Escape to Yoga

Hi, my name is Emily! 

In my 16 years of massage therapy practice, I have learned that we each have a beautiful ability to bring restoration and healing to ourselves. During my sessions, I direct my clients inward and encourage everyone to reconnect with their inner wisdom and intelligence, body, spirit and breath. My purpose is to facilitate this healing utilizing various modalities including Swedish, Deep Tissue, Myofascial Release, Stretching, Compression, Energy Work and Meditation/Breath Work. Each session is tailored to honor you and your own sacred journey.

I began my yoga journey in 1996 with Yoga Journal's video series featuring Patricia Walden.  What an incredible introduction to Iyengar yoga and alignment!  I still own around 30 Yoga VHS tapes and it was through these tapes that I was introduced to Tracey Rich and Ganga White of the White Lotus Foundation.  I attended the 16 day, 200-hour teacher training at the White Lotus Foundation in Santa Barbara in 2000.  In 2002, when I moved to Portland, I was incredibly fortunate to stumble upon Yoga Pada, an Ashtanga Yoga School founded by Timo Jimenez.  His knowledge of Ashtanga Yoga and his commitment to his daily practice and to his students' made a huge impact on my life.  I owe much of what I know and love about yoga to him.  Therefore, my style and classes are heavily influenced by both Ashtanga and Iyengar.  Both contributed greatly to my daily meditation practice and a growing sense of calm and compassion.   Grateful for the opportunity to share this powerfully awakening practice with others.

I am honored to be a part of the beautiful and loving space created at Escape to Yoga.  It is my heart to encourage people to live out their yoga practices day to day with incredible self-care, powerful compassion and unconditional love.  

Julie Popma, E-RYT200, RYT500, YACEP, ABYS

For the past 20 years my primary role has been managing and caring for my family of 5.  My husband and I have 3 kids and 2 dogs and live a very active life.  in 2004 when a serious knee injury forced me to give up high impact exercise and sports, I turned to yoga to help me heal and build strength.

Yoga transformed my life so much that I wanted to share it with others and in 2015 I received my RYT200 in the Vinyasa style of yoga. I quickly realized vinyasa yoga was not accessible for many of my students, so in 2016, in an effort to help my students and to understand injury prevention,  I embarked on a journey into alignment/Iyengar style yoga.

I was so delighted by how much alignment yoga enhanced my vinyasa teaching and my personal practice, that I decided to study more and in 2020 received my RYT500 & ABYS(Alignment Based Yoga Specialist) from the Lundberg School of Yoga.  My teachers were seasoned physical therapists and certified Iyengar teachers and I am so grateful to them for all that they have taught me about the depth of what yoga has to offer physically, mentally and spiritually.  To this day I continue to study with them on a weekly basis to help hone my practice and teaching skills.

When I first stepped into Escape to Yoga in 2020 I knew that I found my yoga home. I had been teaching classes at a variety of yoga studios and fitness facilities since 2015, but Escape to Yoga was the first studio where I felt total non-judgement, peace and serenity.  At Escape I love to teach a variety of classes and I believe that walking into the sactuary of Escape to Yoga is like a warm embrace that allows my students to heal and discover the transformative benefits of yoga. You can practice with me in a variety of styles from Gentle Care Hatha, Grow Strong Hatha to Strong Flow Vinyasa.  

Ann is an Oregon native who has spent most of childhood in NE Portland. She has lived in Sherwood for 11 years with her husband and children. Her youngest is 12 and the only one living at home. She enjoys spending time with her adult children (and the 12 years old) and grandchildren.

Her favorite place to get it away from the everyday is the beach.

Ann discovered her love of Yoga several years ago while taking Restorative classes. She realized how much helped her physically and mentally. Recently she joined the Escape To Yoga Team in March as a Studio Attendant and now has a new role as  Assisant Manager. She is excited to learn all the wonderful things that comes with her new role and looks forward to helping everyone she comes in contact with!

