Barefoot Studio - Casas Adobes

I have been fascinated by the human body for as long as I can remember. We are amazingly strong, and intricately created. I strive to bring you to your personal edge in each class I teach. My goal is to have you walk out of this space feeling better than when you walked in, and maybe a little impressed/pleased with your abilities. Come join me at Fresh Start, and lets play!

Born in NYC, Raised in CT.  Yoga started around 8.  Theatre crazy, YOGA.  BA Theatre Management & Design, YOGA.  Road Manager Patti LaBelle, YOGA.  Children’s theatre company owner, YOGA. MBA Finance- with new baby boy, YOGA.  Moved to Tucson, YOGA.  Another baby, girl, YOGA.  Teacher, Junior high school Theater, YOGA. KIDS-YOGA!!!  Owner of a mail order business, cactus nursery, rental property, YOGA.  Restoration of old homes, builder of new – YOGA.  Travelled the world – YOGA.  Finally,  YOGA TEACHER… still mother, wife, landlord, foundation CEO, world traveler- YOGA.

Elizabeth and her husband are originally from Chicago, Illinois and moved to Tucson five years ago. After practicing yoga for several years Elizabeth decided to pursue her instructor certification in order to deepen her practice and share her personal yoga expression by teaching.   The thing I like best about yoga is it’s accessibility to everyone.  Anyone can find a style that works for them.

Yoga Alliance 200RYT

Chair yoga certification

When Elizabeth is not in the studio she can be found on a hiking trail or sail boating.

Elizabeth loves to make people smile and is continually focused on expanding her yoga practice by integrating fun, laughter, kindness, music and love along with mind, body and spirit.

E-RYT 200

Originally an elementary school teacher, Liz began practicing yoga to lose weight and get into shape. Very quickly, a passion for yoga developed and she wanted to share that passion with others. Combining her love of teaching and of yoga, she received her 200 hour teacher training through Barefoot Studio. She enjoys teaching yoga to beginners because she understands the struggles of being new to yoga and of being out of shape. She has specialized studies in the areas of Yoga for Seniors, Chair Yoga, Yoga for Osteoporosis, and Yoga for Arthritis. She encourages people to practice yoga mindfully and safely, but also challenges them to advance their practice when they are ready. Also, she appreciates the peace and serenity that yoga brings to all aspects of her life and wants to share that with others

Melissa strives for students to feel amazed by their yoga practice, meeting them where they are in their journey to improved balance, strength, flexibility, and calm. A former VP, figure skater, and race car driver, Melissa was introduced to yoga in 2012 as a way to manage stress and regain flexibility. Yoga delivered! Along with becoming RYT®200 certified at Barefoot Yoga School, she completed over 30 hours of additional training in restorative yoga, trauma sensitive yoga, and yoga for healthy aging. She also enjoys reading scientific studies about the benefits of yoga and sharing the information with others. She is available for private sessions in the Hatha, Gentle, Yin, and Restorative styles.

Mel started practicing yoga in 2001 and was awarded the opportunity to travel the country practicing various types yoga while earning her Bachelor’s degree in Psychology and Special Education. Mel spent some years working with foster children and at risk families guiding them in their healing process often using yoga and breath to help people cope, when stress and illness led Mel to leave her profession and follow a nearly twenty year dream of becoming a yoga instructor. Mel received her 200 hour yoga certification in early 2019 and has been guiding others with passion and heart ever since.  Mel is passionate about music and yoga and uses her travels and training to bring compassion and empathy to her students on and off the mat.

Hello, hello, my beautiful beings! I’m Nicole Mendoza. I have always been interested in the fields of beauty and wellness.

I’ve been a licensed cosmetologist for over 10 years. It has been my passion to help others see the beauty they possess, inside and out. I have been blessed to witness the big impact little things can have.

When I was introduced to the life changing experience of yoga, I truly understood the depth of inner beauty, gentle strength, and the importance of balance. I fell in love. The fact that simple poses and breathwork can transform physical, emotional, and mental states is awe inspiring.

Yoga provides amazing benefits for everyone, body and soul. I love to see clients’ transformations, and my journey to assist that transformation continues to expand. I provide Reiki at the end of my classes to assist the healing of all four levels, physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual.

I utilize my intuition to tailor the emphasis to the unique needs of each class. I hope to impart every participant with a sense of their own amazing energy.

Pam Ronstadt began studying yoga at the suggestion of her doctor and began to immediately see the benefits of a regular yoga practice to her overall health and well-being. The desire to share the benefits of yoga and meditation with others led Pam into taking the 200 hour Yoga teacher training and growth intensive at the Yoga Connection in Tucson. She began to share her practice with others in May of 2010. Pam embraces yoga in its many forms, teaching traditional Hatha in its many forms, Power Flow, Yin and Bikram Inspired. She regularly offers workshops and is constantly seeking to grow as both a student and teacher. Pam brings a compassionate approach and often regales her students with stories about the myths and legends of yoga. A bookworm at heart, she also tends to offer insights from her constant studies.

