Our Team

Sam's first love was dance and it put her on the path of body awareness, music therapy, and the practice of embodiment. She took those things and poured them into her own studio, YoBa Studio. She set out to build more than just studio but a brand that can continue to grow. Sam is here to help share this practice that is rooted in the practice of listening to your body. Sam is passionate about using the body as a gateway to process emotions and listen to your heart. And she believes that movement is a powerful tool for listening. Sam earned her E-RYT-200 in 2016 and is blessed to have the opportunity to help share her passion, love, and healing through YoBa Studio in the Raleigh, NC, and surrounding areas. 

Get to know Sam:

Music plays this role in my life:

Music is healing. Music is universal. Music can pull us out of a depressed state while bringing us to tears. It's a way to communicate. Feeling the rhythm and beat in your body, both start to work towards your soul.

Breakfast, Lunch, or Dinner?

BRUNCH all day every day. I love a good hash and waffle, but will never turn down a biscuit.

My teaching style is:

Heartfelt, passionate, energizing, strengthening, while learning to welcome and appreciate stillness and quietude.

The most fulfilling part of teaching a class:

Being able to share my real heart and soul with our community. Being venerable enough to show up raw and honest with all of our students. Giving myself permission to show up as I am hoping that will inspire others around me to do the same. It in some ways forces me to take care of myself the best I know how, it keeps me in check with my heart, spirit, and soul daily. Many days I myself want to run from my mat or practice but at the end of the day, I’m grateful to be able to do this for myself and other people.

From the warm, personalized welcome to their kickass taste in music, the YoBa community was instantly one Hannah felt connected to & knew she had to be apart of! As Studio Manager, she’s on a mission to continue building the YoBa community & help everyone feel at home. She discovered yoga over 10 years ago as a much-needed stress reliever, but soon found it was her answer to so much more! After receiving her RYT-200 certification in 2016 at Charleston Power Yoga, she’s been spreading her love for the practice ever since. Her classes are a space to release tension, move through emotions, and grow closer to your intuition. She focuses on intentional movement, breath, music to help you get out of your head and into your body, and believes that movement should leave you feeling both free & strong!

Get to know Hannah:

My teaching style is:

Spacious and grounded.

Go to artist for a class playlist:

Can’t go wrong with Maggie Rogers!

My enneagram is:

Type 9, The Peacemaker: All-embracing, Receptive, Reassuring.

The most fulfilling part of teaching a class:

Seeing everyone take what they need in their own bodies!

Nicola is originally from Falmouth, Massachusetts. She grew up dancing and was in her first ballet class at age 3. She had an instant love for dance and spent many years in the studio taking ballet, pointe, and modern dance classes. In high school, Nicola taught ballet classes at her local studio and at an after school program at an elementary school. Nicola's love for dance continued at East Carolina University as a dance major where she took technique classes, choreographed, and performed. Nicola graduated from East Carolina University in 2015 with a Bachelor in Fine Arts in Dance Performance and a Bachelor of Science in Elementary Education. When Nicola moved to Raleigh, she began teaching kindergarten in Apex and loves the excitement and energy her students bring to the classroom! Nicola is excited to be a part of the YoBa Studio family and share her love for Barre!

Get to know Nicola:

The most fulfilling part of teaching a class:

The connections with clients! I love having new clients fall in love with barre and existing clients return for something they whole heartily enjoy.

My enneagram is:

Type 1, The Reformer: Principled, Purposeful, Self-Controlled.

Mantra:

Stay present in each moment.

What has YoBa Studio meant to you?

It is my second home and my family by choice.

Get to know Barbara:

I am originally from Raleigh, NC. I grew up figure skating and believe this background is part of what has drawn me in to yoga. It is another modality of movement where alignment and safety is just as important as freedom and expression. I completed the RYT-200 program at YoBa in 2020 with Sam Williams and felt compelled to stay a part of this community.

Professionally, I work as a registered dietitian and diabetes educator. I love empowering clients to be able to improve their health through fueling their bodies and learning to trust their instincts.

Outside of YoBa I enjoy spending time with my family and friends. Fall is my absolute favorite season of the year for the cooler days, colorful leaves and football games!

Favorite Classes at YoBa:

Flow 45: I love that a yoga class always gives you what you need; space for movement and space for emotional release. It always amazes me that 45 minutes can literally transform my day.
Barre 45: I started doing Barre 45 as an additional low-impact movement modality with pregnancy. The low impact and focus on core strength feels empowering. I also am a fan of any type of movement that doesn't require shoes!

By day I am also: 

Registered Dietitian

What has YoBa Studio meant to you?

YoBa is a space where I can both be myself and work on myself. 

My Ideal Movement Schedule:

Walk the dog daily plus three classes at YoBa per week; two yoga and one barre or vice versa. I do also spend time at home practicing yoga as I prepare to teach each week. 

Stacy grew up in Pittsburgh, PA and attended the University of Pittsburgh to study Public Relations and Political Science. It wasn’t until a marketing job brought her to the Raleigh area that she discovered hot yoga and a dedicated practice was born. It was love at first Asana, so to speak. She fell in love with the way the practice made her feel, the way it allowed her to get out of her head, and the way it forced her to stop saying “I can’t.” Eventually, Stacy realized that sharing yoga with others brought her more joy than she knew possible and an RYT-200 certification soon followed. She currently works as a yoga therapist for a network of eating disorder hospitals and strives to create a space where everyone feels safe & comfortable to be themselves. It was that exact outlook that resonated so strongly when Stacy discovered YoBa. It is truly a space where everyone is invited in exactly as they are. No judgments.