Yoga is a world full of love, patience and understanding. That is what drew Krissy to Yoga. Her Yoga journey began over ten years ago as a student. The first 9 years were inconsistent but she kept being drawn into the practice. After discovering Yoga Trapeze it became a full time love that helps her to achieve pain relief and grow deeper into her spirituality. At the end of 2019 she took a leap and received her 100 hr Teacher certification and Yoga Trapeze teacher certification. She has been teaching private lessons for the last year and a half.

She continues to build her Yoga and teaching knowledge this year with several trainings. This year she pushes herself further by taking her 200hrs teacher certification, Meditation teacher training, prison ministry training and her Dance and embodiment training. 

As if that didn't keep her busy enough she is a loving wife to her husband. She love watching her children learn and grow as she homeschools them during the school year. For fun and to help her community she opens her home to several litters of kittens.

Krissy can be found checking students in at the front desk.

I have had a passion for movement and fitness for many years - starting off with aerobics and over the years has pursued many certifications.  I loved the fitness fusion formats that included yoga. The attraction gew deepers and decided to start taking classes and was hooked.  I started my journey towards teaching youa in 2013, not realizing the impact that it would have on my own healing journey. After a car crash in 2015 - I was not able to teach.  I was devasted.  Movement was my passion - during this time I disocvered the true power of yoga- it was more than the poses,  The breathwork, the gentle movement, the stillness, the calmness helped me on my path to recovery,  This ignited a spark in me to pursue my 200 hour certification, as I wanted to share this healing gift with the world.

My classes are open to all fitness levels, and are full of joy and dun, while we go on a voyage to truly get out of heads and settle into our bodies by truly listening through the language of our sensations.  Students are invited to truly make this practice their own, and find the choice that is best for them at that moment in time.  Ofcouse, this is all set to my calming celtic tone.

I have 200 hours training with Yogafit, as well as 200 hours with Buti and Vinyassa yoga. I am also a Nia Sencond Degree Black belt instructor and have over 150 hours training in Tai Chi,

I am passionate that in my classes we learn to strengthen and stabilize our physical body to encourage a balaned mind and connection to our true authentic selves.

An Oregon native, Lauren discovered yoga and meditation in high school and has been hooked ever since. Since then, she has been a regular practitioner and has always felt strongly about the physical and mental health benefits of yoga. 

Motivated by a desire to share these benefits with others, she went on to receive her 200 hr YTT certification focusing on power yoga and vinyasa flow at Yoyoyogi in Portland. 

In her teaching practice, Lauren sets out to help make yoga accessible to anyone that is willing to give it a try by crafting classes designed for both beginners and well-seasoned yogis alike. She strives to deliver strong classes with dynamic alignment-based sequences and mobility work. 

Outside of her yoga practice, Lauren enjoys photography, writing, hiking and camping in the PNW with her husband and two dogs.

Hi there!  I’m Katrina Martin.  I love helping people feel more ease with massage.  Curiosity and healing intention guide me as I invite you to explore painful muscles and restricted joint movement.  I see massage as a fantastic companion to yoga in that both are invitations to balance, ease and grounding.  There is a unique energy that results from the therapeutic touch of massage that reassures both the giver and the receiver.  That is why I’ve made massage my life’s work.

I’ve been giving massages since 1994.  My sessions tend to include Swedish massage, deep tissue techniques, post-isometric relaxation, Shiatsu and myofascial release.  Every massage is a custom treatment where we address your current bodywork needs.  One day you may want specific detailed work on a shoulder that’s feeling stuck and another day, it might feel like a more general stress relief focus is best.  It’s always your choice.

I look forward to meeting you and sharing the joy, ease and reassurance massage can bring.

Hello, my name is Krysten. My passion for yoga started here in this studio about two years ago. I started out as a total novice struggling my way through a downward dog, but as I grew I quickly fell in love with the community, instructors, and the shala itself. I am now lucky enough to be apart of the team and to help others find their love for yoga as well.