Stephanie Katherine
Studio Owner • Bikram Yoga Teacher
Yoga found Stephanie in 1998 when she took her first Bikram yoga class in Ft. Lauderdale, Florida. She hadn’t really worked out in about 8 years and was eager to get back into shape. She had always been in good health thanks to dance and running throughout her life but she had given it all up at 18 because quite frankly, she needed a break. Well her break was over and that was evident during her first Bikram yoga class. She remembers her heart was racing, she was sweating profusely and she was working harder then she had in a very long time. Stephanie knew this was exactly what she needed. After class she was trying to decide how often she should be coming to class and the instructor told her, “Well, you can do whatever you want, but if you don’t feel like doing anything else, this class is all you’ll need. Just do it 5 days a week for 2 months and you will change your life”. And that, is exactly what she did.
20 years later, Stephanie is running her 2nd yoga studio, she is in the best shape mentally, physically, and spiritually that she’s ever been in, and she loves the lifestyle that yoga has provided her.
Marcia McGonagle
Bikram Yoga Teacher
Marcia found Bikram yoga in 2007 after a friend recommended that she give it a try. At the time she was dealing with an ankle injury that was preventing her from doing the things that she loved most. After that first yoga class, she was undecided as to whether or not she “liked this type of yoga.” It was hot. It was long. It wasn’t easy to stay in that room. But her ankle felt better, so she kept coming. Eventually she got back to her active lifestyle and ended up at Bikram’s Teacher Training in the Spring of 2010 in Las Vegas. Marcia has a degree in education, and she had been missing that part of her life. She loves helping people to feel better and maintain their optimal lifestyle outside of the yoga room just as Bikram yoga has done for her. When you are in Marcia’s class, you are guaranteed to feel welcomed, encouraged, and you’re sure to laugh.
When Marcia isn’t at the yoga studio, she’s caring for one daughter in college, one husband who travels quite a lot for his job, and two fur kids who always make her smile.
Pam Hume
Bikram Yoga Teacher
Pam started practicing Bikram Yoga in February 2008. Her daughter, Garland had become a teacher 6 months prior, and she wanted to experience what had dramatically changed Garland’s life. Pam’s biggest fear in growing older is losing the spring in her step. Although she has exercised for most of her adult life, she was apprehensive about hot yoga because she did not like exercising in the heat. She had knee pain, shoulder pain, and says she remembers her balance was, “pitiful”. However, after a few classes, she actually looked forward to the heat that warmed up her muscles and joints. She also loved the aerobic benefits. Although Pam feels like aging is always a struggle, she knows she stands up straighter and her core is stronger. Most importantly, she can play tag with her grandson. Pam retired in 2009 and despite her fear of public speaking, with the encouragement of her daughter and husband, she stepped out of her comfort zone and went to Bikram teacher training in 2011. Pam has been teaching at HYR ever since.
When Pam isn’t teaching, she enjoys spending time with family and swimming.
Shea Mickens
Bikram Yoga Teacher
Shea started practicing Bikram Yoga in 2004 at Hot Yoga Richmond. She attended teacher training in 2012 and has been teaching ever since. Shea is a total believer in “try the right way, don’t give up.'“ Her dedication to the authenticity of Bikram Yoga can be felt in her classes and she also leads by example when on her mat.
Shea loves long walks on the beach, surfing, riding her motorcycle, and has a strong distaste for laziness :-)
Michelle Hylton
Bikram Yoga & Hot Pilates Teacher
A native Richmond resident, Michelle first found herself drawn to yoga in her early 20’s as a way to stay healthy . From there she began exploring different styles of yoga, Yin was one of her favorites. In January 2007, a friend invited her to a Bikram class. As a runner Michelle enjoyed challenging herself and testing her bodies limits. Right away Michelle fell in love with the physical and mental challenges the Bikram practice provided her.
