Teachers.
Alejandra Retamales
Alejandra Retamales, known to most as Ale, began teaching yoga in her Hood River garage in 2020. Her powerful voice, challenging sequencing, and calm demeanor quickly earned her a loyal following of committed Gorge yogis. When a wood-planked, sun-drenched space became available in the Heights in 2021, Ale hustled to create Machi Yoga, named after the indigenous healers of her native Chile. Slowly and steadily, Ale has knitted together a well-rounded yoga community which welcomes students of every level who desire a safe, sweet space to practice.
To experience Ale’s teaching is to invite a rich physical practice of challenging and unique sequencing onto your mat. However sticky or distracted you feel when you first enter Ale’s heated power flow class, be prepared to leave in a more joyful, sweaty, and mobile state with a clearer sense of presence and gratitude. You may meet a few new friends along the way!
Ale is at her best surrounded by family, on a trail and in her bright kitchen. Connect with her at ale@machi.yoga
Lauren Pisano
Lauren is a yoga teacher based in the Columbia Gorge. Her commitment to the practice is sincere and can be felt in her thoughtful guidance and steady presence. Her classes emphasize concentration, rhythm and equanimity. She has studied formally with Annie Carpenter, Stephanie Adams, Adi Vajra and others. Her practice is also influenced by Vipasasana meditation as taught by SN Goenka.
Kelly Carsley
Kelly has over 20 years of practice and 12 years of experience teaching Mindful/Therapeutic Yoga and Meditation. With the long standing mantra “ Live with intention”, Kelly delights in keeping her own practice as well as her teachings in alignment with Ayurveda, the rhythms of nature and synching up with the seasons.
Kelly seeks to find what it is that stands in the way of one’s inner peace and then help them to release it to come into a greater sense of joy, wholeness and ease. How to come back home to Bliss in our body, heart & mind? She believes that we all have an inner light that we come home to in the practice of yoga. As we shed our own obstacles we discover this inner brilliance, a light, to turn inward to deepen our own self study, and also to shine brightly out, to all others that we meet on this path of life.
Kelly has trained under Sarahjoy Marsh at DAYA Foundation to obtain her 800 IAYT, Trauma Informed Yoga and Yoga for Addictions/ Patterns. Other teachers include Gary Kraftsow (Viniyoga), Chris Coniaris (Pranayama/ Meditation), Deobrat Mishra (Chanting and Chakra work), Susan Bass and Durga Leela (Ayurveda, seasonal rhythm & nutrition).
Kelly currently resides in the Columbia River Gorge with her adventurous husband and two delightful children. She keeps busy with her pottery, hiking, paddleboarding, snowboarding and merging with nature as often as possible.
Sarah Smeby
Sarah began her yoga journey nearly 25 years ago. Moving into teaching 8 years ago seemed like a natural way to deepen her own practice as well as help others discover the joy and peace that yoga can bring. Witnessing the ebbs and flows of her own practice as life brought; moves all over the world, career changes, physical injuries, and the birth of two children, she has come to realize that everyone's practice is truly a journey. Knowing that yoga can meet you where you are in your life no matter the ups and downs has been a source of comfort, as well as a lesson in acceptance.
Sarah’s classes involve deep discussion on alignment while bringing humor and real-life uses for poses to her slowly flowing sequences. She believes that personal connection and community are an integral part of the practice, so expect conversation over tea after class!
Sarah has trained with John Ogilvie at the Byron Yoga Centre in Byron Bay, Australia, and Michelle Young of Austin, TX. Sarah is a registered yoga teacher with Yoga Alliance and holds E-RYT200, RYT500, and YACEP credentials and certifications in; Yoga Nidra, Yin Yoga, Restorative Yoga, Trauma-Informed Yoga, and Adaptive Yoga. She lives in Hood River, Oregon with her husband and two children. When not teaching yoga, you'll find her mountain biking, skiing, or on the river kite surfing or SUPing.
Shana Rose
Shana loves to live her life by the philosophical principles of the 8 fold path, practicing gratitude for nature and food and people- she sees everything as sacred and celebrates all with ritual. She enjoys teaching Ayurveda, meditation, yoga and has a spiritual life coaching business. Shana has lived with indigenous shemanic communities holding space for plant medicine ceremonies in Guatemala and Mexico. During her work exchange in the Yoga Forest retreat center, she enjoyed connecting with travellers through offering Ayurvedic Abhyanga massage, cupping and facial. Outside the studio, you can find her doing art in her hammock or rollerblading by the water.
