Our Staff

ALL LEVELS YOGA

Ashley was one of those people who felt she was too inflexible to do yoga, until on a cruise in 2007 where she decided to give yoga a chance. That experience changed her way of thinking, which ultimately transformed her life. Upon taking her first “official” yoga class after returning home, she knew she was hooked.

Ashley enjoyed a personal yoga practice for the next 7 years while continuing to teach step aerobics. Surprisingly, yoga enhanced her existing exercise routine both on a physical and mental level in such a profound way that she became driven to share this gift with others. In 2014 Ashley earned her 200-hour teacher training certification through Therapeutic Yoga Center of Memphis.

Ashley has a sincere passion for teaching and helping others, especially the senior population. She enjoys deconstructing and breaking down poses to understand the proper alignment and form, thus to help guide her students down the yoga path with clear, concise, effective and safe instructions.

“For me, yoga is a daily practice just like brushing my teeth…it has truly given me such great light and happiness. I can’t imagine not sharing the gift with others.

VINYASA FLOW, SLOW FLOW and BASIC BEGINNERS

I wandered into a beginning yoga class at Better Bodies Yoga one day looking for a place to be after many years in the ballet world as dancer, teacher and choreographer not really knowing what to expect. I embraced the “beginner’s mind” and I was hooked.  Yoga was so much more than exercise. It quickly became a way of life that continues to guide me on this journey. 

I completed teacher training in 2014 with Annie Carpenter in SmartFLOW and became certified on the yoga wall at BBY. 

As a teacher, I strive to bring balance, stretch, strength and flow together in an inclusive and calming environment. 

I am blessed to be a part of this community and as every teacher knows, I learn more from my students than I teach them. I look forward to much continued learning. 

VINYASA FLOW and SLOW FLOW

Ever since she happened upon a yoga class in the year 2000, Helen Anne has studied yoga of various traditions, in studios, workshops and trainings. In 2004, she completed children’s yoga training and taught kids of all ages. Seeking to expand her personal practice and teaching, Helen Anne found Annie Carpenter’s SmartFLOW teacher training in 2014, where she began to integrate years of practice and study into a disciplined and systematic method of practicing yoga and teaching adults.

For Helen Anne, each pose, each class, and yoga in general, is an exploration. She encourages use of props and appropriate variations. She seeks — for herself and her students — to practice essential yoga asanas with alignment and curiosity. She teaches with a focus on building mobility, strength, balance and strength. In Helen Anne’s classes, you can expect to be met where you are today, in a light-hearted and welcoming environment.

Helen Anne is a Yoga Alliance RYT 300-hour SmartFLOW and Great Yoga Wall certified teacher.

ASHTANGA VINYASA

Tracie Fisher is an Ashtanga Yoga Teacher certified by Manju Jois to teach into the intermediate series. At the age of 46 and after 15 years practicing other methods of yoga, Tracie developed a passion for Ashtanga Vinyasa beginning in 2019 under the guidance of Amy Morse and Michele Mallory of DwiPada Yoga School in Memphis. Tracie now studies and practices under the supervision of her NYC-based teacher Greg Tebb, and travels twice per year to train with Manju Jois in Encinitas, CA. Tracie loves getting outside and spending time with her family, hiking mountains, caring for her cat and dog, and traveling. Tracie teaches from the heart with compassion to find where the practice can most meet the needs of her students.

BASIC BEGINNERS and CANCER SURVIVORS CLASS

Jessica began her yoga career in 2002. She holds a Yoga Alliance 500 RYT certification. Most of her training has been with Yoga-Fit where she is continuing her studies on the yoga therapist track. She believes in the Yoga-Fit mission that yoga is for every body. Jessica is devoted to the healing benefits of yoga which has led her to teach cancer patients and survivors as well as persons with eating disorders and trauma. Jessica is proud to be a member of the Better Bodies Yoga team. She is inspired by the willingness of all the students who continue with her on this yoga journey.

ASHTANGA VINYASA

Michele has been teaching yoga in the Midsouth since 2013 and started practicing yoga around 2000 as a runner looking for hamstring and low back relief. So what does it take to maintain a yoga practice for 25 years and counting? Consistency, curiosity and a passion for the work. Michele also studies and teaches yoga anatomy and a common refrain from her students is that they “learn so much” just being in her classes.

