Instructor Biographies

Jessie L. - is from Las Vegas, Nevada. She fell in love with Ann Arbor at a young age when she attended University of Michigan's Debate Camp. Jessie is a graduate of the University of Michigan where she did her Bachelor's in Classical Art and Archaeology and Art History as well as the University of Cambridge where she received her Master's of Philosophy in Archaeology: Heritage and Museum Management. She is proud to own and operate a Yoga studio, where intangible heritage is a part of the daily landscape. She was a competitive dancer in her youth and found yoga after she left the world of dance. Jessie has been dedicated to a daily practice for the past eight years. She has envisaged the concept of aUM Yoga as a studio that she would have frequented during her time as an undergraduate. Jessie is an E-RYT 200, is certified in Aerial Yoga, Pole Dance, Thai, and Sports Massage. This spring she will be traveling to Thailand to obtain her RYT 500 Certification. She has taught over 10,000 hours of yoga in the greater Detroit Area, Las Vegas, New York, London, Beirut, and Zurich. She specializes in Ashtanga, Chair & Geriatric Yoga, Hatha, Vinyasa, Yin, and Specialty Workshops (Arm Balances, Contortions, and Inversions). Jessie has been an ambassador for Lululemon, Lucy, and Lole. Jessie seeks meaningful connections in order to create a strong community both internal and external to the aUM Yoga studio space.

Amanda T. 

E-RYT 200, has been a practitioner of yoga for over twenty years, drawing on various types of yoga such as Ashtanga, Hatha, Prenatal Yoga, Vinyasa, and Yin - depending on mood, ability, and season of life. In 2012, after more than a decade of working in women's health as a Certified Professional Midwife, she decided to pursue her dreams of becoming a yoga instructor. She became an RYT 200 through the non-profit studio, Yoga4Peace in Southgate, MI.  Amanda sees yoga as the holistic practice of reconnecting the body, breath, mind, and emotions in a world that often takes us away from our true selves. She has taken immense pleasure in co-writing and co-teaching the aUM Demystify Yoga 200 Hour Teacher Training program with Jessie Lipkowitz. Life outside the studio includes being a mother to three wonderful children and wife to her best friend!

Amber S.

is a master's student at the University of Michigan. She has been practicing yoga for almost four years and became a certified yoga instructor in the fall of 2017. She feels that yoga has given her an outlet to manage the stresses of everyday life. Beyond this, she firmly believes that her passion for yoga has affected her entire being. Amber strives to show kindness to everyone that she comes into contact with and live a mindful, meaningful, and balanced life.

Brogan D.

is a Michigan native and a former student-athlete. She attended Central Michigan University as a softball player (2008-2013) and went on to earn her Master's of Communication in 2014. Her path led her to teach public speaking at both CMU and EMU, but after years of team sports, weight lifting, and academia, it was time to transition. In 2016, she was trained in alignment-based yoga (RYT 200), where she integrated the idea that we can align physically in order to align mentally, emotionally, and energetically. Brogan believes in a strong foundation of breath and alignment to transcend class type and to sustain a life-long practice. Her class is challenging and supportive with precise cues to guide students to the edge between comfort/discomfort, strength/flexibility, steadiness/ease – the place where growth happens. The yoga practice has offered Brogan direction, so she is honored to hold space for others to explore their own path.

Carson C. 

has always been dedicated to fitness. Growing up he played competitive tennis and loved running. When he went to his first yoga class he was blown away and thought it was the hardest thing he had ever done. He has been back on his mat every day since - growing physically, mentally, and spiritually. Yoga is an amazing gift that he is so happy to have found and he can’t wait to share the gift of yoga with all those he comes in contact with, both on and off the mat. 

Casey D.

Casey's relatable approach to teaching movement and wellness empowers students of all levels to take control of their health by tapping into their own authentic power and strength. As a registered nurse and yoga teacher, his classes are grounded in both modern health sciences and energetics. Casey has trained with several highly regarded teachers in the disciplines of yoga, calisthenics, nursing, and Reiki in order to provide his students with the most holistic and effective experience possible. He believes everyone already holds the keys to their transformation, so his classes focus on creating a fun and welcoming container for students to experience their own amazing ability to reach their goals.  

Gabby N. 

is a pre-med junior at the University of Michigan. She began practicing yoga four years ago and immediately joined Michigan Yoga Club and began attending aUM classes when she arrived on campus. Yoga has brought her an amazing balance between hard work and relaxation both in and outside the studio. She has found such an inspiring, welcoming, and fun loving community at aUM which she hopes to share with all of her students.

Jess S.

is originally from Gaithersburg, Maryland and moved to Ann Arbor to attend school at the University of Michigan in 2013. After graduating, she spent a year in New Orleans working as an adult literacy tutor as a corps member of a Jewish social justice organization. She is ecstatic to be back in Ann Arbor to pursue a Master’s degree at Michigan’s School of Social Work and to work at her all time favorite yoga studio. Jess found aUM as a freshman and instantaneously fell in love with the fun flows and the tight-knit community. Teaching has allowed her to expand her knowledge and deepen her love for the practice and she hopes that her classes can help do the same for others.

Kelsey S.

is a senior attending the University of Michigan. She started doing yoga when she was 16, at this age the concept of yoga and mindfulness was completely mind blowing to her. She has been hooked on yoga ever since. She came to aUM as a freshman and joined Michigan Yoga Club. She began to take yoga more seriously after being welcomed onto the board of MYC. She's excited for the club's future and her goal is to make more students connect and feel that post-yoga glow!

Lil S. 

recently graduated from U of M where she studied Biomedical Engineering. She has been practicing yoga for about three years and received her teaching certificate from aUM in Spring 2017. Connecting the mind, body, and breath in yoga continues to be a challenging, exciting, and rewarding journey for her. She hopes to bring the same physical and mental benefits she gets from yoga to her students.

Mike M. 

is a musician, writer, rec-league hockey player, and graduate of Eastern Michigan University with a Bachelors in Creative Writing. He also currently works as an Editor for a scientific research company in downtown Ann Arbor. Mike began his practice with Matt Hunter of Giant Steps Yoga in 2011 and completed his teacher training here at aUM in 2016. As a teacher and yogi, Mike believes in bringing laughter and playfulness to each practice as well as creating classes that are both physically challenging and emotionally engaging. Through yoga, he strives to help cultivate self-love, mindfulness, and non-attachment. He hopes with each practice to offer gratitude, promote healing, and to celebrate, as Jeff Magnum said, "how strange it is to be anything at all"!

Natalie B.

is a senior at the University of Michigan School of Nursing. As a freshman, she discovered aUM through the Michigan Yoga Club. She immediately fell in love with her yoga practice and was inspired by the energy, creativity, and passion of the aUM Yoga community. After practicing for about two years, she completed her YTT in the Fall of 2017 at aUM. Through her practice, she strives to find the delicate balance of embodying liveliness and enthusiasm while also staying focused and grounded. She hopes to help her students find empowerment, mindfulness, and compassion on and off their mats!