Source Yoga values gratitude, respect, compassion, and trust. You can expect your teachers to uphold these values in a professional manner, attending to your individual needs and offering guidance through skillful instruction. They bring many years of experience, training, and heart to their teaching.
Erin Joosse and Melissa Paz (owners)
Melissa Paz and Erin Joosse founded Source Yoga in Tacoma’s North End in 2005, and their second location in University Place in May, 2011. They have been working together since 1998, when they were Modern Dance students at the University of New Mexico. The seed for their future business adventure was planted then, when they co-produced their Senior Honor’s Dance Concert together, and discovered their ability to seamlessly collaborate with each other. Both have been practicing yoga for years and teaching for a decade, focusing on a basic, flowing style of hatha yoga, and mindful awareness. Through the physical practice of asana (postures), pranayama (breathing practices), and meditation in our classes, you will begin to access the whole of yoga. Erin and Melissa also lead annual fall yoga retreats to Harmony Hill Retreat Center in beautiful Hood Canal, WA.
Shaunna Baldyga
As a personal trainer, Shaunna Baldyga inspires her clients to reach their greatest potential. When we make movement fun and purposeful, both the mind & body are achieving wellness. “I believe people can plan for success, attain personal goals and have the life they’ve always wanted.”
Shaunna Baldyga is a Tacoma, WA native, former elementary school teacher and business owner. She developed a love for sport and fitness at an early age and began leading group exercise classes at the age of 18. Shaunna enjoys running half-marathons, participating in community events and going on outdoor adventures with her husband and young son. With a Master’s Degree in Education & Literacy, Shaunna has a deep passion for children, early education and the brain & body connection. Shaunna specializes in functional training, goal-specific workouts and youth fitness. Group exercise can be energizing, motivating and very encouraging! Shaunna currently holds certifications from the National Academy of Sports Medicine; Trigger Point Therapy; HCK for Kettlebells and is a Primal Move Fundamentals Instructor. She is teaching Yoga Boot Camp for Source.
Dawn Bowden
Having spent 18 years in the Fitness industry as a Group Fitness Instructor, Aerobics Coordinator and Activities Director, Dawn began practicing yoga in 2011 at Source Yoga in Tacoma, WA and was inspired to become certified as a teacher in 2012 through Three Trees Yoga in Federal Way, WA.
For Dawn, yoga is the pathway to health, peace, and happiness. She believes that by following and practicing the Eight-Limb Path of Yoga—she likes to think of it as a “toolbox” of techniques—asana (postures) , pranayama (mindful breathing), and dhyana (meditation)—we can unify the body, mind and spirit and access The Pure Energy, The Pure Light that exists within each of us.
Angi Donovan
Angi Donovan believes that every human being on the planet should have access to their own authentic brilliance and the deepest longings of their heart, and to know that they are powerful.
Through movement, meditation and love she will guide you inward to explore the vibrant presence of your Truest Self and to have fun while doing it. With over 600 hours of yoga and meditation education, fourteen years of dance education and eight and a half years of teaching experience you will leave her classes feeling strong, supported, connected, and renewed! Angi teaches ongoing yoga classes, workshops, retreats, and private/small group sessions. To see Angi’s full schedule and offerings, visit her website at http://www.stepintopresence.com
“To be yourself in a world that is constantly trying to making you something else is the greatest accomplishment.” –Ralph Waldo Emerson
Kate Fontana
Kate came to the practice of yoga in 2002, and became a certified teacher with Ananda Yoga in 2009. She began teaching for Source in 2010, and completed the Anusara Immersion at Seattle Yoga Arts in 2011. For Kate, yoga is a way of learning how to show up for life, to be attentive, fully present, and unified in body, mind and spirit. She is influenced and inspired by all people who work to transform experiences of pain and oppression into great gifts of love and service.
