💗 About Marissa

Full disclosure... I didn't go looking for yoga.

If you had told me years ago that I would one day become a yoga teacher, I would have laughed.

I found yoga during a very hard season of my life, when I felt as if I was completely broken. And, honestly, I really wasn’t sure what I was looking to gain. Maybe relief from stress and anxiety; but I ended up discovering something much deeper. I still remember my very first class and how profoundly it impacted me. It wasn't just the movement that kept me coming back—it was the way I felt. It was my ability to breathe deeper. The kindness of the community. The sense that, for the first time in a long time, I truly was where I belonged.

Little by little, through movement, breath, and moments of stillness, I began reconnecting with myself. What I eventually realized was that I wasn't broken at all—I had simply lost my connection to the person I had always been.

What began as a personal practice gradually became something I felt called to share with others. In May of 2023, I received my 200-hour Yoga Teacher Certification from Amara Yoga & Arts in Urbana, Illinois, where I studied under incredible teachers Linda Lehovic, ERYT-500, and Luna Pierson, ERYT-500. I subbed classes every chance I could. I taught at Crunch Fitness, Fitness Premier, and the Stephens Family YMCA in Champaign, meeting students from all walks of life along the way. I was fortunate enough to be offered the opportunity to teach Hot Flow on Wednesdays at 5:30pm at Amara Yoga & Arts, and have been grateful to land and teach multiple classes here.

I also accepted the Studio Manager position at Flow Yoga in Mahomet, where I gained a deeper understanding of the business of yoga while continuing to grow as both a teacher and a practitioner. Although the studio closed in October 2025, that experience helped to shape me into who I am today.

Feeling called to deepen my practice even further, I completed my 300-hour Yoga Teacher Certification in October 2025 through YogaRenew, an internationally recognized yoga school based in Hoboken, New Jersey. There, I had the privilege of learning from inspiring teachers including Kate Lombardo, Patrick Franco, Alyssa Bruno, Ronen Kaufman, Melie Purdon, and many others.

As a yoga teacher and sound healing facilitator, my passion is creating spaces where people feel welcome exactly as they are. Whether you're stepping onto a yoga mat for the very first time or you've been practicing for years, I believe yoga should meet you where you are—not ask you to become someone else.

Whether you're joining me for a heated vinyasa flow, a beginner-friendly fundamentals class, a gentle candlelight practice, or one of my wellness experiences, my goal is always the same: to create a space where you can breathe, explore, and reconnect with yourself.

At the heart of everything I teach is a simple belief:

“Yoga isn't about becoming someone different. It's about remembering who you truly are, and becoming fully yourself.”