Owner / Creator of Empowerment

Rachel was born and raised in Louisville, KY. Besides traveling around the world playing volleyball, her only time of living away from Louisville, was during her college years. After college, she found that home is truly where her heart was so she decided to plant her own roots in Louisville.

She a proud mom to 2. She practices yoga with them almost daily. “It’s refreshing to have my best yoga class critics under my roof.” As a certified children’s yoga instructor, she encourages children of every shape, size, age and gender to explore and discover their mind and body in a fun-filled way.

She has found that her nurturing and fun personality guides children without them realizing, by teaching them skills and techniques to help their bodies become healthier, stronger and more relaxed.

Teacher / OMies Operations Manager

Becky grew up in Kansas City, MO, and has called Louisville home since 1995. She is a CPA, Yoga Teacher, and Wellness Coach, and loves using her wide range of skills to support the Louisville Yoga community! In addition to being on the OMies team, she has her own business, MacDonald Wellness, and has been in a variety of roles (currently the Support Team Lead) at 502 Power Yoga, just next door to OMies!

She has practiced yoga off and on since the early 2000s and has always loved how it helps her stay grounded and focused. Becky completed her 200 hour Yoga Teacher training with 502PY in March of 2019, and has a strong desire to spread the love of yoga love to EVERY body! She’s especially passionate about Pranayama and the power of simply breathing!

At OMies, Becky teaches Gentle Chair Yoga and supports the team behind the scenes. When not in the studio, Becky can be found out enjoying nature, watching birds, chilling at the lake, taking walks with friends, and traveling with her husband, Pat.

Teacher / Studio Assistant

Jaimie lives in Bullitt County, Kentucky with her two sons and husband, where she was born and raised. She loves teaching kids, adult, chair, and prenatal yoga and is inspired by the empowerment that is built through recognizing and responding to your body and mind, through movement and breath! Jaimie is also a certified birth educator, doula, and prenatal yoga instructor. Before pursuing this career, Jaimie was an elementary school teacher for Bullitt County Public Schools for 9 years. She is currently still substitute teaching and empowering students. Jaimie also stays very active and spends most of her free time exploring, gardening, reading, jogging, and relaxing outdoors with her two sons and husband! She is always looking for new ways to expand and grow!

Teacher

Brenda Edgar is an art historian, poet, and yoga instructor from Louisville, KY. She has a background in Mysore-style Ashtanga yoga, but over the decades her practice has become more eclectic and creative, with a mix of ancient and modern elements. She is a graduate of the yoga teacher training program at Supreme Peace Yoga and Wellness in Louisville. Her natural talent for teaching, deep reverence for the Hindu tradition, and subtle sense of humor make her yoga classes enlightening and fun.

Teacher

Over the last 6 years Cassie has been on a journey through a 500 hr Pilates training and a 200 hr yoga training. Teaching body movement gives her a chance to deepen her connection to her purpose and community. As a mom to a 15 month old she often finds herself surrounded by parents who are looking to have less body aches and anxiety. Yoga is a great way to support your mental health as your body changes.

Her teaching style is slow and balanced. Centered around control and small functional movements. Her practices will leave you feeling more centered and motivated through out your day.

Teacher

Chloe is a yoga-loving, always learning, proud queer person and passionate human. They began their yoga journey at the age of 15 in effort to promote healing and find joy in movement. Chloe practically grew up in their home studio, 502 Power Yoga, and completed their 200-hour yoga teacher training there in 2019. As a kid themselves when they started yoga, Chloe believes that yoga is a powerful practice for young people. It equips individuals with tools to process emotions, permission to exist freely, and empowerment to live authentic lives.

They believe that yoga is deeply tied to social justice work and strives to center that intention in classes. “Om”, which is the core of the name “OMies”, is the vibration of the universe, symbolizing a connection between all of humanity. Chloe emphasizes this connection but also acknowledges the different identities and unique lived experiences that each student brings. They believe it’s important to hold space for what students are going through in their lives.

Chloe enjoys bringing playfulness into class and trying new poses. Yoga shouldn’t be too serious; afterall, it’s really just making shapes while breathing! Chloe loves supporting students in helping them appreciate themselves and their inherent worth. Outside of yoga, they enjoy spending time outdoors, snuggling with their dogs, and being with the people they love.

Teacher

Esther Beard is a doula, prenatal and postnatal yoga teacher and a Mama of four.

She loves how yoga helps connect you to your body and breath but believes there is something a little extra special about prenatal yoga. As a pregnant body is continually transforming, growing and expanding to make space for the life inside. Esther believes yoga can be your pause. Yoga can allow space to sense that transformation and breathe through it all. Of course, yoga also helps you prepare for labor and birth but it also can help you enjoy the journey into motherhood.

Esther received her 200 hour training through Yoga Baum. Esther was trained for prenatal and postnatal yoga through Blooma and Shanti Mom.