Kate enjoys making yoga accessible to all body types and skill levels, especially those who are new to yoga or think that they “can’t do” yoga. She encourages people to develop and discover their own practice and loves to provide the quiet space for each individual to hear their inner wisdom. She became the Executive Director of Tacoma’s non-profit yoga studio Samdhana-Karana Yoga in September of 2011. Her work as a yoga teacher and an executive director has stretched her beyond previously known limits; it has brought out her worst and best; it has been humbling, trying, and joyful. For this, for her practice, and for her unconditionally loving yoga community, she is unspeakably grateful.
“Keep knocking and the joy inside will eventually open and window and look out to see who’s there.”—Rumi
Patrick Good
Patrick teaches yoga because he believes that when we become more embodied we become more connected with our deep sense of integrity and authenticity. When we align our lives with these two things we are better able to navigate the world in a harmonious and serving way. His classes have an emphasis on safety through proper alignment, playfulness, community, seeing the good first, and trying things you never thought you could do.
His pursuit of yoga training has led him around the world. He did his teacher training in Mexico at the Yandara Institute, continues to study Anusara Yoga and Thai Yoga Massage Therapy in Thailand, and has taught at the Omega Institute for Holistic Learning in New York. His classes are weaved with teachings from many different styles of yoga and bodywork practices such as Acro Yoga, Anusara Yoga, Iyengar Yoga, Phoenix Rising Yoga Therapy, and Thai Massage.
All these styles are accessible to anyone and there is always an opportunity to deepen our embodiment. So bring your willingness to experience your body and inspire yourself.
“Yoga is about finding inspiration and enthusiasm from within.”
Erin Joosse
Erin Joosse believes that a healthy body at ease provides an experience of overall well-being, and a true experience of freedom. Through yoga, Erin has encountered a path that offers the freedom to develop and grow in all ways.
In Erin’s classes, you can expect a flowing, mindful style of hatha yoga. She emphasizes breath, healthy alignment, and creating a balance of effort and ease. Meditation, focused breathing, and deep relaxation are always included, as well as the reminder to be mindful and present in each moment. Erin is great with beginning yogis as well as advanced practitioners, and each class she teaches is unique. In her class, you will be encouraged to work at your own pace, and to cultivate an awareness of your own body and mind.
“Surrender is the simple but profound wisdom of yielding to rather than opposing the flow of life. The only place where you can experience the flow of life is the Now so to surrender is to accept the present moment unconditionally and without reservation. It is to relinquish inner resistance to what is.”–Eckhart Tolle
Jeannine Maxwell
Jeannine has been meditating since 1974 and knows several techniques, but prefers the space between kirtan songs in which our minds are suspended in deep silence. Kirtan is Bhakti yoga, chanting the repetition of the names of God in the ancient language of Sanskrit. Jeannine first learned to play ektar and sing kirtan in the late 1970′s when she lived for a few years in a San Francisco ashram headed by Krishna Das. She continues to collect kirtan songs wherever they are sung – on CDs, in concerts, on the internet. As with other yoga disciplines, kirtan became a life practice and a tool for getting through life’s rough spots, as well as a gift to share with others. Using a call- and-response method, the group echoes the leader’s song and learns to toss the simple phrases back and forth until everyone is focused on the sounds of the words and participating in kirtan’s flowing energy. It’s a mental and spiritual activity that aims to focus the individual on the true essence of reality. No singing experience required.
“It takes a lot of will, effort, wisdom and intention to reach that moment when we can sit down to sing. It shows a desire to free ourselves. One of the results of chanting is that we begin to experience the freedom that comes from within.” -Krishna Das
Angie McLaughlin
Angie enjoys sharing yoga with people through all walks and spans of life. She has practiced yoga since 2001 and began to focus her attention to a more dedicated practice in 2011 while she completed her first teacher training.
She is a mother of 2 adventurous, kind-hearted girls, a registered yoga teacher (RYT-200) and registered children’s yoga teacher (RCYT) with Yoga Alliance. Her teaching style is a reflection of her passion for the outdoors and all things nature has to offer. With open minds and hearts along with their willingness to experience life to the fullest, Angie is inspired each day by the kids she teaches. She loves sharing the art of yoga with children through storytelling and creative expression. Whether teaching to adults or children, Angie’s emphasis is on creating a safe space for self-discovery. She believes yoga creates a solid foundation for mental clarity, increased self awareness, emotional well-being and improved health overall. Find out more about Angie at her website.
