BARBARA BOX
CO-OWNER
She/Her
Barbara began her yoga practice 20 years ago and trained in hot yoga at Bikram Choudhury's Yoga College of India in 2008. She has been a member of the Seattle yoga community for the last 17 years, first as a practitioner, and later as a teacher, studio owner, and mentor to new teachers. She has taught yoga widely in the greater Puget Sound area, including Bellevue, Redmond, and the Seattle University District. She built and opened Bikram Yoga Burien in 2010, and sold her equity in the studio in 2012 to expand her focus as a lead teacher in Bellevue at the Yoga Elements. Barbara honed her skills in accessibility and adaptability by taking Yoga to the People's Hot Yoga teacher training in 2013, and We Yoga Co’s first 200 Hour YA Vinyasa Training in 2016. She assisted in the running of Yoga to the People's hot yoga training in Spring of 2014 and continues to mentor the growth of yoga teachers. Barbara especially enjoys helping good yoga teachers become great ones and has continued to look forward to participating in teacher trainings as a lead teacher.
As a teacher, Barbara hopes to encourage, inspire, and help every practitioner find joy in the exploration of their own mind and body. A long time distance runner, she found yoga when she could no longer put on her running shoes without radiating back pain, and couldn’t sleep at night without narcotics to ease IT Band syndrome pain. She knows from personal experience that regular practice can provide relief from stress and physical pain, and hopes that as every practitioner finds their own yoga path, they too will feel better, happier, and healthier in their daily lives.
When not doing the yoga stuff, Barbara is an avid reader, occasional knitter (scarves, scarves, scarves), and a daily walker of her two Cardigan Welsh Corgis, Jelly and Leonard.
ANNE ELYSE HARTIGAN
CO-OWNER
She/Her
Anne Elyse Hartigan is a highly skilled yoga teacher, with experience in managing studio spaces. Anne Elyse has more than ten years experience as a yoga instructor and studio business manager in New York and Seattle, and has gained volumes of expertise specifically teaching students who are new to a yoga practice. Having taught classes and workshops in the Seattle area, she applies a joy and practicality to her yoga instruction. Her teaching approach creates a safe space for practitioners of all sorts and of all levels to explore their physical work in an attainable and enjoyable way. As a former manager at Yoga To The People, she has experience operating with large client populations and high student volumes across the country. She is also adept in the continuous enrichment of yoga teachers as they grow and their talents mature – an important skill in any yoga community.
Since having her lovely daughter, Evelyn, Anne Elyse has expanded her community connections by including Family Yoga and childcare at the We Yoga Co. Anne Elyse practiced during her entire pregnancy and very much enjoys advising expectant mothers on how to safely include yoga in their prenatal routine for self-care.
When not caring for and nurturing our studio community, Anne Elyse is raising a cheerful toddler. She loves a good cocktail, a fun dinner with friends at a new or favorite restaurant, and is a dangerously competitive player of any and ALL games and has won Mahjong tournaments in the Seattle area.
ASIA CASEBOLT
She/Her
Asia has taught all over the world including Spain and India. She teaches Vinyasa and Rasa style classes in a clear and concise way from her experience teaching students of different backgrounds and languages. Her clients range from private studio niches to larger gyms. Her eclectic background makes her teaching style easy to connect to with a fun, lighthearted twist. . Her classes are focused on weaving pranayama and yogic philosophy while educating students on body alignment and benefits. She believes by creating a connection to ones personal rhythm and pulse of the body, the yogi can be conscious of the pulse of life around them, and become more mindful.
EMILY
She/Her
Emily has been practicing yoga since 2009 but made the shift into teaching in 2019 when she took both the Vinyasa 200 hour teacher training and the hot hatha training addendum through We Yoga Co. Emily loves the practice of yoga because it allows one to connect with their true self. She loves sharing yoga with others because she believes it encourages people to see their own independence and inner strength, to see that they are capable, beautiful and strong. Emily writes and perform sketch comedy and bring humor and lightness into the yoga studio. When not at the studio, Emily enjoys gardening, making art, drinking wine and doing backbends.
JOHNATHAN
He/Him
Johnathan started practicing yoga for physical rehabilitation from sports injuries. He is attracted to the specificity of the hot practice and its ability to supplement other physical activities. He individualizes adjustments and feedback for his students to maximize the benefit of each asana. Outside of his yoga practice, Johnathan enjoys running, cycling, and spending time with his dog Kuma, who is extremely needy.
KAYLA
She/Her
Kayla is a body-positive fitness junkie, best summed up by Rumi’s quote, “I am a carpenter of my own soul.” She has a background in movement, big feelings, and arts education with a BFA in Theatre. Ever grateful to this community, Kayla proudly received her certification at We Yoga Co in Hotha Hatha (2016) and Vinyasa, RYT 200 (2017) and also teaches at Breathe Hot Yoga and occasionally subs in other studios around Seattle. In her classes, she aims to create a space for students to find their own motivation towards personal health and well-being goals. She offsets yoga with HIIT and strength training and is available for private sessions for folks looking to balance their practice with cross-training. By day, she is a recruiting and operations professional and a yogini/theater-maker/voice-over/teaching artist.
