Recreation Instructors

Allison

Allison is known for her authentic, non-judgemental teaching style and compassion-centered philosophy. She uses creative sequencing, a spirit of playfulness, and a dose of inspiration to help you deepen your practice. She seeks to help others thrive in life by nurturing body, mind, & soul with yoga. She believes yoga is about the balance between strength and flexibility, exertion, and releasing. Her classes combine both strength and mobility work in a dynamic, vinyasa flow style. Expect to move, sweat, and breathe.

Amira

Amira is a science teacher and a current Masters of Education student focusing on cultural food systems and urban agriculture in science education. She has been teaching for over 10 years and 5 of those years have included yoga. She takes a holistic approach to yoga that prioritizes accessibility, joy, and care for self and community.

Anna

Anna, a UW undergraduate student, finds joy in swimming, skiing, running, and cycling both indoors and outdoors. As a spin session leader in the Husky Cycling Club, she aims to promote a sense of community through engaging spin sessions. Anna’s coaching experience extends to the swim club, where she imparts her passion for a fun and active lifestyle to young swimmers. Her love for all genres of music permeates her indoor cycling sessions, creating a vibrant and motivating environment. Anna’s goal is to create a friendly and enthusiastic ambiance in order to advocate for the holistic benefits of an active life.

Arianna

Arianna is a UW graduate, and currently works in the environmental field in community engagement, education, and environment justice. She is passionate about building community and meeting people where they are at. Yoga has been an integral practice in Arianna’s life for the last five years, though she has been practicing long before that. She treasures integrating the philosophy of yoga into her life that provides transformational mindfulness, connection, and support. Arianna is honored to be a vinyasa instructor at UW Rec and enjoys creating unique flows that are for students of any level of experience. In her free time, Arianna is likely playing an instrument or singing a song, reading in a café, on a hike, cooking, writing poetry, or off on another adventure.

Avery

Avery is a UW Graduate student studying Library and Information Science. She combines her passion for history and religion with her love for movement-meditation to create accessible, all-level vinyasa classes grounded in empathy, exploration, and knowledge. Her first yoga teacher was her mom, alongside whom she has maintained a dedicated personal practice for over six years. She loves meditating with her cat Ponyo, reading poetry, and spending time in nature.

Dee

Duangjai, or “Dee”, has taken dance fitness classes around the world, and for the past 13 years has been dancing at Community Fitness on Roosevelt in Seattle. With her energy, enthusiasm and knack for picking up choreography, Dee began subbing for various instructors over the years. She has developed her own class formats mixing their signature styles and most popular choreography into one fun, high-energy “Dance Party” class. Dee fosters community wherever she goes and has an infectious personality that will keep you coming back for more!

Devin

Devin is a PhD student at UW and has a passion for group fitness, outdoor and indoor cycling, and distance running. He is excited to combine his love for music and cycling to create a fun, high energy indoor cycling class. He sees music as a source of energy and loves to coordinate workouts to his favorite playlists!

Dio

Dio is currently an undergraduate in Art History at UW. They are part of local Seattle K-pop cover and dance crews, Next Level, and lead KIT$CH CREW. They’ve loved to dance their whole life but began training at age 15, with most of their training being in Hip-hop and other street styles. They love to apply their knowledge and experience of dance to the classroom, help people understand dance, and have fun with it.

Elise

Elise brings her passion for exercise to both the cycle studio and her job at UW Medicine, researching how physical activity can help to reduce pain and improve quality of life for older adults. Outside of cycling, she loves to run and cook for her friends. Elise loves playing a variety of music and always takes requests!

Jesse

Jesse Robbins is the owner and head instructor of Krav Maga Central District. He has trained Krav Maga self-protection and fitness for 15 years and taught for 13 years. He’s also a UW alum (’05 and ’12), Seattle native, and father of two amazing young boys.

The Krav Maga classes offered at the UW IMA will teach you how to handle real-world threats in a supportive, no-pressure environment. Each class blends effective techniques with stress-relieving workouts, so you leave feeling stronger, more confident, and less anxious about personal safety. Even if you’ve never trained before, you’ll find a welcoming community of students learning together at their own pace.