Teacher

Gina graduated from Indiana University with a Bachelor’s degree in Psychology. After college, she moved to Chicago where she began her career in fundraising, development and nonprofit management. Life brought Gina back to Louisville eight years ago & she couldn’t be happier. Gina and her husband Jeff have four kiddos that are true gifts and bring them some of life’s greatest joys.Yoga has been a common thread in Gina’s life for the past twenty years, but has justly grounded her in the last three. The everyday benefits have been astounding and have changed her life for the good. Yoga creates a safe space for Gina to step outside her every day.

Gina believes that yoga is for everyone and age creates no boundaries. Why wait until adulthood to understand the simply fantastic benefits of one’s mind/body connection? Gina brings her fun, creative and kind heart to her yoga practice, especially when her girls are “down-dogging” right beside her.

Teacher

A native of Louisville, KY, Jane began her fitness journey in 2006 when she made a commitment to a healthy lifestyle. After years of swimming, biking, running and boot camp, she discovered yoga. Pandemic life made yoga a daily ritual for Jane and the positive benefits were so apparent, she threw herself into Teacher Training and obtained her 200 hour YTT in 2021. Jane is registered with Yoga Alliance. She has 30 years of preschool teaching experience. From the classroom, to the gymnasium, she has taught everything from power vinyasa yoga, chair yoga, cardiyoga, preschool cooking, Spanish, and Movement.

Teacher

Jessica was born in Ohio but has lived in Louisville for most of her life. She is married with two children, and she loves spending time with her family. Jessica has been an elementary Special Education Teacher for 18 years in Jefferson County. Besides yoga, Jessica loves reading and gardening.

In 2016 Jessica was diagnosed with breast cancer. The following year after she was complete with treatment and surgeries, she used yoga as a way to begin to heal her body and get out of her head. In 2022 Jessica earned her 200-hour yoga teacher certification from 502 Power Yoga.

At OMies Jessica can share her love of yoga with adults and children. She loves to incorporate her love of art, reading, and movement in the family classes she teaches. Jessica also enjoys teaching Vinyasa flow sequences with an extra-long savasana in the adult classes.

Teacher

I was born and raised in Louisville, Ky. Besides working with OMies, I am also a certified dental assistant. I started my yoga journey 2 years ago and enjoy how I have built strength, awareness and harmony in both my mind and body. I love getting to educate and connect with kids. With that, I decided to get my children’s yoga teacher certification. It is amazing to see the joy and empowerment the kids have after each class. Outside of yoga, I enjoy hiking, reading, exploring, and hanging out with friends.

Teacher

Teacher / OMies Newsletter Editor

Phoenix began her yoga journey in college looking to find balance in her body while being a student athlete. She fell in love with the mind body connection yoga built and was instantly hooked. She completed her 200 hour teacher training at YogaSt8 in May 2022 and began teaching.

A lover of backbends and heart openers, you’ll have plenty of opportunities in her class to lead from the heart. Phoenix encourages her students to build body awareness, step outside of their comfort zone and give themselves permission to laugh and play-Yoga doesn’t have to be so serious all the time!

Phoenix is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker providing therapy to kids and adolescents in both community mental health and at a group private practice. She is passionate about teaching kids how to incorporate yoga into their everyday life. When she’s not on her mat you can find her somewhere with her dog, Luca listening to Taylor Swift.

Teacher

With curiosity and play Sarah loves to incorporate songs and drums, and stories into her kid yoga and family classes as a way to explore space and perspectives while stretching and moving the limbs. Sarah has a passion for helping people feel grounded on our Mother Earth; she desires to move toward peace and calm through our yoga practice so that we can more easily find it in other places in our lives too.

Sarah has worn several different hats through her sixteen years as an educator. She has worked alongside kiddos and their families as an elementary educator, a children's librarian, a reading coach, a music teacher, and recently as a yoga instructor. She completed her yoga teacher training at Supreme Peace Yoga and Wellness in 2022.

Sarah is mother of a pre-teen and a teen and through her practice on them (ahem), with them, she has come to appreciate the different ways that yoga can inspire folks.

When Sarah is not teaching, she likes to practice yoga, hike, explore nature and learn about the medicinal properties of plants.

Teacher

Susan Hovekamp is utterly passionate about the idea that everyone deserves an inclusive mind-body yoga experience. She believes the magic of yoga is that it can empower everyone, including those with diverse abilities, to feel seen, heard, and included. She has the absolute privilege of teaching and practicing yoga at Down Syndrome of Louisville, Dreams With Wings, OMies Yoga Studio, and the Trager Family JCC when she is not engaged in her long-term profession as Senior Vice-President of Talent and Culture at PriceWeber.

Teacher

Tina grew up in Louisville and after living away for about 7 years, she came back to stay. She graduated from the University of Kentucky with a Bachelor’s degree in Social Work and the University of Louisville with a Master’s in Social Work. She has dedicated her career to creating a world without violence and creating safe, loving spaces for all people. When Tina started doing yoga 4 years ago, she knew that it aligned with her own personal mission. Tina loves to teach yoga as a way to give people the tools to cope with life when it gets hard and to also create a space for fun, play, and discovery!

Tina is a mama of two little ones and a couple of dogs, loves to hula hoop, and hates to be bored. She has worked with kids of all ages in lots of different ways but she doesn’t like to refer to it as ‘work’ when she is having so much fun!