Shana Cummings, Ashtanga
Shana is a stay-at-home mother to four amazing kids and currently lives in Murfreesboro, TN. If she isn’t knitting (or spinning yarn) she can usually be found upside down. She was drawn to Ashtanga yoga for the physical challenge, and began a dedicated practice in 2016. Once the sequence was committed to memory the practice shifted into a moving meditation, piquing her curiosity and prompting a deeper exploration of yoga. She graduated from Nashville’s Steadfast and True 200HR TT in early 2020 having practiced under Gillian St.Clair and Kristen Stanley. She currently studies under Cory Bryant, Taylor Hunt, and Day Christensen.The practice of yoga has given her discipline, peace of mind, and helped to heal a wounded connection to her physical body. She aims to provide a safe and welcoming space for all to continually learn and grow in the practice; a space rooted in community, mindfulness, and challenge.
Rina Pritchard, Yin
Rina Pritchard learned that the best way to get out of her head was to get on her mat. So, after practicing for several years, she took the proverbial leap of faith and became certified. She is an RYT-500 with a soft spot for vinyasa and yin. It was her transformative training and teaching experience that allowed her to deepen her own practice to access space, healing, and harmony.
In her classes, you will find her cueing breath with movement and integrating mindfulness. Rina will remind you that yoga is personal, not universal, and that yoga blocks are cool. What she enjoys most about yoga is the profound and vast effects it has on students, emotionally, physically, and spiritually.
Outside of yoga, Rina is a writer and a mother to a wild little boy.
Kira Whitaker, Restorative/Therapeutic Yoga
Kira is the owner and founder of Arden Yoga & Wellness. She is also an Internationally Certified Yoga Therapist, Nationally Board Certified Health & Wellness Coach, Vanderbilt Medical University Certified Health Coach and podcast host. Kira has spent the last decade helping thousands of clients transform their movement, mindset, and wellness through the power of health coaching and yoga therapy. She is passionate about helping people create a life of wellness that reflects their values and personal needs so they can live a more embodied and fulfilling life.
Kira offers a menu of services and support through her online health coaching and therapeutic yoga services, as well as free wellness conversations and tips through her podcast and social media channels.
Shannon Lien, Power
Shannon started her fitness journey as a runner and wanted to add a low impact form of exercise. She found yoga and quickly fell in love. Shannon started as barre instructor and graduated from her 200 hour training in July 2021. She is also has trained in yin yoga. Shannon currently teaches at Murfreesboro Hot Yoga and Gold’s Gym
Demia Espinal, Kundalini
Demia, also know as Dalpremkaur is a certified Kundalini yoga teacher and she been teaching Kundalini yoga for 10 years. She has been a student for 15 years and for her, it’s been a beautiful journey internally and externally. Demia says, “Yoga is my healing, my GOD, my savior, my answers, my safe space and my medication.” Demia has led two international yoga retreats (hosting another one this March to Dominican Republic), hosted workshops, taught classes, and taught at several yoga events and feels truly blessed with the opportunities as a teacher. Demia says, “Throughout the years of being with yoga, I’ve learned ~ ‘there’s a way through every block’! Never give up on yourself or the situation, give it your all and know every effort is the best medicine. I look forward to being your teacher at the Boro Yoga Festival! Wahe Guru”
Sarah Blizzard, Yoga Nidra
Sarah is a RYT 500 who enjoys celebrations and surprises. She will learn and remember your name. In her classes, she encourages students to explore variations in poses, to recognize their own strength, and to have fun along the way. She is passionate about sharing her love of anatomy and physiology, with over 20 years of experience in these fields studying, learning, dissecting, and teaching in hospitals and laboratories. She often weaves anatomy into her classes, and emphasizes how beautifly asymmetric and resilient we are. Sarah discovered yoga while she was healing emotionally and bodily from a traumatic injury, and she credits it with saving her life. She teaches restorative, Yoga Nidra meditation, chair, vinyasa and stand up paddleboard yoga. To her delight, Sarah discovered that she has a creative side, and writes all of her own meditations, dedicating hours of reading and researching for her themes. She is incredibly excited and grateful to be both a student and an instructor at Boro Fest 2024.
Berkeley Clements, Sound Bath
Berkeley’s spiritual work is based on the belief that we all have the answers within us. She simply acts as a guide, helping you to access the knowledge and wisdom needed to heal and transform your life.
A highly intuitive and gifted Empathic Psychic Medium, Berkeley has a passion for helping others through self-expression, sound, and healing. She is a Spiritual Mentor, Trance Channel Healer, Sound Bath facilitator, and Certified Usui Reiki Master Teacher. She is grateful to have trained with one of the top 5 psychic mediums in the world and at the prestigious Arthur Findlay College.
Her gentle yet no-nonsense practical approach to self-discovery and empowerment paired with her intuitive gifts and healing abilities have led others to experience a greater sense of awareness, direction, and calmness in their lives. She currently resides in Murfreesboro, TN and works with several local yoga members to help foster spiritual awareness, connections, and support.
Maggie West, Hot 26
Maggie graduated from Sangha TT in the summer of 2016 after falling in love with the practice and community. She teaches a range of styles at several gyms and studios in Murfreesboro- including Hot 26, Slow Flow, Restorative Flow, Power, and Chair Yoga. She loves creating space for students to connect their body and mind. She thinks yoga should be accessible to everyone and looks to offer options that help people feel empowered and will cultivate their own love for the practice.
When she’s not on the mat she stays busy with her 3 daughters. She loves to travel and get out in nature. From the physical asanas, breathwork, mindfulness, and philosophies, she knows yoga will always be a huge part of her life and she’s excited to share in this practice at Boro Yoga Fest 2024!
Akiko Schooley, Pose Workshops
Akiko was introduced to yoga by a friend in 2014, mainly for exercise but immediately she was enthralled by all the cool yoga poses. This led to her practicing yoga on a regular basis and participating in different yoga challenges on IG (@janglishfusionyoga). As she practiced more, she began to understand the true meaning of yoga and decided to deepen her passion by enrolling in yoga teacher training. Akiko received her RYT 200 from Sangha in 2016. Through the teacher training and dedicated yoga practice, her meaning of yoga has transformed from “my hobby” to “my life”.
Akiko was born and raised in Japan. Since she was a little girl, she always dreamed of becoming a global person who would be a mediator between communities and people all over the world. Teaching yoga has given her the opportunity to connect and contribute to multiple communities. She has been able to connect with people who have different backgrounds, different ages, and even different nationalities. She truly believes that when yoga is practiced together, everyone speaks the same language and we all become one. Currently she is teaching at Gold’s Gym, Edmonson Pike Library (for Small World Yoga),
Mayday brewery and Middle Ground Brewing.