SOMATIC YOGA TEACHER, BREATHWORK FACILITATOR & AYURVEDA HEALTH COUNSELOR

Founder of the Sacred Movement Academy and former director at Stanton Street Yoga NYC, Iraimer (Ira) is a 500 E-RYT dance-movement artist, certified trauma-informed holistic coach, and a certified facilitator of Integrative Somatic Trauma Treatment using the modalities of Yoga, Ayurveda and Transformational Sacred Breathwork.

As a Latina woman-of-color raised in marginalized and oppressed communities, her greatest mission is to create safe and inclusive wellness spaces that offer equitable holistic self-integrative tools for all individuals seeking to approach their healing process in a supportive, loving and welcoming environment.

I​raimer's journey into the realm of well-being commenced with a profound understanding that genuine vitality encompasses a harmonious balance between body, mind, heart and spirit.

As a ​devoted practitioner of ​Yoga​ and Ayurveda, I​raimer has found solace and empowerment in these ancient practices, discovering the transformative power of mindfulness and embodied conscious ​living and how it nurtures inner peace and vitality.

Enthusiastic about Somatic healing, ​Iraimer emphasizes the importance of listening to the body's wisdom to unlock its innate capacity for self-healing.

SOMATIC YOGA TEACHER, PELVIC HEALTH SPECIALIST & AYURVEDA EDUCATOR

Chelsea (she/her) believes that creating a safe and sustainable yoga practice through alignment for your unique body can encourage a much deeper mind-body connection. By focusing on mobility, (rather than solely on flexibility) alongside the breath, we can become aware of what’s really going on inside-- we can gather data about and become more connected to the ‘self’ - body, mind, and spirit.

Chelsea adheres to the words by yin yoga teacher Bernie Clark, “we use the pose to get into the body, not the body to get into the pose.”

She has trained in vinyasa yoga, pre and postnatal yoga, pelvic health yoga, as well as trauma informed children’s and teen’s yoga. Understanding anatomy and how it relates to the unique individual and their practice is a passion of Chelsea’s.

She strives to guide people of all ages and stages of life in making the practice of yoga their own in a way that feels safe and supportive for them.

SOUND-MEDITATION FACILITATOR, RESTORATIVE & YIN YOGA TEACHER

Emilie is a 500-RYT and Childbirth Educator based in Brooklyn, NY and trained under The Bhakti Center in New York City. For Emilie yoga is a lifestyle and a constant practice, it's reach goes far beyond the mat. She believes in a holistic and integrative approach to wellness, healing and presence as well as a deep connection to Self and intuition. Her soul is fed by the endless gifts of Mother Nature and connecting with others. The environment she creates is warm, nurturing, supportive and inclusive.

She has a foundation in Ayurveda, Meditation, Restorative Yoga, Prenatal Yoga and Marma therapy, an Ayurvedic bodywork technique, that accesses energy centers and pressure points on the body to promote healing and vitality.

She is a Sound meditation facilitator, encouraging mindful listening while playing overtone emitting instruments that produce frequencies that stimulate brain waves, calm the nervous system and expand consciousness.

She is grateful for the teachings of yoga, its lineage, and grateful for the many teachers she has learned from on this path.

SOMATIC BREATHWORK FACILITATOR, MENTOR & FOUNDER OF SACRED BREATH WISDOM

Margaryta (Rita) Andryushchenko is a Ukrainian-born, multilingual facilitator, teacher, and mentor whose work centers on the relationship between breath, body, truth, and human connection. After a decade in federal public service and leadership, alongside seasons of burnout, reinvention, and caregiving, she followed a deeper calling to create spaces where people can reconnect with their true selves.

Rita is the founder of Sacred Breath Wisdom and a trauma-informed somatic breathwork facilitator, yoga teacher, Somatic Stress Release Practitioner in training, and certified Circle Keeper. She holds a master's degree in executive leadership and brings a lifelong commitment to language, self inquiry, and relational awareness to her work. Her approach is grounded, discerning, and compassionate. 

