Instructors
Christy Fisher, founder Wallingford Yoga
Christy is a Kripalu Yoga teacher, a Yoga and Movement Therapist (C-IAYT, C.M.A), an artist, and choreographer. She has been teaching somatic based yoga and movement practices for over 20 years. She is particularly drawn to working with people who live with chronic pain; sports injuries, neurological conditions, and Cancer. Along with directing Wallingford Yoga, she has taught for the National MS Society, Cancer Lifeline, and the Washington State Traumatic Brain Injury Association.
“Christy continually amazes me with the wisdom of her teaching style. She empowers students to respect and listen to their bodies to guide them to connect to their own wisdom. Christy has a seemingly limitless and often subtle yoga vocabulary. In addition, she has a great sense of humor and a compassionate heart. I highly recommend studying with her.” -Lynne Conrad Marvet, Co-Director, Nalanda West Study and Meditation Center
“I can’t say enough good things about Christy Fisher’s teaching style. I have been to several yoga studios throughout the years and have found that not all teachers walk the talk of compassionate guidance or non-judgmental instruction. However, Christy does. Her approach to teaching is the embodiment of compassion, skillful articulation of movement (internal and external) and an understanding of how to facilitate her students in having their own experience… urging them to connect the movement with the breath. No doubt, her experience as a dancer and choreographer inform her practice. She seems to know how to talk just enough to guide you through the class and how to stop talking enough to allow you your own experience of the asanas. I have been taking yoga with Christy for a couple years now and I couldn’t be more impressed or appreciative of her skills.” -Maya V.
Julie Hsu
Julie’s love for yoga began in 2003 when she discovered the asana (posture) practice of yoga. Overtime, she realized that yoga had much more to offer than just the physical benefits. As her personal practice grew, Julie wanted to be able to bring yoga to other people. She completed 200 hour teacher training in the Pranakriya tradition with Yoganand Michael Carroll in 2008. Julie’s desire to continue to learn from Yoganand led her to complete 500 hour advanced certification in 2011. Julie has been teaching yoga for over a decade and she also completed a 300 hr training under Dr. David Frawley and is an Ayurvedic Life-Style Consultant. In December 2020, Julie also completed her 300-hour yoga teacher training with Anand Mehrotra in Sattva Yoga.
Julie teaches a range of classes from very gentle to more vigorous, and always in a manner that allows introspection, true to the Pranakriya tradition. Pranayama and meditation, slow transitions from posture to posture, and adequate time in each posture give her classes a meditative quality. At the same time, Julie’s sense of humor and relaxed attitude create a laid-back environment in which to fully experience yoga. To find out more about Pranakriya yoga go to the Class Descriptions page. When Julie isn’t practicing or teaching yoga, she is enjoying every moment of her son’s childhood or working in her other role as a veterinarian.
“Julie has broadened my understanding of meditation and opened my mind to the possibility of spirit. Every class is a surprise and a gift.” – Lisa A
Frances Hammond
Frances is a Seattle-based yoga teacher and barre instructor since 2009. She emphasizes comfort and ease of movement while exploring the balance of breath, effort and stillness. In June 2019, Frances completed her additional 300 hours of advanced yoga training in the Art of Adaptation. She plans to continue this work by specializing in yoga for spinal health.
Yoga helps Frances find stability and joy on and off the mat, and she hopes to share that search with students of any ability or impairment. She is mother to a pandemic baby who keeps her busy and currently teaches her a lot about developmental movement. She is also the companion and co-parent of a very small Yorkshire Terrier named Mochi. After savasana, you can spot Frances at various restaurants, fitness studios and walking around Seattle.
“I have been practicing yoga for many years but when I started practicing yoga with Frances a few years ago, it made a really big difference in my mental and physical well-being. I have had several challenges over the years including a hip replacement and brain cancer. Frances focuses on balance, strength and stability and I realized that after each of her classes I felt so good. Frances makes sure to always give options for each pose and by focusing on seemingly small adjustments she achieves amazing results. My hip is better than it has been since the surgery and my neck has so much more mobility. I am grateful to have Frances and my instructor and don’t know what I would do without her.” — Mary Berray
Tiina Ritalahti
Yoga has been Tiina’s steady companion throughout life’s challenges and joyful celebrations. So, after practicing yoga for 20 years, Tiina decided to take the leap and become a yoga instructor. She completed her 200-hour Adaptive Hatha Yoga training at Phinney Ridge Yoga in 2021. Her classes are informed by 25 years of experience as a massage therapist. She draws from her deep understanding of anatomy to guide students through a harmonizing practice that honors each student’s unique physiology. Tiina works to support students on their healing journey and give them tools they can take off the mat to improve the qualities of their lives.
“Tiina is a wonderful and fun yoga instructor. Her classes are a combination of familiar movements with a different perspective on how to find each pose. What I find most exciting about Tiina’s classes is her passion and understanding of how the human body moves. She brings to each class something new for me to discover in my own body, changing how I move into poses, and in each session.” – Maria S.
Sharon St. John (On-Demand, Pre-recorded classes available as part of our Content Library)
Through her therapeutic presence and expertise, Sharon invites individuals into a space of healing where they feel safe and empowered to step into a new dimension of courage in mind and body. Sharon has had first-hand experience with harnessing the power of yoga throughout her own life’s ups and downs including cancer and living with a traumatic brain injury. Coming out of those difficult times, Sharon has dedicated herself to bringing the gift of balanced health to elevate other people’s lives.
Sharon is a 500-hour registered yoga teacher with Yoga Alliance and a National Academy of Sports Medicine (NASM) certified personal trainer. She has also pursued specialized certifications with Cancer Exercise Training Institute, Rest and Renew (Judith Hanson Lasater), Yoga of the Heart (Nischala Joy Devi), Accessible Yoga (Jivana Heyman), and Veteran’s Yoga Project (Mindful Resilience yoga teacher training, Daniel J. Libby, PhD), among others.
“Early morning yoga with Sharon is the best way to start the day. Sharon’s calm and quiet demeanor bring an easiness to each class. She very seamlessly incorporates our requests into the practice she has designed for that day. At the end of class I feel challenged in the best way imaginable.” – Patricia
“I’ve been attending Sharon’s class since the beginning of these early morning classes. It’s a great way for me to start the day. She is great at describing the poses and their benefits and is very responsive to individual needs and requests. Sharon is a very talented teacher.” – Claudia D.
Martha Ryan
Martha’s journey with yoga began eight years ago, when she moved to Delhi, India and began studying yoga in the tradition of Sri Krishnamacharya. She completed a 500-hour RYT yoga teacher training with Saraswathi Vasudevan at YogaVahini in Chennai, India, and she continues to be guided by unwavering mentorship and community support. Since 2013, she has also practiced various meditation techniques including Vipassana and Transcendental Meditation.
Martha’s goal in teaching asana (postures) and pranayama (breathwork) is to help students develop relationships between: you and your practice, your body, your breath, and your teacher. Her gentle classes center the union between breath, body, and mind by beginning and ending with pranayama. She has taught both individuals and groups in a wide spectrum of settings such as studios, assisted living centers, homes, and schools. She is never not amazed by the transformative power of yoga!
“Martha’s instruction helped me feel a little more well and healthy every day. Can’t say how grateful I am to have a daily technique that helps me find a little bit of peace.” – Morgan M.
“I am so thankful for Martha’s spiritual generosity, patience, attentiveness, and compassion as a yoga teacher! I really appreciated how flexible and knowledgeable she was in adapting my practice to help me meet my unique and changing needs. I feel like I gained invaluable tools to focus and quiet my mind from our classes together.” – Shelly T.