Julie Campilio
Julie struggled with anxiety her whole life until she found yoga/mindfulness. She began her journey with children’s yoga in 2006, while working as a substitute teacher for special needs physical education classes near Boston. She quickly realized the impact that mindful movement and deep breathing could have to help students focus and engage in their classes. After earning a bachelor’s degree in psychology and educational studies she moved to Denver, CO where she completed a 200-hour yoga training certificate through the Samadhi Center for Yoga. She spent the next few years immersing herself in children’s yoga trainings. Julie founded Radiant Beginnings with the intention of bringing stress relieving tools into the lives of students ages 2-18. For more information on Julie click here.
ALlyson levine
Allyson works with students of all ages and abilities to help them discover the gift of yoga. After finding her way to the mat in 2000, she has studied ways to make this practice accessible and useful for yogis of all types. Since 2006, when she received her first 200hr Vinyasa teaching certification, she has focused much of her time and energy sharing yoga with children and underserved populations. From 2006-2014 she was a lead teacher and coach for The Wellness Initiative, a Colorado non-profit whose mission brought yoga programs to low income schools. Allyson also holds a BA in Psychology from the University of Colorado and certifications in Hatha Yoga, Mindful Life, Pre/Post Natal, Yoga Ed, and Yoga for At-risk Youth. One of her passions is sharing yoga tools with teachers and parents. She is continually inspired by the countless ways the practice can shift and shape lives for the better.
Allyson partnered with Radiant Beginnings in 2014 to collaborate on programing development and teacher support . She is excited to help promote the RB mission and bring yoga skills to as many students as possible. Currently, she also teaches in homes, schools, businesses, and yoga studios around Denver. She guides students to use yoga for mindfulness, engagement and more peace in their lives. You can find out more about Allyson by visiting www.yogadulce.com.
Jen hicks
Jen Hicks, ERYT-200 Power/Forrest/Vinyasa, is a full-time, professional yoga teacher who leads challenging, fun, safely-sequenced classes and consistently delivers the highest quality of attention, care, and encouragement to her students. With over 450+ hours of training with the world’s most respected yogis, and over a thousand hours of teaching experience, Jen’s a powerful leader and devoted instructor. Study with Jen when you are ready to break through to the next level of your practice, tap into your undeniable strength, and shine brightly.
December Breidel
Yoga was a source of balance and strength for December’s busy life. She completed her 200-hour certification and realized that teaching kids is something that has always been near and dear to her. “I have always felt that with the right tools a child’s life has the ability to flourish and grow into anything they set their minds to and I want to be a part of that!” She is excited to be sharing stress management tools with children ages 5-10.
Logan Gray
We are living in a very fast paced societal framework. At an earlier age our youth are being introduced to many stressors and more commonly developing anxiety around performance. I feel very fortunate to be providing playful curriculums for children to establish a healthy way of balancing physical, mental and emotional wellness! I’ve been practicing yoga for 3 years and have experienced many blessings from this path. Intrigued with the mechanics of the body, I decide to receive a license in massage therapy. This work has provided me a very important lesson of how the body stores trauma and manifests physically as tension and further disease. In the spring of 2016, I will be graduating from Metropolitan State University of Denver with a degree in the Mechanics of Holism. I will utilize this degree to offer education and awareness on the importance of living in a way of treating wellness instead of treating illness. My name is Logan Gray and I honor you in every way.
Tessa Tuetken
Tessa started practicing yoga when she moved to Hawaii in 2007. She continued her practice when she moved to Minneapolis to pursue her Master’s in social work. Through experience and schooling she realized that she wanted to combine the practices of yoga and social work to provide holistic support to the youth and families she worked with at the time. Tessa completed a 200 hour adult yoga teacher training and recently completed the Radiant Beginnings children’s teacher training. Currently, Tessa is teaching yoga to high school students as a Radiant Beginnings teacher as well as working for a local nonprofit serving Denver’s youth.
Jenny Werner
Jenny Werner has been serving as a teacher since she was 16, working as a camp counselor and then transitioning into a career as a visual arts teacher for Denver Public Schools. For the past 15 years she has been inspiring children to create. It was 5 years ago when her teaching shifted when she discovered yoga. In her heart she knew she wanted to share the tools of yoga to help children to find more calm and balance in their lives. After receiving her adult 200 hr. training at Shamabava yoga she continued her yoga education receiving a 108 hr. children’s’ training from Prana yoga. Jenny has taught family yoga, children’s yoga, and a combined class of art and yoga for the past 3 years. Her life path is to serve children, helping them to connect to their creativity, bodies, minds, and breath. When she is not teaching you will find Jenny hiking, rafting down rivers, creating her artwork, and playing in the garden. She believes yoga is a gift that you give yourself and everyday.