A 2022 graduate of The Sacred Movement Academy's 21-day 200hr YTT Puerto Rico immersion and Breathwork Facilitator Training, Rita now serves as a trainer and mentor within TSMA. She does not position herself as anyone's healer. Instead, she supports people in tuning closer to listening to the wisdom of their bodies, exploring breath and movement as powerful tools for self-healing, and engaging in community with greater agency, honesty, and devotion. 

Rita currently offers somatic Prema Breathwork sessions for groups and individuals in the Sacramento, CA area, as well as online. Through each themed session, she invites people to get present with what is, allow themselves to feel fully, breathe deeply, and remember the bottomless well of incredible wisdom already available from within.

TRAUMA-INFORMED YOGA & PRANAYAMA TEACHER

Eric Avilés (he|his) is a recently certified 200HR yoga instructor in New York City. He is a 3rd generation Puerto Rican who grew up in the vibrant Puerto Rican community of Humboldt Park in Chicago.

With a background in theater and video production, Eric is a passionate artist who has spent over twenty years using art to raise consciousness on social justice, race, and class issues, particularly within the black and brown working-class communities. Throughout his artistic journey, Eric recognized the importance of incorporating spirituality into his work. Eric embarked on the path to becoming a certified yoga instructor.

He completed the rigorous 200HR training program with The Sacred Movement Academy in 2022, deepening his knowledge of yoga. Having dedicated his life's work to communities of color, particularly the working class and poor, Eric understands the importance of addressing past traumas and empowering individuals through yoga and art. As a certified instructor, he aims to bring the benefits of yoga to these communities, providing them with the necessary skills and tools for personal growth, physical well-being, and spiritual development. As a passionate artist and dedicated yoga instructor, Eric is committed to positively impacting his own life and the lives of others through the transformative power of yoga.

TRAUMA-INFORMED YOGA TEACHER & WELLNESS EDUCATOR

Samantha believes that sometimes the most powerful thing we can do is pause long enough to listen to ourselves.

Her relationship with yoga has become a practice of noticing — paying attention to the body, making space for what is present, and exploring what it means to care for ourselves in a more intentional way. As a trauma-informed yoga practitioner, Yin Yoga teacher, and wellness educator, she is passionate about creating spaces where people feel supported, grounded, and free to meet themselves where they are.

Her teaching is informed by her 200-hour training with The Sacred Movement Academy, continued study in Yin Yoga, and a Short Course in Mindful Self-Compassion. These experiences have deepened her interest in the ways yoga, mindfulness, and self-compassion can support our overall well-being.

Samantha brings an inviting and reflective approach to her classes. She encourages students To practice with curiosity rather than judgment and to trust that their practice can look different from one day to the next.

At the center of Samantha’s work is self-compassion: the belief that we can grow without constantly pushing, rest without guilt, and begin again without judgment. Her hope is to create spaces where people can cultivate a kinder relationship with themselves, one practice at a time.

AYURVEDA EDUCATOR, CHEF & MARMA THERAPIST

Born and raised in New York City, Kaleigh is an Ayurvedic Practitioner specializing in the ancient techniques of Ayurvedic Bodywork, Marma Therapy along with Abhyanga, Ayurvedic Postpartum Doula Care and Ayurvedic food preparation.

As a Marma Therapist, 200hr Yoga Certified teacher within the Bhakti Yoga Lineage, Certified Postpartum Doula Care Specialist, Kaleigh's path has been illuminated by her own experiences of resilience and transformation.

Born with Hip Dysplasia, Kaleigh intimately understands the journey of navigating physical and emotional discomfort, pain and ultimately dis-ease, undergoing multiple reconstructive hip surgeries and ultimately a hip replacement. Yet, within these challenges, she discovered the radiant potential of healing through the practices of Yoga, Ayurveda, Marma and Mother Earth. These ancient modalities became her guiding light, leading her on a profound journey of deep healing and cultivating nourishment within her mind and body.

Driven by her own experiences, Kaleigh's heart brims with a passionate desire to share these healing modalities with others, serving as a compassionate guide on their personal healing journeys. With a deep understanding and knowing of what living in dis-ease feels like whilst being blessed with the humbling experience of transmuting dis-ease she humbly extends her hand to offer support and companionship along the path to wellness and nourishment. 

