TEACHERS
PARISA HERVANI
Parisa is the owner of Element Yoga and has been practicing yoga since 16 years old. While working in corporate finance, Parisa decided to deepen her practice by taking her 200YTT at Infinity Yoga. Yoga brought such healing to Parisa's life and gave her the courage to live from a place love rather than fear,. It's from this philosophy that she decided to create Element. She has a passion for travel and enjoys leading international yoga retreats with the Element family! She's also a barre enthusiast with a yogi soul and the creator behind Element Barre Flow. Parisa builds her classes off of the idea that “the body needs movement and the mind needs stillness”. Expect a challenging and upbeat flow followed by blissful stillness and rest.
JENNY HOLDING
Jenny is a yoga teacher of 13 years and one of Element’s co-founders. She has a 500RYT which she received from her guru in Rishikesh, India. Jenny’s teaching style is influenced by Shiva Rea, Bryan Kest, and Janet Stone. Expect a challenging, dharma infused flow with chanting, breathwork, and some palo santo to finish.
OCTAVIA NASR
Octavia is a certified yoga teacher in Hatha, Vinyasa, Yin, and Yoga Nidra. She is initiated in Vedic chanting and yoga philosophy by Sadhvi Abha Saraswati of Parmarth Niketan Ashram in Rishikesh, India, where she is a regular visiting teacher. She finds peace and growth in reading, meditation, and sharing what she knows with others.
TIM LAM
Tim is a veteran in the Atlanta yoga teacher community with over 1000 classes and 7 years of teaching experience under his belt. He has a Masters in Kinesiology from the University of Texas and undergrad in Exercise physiology from UGA. You can tell when you take one of his classes that he incorporates all his knowledge of human movement into each of his classes. Besides practicing yoga daily - Tim enjoys going to the dog park with his two dogs, Rex and Hank.
COURTENAY TEITELBAUM
Courtenay has been teaching yoga in Atlanta since 2016. He has taught full time since 2017 and can’t imagine doing anything else. If you asked him what his job is he’d have to chuckle a bit and tell you he doesn’t have one. They say it’s not work if you do what you love and that’s the best way he can explain it. Yoga found Courtenay as a way for him to deal with chronic back pain. Pills and medication have never been an option for him and he’s been able to put his socks on comfortably for the last 5 years. He loves sharing this practice with anyone who’s willing to put in the work. He can’t wait to meet you on the mat.
Erin Borenstein
Erin’s first experience of yoga was at ten years old. It didn't quite stick at the time, but years later, she found yoga again. After struggling through a Vinyasa class and thinking that yoga probably wasn't for her, the class ended with a pose called savasana. It was the most blissful few minutes of her life and from then on, she dedicated herself to learning and sharing yoga. Erin is an E-RYT who has taught at numerous Atlanta studios and companies. She’s sought out deeper studies in Yoga Nidra Meditation with Richard Miller, Restorative with Judith Hanson Lasater, asana alignment with Maty Ezraty, Ashtanga with Sava Giorgi Savaneli and Yin with Mahapatha Yoga. Her approach is also informed by twenty years of classical ballet training. She loves that yoga is a practice that deeply challenges mind and body, but will meet anyone exactly where they are. Erin strives to create a welcoming, challenging, and compassionate space when teaching.
DOUG JOHNSON
With well over 1000 hours of training under his belt Douglas Johnson - E-RYT 500, YACEP has led a countless number of classes, meditations, yoga nidras, kirtans, retreats, workshops, and teacher-trainings in his more than two decades of teaching. Douglas has had the privilege to study with some of the best that modern yoga has to offer like Paul Grilley (Yin Yoga), Amrit and Kamini Desai (Amrit Yoga), Andrey Lappa (Universal Yoga), Deva Parnell (Kripalu), Rod Stryker (Para Yoga), ‘Yoganand’ Michael Carroll (Pranakriya, Kripalu). Expect new and challenging postures in his flow classes and to learn about subtle energy, anatomy, and yoga philosophy in his Yin classes
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CAT BACON
Cat Bacon is a barre bad@**. She started barre during college while working at the front desk of a local barre studio (probably saving up for Maroon 5 tickets). Since then, her skill set has grown to fuse two of Element’s loves, barre and yoga. Come let Cat lead you through a thigh shaking barre routine followed by a delicious stretch and savasana. Cat's mantra : “If it doesn’t challenge you, it won’t change you.”