Jillianne

Jillianne is a former 911 responding emergency medical technician, intervention specialist on the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline, and an advocate for victims of sexual assault. She is a software engineer who previously earned bachelor’s degrees in Psychology and Biomedical Science. Jillianne is devoted to the living practice of yoga on and off the mat for its embodied presence, self-discovery, and ethics which benefit self and community. Everyone – all bodies with all experience levels – are welcome to join her Vinyasa sessions and to connect to breath and movement.

JP

I am a recent UW graduate whose passion lies in helping clients achieve the lifestyle they desire, ensuring that age, fitness levels, and injuries do not hinder them from enjoying the activities they love.
I train for lifestyle and longevity, believing that a well-rounded fitness routine is key to a fulfilling and active life. My favorite activities that keep me moving are Judo and Skateboarding, which inspire my dynamic approach to fitness and have given me the understanding of training to take care of your body. In addition to my personal training services, I am also a dedicated class fitness and kickboxing instructor, bringing a diverse set of skills and experiences to my clients.
My goal is to give clients their best lives by integrating comprehensive fitness strategies that promote overall well-being and resilience. Whether you’re looking to overcome physical boundaries improve your fitness level, or simply lead a more active lifestyle, I am here to support and guide you every step of the way!

Julia

Julia is an undergraduate student studying Psychology and Law, Societies and Justice at UW. She is excited to incorporate her love of cycling and music to provide high energy, fun classes that will leave you energized! Her classes are highly adaptable to personal needs and goals and welcome people at any skill level!

Kaiya

Kaiya is an undergraduate student majoring in Education, Communities, and Organizations (ECO)! She was a dancer for 16 years training across many styles but found a love for cycling through her training. Kaiya has been cycling for several years now, and has loved bringing her love for music and dance into the world of cycling.
She also enjoys the outdoors, going on hikes, running, and is super excited to teach fun upbeat cycle classes! Kaiya absolutely loves a new adventure and encourages you to join her in class if you’re wanting something new to spice up life!

Kiera

Kiera is a dedicated Barre instructor with a passion for movement and fitness. She has been sharing her expertise in Barre since 2018 and draws from her strong dance background in ballet, tap, and jazz. Kiera is a proud alum of the University of Washington and is excited to return to her alma mater. With a relaxed and approachable teaching style, Kiera creates a fun and supportive atmosphere in her classes that encourages participants to enjoy their workout. Her classes are designed to challenge you while also ensuring you have a great time!

Kira

Kira Miller is a first year masters student completing a masters of forest resource management. She is a former wildland firefighter that fosters her practice from a place of restoration and mindfulness. Kira has guided yoga programs with many first responders and is delighted to be bringing her experience and skills to UW. The goal of her classes is to make even beginners feel comfortable in joining the practice.

Lexi

Lexi is excited to begin her career as a group fitness instructor with her first year teaching at the IMA. A sophomore studying Civil Engineering at UW, she is eager to share her love of pilates and core strength with fellow students and staff. Her passion for exercise has also led her to discover new hobbies, including field hockey and salsa dancing. She encourages people of all fitness backgrounds to use group fitness as a way to explore and push themselves in new ways.

Lydia

Hello! My name is Lydia Bender. I’m originally from the small town of Morrison, Illinois. I’m excited to begin my first year coaching here at the University of Washington. My journey into group fitness began a couple of years ago, sparked by a lifelong passion for dance and teaching it. That passion quickly grew into a love for guiding others in their fitness journeys. Earlier this year, I made the big move from Phoenix, Arizona, to Seattle, bringing along my tabby cat, Buddy. I’m thrilled to bring my experience and enthusiasm to the Pacific Northwest and can’t wait to make a positive impact on the community here.

Marilyn

Marilyn is a UW undergraduate student studying Biochemistry and Spanish on the pre-med track. She is passionate about integrative medicine and believes in the power of movement as a lifelong practice. Drawing from her love of water and swimming, she leads accessible, all-level water aerobics classes that focus on joyful, sustainable movement. She has experienced the value of low-impact movement in her own life and finds inspiration in seeing others heal and rebuild confidence through water-based exercise.

Megan

Megan is a dental student with a passion for creating playlists and participating in group fitness, especially cycle! When she is not cycling at the gym, she is cruising around town. Check out her class if you want a fun ride with great music!