Get to know Stacy:

What has YoBa Studio meant to you?

A group of the most supportive individuals I’ve ever met, always cheering each other on & learning both from and with each other.

Music plays this role in my life:

Music is truly a universal language and has the power to connect everything & everyone.

By day (or night) I’m also a:

Yoga Therapist for a network of eating disorder hospitals.

Breakfast, Lunch, or Dinner?

Breakfast. Give me all the bacon & eggs you have.

Get to know Teresa:

Teresa's fitness journey began with her love of running the beach boardwalks in southern California; craving the chance to disconnect through movement, and loving the push to go farther through beat driven music. Seeking a way to cross train that was lower impact but still energetic and fun, she started incorporating barre into her regime at her studio in San Diego. When she moved to Raleigh in Summer 2019, she was delighted to find YoBa right in her neighborhood, and quickly fell in love with the mission and community feel. She completed her barre apprenticeship at YoBa in Spring 2021, and is excited to meet you at the barre! When not teaching or taking class, you can find her working her nonprofit project management job, enjoying a patio drink with her husband or friends, and playing with her sweet Cavapoo, Henry.

Favorite Quote:

"I put my talent into my work, but my genius into my life." -Oscar Wilde

My Enneagram is: 

A tie between type 7 (Enthusiast) and type 2 (Giver), but I personally identify most with 7. 

My Favorite class at YoBa: 

When I'm not teaching Barre... Signature because it brings the fire! 

What has YoBa Studio meant to you?

It was the first community I felt truly part of when I moved to Raleigh in 2019, and has only grown to mean even more since! 

Erin found YoBa Studio shortly after they opened their doors in the Spring of 2016. She was immediately drawn to both the mental and physical side of yoga. With four kids at home, Erin is a mother first above all else, but as she was preparing to send her youngest off to kindergarten she knew she wanted to explore yoga further. Erin joined the YTT program at YoBa Studio in early 2018 and a new journey began for her. She wants people to know that no matter where they are in life, there is space for them to grown, learn, and try new things. Erin truly believes that everyone has a story to share and a journey of growth in front of them, and she brings this to every class she teaches. She loves that yoga is truly for everyone, its does not discriminate age, race, gender, or physical ability. Through being both a student and an instructor, Erin has found that YoBa Studio is a safe place for herself and so many others. She truly feels like no matter where you are in your life, yoga is beneficial and she can't wait to share this with you in her classes!

Get to know Erin:

Podcast I’m currently listening to:

Dateline. I love a good murder mystery!

Music plays this role in my life:

Energize, release emotion, embody the way I’m feeling.

By day (or night) I’m also a:

Full-time mom of 4 amazing kiddos and I also ride horses on the regular.

What has YoBa Studio meant to you?

Yoba Studio has changed my life. It has helped me build a foundation for growth and resilience. It has brought me to life!

Mariah is originally from Michigan! She spent all of her childhood with a ball, bat or glove in her hand as sports and movement were a vital part of her life. She attended a small liberal arts college in Michigan, Adrian College, where she studied Accounting and Economics. The vastly changing workforce brought her to Raleigh after college where she quickly discovered YoBa Studio. After taking a few classes at the Lot, she was hooked on all YoBa had to offer and joined the team as a front desk ambassador soon after. Mariah now wears many hats working as part of our front desk team, serving as our client concierge as well as being enrolled in our RYT-200 program. Once finished with Yoga Teacher Training, Mariah hopes to deepen her practice and explore more of the various classes and teaching modalities YoBa has to offer.

Get to know Mariah:

The most fulfilling part about working at YoBa: :

I love being able to truly change people day in and day out. YoBa is a place that changes every person that walks through its doors. Likewise, also seeing that growth in person is phenomenal.

Music plays this role in my life:

Music is feeling. There is always a song to accompany whatever mood you are feeling. Whether that be happy or sad or lonely or you just need to jump around and scream a 200’s throwback, there’s a song for you! People connect over music.

Podcast I'm currently listening to:

Crime Junkies Podcast

What has YoBa Studio meant to you?

YoBa has become a safe haven. It started as a workout to make new friends and quickly became a place I wanted to always be at with my coworkers that turned into family. It is a place I crave and miss when I’m not there.

Nikki, a Raleigh native, spent much of her childhood on the soccer field and cheerleading for both school and competitive teams. After graduating from Florida State University, she moved to Los Angeles, CA and fell in love with the city, the people, and the culture before locating back to Raleigh. Although she discovered yoga in 2013, Nikki became more serious about her practice after becoming a YoBa Studio member in February 2019. She studied under Sam Williams and was RYT-200 certified through YoBa Studio’s YTT program in 2019. Her favorite part of becoming a teacher was learning how serving the community is such an important aspect of this position. She loves combining her eclectic music taste along with purposeful movement to her flows and she is excited to experience the practice with you.

Get to know Nikki:

You can find my own mat rolled out at this class:

YoBa. I love the mix of barre movements and a mindful practice together. The best kind of combo!

Music plays this role in my life:

Music inspires my life every day and I believe it is a form of communication. You can express your feelings with the press of a play button, without having to say a word. I love that music is such a big part of how we practice at YoBa.

Breakfast, Lunch, or Dinner:

Breakfast! All the savory dishes and LOTS of coffee, please!

What has YoBa Studio meant to you?

I started off at YoBa as a client, where the studio was my place of reprieve and decompression from my busy day. For me, YoBa always meant a place of support and an opportunity to lose myself in movement and music. I crave the heat and crave the classes - even as a team member!