Our Team

I have been practicing Pilates for 12 years and yoga for 5; I am a certified personal trainer with certifications in Pilates, Yoga, Barre, TRX, RIPPED and Cycling. I’ve been teaching since 2010—I started because I wanted to overcome my fear of speaking in front of people. Then it turned into wanted to help people. Once I found yoga, it completely changed my life. In 2012 I was injured while training for the NYC Marathon. Again, yoga saved my body. I feel like with yoga I can be the best me I can be for myself and my loved ones. Vinyasa is my favorite because of the creative sequencing. I love to teach because I want to help people reach their goals—the look on someone’s face when they achieve something they never thought was possible is priceless and makes my career choice so worthwhile. My only hobby is exercise! I used to weigh 200 pounds. I know the struggles of weight loss on your body and mind. I want to share my experience with as many people as I can reach. I want people to feel strong, physically and mentally, and know that whatever the goal, it is achievable! The simple reason I teach at Elev8 — it’s a family and I love my family. Everyone who teaches and works here cares about the students and each other!

Julie began her yoga journey with a mission to heal her many sports injuries from years of competitive softball as a pitcher. Tight hamstrings and a partially frozen shoulder were a daily struggle. Trying to avoid surgery, she found the hot room. After 3 months of Hatha yoga 5-6 days a week, her shoulder issue was completely resolved, her hamstrings cooperating and the 30 pounds she lost was an additional bonus! Seeing and feeling the results herself, led her to complete two separate 200 Hour Teacher Trainings, any many specialty workshops. “Yoga has been one of the best things I have ever done and I feel privileged and honored to share it with my students.” Julie has continued the journey to health and wholeness and has lost over 60 pounds over the past five years. More importantly, she has kept the weight off and is healthier today as she approaches her 50th birthday than she was in her thirties!

I started teaching in 2016 because I saw how much joy I got from just being a student, so I thought, “Why not make something I have always loved my life!?” One of the reasons I love teaching is because I get such joy encouraging others. Yoga has impacted my life in such a great way. I have always loved fitness, I start lighting weights in junior high but never had the mind-body connection to help me with my everyday workouts until I started yoga. Elev8 was the second studio I ever went to; after three months of practicing yoga I decided I wanted to become a teacher—and it was only natural that I took my training at this studio. Elev8 is my family, the men and women who teach here and practice here are such kind, uplifting people. No matter what’s going on. Elev8 always has your back!

I love teaching yoga because it is conversation between hearts; it feeds my soul and nourishes my students. Yoga has strengthened my spirituality; it grounds me, challenges me, and presses me to grow. I love to teach any subject. I enjoy creating (food, crafts, etc.). I love to learn therefore I love books. I am an introvert. I was guided to teach at Elev8; an accidental phone call led to a conversation that led to teaching; Elev8 is a reflection of a community of souls that respect and love people; it feels like home.

I started teaching as I had already received a good number of benefits from practicing for a number of years, it was time to show others the way to the benefits that await them. When you practice, you feel your Light and the teacher’s, maybe from some of the other students. The greatest thing I enjoy about teaching is that you feel the Light of all in the room. How yoga has impacted your life. After having experienced a great amount of time in consistent physical pain, it is now under control. My mental and emotional burden is much less to carry. I have learned that walls are simply temporary blockades that you can get around. I teach at Elev8 because first, foremost, and always—The Students. Elev8 is a beautiful location, but it is but a shell without the Hearts of the Students.

Nataliya is living her dream which is a life of passion for people, helping them grow physically, spiritually, and mentally. She started her Health & Wellness business in Hawaii, where she taught fitness classes, nutrition seminars and weight loss coaching. “I love my Elev8 family—this is a place where we transform together emotionally, physically and spiritually. Teaching Barre taught me to thrive in life no matter what and want to share that life passion with everyone who comes to class.” Nataliya graduated from the Institute for Integrative Nutrition, one of the world’s largest nutrition schools. Nataliya is supporting clients to help make a step-by-step easily integrated food and lifestyle choice.  Many people were encouraged and highly motivated through her numerous women’s conferences, detox seminars and exercise classes in Hawaii, not to mention traveling and expanding into California, Kansas, and now Washington State, where she resides today.

Yoga came into my life around 2011, but it wasn’t until early 2014, during a backpacking trip to South America that the eight-fold path of yoga started to become a constant part of my life.  What started out as a way to move my body turned into a healing practice, a catalyst to shed the outermost layers of my ego and tap into my authentic self. Yoga allowed me to channel the strength I held within, and let go of the things that were holding me back from realizing my full potential. I soon realized that my purpose was to share this practice with anyone and everyone I possibly could.  In 2017 I found myself back in Seattle, taking my first 200-hour yoga teacher training, and it’s been the most rewarding journey. I strive to make my classes accessible to everyone and everybody, and hold the space for others where they can create that mind-body connection and tune into their highest, most authentic self. I am so grateful for the love and support from everyone in the Elev8 community, and look forward to practicing with all of you!