Bryan Michel
Bryan has been practicing yoga since 2004. In 2008 Bryan was encouraged by his roommate to take a yoga teacher training at Corepower Yoga in San Diego, CA, where he received a 200 hour Yoga Teacher Certification . And even though Bryan had no intention of ever teaching yoga, he found himself teaching his first class only a year later. Soon after, Bryan quit his day job and starting teaching yoga full time. In 2011 Bryan began to study Anusara yoga through a two year long immersion and teacher training at Seattle Yoga Arts in Seattle, WA. At the end of 2012 Bryan received his second 200 hour Yoga Teaching Certificate. Bryan has more than 1,000 hours of teaching experience and is registered with Yoga Alliance, giving him the designation of E-RYT (experienced registered yoga teacher).
Bryan’s teaching mixes elements from various hatha yoga traditions like Anusara, Ashtanga, and Kundalini, as well as various movement and awareness practices as taught by Ida Rolf, Moshe Feldenkrais, and Dub Leigh. Philosophically, Bryan’s teaching is strongly influenced by Kashmir Shaivism Tantra, Tibetan Dzogchen, and Zen Bodytherapy. Bryan can provide profound teaching for any experience level and all physical abilities. Bryan also has his own massage therapy practice in Tacoma, WA. For more on Bryan visit his website, www.BryanMichel.com.
“Love is my religion.” – Ziggy Marley
Rebekah Mingus
Rebekah Mingus is a lifelong fitness enthusiast. She has been teaching group fitness since 2000. She currently holds her primary group fitness certification through the Aerobics and Fitness Association of America (AFAA). Other certifications include: YogaFit, AFAA Yoga, AFAA Pilates, Keiser & Reebok cycle, RIPPED, Step, Bodyworks, Bootcamp, Kickbox, Latin Heat, Aqua… She also enjoys teaching toddler yoga with her kids as assistants. Her passion in teaching is to inspire people to be active in whatever form they enjoy, to keep them safe, and to make new forms of fitness accessible to everyone.
When not working out indoors you can find her playing ring around the rosie with her 5yo and 3yo daughters in the park, cycling the Foothills trail with her hubby, or exploring in the woods. She also greatly enjoys spending time cooking amazing produce from her garden.
“And in the end it’s not the years in your life that count. It’s the life in your years.” – Abraham Lincoln
Melissa Paz
Melissa finds that her yoga practice is a constant unfolding and cultivation of patience, compassion, acceptance, and self-reflection. It provides her the sacred in everyday life and the ability to settle into whatever arises. She believes that through commitment, willingness, and inner wisdom we can all come to know ourselves as graceful, empowered beings living life to its fullest.
Melissa a registered instructor at the E-RYT level with Yoga Alliance has been teaching since 2001, and teaches a fluid hatha yoga class focused on body awareness, and proper alignment coordinated with the breath as a means to stay present. In her classes, she provides various options for all abilities as each individual is respected and encouraged to develop at their own pace. You will discover on your mat, the sacred and the playful as a means to find freedom and joy in your life, and leave her classes feeling nourished, relaxed, and grateful. She has a BA in Modern Dance and is certified in both Ananda yoga, a gentle spiritual practice, and in 2008 received additional certification from Pacific Yoga in Seattle, WA with instructors, Theresa Elliott, and Kathryn Payne. In addition to her teaching she annually co-leads yoga retreats to beautiful Harmony Hill in Union, Washington. Melissa is also a mother of two boys, and a lover of dance and music.