Before going to Bikram's Yoga College of India in the Fall of 2012, Michelle spent 7 years with the YMCA. At the Y she was working as a health and wellness coach, personal trainer, group exercise and Pilates instructor and kids’ coach. Michelle was excited to apply her knowledge of health to teaching Yoga.
When not in the yoga room Michelle can be found spending time with her family, friends and her dogs: Moo, Porter, and Declan. She enjoys playing games, camping , running, biking, dancing, and spending time outside preferably barefoot. She has recently gotten into competing in triathlons, and hopes to run an iron man in the future.
Her goal as a teacher is to guide her students to realize their own potential. Michelle encourages every student to be present in the room, hold still and breath. She loves getting to share a practice that has healed her body and soul. This lifestyle provides more than just physical benefits. Her practice has allowed her to make a mind body connection and to appreciate what she sees in the mirror.
Jenny Harding
Bikram Yoga Teacher
Jenny is a Richmond native, and earned her BFA in Fashion Design at VCU. In 2006 she set out with her future husband for a new life and job in San Diego, California. She was lucky to get a foot in the door fairly quickly at a well-known performance sportswear company. It was fast paced, stressful, and quite often involved international travel all of which cost her many sleepless nights. The long days/weeks of sitting at a desk in a gray cubicle was both mentally and physically taxing. However, she was very active outside of the job and turned to intense workouts to get her mind off the day to day, such as crossfit, kettlebells, road biking, and ran a few half marathons. A co-worker mentioned Bikram Yoga to her, and in 2011 she took her first Bikram class. Afterwards, she recalls sleeping better than she had slept in her entire life. She was hooked from the start! In 2013, she and her husband decided to return home to RVA. Their decision was a few years in the making and would mean leaving her career behind, but she had made up her mind that she wanted to become a Bikram yoga instructor. After teacher training, Jenny dedicated 5-6 days a week to teaching and practicing including during her pregnancy.
These days, when not at the studio, Jenny is taking care of her son, or she’s on a snowboard racing down a snowy mountain slope. And although not as often, she still travels, mainly to ski new mountains, and when possible she’ll find a local Bikram studio for a class. So far she hasn’t found a community quite like what we have in RVA.
Lucy Homiller
Bikram Yoga Teacher
Lucy took her first Bikram yoga class in August 2012 and fell in love with it immediately, After years of intense practice, advanced classes, workshops, retreats, and yoga competitions, Lucy’s practice now focuses on healing the body, recalibrating systems, and rejuvenating the mind. In June 2019, she completed her Bikram yoga training (with Ida Ripley) and teaches both the traditional 90 minute class and the 60 minute Power Hour. She’s had two total hip replacement surgeries since 2019, which gives her a unique teaching perspective for injuries and chronic pain while still able to coach students with deeper postures. A student for life, Lucy still practices every day and believes fully in this yoga.
When she’s not teaching, Lucy is the mother of two teenagers (!) and the wife of an attorney, all of whom are glad she takes yoga. Prior to yoga, Lucy was an attorney and (much longer ago) a professional ballet dancer, runner, and college swimmer.
Tammy Viney
Bikram Yoga Teacher
Tammy fell in love with the 26X2 yoga series many years ago and always thought she would love to be a teacher. She retired from a career in Hotel Management and relocated to Richmond from Orlando in 2019. Her dream of teaching came true when she attended teacher training in Richmond. She feels it is the best retirement job ever! Tammy believes that at HYR we have a great studio and community of students, and loves teaching! Outside her yoga life, Tammy is the mother of two boys, one lives in Savannah and the other in Denver. When not at the studio you find her spending time with my Labrador retriever Ellie.
Megan Nora
Yin Yoga Teacher & Reiki Healer
Megan has transformed her life through her interest in Yoga and wellness and has dedicated her career to helping others do the same. Through her teachings and continued studies in yoga, wellness and Reiki, Megan has crafted her own form of healing and self care that is based on cultivating resiliency and connection. She invites her students to introduce these modalities into their practice in an accessible and relatable way.
