This is our Yoga Sangha
Our Story
Yoga Sangha is the rebirth of Dupont Circle Yoga. Dupont Circle Yoga was established in 2012 and has been at its current location since 2016. Since then it has developed a homegrown community of students who come for our wonderful teachers and each other.​
​
As the studio went through a tumultuous change in ownership, one thing was clear. What made the studio the beloved place it has been was its people and that had to be preserved. We wanted to honor that by reopening as soon as possible. We also decided we wanted to start over; move forward with a clean slate, a better one.
So we became Yoga Sangha. Sangha is a Sanskrit word that means "association," "assembly," "company" or "community."
"The essence of the Sangha is awareness, acceptance, understanding, and harmony. In a Sangha, no person is an island. The Sangha is more like a network of trees with deep roots. Through these roots, the trees share water and nutrients underground, supporting each other and helping each other reach toward the sky... The roots go deep; through their connection, we are transformed. It cannot happen alone… When you work on yourself, you create conditions for all to live a fulfilling life… [We] each flourish when we create conditions for all to flourish. The Sangha reminds us of this. This leads to our spiritual development.
...
When we move, breathe, study, and sit together, we enjoy the collective energy. It is healing. When we are surrounded by kindred spirits doing the same thing together, it is easy to flow in the stream of the Sangha and be absorbed by it. The energy will help you, carry you, and support you. It is there to make practice easy. It is powerful when a group of people choose to follow a mindful path together. They become a positive element in society."
- Excerpts from Yoga is a Team Sport by Sharon Galindo
Meet Our Instructors
The experienced team of instructors at Yoga Sangha are an integral part of our studio's community. Each instructor's unique style and experience allows us to provide an incredible variety of classes so every student who comes to our studio can find the right fit for them.
Meditation and Yoga Instructor
Tate Anderson
Tate Anderson began studying and practicing Ashtanga yoga in 2018 under Brinson Leigh Kresge to create balance in her physical and mental health. In 2019, she served as work- study at an Ashtanga Yoga Retreat in Costa Rica. After completing her 200 hr vinyasa training in 2021, Tate started a job teaching yoga in a residential treatment center. Aside from her passions in mental health advocacy and integrative health modalities, Tate is a painter and loves attending local art and poetry events. Her classes are centered around intention and intuition, while exploring dynamic, restorative, and empowering movement.
Yoga Instructor
Scott Arden
Scott first discovered yoga as a powerful tool to repair and heal his relationship with his body. Yoga quickly became an integral piece in his spiritual journey. Scott completed a 200hr yoga teacher training with Mimi Rieger who has a major influence on his teaching style and sequencing. Drawing on his experience in life and practice, Scott’s offerings encourage students to connect to their bodies, move with intention, and commit fearlessly and challenge themselves to awaken the magic within.
Yoga Instructor
Emily Blair
Emily is a native Californian who has been practicing yoga since 2016. Her love of yoga, first ignited in high school, was reinvigorated during the pandemic. In 2021, she was inspired to become a certified yoga teacher through Purusha Yoga in San Francisco. She strives to cultivate a yoga environment that is fun, light-hearted and welcoming to students of all levels. Students in her classes can expect energizing flows and anxiety-melting cooldowns tailored to fit the unique needs of each class.
Yoga Instructor
Gabriela Duarte
Gabriela is a D.C. native who has completed her 200-hour certification and a 50-hour Rocket training. Finding peace and strength through her practice, yoga inspires her to live each moment with awareness, compassion, and intention. Passionate about movement and nurturing the mind and body, Gabriela aims to create a safe and inviting space for all. She hopes to empower you through your own practice, to heal, and ignite the vibrant light we all have within us.
Yoga Instructor
Steve Krzyzanowski
Steve Krzyzanowski is an artist and athlete who was first drawn to yoga as a form of workout filled with artistic expression. Upon discovering yoga's healing meditative properties, he developed an appetite to learn as much as he can about the craft. It is his honor to share and pass on that knowledge with the humble hope that both his students and his self may grow.