“There is a vitality, a life force that is translated through you into action. And because there is only one of you in all time, this expression is unique, and if you block it, it will never exist through any other medium and be lost.” -Martha Graham
Amy Petty
Amy’s yogic journey is full of gratitude and joy. In her teaching, she strives to support and encourage others on the yogic path no matter what level or ability. Practicing since the mid 90s, Amy is a registered yoga teacher with Yoga Alliance at the E-RYT level. Teaching in a vinyasa style; she focuses on breath awareness, strength, flexibility, core alignment, mindfulness, and also draws inspiration from her own pranayama and meditation practices. Her passion is in cultivating bliss and revealing inner radiance through the wisdom of yoga.
Amy has a degree in French literature, is currently pursuing her Masters in Arts in Teaching at USC, and is the co-owner of yogaJOYproject. An eclectic mix of yoga styles informs her teaching, with trainings that include her first RYT200 certification through the Hatha Yoga Center in Seattle/Bali, Integrated Movement Therapy Basics, Reiki certification, and additional teacher trainings with Lisa Black, Shiva Rea and others. She received her second RYT200 certification with Noah Mazé and is currently in the midst of an incredible, yearlong yoga odyssey toward her RYT500 with Noah in 2013. Additionally, Amy offers yoga retreats in her own studio/home in Bali, Indonesia and extends a warm invitation to join her for yoga in paradise. Amy will always consider herself a student of yoga and continue to expand her training and practice.
“Let the beauty you love be what you do.” ~ Rumi
Paula Schwary
Paula was looking for a way to improve her health when she took her first yoga class in 2000. She discovered her passion for yoga and it changed her life. In 2003 she took her first teacher training with the intention of learning more for her personal practice and was quite surprised to find that she enjoyed teaching. She continues to deepen her personal practice and teachings through various local workshops and trainings in addition to recently studying Thai Yoga Massage.
Paula teaches a flowing class focusing on breath and gives options allowing you to practice at the intensity that feels best for you. She has a passion for working with beginners and leads the Introductory Series at the University Place studio. She is a Registered Yoga Teacher with Yoga Alliance.
Tiffany Speir
Tiffany started ballet at age 4 and has not stopped moving since. A dance and fitness instructor for 20 years, she started her yoga journey in 2004 in the Ashtanga style, and began teaching yoga in 2006. She is Yoga Alliance certified and teaches vinyasa flow with a focus on mental peace as well as physical safety, balance and well-being. Tiffany works well with mixed levels and offers options and modifications to each practice so students are able to fully enjoy each session and bring yoga to their body on that day. Namaste.
Sherry Williams
Sherry practiced yoga “as a child of the 60′s” and returned to the practice in 1999. She has a BA in Philosophy, an MA in Creative Arts Therapy (Dance/Movement), and worked for a variety of outdoor education and wilderness adventure programs before moving to Tacoma in 1987 for law school. She is an attorney employed in Tacoma, and has been a teaching assistant for Lisa Black at Shakti Vinyasa Yoga in Seattle.
Sherry is a registered yoga teacher with Yoga Alliance, and has trained with Kim King Zamoff, Lisa Black, Aadil Palkhivala, and Baron Baptiste, among others. She has had additional professional training through the Center for Mindfulness in Medicine, Health Care, and Society at the University of Massachusetts Medical Center, and she teaches Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction classes locally, based on the original program developed at UMass Med by Jon Kabat-Zinn over thirty years ago. She recently completed an eighteen month Mindful Yoga and Meditation Training program at Spirit Rock Meditation Center in California.
“I personally believe yoga practice builds strength, balance, flexibility and as healthy a body as is reasonable given our individual differences…and this physical practice prepares the body for meditation practice, where we can begin to understand and experience how the mind works…with greater awareness we can learn not to believe everything we think…and we practice yoga and meditation so that we can live with as much presence as possible, with wisdom and compassion, contributing whatever is ours to contribute in this very brief experience of being human…”
Her favorite quote is “Resolve to Evolve!”…. Come join her and take what you learn on the mat out into the rest of your life!
“I love that they obviously care about the whole of yoga & not just the physical movement. Also, unlike some of my personal experiences at other places, they’re also very knowledgeable for those of us with a need for modification of poses!” –Kelli B.