LICENSED MENTAL HEALTH COUNSELOR, BREATHWORK FACILITATOR, TRAUMA-INFORMED YOGA TEACHER

Ruby is a licensed Mental Health Counselor, Breathwork facilitator and trauma-informed yoga teacher, originally from Nottingham, England, she has now lived in NYC for the past ten years. She gained her Masters in Mental Health Counseling in 2020 and from there completed her 200 hour trauma-informed YTT and Breathwork Facilitator certification under Sacred Movement Academy in 2021.

Learning from her teacher Iraimer Ruiz and the community of teachers and students at The Sacred Movement Academy changed her life. The experience opened her heart and soul to the sacred path of Bhakti yoga, for this she is eternally grateful!

Yoga has allowed Ruby to learn how to befriend her nervous system and build a toolbox that supports her through life’s ups and downs- she now feels deeply passionate about sharing what she has learned and supporting others along their journey. Ruby’s foundations lie in somatic psychology, nervous system regulation and self compassion. Her mission is to create spaces where people feel welcomed exactly as they are and feel supported in finding their own unique route to embodied safety and a connection to their inner peace.

TRAUMA-INFORMED YOGA & PRANAYAMA TEACHER

Native Puerto Rican, based in California, Wilmarí is a forward-thinking individual who cherishes envisioning the future, drawing wisdom from the past, and embracing the present moment.

She believes deeply in the transformative power of community and self-care, advocating for both personal and collective wellbeing.

With over 800 hours of education in philosophy, anatomy, breathwork, and movement, Wilmarí offers an inclusive and revitalizing yoga experience.

Her teaching style is inspired by the principles of Hatha, Vinyasa and Yin Yogha, infused with creative sequencing, harmonious soundscapes, restorative practices, and the profound power of Breath-regulation (pranayama).

Join her on a journey of exploration and rejuvenation, where each session is an invitation to deepen your connection with yourself and the world around you.

YOGA THERAPEUTICS & MEDITATION TEACHER, PRENATAL & POSTNATAL SPECIALIST

Alexis is a native New Yorker, who first became acquainted with yoga in 2011, shortly after the loss of her mother and grandmother and then just newly graduated from Hunter College. At first, only looking for a physical outlet, but immediately felt a deeper connection mind, body and spirit, finding a healthy way to cope with grief, trauma and all of lifes struggles. Ashtanga was originally her physical moving form of meditation and later down the line Bhakti yoga cracked her heart open. Attracted to the ongoing ‘magic’ of yoga for years she received her 200 hour RYT certification through the Bhakti Center & Stanton Street Yoga in 2017. Since then continuing her yoga education, receiving qualifications for Yoga Nidra and various types of Meditation under the tutelage of master teacher Yogi Charu.

Alexis also holds certifications in yoga therapeutics, concentrating on making yoga accessible to all bodies, and a true love for introducing the practice. During pregnancy in 2020, she dove into an empowering prenatal teacher training, becoming certified in pre/ postnatal yoga.

She passionately enjoys sharing the endless benefits of yoga, connecting to the Divinity within all beings, while focusing on alignment, breath, building strength internally and externally, and awareness of the present. Her love of people carries over to her 20+ years in hospitality, currently finding a life of balance as a ‘nightlife yogi’, mother, and eternal student. She has immense gratitude to all of her teachers through lineages and the ancient roots of these life-changing practices.

SOUND MEDITATION FACILITATOR, TRAUMA-INFORMED YOGA & PRANAYAMA TEACHER

Sasa, is a BIPOC Latina woman born and raised in Harlem, New York City. Her 200-hour yoga teacher training certificate from the Sacred Movement Academy, solidified her passion for yoga.

After being diagnosed with lupus, Sasa discovered the transformative power of bio frequency and sound healing, which she now incorporates into her practice to promote balancing harmony within her body. As a professionally trained trauma-informed yoga instructor, she creates a safe and inclusive space for individuals to explore their own healing journeys.

With a deep commitment to wellness and social justice, Sasa honors the sacred connection between body, mind, and spirit in her teaching and sound healing practices.