MINDY
She/Her
Mindy began practicing hot yoga in 2014 as a way to be more physically active, and soon found that a consistent practice provided the emotional and spiritual balance she was unaware she needed. As a teacher, Mindy is dedicated to providing an accessible asana practice that focuses on strengthening the connection between mind and body through intentional movement and breath. She believes yoga is a powerful tool for healing from trauma, physical or otherwise, and strive to cultivate a safe space for students to approach their own practice with compassion.
JANET
She/Her
Janet is a yoga loving-outdoor activity enthusiast and a mother to three incredible children. She began her yoga journey in 2002, taking her first Bikram class in Dallas, Texas. Over the years, Janet has lost count of all the places around the world she has practiced, and all of the amazing yogis with whom she has crossed paths; all have had a profound influence on her life. Janet reflects that ” Since that first class, yoga has been a constant while life around me changed and challenged. I am eternally grateful for the serenity, strength and wisdom shared by my fellow teachers and students. “
Furthering her search for more knowledge, and the desire to pass it on, Janet completed her first Hot Hatha training in 2012. Soon after adding 200 hour Yoga Alliance RYS trainings in the Vinyasa and Iyengar based styles. As her practice (and body) mature, Janet finds herself drawn more often to the softer side of yoga, expanding her training with Restorative Yoga.
Janet sums up her life and goals as a yogi and teacher this way: “It is my heartfelt hope and joy to bring some amount of the wonderous benefits I’ve received from yoga to others. Whether it’s for one class or a lifetime, any possibility of influencing positive change spurs me on to continue this amazing journey.”
ANDREA
She/Her
Andrea started practicing yoga in 2002 in hopes that it would give her relief from chronic back pain due to a herniated disc. She had always been active and it was very frustrating to become so physically limited. Perseverance and commitment to yoga practice has not only cured her back pain she’s also so much stronger and more flexible. Yoga has changed Andrea’s life…. her experience has given her a passion and desire to help others take care of themselves through yoga. She’s spent several years working with students one and one and teaching small groups. She love’s the inspiration and healing yoga brings and she wants to be contagious to those around her. She completed a 200 hour teaching in 2005, 500 hour teacher training in 2010 and Hot Hatha teacher training in 2017.
CLAIRA
She/Her
Claira sees yoga as one of the most beneficial forms of self-therapy. She wants to meet the student in any link of their yoga and to teach in a way that facilitates physical and mental healing by assisting in opening doors of understanding to the body and mind. Claira fell into yoga with the hopes of recovering from the minor injuries and have witnessed it help her through more major surgeries and mental hardships. Claira has found that reconnecting with one’s physical self is such a unique feeling to constantly learn from. She firmly believes that emotions are carried physically and using movement to help settle the mind and begin to touch base with hidden areas of the body is so important. When students come to the mat for whatever personal reason, Claira chooses words to help guide practitioners through these experiences in a gentle and thoughtful way, and hopes that each student can find benefits in yoga that can transcend into their daily life, a process she is always seeking in her current self-practice.
REYNA
She/Her
Reyna couldn’t tell you when she specifically found Yoga or when Yoga found her because they find each other daily. She approaches most things with a sense of humor backed by an excellent playlist and her classes are no exception. Combining her background in education, appreciation for the diversity of bodies and years of varied personal practice, she strives to deliver conscious and accessible yoga to anyone willing to come to the mat. You can expect to laugh a little and to be encouraged to explore your authentic movements in one of her thoughtfully sequenced Vinyasa or Yin classes. From growing up in Florida to completing her teacher training on a little island in Thailand, Reyna has come to see heat (whether external or internal) as an incredible vehicle for transformation and incorporates this into her practice using both breath and movement. Through hands on adjustments, fluid sequencing and a strong connection to Yogic philosophy Reyna invites students to share in joyful, playful and soulful practice. Come as you are.
Instagram: @reynaco_
Spotify: Rain Ah
JOEY
He/Him
Joseph (Joey) Wood began practicing yoga in 2004 as a cross-training activity to compliment weightlifting and contact sports. Through life's ups and downs, Joey discovered the benefits of a regular yoga practice to mental, emotional and spiritual health. This, combined with a passion for teaching and developing others drove Joey to receive RYT200 and Hot Hatha 50hr YACEP certifications from Yoga to the People (San Francisco) and WeYogaCo, respectively. Joey's yoga instruction is informed by an educational background in theology (Newbigin Seminary), biomedical engineering (Johns Hopkins Medical Institute), music (Peabody Conservatory) and a passion for fighting disease through a career in bioengineering and volunteer work with NutritionFacts.org. Joey's tends to sprinkle humor amidst objective cues on the topics of asana, transition and breath.
PILAR
She/Her
Pilar’s journey with yoga began when she was 16. Once she joined her father in a Bikram class in her hometown of Santa Fe, NM she was hooked. Practicing on and off for many years, Pilar always had a dream to become certified to teach. Pilar completed her 200 hour YA certified training at WE YOGA in June of 2017 and her Hatha Addendum in Fall of 2017. Pilar strives to provide a safe space for students to explore their bodies and minds and to build strength and healing from their mats. She is knowledgeable in modifications for all different body types. Pilar is interested in exploring body positivity within yoga and bringing yoga to marginalized populations. When Pilar is not in the studio, you can find her on the stages across the PNW as an actor and director or championing new work as the Associate Artistic Director of Seattle Public Theater.