Samantha Myers
Samantha has had a love for yoga since she was 12 years old in Maryland. She began practicing to stay limber as a cheerleader and focused as a student. Her practice began to grow each year through out high school and college to help manage anxiety. She traveled to 16 countries including India to deepen her passion and practice of yoga and Reiki. Not finding her bliss on the East coast, she found herself in Colorado sharing her love of yoga with children.
Samantha became a Karuna Reiki Master in 2012, and completed her 200 hour RYT certification through The University of Maryland Medical School. She received her children’s yoga certification through Radiant Beginnings in Denver, CO
JACLYN BAUER
Jaclyn Bauer has been practicing yoga since 2010 and completed her 200 Hour Certification at Moksha Yoga in Chicago. In addition to her over 300+ hours of additional training with master teachers from around the world, she has also completed over 60 hours of kids’ yoga training with Global Family Yoga and has completed the Radiant Beginnings Kids Yoga Certification course. Jaclyn currently works as a preschool teacher at The Joshua School, and teaches kids’ yoga there to children with developmental disabilities. She has experience working with children ages 2-14 and has taught yoga everywhere from public schools, to nonprofit organizations, to engineering centers and more. In her classes, Jaclyn’s main focus is to provide a safe space for children to learn, explore and take a break from everyday life.
MITSUYUKI “MIKE” NINOMIYA
Mike has been involved in mind body discipline since the age of three in the Japanese tradition of martial arts taught to him by both of his parents. “The goal of my practice is to engage myself in the same manner on and off the mat. As a teacher to gain insight and inspiration by establishing a strong connection in heart so that our inner light is spread radiantly.” Mike is also an active member of West African music and dance culture, national chess circuit, and enjoys surfing and skateboarding in the summer.
JaMese Stepanek
JaMese enjoys inspiring children as they explore the world around them. Her journey on the mat began in 2008. After experiencing the benefits of practicing yoga, she knew she had to share this gift with children. She committed to using postures, breathing exercises, and guided imagery to aid students in building community and in reducing stress and anxiety. From 2009 to 2014, JaMese has used these techniques in elementary classrooms and enrichment programs.
It brings her delight to guide diverse populations as they begin a journey of self exploration on the mat. JaMese earned a Masters degree in Education from the University of Denver and a Bachelors degree from Bellevue University. She also had received a certification in Yoga for Children and Vinyasa Flow Yoga. She is uplifted when she can help empower others to find compassion and understanding within themselves that they can then share with others.
“Yoga helps me to find my rhythm in the dance of life. And then I get to share it with others.”
Diana Ninomiya
Diana Ninomiya brings the amazing balance of compassion and discipline to the practice of yoga. This comes from many years of training in martial arts where she has taught people of all ages awareness in mind body focus. Throughout her career, she has volunteered and taught many non profit organizations self defense and empowerment/awareness for numerous under-served populations in the Denver metro area. In this realm she has demonstrated a unique gift as an empath and healer; knowing intuitively the best way to let the imbalance dissolve itself through the practice.
Liz Daniels
Liz Daniels completed her 200-hour yoga teacher training at Samadhi in Denver, a 36 – hour prenatal/ postnatal teacher training with De West, 30- hours Anjali restorative training with Shannon Paige & is trained through Radiant Beginnings for teaching yoga to children. She graduated from UMass Amherst with a degree in hospitality management, and has been working as an event & wedding planner for over 15 years. Over these years an avid yoga practice has helped her find a sense of calm from the busy stressful days. After suffering a leg injury, Liz found yoga and saw that it was an amazing way to heal the body. Our bodies have the ability to heal when we fuel them with good nutrition and allow our breath to deepen & our minds to slow down. She loves sharing the gifts & tools that yoga can offer to everyone.
BAILEY SMITH
Bailey Smith found yoga in 2009 when she was striving to find something to balance out her fast-paced career in the fashion industry. She immediately fell in love with the way yoga made both her body and mind feel. She completed her first Vinyasa training in 2012 as an effort to share the practice with those around her and has since also become certified in Kids and Prenatal. Bailey’s commitment to her students is to provide them with tools that can be used both on and off the mat to find inner strength and a more healthful intentional life.