Yoga Instructor
Mary Sullivan
If you're often debating between taking a HIIT work out, a long walk or just resting, Kundalini Yoga is an exciting option to try because it covers an amazing range of postures that both strengthen and relax your nervous system. Certified through Kundalini Research Institute since 2016, and a Reiki Master since 2015, Mary loves sharing this high-impact and healing practice, especially as a remedy for busy Washingtonians who deserve self-love!
Yoga Instructor
Trevor Guthrie
Trevor is a California native who has been practicing yoga since 2018. Having earned his 200 hour certification through CorePower yoga and a practicing ashtanga yogi, Trevor focuses heavily on challenging asanas and transitions to bring students closer to their minds, bodies, and practices with each class. Trevor also holds a 30-hour restorative yoga certification. Trevor is passionate about the healing powers of music and movement and writes some of his own music to guide students in their practice.
Yoga Instructor
Chris Reber
Chris Reber is a local resident and instructor from Washington DC. For the past 10 years, Chris has devoted his time and energy to studying and walking the path of yoga. Since 2011, he has studied under the ashtanga yoga framework but has since branched out to other more energetic practices like Reiki and holotropic breathwork. In 2016 during his 200 teacher training he was exposed to a variety of practices such as Vinyasa, Yin, Iyenger, and Dharma from which he pulls inspiration for his teaching. His teaching philosophy is as with most things "keep what works and leave what doesn't". Chris believes 'yoga is a practice that's meant to bring us closer to the true essence of who we are'. In his classes you can expect to sweat as he blends modern vinyasa techniques and breathwork with classical ashtanga sequencing. Chris does not include chanting or use incense in his classes.
Yoga Instructor
Jes Howard
Jes teaches Yoga, Fitness and Dance throughout the DC area. She holds an RYT-300 and additional certifications in Advanced Hatha Yoga, Barre, Interval-based Group Fitness, and Flexibility Training. Challenging, playful, and energetically focused, her class is a process-oriented space for students to pursue optimal health, performance, and self-actualization, and to connect with one another in community. An active professional dancer, you can often find her in a studio or outside on the grass somewhere playing around with new ways to move and tell stories through the body. She is incredibly grateful for those who have come before her and especially for the opportunity to teach, guide and walk alongside students on their journeys.
Yoga Instructor
Griffen Saul
Griffen (he/him) is a devoted practitioner and teacher of yoga. He completed his 200 hour YTT with Flow Yoga in Washington, D.C. with the support of numerous respected teachers from diverse lineages. He is deeply passionate about holding space to foster individual and community healing, as well as cultivate strength and power in the mind, body, and soul. In Griffen's class, you can expect to practice various pranayama techniques to connect with your breath, explore playful movement. and move towards developing a more loving, compassionate relationship with yourself. Off the mat, you can find Griffen rock climbing, hiking, or gardening.
Yoga Instructor
Natalia Jauregui
Natalia's teaching mission is to help students feel empowered and to make yoga accessible to students from all backgrounds and experiences. She began her yoga journey after 16 years of classical ballet training. During college, she found that yoga supported her transition out of ballet and helped her maintain a strong mind-body connection. She completed my RYT-200 in 2021 with Corepower Yoga. Her classes are a dynamic flow that focuses on syncing breath to movement.
Yoga Instructor
Rachel Stempler
Rachel has been practicing yoga for 10 years (in this lifetime at least) as of fall 2023 and has been teaching yoga since 2016. While some might say yoga runs in Rachel’s blood due to her great-uncle Ram Dass, Rachel has been drawn to the connection between mind, body, soul, and movement at the core of yoga. Her classes are inspired by yogic philosophies, Ayurvedic teachings, and her love of her growing yogi communities. Get ready to have fun, sweat, and connect to your inner wisdom during Rachel’s classes!