Natasha

Natasha is a UW undergraduate studying Dance and ASL. She has been dancing for sixteen years and hopes to share her enthusiasm! Her class is all about high energy cardio, dance choreography, and most importantly, having fun. Whether you’re a beginner or advanced dancer, you are welcome in this class. Come join Natasha’s fitness dance and enjoy a positive study break with upbeat music!

Neha

Neha is a third-year undergraduate student studying Computer Science and Math. She has been practicing yoga from a very young age and loves spreading her passion for Yoga. Neha’s goal is to create a safe, inclusive space for everyone to do their practice while focusing on the mind, body, and muscle connection in yoga.

Polina

Polina is working on her Master of Public Health in the Community Oriented Public Health Practice at UW. She previously earned her Social Work Master’s (MSW). Polina has been practicing yoga for over a decade and loves introducing people to the practice for the benefit of mindfulness, mind-body connection, and an occasional good sweat if that is what the body desires. Polina’s classes focus on finding a meditative mind-body state through vinyasa flows that utilize Ashtanga and Iyengar styles of yoga. She believes that yoga is accessible to everyone and builds her classes to be inclusive.

Qi

Qi is a grad student in the Master of Science in Information Management program. She started her yoga journey seven years ago and has always believed yoga is more than pretty shapes and physical workouts. Her goal is to increase body awareness and sharpen concentration. Qi’s classes combine sweaty vinyasa flows with soothing restorative poses to create balance, space, and connections among body, mind, and everyday life.

Simone

Simone earned a double Bachelor of Arts degree in drama and dance from the University of Washington, and a M.S. in Communications and Business from Ithaca College and Cornell University. Her background includes being a member of a ballet company in New York, working as an actress in Los Angeles, New York, and Washington in television, film, commercial, print and stage, TV/Film production and casting, voiceover narration for Amazon/audible, and a yoga teacher certification from the University of Washington. Yoga brings everything beautifully together and Simone feels deep gratitude for the privilege to continue to grow and share while teaching and practicing alongside others.

Sofia P.

Sofia is an undergraduate student studying Communications and Business and certified yoga instructor. She began her yoga practice when she was young, and loves to share her passion for yoga with her community. Her classes center around the idea of mind-body connection that yoga provides, as well as working to build both inner and outer strength through movement. Her classes are accessible and open to any levels, and include heat-building vinyasa work as well as exploration of different yoga asanas.

Sofia V.

Sofia is a UW undergraduate student pursuing a double major in Psychology and Law, Societies, and Justice. She has been practicing yoga for over three years now, and loves sharing her practice with members of the community. Her class focuses on strengthening the mind-body connection through energetic, grounding, and powerful flows.

Sydney

Hi everyone! I am a Global & Regional Studies. major with a passion for travel. I grew up ballroom dancing, which is where I learned to enjoy fitness and moving my body. I bring fun, positive energy and love to help people realize their strengths. I look forward to seeing you in my spin classes!

Vivian

I am an engineering major with a passion for dance and music. I have been training to dance in a variety of styles for about 15 years, so dance has become a huge part of me. Aside from dancing, I also spend my time hiking and exploring outdoors, especially when I am travelling, reading, and singing. My classes are open to anyone, any level and will be inclusive, safe spaces to express yourself through movement. Between the movement, hard work, music, and community that come with dance, I have absolutely fallen in love with it and I cannot wait to share it with all of you!

Yeonshin

Yeonshin is an MFA Acting student at UW. With over a decade of experience, she specializes in K-pop and Hip Hop styles. For Yeonshin, dance is a medium for exploring diverse personas and finding liberation. Since 2019, she has shared her passion for K-pop through teaching, aiming to make dance accessible and enjoyable for everyone. She is so excited to groove and have fun together!

Zachariah

Zachariah Fincher is a certified yoga instructor and second-year medical student at the University of Washington School of Medicine. He started teaching vinyasa yoga at the IMA after completing the 200-hour UW Yoga Teacher Training program. His classes focus on dynamic movement and working with large muscle groups to build strength and body awareness. Zachariah loves learning about the body through my his medical studies and enjoys bringing that knowledge into his teachings to create a practice that’s both grounded and accessible.