis who have share their love of yoga at Pink Lotus Yoga Center.

Pam 200 RYT

As always, yoga finds a person when they need it most. For Pamela, her journey with yoga began to combat side effects from an autoimmune disorder. She studied for years at home and finally braved a studio class for the first time at Pink Lotus. Within its safe walls, she experienced yoga's healing benefits, physically and mentally, and knew she needed to learn more. With a background of kinesiology and a decade of teaching physical education, she decided to pursue her 230 hour teacher training with Nicole Zimmer. Pam enjoys all types of yoga, restorative yin to vinyasa flow. Pam hopes share the gift of yoga with all people regardless of experience levels, body types, or illness. Pam's intention is to help each yogi on their individual path, right now, right where they are. When she's not practicing yoga, she enjoys spending time with her family, traveling, and reading.

John 200 RYT/ Swing Yoga

​John and his wife Jane are both from Rock Hill, SC, where they started dating at age fifteen. They have three children, all grown, and all five Hearns are graduates of the University of South Carolina. John completed his 230-hour YTT in 2015 and swing training in 2017, both at Pink Lotus. He continues as a student, having begun his journey to his 500-hour certification with Holy Cow Yoga Center in Charleston. John is a Pisces, and this shines through in his giving, caring personality.

Jordan 230 RYT/ Swing Yoga

​Jordan's been involved with fitness since he began training in Aikido at 7 years old. He also briefly dappled in Jiu Jitsu before participating on the wrestling team and playing rugby in high school. Currently, he is a member of the Track and Field team at Coker College where he is studying Physical Education.

Jordan was first hooked on yoga in 2013. At the time, he was looking to gain flexibility and balance. He found that, through yoga, he was able to achieve not only balance in his body, but also balance in his mind. He now meditates on a regular basis in order to stay calm and mindful.

Jordan's desire to share yoga with others lead him to Yoga Teacher Training in 2015. He graduated with 230 hours in Pink Lotus Yoga Center's first training.

When Jordan isn't doing yoga, he enjoys rock climbing, hiking, drinking hot tea, and playing video games.

Alison 200 RYT/ Swing Yoga

​Alison's yoga journey started in Maine in 1991 when she was looking for a way to get away from running and the gym. She was craving something that would quiet her mind while strengthening her body. Alison found what she was looking for when she was introduced to Kripalu yoga. She eventually made many trips to the Kripalu ashram in Lenox Massachusetts. When she moved to South Carolina in 2007, Alison discovered Vinyasa yoga. Feeling the urge to deepen her practice and knowledge of alignment, while delving into the ancient teachings of yoga, she participated in a 100 hour Anusara immersion.

Alison found her way into Pink Lotus when she moved to Lexington in 2013. With the encouragement of Nicole, Channing, and Kelly, and the support of the Pink Lotus kula, she completed her 200 hour Vinyasa Yoga Teacher Training in 2016.

Alison believes yoga is the art of becoming the best version of yourself. It frees you to love and be who you are. Alison hopes to bring the joy of yoga to others.

Lesley 200 RYT/ Swing Yoga

Lesley dove into her yoga journey soon after giving birth to her first child. She came onto the mat trying to find herself in her new roles of wife and mom. She quickly found that practicing on the mat not only helped improve her strength and flexibility, it also helped her mental state and sense of self. Over the course of a year, a sporty yoga practice turned into a steady home and studio practice. This lead her to go through yoga teacher training at Pink Lotus. Teaching was always something that came natural to Lesley. As a middle school English teacher, she found it easy to apply the things being taught during training directly to the students she taught. She believes that yoga should be more accessible and fun for kids of all ages. She looks forward to growing more as a yoga teacher as she continues her own yoga journey.

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Megan 200 RYT/ Swing Yoga

Megan dabbled in yoga off and on since beginning college in 2002. Her yoga practice became more regular in early 2015 as a way to cope with the everyday stressors of life. Megan loves the beginner friendly teaching styles of all the Pink Lotus instructors and, like many others, quickly found herself at home within our walls. Megan noticed her more positive, more patient self seemed to correlate with the amount of yoga she practiced. This realization led her to pursue yoga teacher training to deepen her understanding of yoga outside the asanas. She graduated from Pink Lotus School of Yoga in June of 2017. Megan spends the majority of her days on her feet working as a pharmacist and found swing yoga to be greatly beneficial in getting off her feet as well as spinal decompression. She completed her swing training in August of 2016. In addition to yoga, Megan enjoys music, movies, Saturday Night Live, traveling the country, and stays active in her profession.

Catherine RYT 200 / Swing Yoga

Catherine is a Columbia native who started practicing yoga off and on 12 years ago as a way to maintain the flexibility she developed as a dancer. After college, she became somewhat of a fitness junkie and turned to yoga as a form of exercise and stress relief following a knee injury. Once she began practicing regularly, she quickly realized that yoga is much more than just a physical practice and that the lessons learned on the mat are equally valuable in other facets of life. When she's not practicing yoga, Catherine enjoys cooking and spending time with her family and friends. She completed her 200 hour Yoga Alliance teacher training at Pink Lotus School of Yoga and her Swing Yoga training in 2016.

Dene RYT 200

Dene found Pink Lotus in 2012 right before Pink's 1st anniversary and quickly became a bright light at the studio. She completed her 200 hour RYT classes with Gotta Yoga in 2014. Since graduating she has received additional training in Yin, Gentle, and Trauma Conscious Yoga levels 1 & 2.

Her goal is to continue to expand her knowledge of using yoga for stress relief, healing trauma and restoring flexibility and strength.