Michele currently practices and teaches Ashtanga in the traditional Jois family method, and since 2020 has been in an apprenticeship with her teacher Greg Tebb, learning all she can about this transformative practice. She looks forward to her yearly trip to Manju Jois’ “Stress-Free Shala” in Encinitas, where she gets to be the student, growing her personal practice and benefiting from Manju and Greg’s masterful assists.

GENTLE YOGA

Ruthie O’Ryan Lichterman was initially drawn to yoga as a means to aid her physical recovery from injuries sustained in an accident in 2009. She soon discovered that yoga offered many paths towards healing and wholeness beyond the physical asana practice. Ruthie is passionate about sharing her love of pranayama and meditation techniques in addition to accessible yoga asana postures to students of all levels.

In 2015, Ruthie completed a 350-hr yoga teacher training at Swan River Yoga New Orleans. She traveled to India in 2017 to earn a 300-hr Jivamukti Yoga certification and is also trained to lead Yoga for Traumatic Brain Injury, certified through LoveYourBrain. Ruthie has also trained in transcendental meditation, Kundalini yoga, Iyengar yoga wall, and continues to seek new opportunities to deepen her yoga knowledge and personal practice.

HOT VINYASA FLOW

HOT 26 and HOT YIN

Well before Anne started practicing and teaching yoga, health and fitness were important aspects of her life. The positive effects of regular exercise on her health and well being kept her judiciously on the lookout for new research and information to explore. Little did she know that a random purchase from a used book store would have a lasting impact on her life. She purchased a book containing photographed images of 26 yoga postures and 2 breathing exercises that were made popular by Bikram Choudhury. She quickly grew to love the structure of the practice, and went to a “Hot Yoga” class upon the recommendation of a friend. To Anne’s surprise and amusement, it was the same series she had been doing at home, but had no idea it was done in a heated room!

In the Spring of 2011, Anne completed a 9-week Bikram Yoga Teacher Training in Los Angeles, and started teaching regularly upon returning back to Memphis. She has a passion for cultivating patience and compassion in her students with a style of yoga that is sometimes considered intimidating and difficult. Anne has seen first hand that it’s possible for students to honor their unique differences while maintaining the integrity of the practice throughout their yoga journeys.

Additionally, Anne is a singer, songwriter, and guitar player who plays regularly alongside her husband Richard James. Having had the distinct pleasure and honor of providing live music for yoga classes at The Memphis Yoga Festival, The Rise Yoga Fest, as well other events throughout the mid-south; Anne looks forward to sharing her inspiration, energy and love for music and yoga with her students at Better Bodies Yoga.

YOGA FOR STRESS & ANXIETY

Caroline is a 500-RYT with a special focus in trauma-sensitive yoga. A licensed professional counselor by trade, Caroline integrates her professional training as a therapist to provide students with a safe and calming environment in the studio. Over the last 7 years, she has
gained experience teaching vinyasa, restorative, yin, and yoga nidra classes. Whether teaching beginner students or more advanced, Caroline encourages all students to treat their yoga practice with a curiosity and open-mindedness that align with the yogic principle of non-judgement. Her priority as a teacher is to create an inclusive and welcoming space for all people to practice yoga. Caroline is excited to be a part of the Better Bodies Yoga staff and family, and looks forward to guiding students on this transformational yoga path.

VINYASA FLOW, HOT VINYASA and RESTORATIVE

Having suffered from dyslexia, depression, and anxiety for many years I can speak personally to the healing powers of yoga. Often people come to a yoga class for the first time, for physical reasons or to heal suffering, but often leave with so much more. I have been honored to practice with many great yoga teachers of all backgrounds: Max Strom, David and Doug Swenson, Anne Carpenter, Kathryn Budig, Manju Jois , Cora Wen, Seane Corn. Each teacher and student has made me a better person and citizen of our yoga community. I am grateful for the teachers that have inspired and challenged me emotionally, physically, and spiritually. By changing the breath from automatic breathing to conscious breathing is where we begin our yoga journey together.

My goal in teaching yoga is to help people find a sense of ease in their bodies and in their minds. Teaching breath work, focusing on inhales and exhales can help heal broken hearts and scattered minds. I believe yoga is building a life of compassion, understanding, and acceptance though awareness of the breath and the movement of the body. Perfection and turning ourselves into pretzels isn't the goal. Holding a posture long enough to feel something physically, emotionally, spiritually and to improve ourselves is my central focus. With this in mind, we aim to exemplify the best version of ourselves.

I wish for you a happy, meaningful life though the practice of self-discovery.