Emily Marshall
Two of Emily’s favorite things are working with children of all abilities and practicing yoga. Emily discovered her passion for yoga during a tricky transition in 2010 when she returned to the states from living abroad as a Peace Corps volunteer in Jordan. She has been practicing yoga almost daily ever since. Emily completed a 200 hour adult yoga teacher training in 2013 and kids yoga teacher training in 2014. Emily graduated from Colorado State University in the spring of 2015 with a masters of science in occupational therapy. Apart of her master’s degree Emily wrote a special interest paper on yoga for children with autism spectrum disorders and started a kids yoga group at her level II pediatric fieldwork site. Emily understands the many benefits of teaching yoga to children from an occupational therapy perspective and she encourages children of all abilities to join her on the mat. Currently Emily teaches kids yoga to children with neurodevelopmental disabilities at an outpatient pediatric clinic in Denver and looks forward to teaching as a Radiant Beginnings teacher in schools, clinics and/or studios. Upon request, Emily is also available to teach individual sessions to children with special needs.
Emily enjoys reading and learning, live music, hiking in the Rockies, and being flashed with a smile, especially from those with missing teeth!
Camri Mcavoy
Camri enjoys sharing her love of yoga with adults, but finds special joy teaching parents/caregivers, babies, children and families. She believes that everyone can benefit from yoga’s wonderful tools of stress relief, self discovery and mindfulness, no matter how young or old. Camri has been practicing yoga for over 18 years and loves learning how to bring yoga to people in her community. She has the following certifications: 200 hour RYT, 95 hour children’s yoga teacher, baby & toddler yoga teacher, chair yoga teacher.
Christina Pischel
Christina is a proud Colorado native with two sons. While training for a half marathon, Christina injured her knee and required surgery. Her recovery only allowed her to focus on yoga. She fell in love with yoga and decided to share her passion with the world and received her 200 RYT and Children’s Yoga certifications.
Christina loves doing yoga with her children as well as others. Yoga with children is not only fun but you can experience the excitement and joy in their eyes when experience a new pose or create their own. It also helps keep them focused and grounded and aids in making a sad face into a happy one. She is eager to teach the benefits of yoga to all ages, not only from a mindfulness/stress management standpoint, but also as a guide to a healthy lifestyle.
Tristyn Jackson
Tristyn moved to Colorado from South Dakota about five years ago and has been practicing yoga and working with children ever since. She is currently a Nanny, teacher’s aide and Kids Yoga teacher. Her love and passion for practicing yoga is expanding more and more every day. She has a reputation for working tremendously well with kids of all ages and is employed by ABC Nannies and Domestics. Tristyn is always looking for new ways to be more mindful, relaxed, healthy and happy in life and yoga does a great job of teaching that. I love nothing more than showing others tools and exciting new ways to learn yoga.
Stacey hoksbergen
Stacey began practicing yoga three years ago and it has become an incredible space of healing. She is a therapist working with traumatized children so her journey with yoga has not only helped her but she also incorporates many mind/body strategies with the kiddos she works with. Stacey is currently teaching middle and high school students yoga at schools specializing in alternative education. When not practicing yoga she loves to be in the mountains and spending time with friends and family.
Julie Feeny
Julie found the benefits of yoga during her transition from a hectic business life to staying at home with her two young children. The balance of mindfulness and movement in yoga helped create clarity and purpose to her everyday life. She is passionate about teaching children the tools to bring peace and positive energy into their lives. She considers yoga a lifelong journey and seeks out continuous learning. Julie is 200-hour certified from Kindness Yoga in Denver, and is trained in Yin Yoga and Kid’s Yoga. Off the mat, Julie is an avid traveler and outdoor enthusiast. She loves to garden, cook, build and spend time with her family.
Morgan Schoob
A Denver native, Morgan Schoob has been practicing yoga for over ten years. She originally found yoga as a way out of the world of chaos and into the world of possibility. She believes that any level of experience and any aged person deserves the opportunity to master their mind and body. Her teaching style is union between a focus of breath and having fun with movement. Her teaching style is an inviting blend of playful movement and soothing relaxation. Morgan emphasizes on breath work, body awareness and the imagination in her classes. She believes that any age and any range of experience can benefit from the power of yoga. Morgan has experience teaching all ages and received certification through Radiant Beginning’s Kids Yoga Teacher Training, Belly Bliss CO, and Buffy Barfoot Yoga’ Clear Compass Teacher Training . To learn more about Morgan, please visitwww.devoteyoga.com
Nina Moreno
Nina began her yoga practice as a way to cope with anxiety. After experiencing the benefits of this practice she began bringing yoga postures and breathing exercises into her fourth grade classroom as a stress management tool. She has witnessed the positive impact yoga has on children and is able to combine her passion for wellness, education, and kids through leading kids yoga. It is amazing to witness the healing power yoga has with children and adults alike. She enjoys teaching her students how to control and express their emotions in productive outlets.
