YOUR INSTRUCTORS:

CLARISSA BOGGESS (she/her): Owner/Instructor, 
​ERYT500, RCYT, YACEP, HMACM, Reiki 
​Clarissa has been a student of the practice since the mid-90's and brings over 16 years of teaching experience to her classes. Teaching from a place of reverence, curiosity, fun, and spontaneity, her teaching is most often unscripted offering unique sequences inspired by the energy of the moment. Clarissa is known for her ability to cultivate community and teach to all levels of yoga experience. Through scientifically sound and spiritually grounded yoga practices, it is her intention to provide an inclusive, affirming class experience where students feel welcome and empowered.
Clarissa is registered with Yoga Alliance and, along with specialized training in various aspects and styles of yoga and beneficial movement modalities, Clarissa holds the following certifications: ERYT200 (2008 - Yoga Bliss Studio), ERYT500 (2016 - Rolf Gates 300hr. Advanced Vinyasa Teacher Training),  Restorative Yoga (2013 - Skyla Rameriz), Hanna Somatics (2018 - Akasha Ellis), Yoga for All (2018 - Dianne Bondy), Accessible Yoga (2020 - Jivana Heyman/Amber Karnes), RCYT: Yoga for Children and Teens with a Trauma-Informed Focus (2021 - YogaEd.). 
Additionally, Clarissa has an extensive knowledge of medicinal plants, currently apprenticing through Rosemary Gladstar’s Science and Art of Herbalism community herbalist course. She has been attuned to Reiki since 2008, and has an in-depth understanding of the use of crystals for enhancing work with the human bio field (subtle body), earning the designation of Certified Crystal Practitioner from the Hibiscus Moon Crystal Academy, in 2016 and Advanced Crystal Master in 2021. 
Clarissa is a fierce and tireless child advocate within Tuscaloosa City Schools and serves the LGBTQ+ community as a founding member of PFLAG Tuscaloosa. Clarissa is available for private sessions, workshops, speaking engagements, and events.  To consult with Clarissa for your event or speaking engagement, please email your request to: [email protected].

LYNDA KEES (she/her): 
​LMT, ERYT500, Reiki Master Teacher 
Lynda is a pioneer in the Tuscaloosa area having opened the first yoga studio in Tuscaloosa more than 20 years ago. We are honored that she brings her years of teaching experience and extensive knowledge of functional movement, principles of alignment, and understanding of yogic philosophy to our PLYW family. Practicing massage therapy in Tuscaloosa since 1997, Lynda Kees Massage Therapy shares a home with us inside the PLYW space. For more information or to schedule body work with Lynda, please contact her directly here: https://lyndakees.com

REBECCA BROOKS (she/her): Tai Chi/Qigong
Becca grew up in East Tennessee on the edge of the Smoky Mountains. The meditative effect of the mountains and respect for nature and the environment were engrained at an early age. She moved her family to Tuscaloosa to take a position as an audiologist in the Department of Communicative Disorders at the University of Alabama. She began practicing Tai Chi and Qigong in 2015 receiving training through the Tai Chi for Health Institute. Since spending her professional career teaching and training students, extending her practice to teach Tai Chi and Qigong was second nature. Her goal is to increase awareness of Tai Chi and Qigong in the Tuscaloosa community. 
"​In 2015, at the advice of a friend, I began to investigate Tai Chi practice. Health and wellness benefits were well established and documented, which appealed to me due to chronic back pain. The real draw for me however was the idea of a practice based on continuous movement. I am by nature restless and both like and need to move. Through the course of Tai Chi practice, I have come to understand, embrace, and appreciate the concept of movement in stillness. I will take this practice with me wherever I go for the rest of my life."

Steph (she/they): RYT200
Steph has been a practicing yogi for over 20 years. She attended her first intensive meditation retreat in 2009, where she fell in love with the yoga community and quiet contemplation. She
became more serious about her yin practice in 2017 when her chronic illness became tougher to manage. In 2019, she earned her 200 hour Yoga Teacher Training certification with HereNowYoga in Birmingham, Alabama. Yoga has been a transformative experience for Steph and an integral element of her chronic pain management. She is passionate about bringing peace and comfort to others through gentle movement and breath work, and firmly believes that every body can benefit from a sustainable, accessible yoga practice.
Steph holds a PhD in English from the University of Louisiana at Lafayette, an MFA in creative writing from Bowling Green State University, and a BA in English from Western Michigan University. She has been teaching creative writing, literature, and composition classes at various colleges and universities since 2008, and currently serves as an English instructor at the
University of Alabama. She is working toward an MLIS in library and information science and an MFA in book arts from the University of Alabama.