In her spare time, she enjoys traveling with her husband and visiting her daughter. Asheville NC is her happy place, and she can be found enjoying its charms often.

Subs and Guest Teachers

Kacie RYT 200	Kim RYT 200
Kacie is a cardiac/cancer genetic counselor in Delaware. She will be teaching yoga and meditation to cancer patients, and survivors at the cancer center. Kacie discovered yoga in 2011 while on a backpacking trip to Norway as a college freshman. Graduate school brought her to Columbia SC, where she graduated from yoga teacher training at Pink Lotus Yoga Center. Look forward to Kacie's warm hugs, musical talents, and video skills to make their way into Pink Lotus classes when she visits.	Kim is back home in New York with family, friends, and her man after 7 years in South Carolina. Kim is in transition as she navigates a new and exciting chapter. She my RYT200 in Vinyasa from Pink Lotus, and she is currently working towards her RYT 500 through Holy Cow. Kim will be popping by Pink often when she is "down south."
Monica RYT 200/ Swing Yoga	Abby 200 RYT
Monica is pursuing her other passion, social work, in Washington DC. Yoga became a daily practice for her when she started coming to Pink Lotus Yoga. She attended Pink Lotus Yoga Teacher Training in 2016 in order to deepen her own practice, but she now loves to teach and share the joy she experiences from yoga. Monica gained her Swing Yoga certification in 2016 as well. Monica has a large family in Lexington, so look for her to pop on the schedule when she's in town.	Abby's yoga journey began in her teenage years as a healthy healing method for depression and anxiety. Over the years she has deepened her asana, meditation and yogic lifestyle practices. Abby completed her 200-hour yoga teacher training through Pink Lotus Yoga Center in Lexington, SC. She loves to work with beginner yoga students to cultivate a love of yoga and to learn healing practices. Abby is interested in trauma yoga, and she plans to pursue her 500-hours in yoga therapy. Abby tries to bring a welcoming, positive and accepting environment to yoga classes, and truly believes all body types are made for yoga.
Margie 200 RYT	Marguerite 230 RYT
Margie discovered yoga while recovering from double hip replacement surgery. Yoga became an invaluable tool in helping her relieve pain and stress while regaining strength,flexibility and balance. Margie completed her 200 hour Yoga Alliance teacher training with Pink Lotus School of Yoga. A recent transplant from Savannah Georgia and previous points North, Margie is also an artist concentrating in Sculpture and Pottery and Certified Advanced level Usui Reiki Practitioner.	Margie discovered yoga while recovering from double hip replacement surgery. Yoga became an invaluable tool in helping her relieve pain and stress while regaining strength,flexibility and balance. Margie completed her 200 hour Yoga Alliance teacher training with Pink Lotus School of Yoga. A recent transplant from Savannah Georgia and previous points North, Margie is also an artist concentrating in Sculpture and Pottery and Certified Advanced level Usui Reiki Practitioner.
Jazmine 200 RYT/ Swing Yoga	Keewee 200 RYT
Jazmine complete her 200 hour Vinyasa certification through Pink Lotus in 2017. Since then, she has received additional training in Swing Yoga. Jaz is a lifelong athlete, and yoga brought balance to her physically and mentally. Her mission is to spread her love for yoga by teaching you how to learn your body from the inside out!	Keewee completed her 200 hour RYT through Pink Lotus in 2016. Since then, she has amassed over 300 teaching hours, received training in trauma conscious yoga and certifications in yin and gentle restorative yoga. When she's not on her mat, you can find Keewee sewing up a storm. She creates everything from yoga props to intricate quilts. Her motto is "Do it anyway!"
Jennifer 200 RYT	Laura 200 RYT
Jennifer was born & raised in Charleston, WV. She came to the Columbia area right out of college for work and never left. She found yoga about 3 years ago. It was the first thing she ever did that really got her out of her head. That calmness followed her off the mat and she was hooked! Her practice grew to coming to PLYC 3-4 times a week...it was time! She completed her 200-hour yoga teacher training at Pink Lotus in June of 2016. She has completed additional training in Yin and Yoga for Seniors.	Laura completed her 200 hour YTT training last June at Pink Lotus. She has been assisting and subbing this past year for various classes. She also has been subbing at the Lourie Center in Columbia. She is presently teaching an Aqua class in her community two days a week. Laura has started to take classes at Holy Cow Studio to complete her 500 hour training. Her favorite quotes are- She believed she could, so she did and You never stop learning!!
Lindsey 200 RYT
Lindsey is a troublemaker and explorer who has the great fortune to also be a teacher. She took her first yoga class from Nicole Zimmer at the suggestion of a friend and found her life to be changed. Through her yoga practice, Lindsey found flexibility and patience that she never knew she had. Lindsey enrolled in Pink Lotus School of Yoga with the intention to spread the benefits of yoga that she personally experienced. Lindsey finished her 200-hour yoga teacher training in June 2017. Lindsey is a pilot, diver, fisher-woman, off-road rider, and wildlife purser. Her most cherished accomplishment is the success of every student, teacher, or soul searcher she meets.

 

Apprentices
Our entire staff is fully certified with at least 200 hours in training. Our Assistants are an integral part of our family at Pink.

Amy - 200 RYT	Dava - 200 RYT	Emily - 200 RYT/ Little Lotus
Jamie - 200 RYT/ Little Lotus	Julia - 200 RYT	Linda - 200 RYT
Mario - 200 RYT	Nicole - 200 RYT	Rachel - 200 RYT/ Swing Yoga
Susan - 200 RYT	Haley - 200 RYT