MEGHAN MEEKS
Meghan has her group fitness instructor certification with AFAA (American Fitness Association of America). She currently teaches sculpt at Element Yoga and water aerobics at Lifetime in Sandy Springs. She loves teaching, coaching and motivating her students, plays the best music and offers challenging interval training in her sculpt class. Meghan has two young children Madison and Mason. This fun loving soul is also a creative entrepreneur and is the mastermind behind Prayer Sticks.
SCARLETT CHANG
Scarlett got her 200RYT at Infinity/Yogaworks. She teaches intentionally sequenced, alignment based yoga that is inclusive and supportive. When she’s not on her mat, she’s reading, watching cooking shows or planning her next getaway. She looks forward to leading you in a graceful and tranquil class.
Melanie Marcano
Melanie is a 200HR RYT teacher that is passionate about all things adventure and mind-body connection. A certified Wilderness First Responder, she loves guiding people into unfamiliar territory and further into deeper places within themselves- be it on the mat or on the mountain. Melanie started practicing yoga during the recovery of two torn ACLs, and got her certification under Jenny Holding at Yogaworks/Infinity. Because of this, her aim is creating alignment based, accessible but challenging flows that facilitate movement as medicine, uniting the body mind and breath. Expect a palo-santo infused meditative flow that dances between the duality of effort and ease ending with a calming lavender oil temple massage. ( And you can probably also expect some backcountry adventure stories, too. )
Malik Khalid
Malik Khalid is an Atlanta native, Liforme Ambassador, Yoga Teacher, Podcast Host, and Servant Leader who resides at the intersection of wellness, design, and human exploration. May 2018 Khalid completed his 200hr Teacher Training and since taught over 3,000 students at all levels.
Zach Sanders
With a background in music and teaching art, Zach strives to bring creative expression to all that he does. Having completed his 500 YTT in multi-style yoga in Rishikesh, India, he aims to help others awaken to their original peaceful nature, while also strengthening their body and mind. Outside of the studio, you can find him meditating, reading a book on Zen, or playing guitar. In his classes, you can expect a dynamic combination of intense vinyasa sequences, deeply rejuvenating postures, and mindful introspection.
Cass Dow
Cass completed her 200RYT at Mission Beach Yoga in San Diego, CA. She's been mentored by Element's co-owner Jenny Holding. And is a part of a cadre studying under Jaimee Ratliff.
She was introduced to yoga as a form of cross-training by a coach in college. Having studied Sports Management in both undergrad and graduate school, she loves working with "the everyday athlete". Expect deep rejuvenating postures, breathwork, and excerpts from her latest read.
When not in the studio she enjoys hikes with her pup, stand-up paddle boarding, or taking a challenging barre class.
Kate Weingartner
Kate began practicing Hot 26&2 in 2013 and completed her 200-hr RYS Hot 26 Revolution teacher training under lead instructor, Bethany Spencer, in April 2019 in upstate NY where she also taught until relocating to the Atlanta area in 2021. Kate's passion for teaching is rooted in the healing and transformative qualities she experienced herself and has faith that the 26&2 series can heal the most broken bodies and minds. As her mentor often stated, "We don't practice yoga to get better at yoga, we practice yoga to improve our quality of life outside the yoga studio.
Kelly Heren
Kelly began practicing yoga in 2017 as a means to manage the stress and anxiety of medical school. She didn’t realize when she first began just how much yoga would transform her entire life. She works as an optometrist, but yoga is her true passion. She completed her 200 hour certification in 2021 and loves sharing the joy of yoga with as many people as she can.