TRAUMA-INFORMED YOGA & MEDITATION TEACHER

Liz is a Puerto Rican yoga teacher from Brooklyn, NY, and is passionate about sharing yoga with all people. She completed her 200-hour Yoga Teacher Training and Trauma-Informed Somatic Wellness training through The Sacred Movement Academy, and is a Yoga Alliance Certified 200HR RYT.

She enjoys mostly teaching Vinyasa and Yin style Yoga, with a focus on bringing awareness to the breath and body in order to create mind-body connecting experiences, calm the mind, and remain present. Her goal as a teacher is to create a space of harmony, acceptance and care, as well as to teach in a way that empowers and gives people options to explore.

Liz started practicing yoga in 2016 as a way to cope with the stress of her role as a middle school teacher, and quickly fell in love with the practice and how it supported her in reconnecting with her body, mind, and spirit.

In addition to her yoga practice, Elizabeth is interested in how yogic philosophy can be applied to the modern western world, as well as the connection between chakra healing and yoga.

Her long-term goal as a yoga practitioner is to further share the practice with all people, and to create spaces that introduce the practice of yoga to people and communities that have traditionally not been the target audience for the practice in western society.

She also enjoys trying new recipes, organizing events, mild/moderate hiking, and participating in new experiences around NYC and beyond.

INTUITIVE VINYASA TEACHER & EMBODIED MOVEMENT ARTIST

Gabi is a Brazilian-American transdisciplinary artist from Philadelphia whose practice is rooted in performance, movement, and embodied expression. In 2025, she graduated from NYU Tisch School of the Arts with a BFA in Drama and a minor in Psychology, as well as The Sacred Movement Academy 200hr YTT, gaining her certification that December. Her work spans acting, dance, directing, movement research, and teaching.

Yoga has been a pillar of Gabi’s practice since 2020. What began as a crucial tool for navigating her own voice, sense of self, and mental health journey with BPD has grown into a practice she now loves sharing with others. Her teaching draws from her own digestion of yogic philosophy, alongside what she has learned through performance, creative collaboration, and the rituals that help us stay connected to ourselves while moving through change.

Gabi approaches class as a collaborative practice. She encourages students to vocalize what they need, stay curious about their bodies, and find their own relationship to the practice. Rather than seeing herself as the person with all the answers, she hopes to give students tools they can eventually make their own. As the saying goes, she wants to “teach a man to fish”—to make space and offer guidance while ultimately helping students build trust in their own inner guide.

Her teaching style is both empowered and gentle. She teaches Vinyasa to all levels, with a particular interest in helping students explore inversions and balancing postures while developing strength, confidence, and a sense of play.

At the heart of Gabi’s practice is an ongoing relationship with nurturing herself and others. As a proud daughter, woman, artist, and teacher, she is interested in how we can make nurturing feel less complicated and more accessible in a world that often teaches us to move away from it. For Gabi, yoga is a place to practice returning—to the body, to each other, and to ourselves.

TRAUMA-INFORMED RESTORATIVE TEACHER, LICENSE COUNSELOR & SOULFUL EMPOWERMENT MENTOR

A NuyoRican and proud Bronx Native, Janeen’s relationship with yoga has unfolded over time. After practicing on and off throughout adulthood, yoga met her differently at 50. As she became more intentional about her own well-being and continued personal development, yoga became less about what she could do with her body and more about slowing down, listening, and reconnecting with herself.

That shift led Janeen to complete her 200-hour Trauma-Informed Yoga Teacher Training at The Sacred Movement Academy, followed by certification in Restorative Yoga. With the guidance and encouragement of Ira and the SMA mentors, she deepened her understanding of yoga beyond the physical practice and began exploring her own unique approach to teaching. Janeen is especially drawn to restorative, gentle, and slow-flow yoga. Her teaching is rooted in warmth, compassion, and choice. 

Janeen’s work as a Licensed Counselor also informs the care and intention she brings to the spaces she holds, She values representation, belonging, and making wellness practices more inclusive and accessible across communities. She invites students to get curious about their practice, honor what they bring to the mat that day, and let go of the need to perform.

Janeen is especially mindful of those who spend much of their lives doing, giving, and caring, with little room to simply be. She sees her own life as an ongoing journey of learning and evolving, and brings that same humility to teaching.