I started my yoga journey around 18 years ago as an awkward, self-conscious middle school student in Minnesota. My aunt and uncle started taking me to an Iyengar studio in St Paul and little did I know how much that studio and those experiences would shape the path of my life later on. As I grew older, my practice ebbed and flowed, at times a dedicated daily ritual and at others only flavoring the edges of my life with little asana or meditation practice. In 2013 I was registered and committed to starting a yoga teacher training in Bend, Oregon when I became pregnant and put my training on hold. Moving back to Tucson, I discovered Barefoot Studio and happily completed my 200-hr YTT in June 2017. My personal practice and teaching style range anywhere from gentle meditation to funky flow. In my classes, I love incorporating music and creating a fun, friendly atmosphere. I am dedicated to growing as a yogi and grateful to be able to share the life-altering practice of yoga with others.

I started my yoga journey back in college and have been floating in and out of my practice ever since. I did not get serious about my practice until injuries from years of marathon running started to take their toll on my body. Knowing I would have to give up my distance running, my hope was that yoga would fill the void. While practicing more often was an amazing outlet, I realized it was not enough so when the opportunity to go through teacher training showed up I knew I had to take it. During teacher training, Brianna encouraged us to teach all types of yoga but I knew Power Yoga was my home. I am a physical person who likes to work out so I like to teach a physically challenging class. When students leave my class, I hope they feel stronger than they did when they walked in and are able to leave behind whatever weighs them down. Off the mat, you will find me working, running (just not as far!), biking or walking my adorable dogs.

Susan began a regular yoga practice in 2006, as a vehicle for physical strength, flexibility, and good health. Over time, the enriching benefits of yoga multiplied and grew to encompass all aspects of her life, and inspired her to pursue teacher training. She is a 2011 graduate of The Arizona School of Yoga in the vinyasa flow style, and a RYT-200 with the Yoga Alliance. She teaches challenging, nurturing and light-hearted classes locally and out-of-state. Her belief is that in order to grow and change, we must first understand and accept where we are. In addition to practicing yoga, Susan enjoys spending time with family, friends and pets, hiking, gardening, kite boarding, stand up paddling, cooking, reading and traveling.

E-RYT 200, CAP, CAHC, CPKT, BFA

Born and raised in Frankfurt, Germany, Tanja is a certified Ayurvedic Practitioner (CAP); Ayurvedic educator, Bliss Treatment technician; certified registered yoga teacher; member of the faculty for Ayurveda studies, Yoga Teacher Training, at Heaven Meets Earth in Evanston, Illinois; member of the National Ayurvedic Medical Association, and artist. Tanja has been an avid student of yoga and Ayurveda since 2005 with a keen interest in exploring this ancient and holistic system of harmonizing body, mind and spirit. Tanja teaches yoga, not just poses with humor, compassion and love. Influenced by her Iyengar Training she focuses on alignment and the therapeutic power of yoga and the influence of Ashtanga and Vinyasa links her poses together. Tanja’s knowledge and understanding of Ayurveda provides a tremendous support to her yoga teachings. She understands the unique needs of each student. She trained and was certified at Moksha (Chicago, IL) under Daren Friesen where she learned Hatha Yoga. She has assisted in 2 yoga teacher trainings under Daren Friesen. Tanja apprenticed under Gabriel Halpern, owner of Yoga Circle and student of BKS Iyengar where she learned Therapeutic Yoga in the Iyengar tradition and traveled to Mysore, India where she studied with Saraswathi, Pattabhi Jois daughter, to study Asthanga.

Trey began practicing yoga in 2016, and was amazed at how great it made him feel and how much it helped with anxiety. In 2017, he decided to expand his practice and completed a 200-hour teacher training through the Barefoot Studio School of Yoga. Trey and his family are from Georgia, but have found a second home in Tucson. He aims for his classes to be flowy and physical. When not at the studio, Trey likes running, working out, and playing with his three kids.

I began my yoga journey sporadically at a gym it challenged my body but hadn’t connected the way it does today. An invitation to join in on a meditation workshop at Barefoot came in, and the space and vibe intrigued me. After a few classes, I was hooked. It felt like home; a space where I was accepted, supported, embraced.

Learning to connect my breath to my body truly began to improve my practice and overall quality of life. Suffering from a number of issues that at times can leave me stuck in bed, the difference I felt from yoga was incredible. I wanted to know WHY yoga worked for me.

As I took the 200-hour teacher training at Barefoot in 2015, I had no intention of teaching. As we completed our training I knew I wanted to share the bliss that you can attain from your practice. I have now been teaching for nearly 4 years and am grateful for every minute.

In any class that I teach, you can be sure that you will get a fully rounded practice that any level can enjoy. Modifications are always offered, as well as more challenging versions of asanas. I’m very informal and like to laugh. I aim to make all my students feel safe, comfortable, and welcome.