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Candice Wells
Candice Wells is an AFAA certified group fitness instructor with specialized training in the Lagree Method, Barre, Practical Pilates, Yoga and Therapeutic Immersion. She developed a passion for music, dance at an early age and became drawn to fitness practices incorporating the mind and the body while in college. She believes that when our physical bodies begin to function more properly through exercise, we can begin to see profound positive effects in our mental, emotional and spiritual wellbeing. Candice’s mission is to encourage each client to gain increased strength and confidence as they work to reach their own personal goals. She enjoys choreographing each class format and sequence to be both physically challenging and efficient while providing a safe, nurturing, energetic and most importantly FUN environment where everyone can feel successful.
Georgia Northcutt
Georgia is a dedicated instructor who became fascinated with barre after her first class--being totally shocked that small movements can be so challenging. She trained through Pure Barre and started teaching in 2021. Georgia loves movement and also teaches kettlebell and bounce/trampoline classes. Her barre experience led her to Element where she was thrilled to find a studio that includes both barre and yoga. She graduated from Elements 200-hr yoga training and now teaches yoga and barre at Element. Georgia graduated with a degree in African and African Diaspora Studies from Kennesaw State University, and spent a year in South Africa where she taught young children about health and fitness. Georgia has a passion for teaching, and one of her primary goals is to spread love for body positivity and make all students feel strong, and welcome, in all her classes!
Sahil Jabbehdari
Sahil has always dabbled with different styles of exercise to help release all that extra energy trapped inside. Everything was meh.. One day, she was introduced to hot yoga and she was hooked.
Unlike the gym, yoga was guided, intentful and created a sense of community but with the space to focus on self practice.
At first, it was all about the physical benefits, holding on to silly stereotypes, but after many years, Sahil finally opened up to the mental teachings of yoga and embraced all of which the practice has to offer.
She got her 200hr Certification in Fall of 2020 thru Highland Hot Yoga Studio.
Sahil’s classes are energetic and lively.
It’s okay if you aren’t flexible!! Put your ego aside and come thru!
Playful tone with encouraging cues to challenge yourself towards a deeper practice, no matter what skill level you are.
Emphasis on breath-to-movement, quieting your thoughts, and just have fun!
Continuous, fluid sequences with a banging playlist!
Spark Chastain
Spark Chastain is a 200hr RYT with a green thumb. They love leading a variety of classes from electrifying flows to soothing meditations. When she isn’t hanging out at Element Yoga, Spark is having fun playing viola, posing as an art model, bringing plants to the studio, or spending time with her family and their two dogs, Mi Nahm and Taco.
Camrei Terrell
On the hunt for an "easy" workout after foot surgery in 2018, Camrei attended her first yoga class. After finishing the class, "easy" was the furthest word from her mind. With a floor covered in sweat and tears on her face, she knew she had found a new home on the yoga mat. After practicing for about a year, she was filled with mixed emotions as she looked around and saw very few people that looked like her. Camrei had fallen in love with this community, but quickly realized every community didn't have access to this wonderful, life changing practice. So she decided to become a teacher. With the desire to strengthen her practice and bring yoga to all, Camrei rooted in the truth that "Every community deserves healing." Her style and love resides in the Yin atmosphere, with a passion for deep stretching and meditation, her classes will not only work out your physical, but get ready for spiritual and mental movement too! Camrei is currently pursuing her Masters in Clinical Mental Health
Daniella Boik
Daniella Boik has been teaching yoga since 2019 and earned her certification with Yogaworks/Infinity. She began practicing a few years before just as a physical workout but soon fell in love with the healing aspect of mind, body and spirit.
Daniella teaches anything from Vinyasa to soothing restorative and yoga nidra. Her love of yoga has transformed her life in a positive way and her heart is open to sharing the beautiful practice with others.