Love & Namaste,
Shana
Lora Munn
Lora has been practicing and teaching yoga for 20 years in the Columbia River Gorge and around the world. Her passion is in holding space for transitional times of life. She is a birth/postpartum doula, wedding officiant, ceremonialist and death doula. Her classes are uniquely curated to create an experience using asana, song, toning, touch, poetry and sound healing instruments. Her way of teaching brings about a great tenderness and compassion for oneself, and allows for deep introspection and self-discovery. All of her offerings are trauma-informed and accessible for all folks, regardless of experience.
She lives in the Gorge with her family and many pets. Her favorite things are her family, snowboarding, cozy things, cooking, gardening, herbalism and being open to life. She is grateful for all her teachers: humans, animals, elements and especially her children.
Love always, Lora
Erin Solveig
Erin has had a relationship with yoga for over 10 years. She loves the way yoga can invite a deeper connection to self through movement, breath, and body awareness. Her classes blend inspiration from her background in bodywork, personal training, endurance athletics, somatic experiencing, and vipassana meditation. Erin's teaching style is intended to be adaptable and invitational, so show up as you are - and move as you need. Her hope is that you will be inspired to either soften around those stuck places or move through them with fueled intensity.
Gabriel Rivers
Gabriel has been sharing the gifts of yoga, energy and sound healing since 2014. His lineage is baptiste vinyasa and ashtanga, but has balanced the fire of his practice through his devotion to chanting and sound healing. Gabriel has been a sponsored yoga brand athlete and his journey has led him from leading handstand workshops to opening a sound healing temple in Seattle. He has also filmed with the likes of Seane Corne and Patrick Beach, taught yoga internationally and it is this culmination of experiences that is the embodiment of his teaching style. He is now a gorge resident and looks forward to the sharing of his perspective of balance, personal peace and joyous living.
Beth Hannon
Beth is a diverse individual with
true passions in the healing
through yoga, art and community.
She shares her yoga wisdom
globally, and has been teaching
yoga, art, and healing retreats,
since 2007.
Beth also runs LOVEVOLVES,
providing vision for a global unity
through community, empathy, and
compassion, aiming to create a
harmonious world.
Her vision is to be not just your teacher but your student, as we collaborate our beautiful
energies together, and create a difference in the world.
LOVE EVOLVES US.
www.BethHannon.com
Jessica McGimsey
I found yoga right out of high school, as an addition to a fitness regime. It didn't grab hold right away, but after my first yoga class I remember thinking, "I'd like to teach yoga someday." I started by earning my certification to teach pilates, then adding yoga and other movement styles to be able to pick up more classes. By 2009 I had completely fallen in love with yoga, mainly heated vinyasa, and opened my studio Peace Love and Yoga in 2010. Peace Love and Yoga, PLAY, was built on love and passion for yoga and was welcomed and supported immediately by the community. I loved PLAY so much and gave my whole heart and then some to it to see it grow and thrive.
After a few years and continuing for many more, I lived completely burnt out. I wore my busyness like a badge and associated my self-worth with how much I could and did accomplish. My health wasn’t great, and I felt disconnected from my personal practice as a result. What I thought was healthy, wasn’t for me. I realized that even though I had been teaching for years, I was completely out of balance. In 2020, I was diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis, a degenerative neurological disease. Being given that kind of diagnosis is scary, life-changing, but for me was also a very motivating wake-up call. My perspective on life, and health has changed dramatically. I’ve learned health is multi-dimensional. The human system is a whole, and the things that affect one area of your system, affect the whole system. I really feel what it means to live my yoga beyond my mat.
The support that yoga and ayurveda have offered me on this journey continues to inspire me to create programs, trainings, classes, and other offerings. My goal is to help others see what it's like to practice more than just asana, to guide you to be an active participant in your own healing journey and to thrive not just survive.
Certifications
500 E-RYT
YASCAP (CEU) Provider
AFAA Group Exercise
Stott Pilates Mat, Reformer, Cadillac and Injuries/Special Populations
IAYT Yoga Therapy Student in training
Peace and Love,
Jessica McGimsey
Positive thoughts
Honest words
Open Heart