Nina received her Bachelors in Education from Texas A & M University and Masters of Health Education from Texas State University. She is certified in kids yoga, Reiki, and is working towards her adult yoga certification. As a new Coloradan, Nina is enjoying hiking, camping, and learning to navigate through winters.
“Inner peace begins the moment you choose not to allow another person or event to control your emotions”
Molly Grove
After seeing how transformative yoga could be Molly began teaching yoga classes at Cottolengo Special School in Ft. Kochi, India. There 60 students with various backgrounds and disabilities joined Molly in a weekly yoga class that combined breath, movement, and self-reflection. The inclusive nature of yoga allowed the students to see past their age and abilities and build off the strength of one another.
During her time working at Cottolengo she also provided one-on-one yoga therapy to the individuals at the Mother Theresa orphanage in Ft. Kochi. There she focused each session with the girls on love, hope, compassion, and limitless expectations – things that they had previously been denied. This method proved extremely advantageous and resulted in children crawling who had never done so before, children becoming responsive – clapping, cooing, and physically reacting to voice, and children whose physical signs of their disability lessened. Molly is the proud owner of Grove Tree Yoga and works with children and adults with disabilities and trauma in the Denver Metro area.
Meg Ridgway
Meg is a full-time 200-RYT instructor specializing in all-levels vinyasa, power flow and children’s yoga. From the time she was 4 years old, Meg began tapping into the power and grace available for her to access through movement and dance. After struggling with years of anxiety starting at a young age, Meg craved something, anything that could relieve the emotional tension and help her feel in charge of her life again. Luckily, the universe was looking out for her and that’s when yoga came into her life. As a dancer, yoga provided the creative expression she loved while also teaching her to relax and remain present; ultimately helping her break-through the anxiety.
Meg’s yogic journey continues to teach her the importance of self-love, authenticity, gratitude and faith in all facets of life. The personal connection and self-empowerment that Meg experiences through her own practice is exactly why she decided to become a teacher. After completing multiple 200-hour trainings at CorePower Yoga in Austin, TX, Meg received her certification to teach children’s yoga through Radiant Beginnings. Meg aims to inspire and empower children of all ages by providing them with the powerful stress management tools that yoga has blessed her with. Meg’s fun and uplifting classes help her students connect with confidence, compassion and the courage to thrive on and off their mat.
Jerrod Fassler
Jerrod has always been a student of movement. He played sports his entire life. He found himself in his first yoga class while visiting a friend on vacation and found himself instantly hooked. A year later he was participating in his first 200 hour adult yoga certification in Vinyasa from Kindness Collective. He just recently completed a second 200 hour adult “hot flow” yoga certification through Kindness as well as Kid Yoga certification from Radiant Beginning’s. Jerrod is a former volunteer with K9 C.A.R.E.S and the READ program, working in schools, libraries and hospitals where kids would come read to him and his therapy lab Layla. He currently teaches yoga at the Denver YMCA, Crossfit VIM, Bhavana-collective and Kent High School.
MARI TOBLER
Mari was born and raised in the Denver area and enjoyed skiing, snowboarding, camping, hiking, and climbing in the beautiful Rocky Mountains. In 2008 she discovered yoga at a community class at her college; since then, her practice and her spiritual journey has inspired her to study art history in Europe, teach English in Thailand, and in 2014 she completed her 200-hour Hatha Yoga Teacher Training in Madurai, India. With a strong emphasis on philosophy and traditional origins of Yoga, Mari’s classes include a range of breath exercises, relaxation techniques, and physical postures to improve flexibility, strength and general well-being. Mari’s personal practice has helped her to overcome the depression & anxiety that she faced as a teen and she hopes to encourage others to find the self-awareness and inner peace that unfold through this journey. With her background as an ESL teacher Mari enjoys working with kids and adults alike and provides a safe, comfortable environment for her students to explore their unique, personal practice.