AD (she/they) first dabbled in yoga around Metro Detroit in 2015 and was quickly drawn to the mind-body connection that yoga cultivates. Shortly after, she returned to East Lansing to pursue secondary science education and found community at the local yoga studio. After a year of practice, they completed their 200-hr yoga teacher training and taught vinyasa until moving back to Detroit in 2019. Since then, she’s experienced a pause on yoga during the pandemic but has recently fallen back in love with the practice and shared spaces.

AD especially enjoys playing around with creative transitions and flows as well as fostering intuitive movement in their class. She is beyond excited to be teaching again to bring their energy and tunes to Detroit!

Allie discovered her love for yoga in 2011, while attending Wayne State University, and began a regular practice in 2018 where she found a sense of community with Full Lotus Yoga. After what Allie describes as, “an emotionally, spiritually, and physically soul-stirring experience” attending Full Lotus’s Costa Rica retreat, she was determined to grow her practice and knowledge of yoga. She completed the YogaWorks 200hr YTT with Liz DeFour fall 2023. Committed to her love for humans, Allie integrates her yoga teaching with her career as a gerontological social worker, encouraging a safe, loving and kind space for all to come as they are and practice in a way that best supports their mind, body, and soul. Allie’s Yin class is designed to reduce stress and tension, improve flexibility, and help students slow down.

Registered Yoga Teacher, Amanda help's her students transform and nourish their mind, body and soul so they have the energy and vibrant health necessary to finally start living a life full of freedom, purpose and abundance. She turned to practicing yoga to help her stress levels, relax her body and mind, and make her relationships richer. With advanced training in yoga and specialization in Ashtanga and Vinyasa approaches, Amanda pushes her students to take their health and well-being into their own hands, guiding them on the path to find true inner peace and becoming their most true self.

Amy is a senior level yoga teacher at Full Lotus Yoga. Amy discovered yoga as a college athlete and fell in love with the practice after personally experiencing the profound physical, emotional and mental transformation. In 2014 Amy completed her RYT 200 hour certification through Pavones Yoga Center in Costa Rica, in 2019 she returned as a teacher to assist the RYT 200 hour certification. Amy believes in a multi dimensional approach to yoga and will weave elements of nature into her classes. Amy is a passionate Detroiter, urban farmer, and honored to call Full Lotus Yoga her home studio.

Andrea is a registered yoga teacher and physical therapist. She started practicing yoga in 2017 and quickly found a love for arm balances and inversions. Beyond the physical practice, yoga helped her find a greater sense of connection between mind, body, and spirit. As both a PT and yoga teacher, Andrea is passionate about helping people move better so they can live their lives to the fullest. She specializes in teaching vinyasa and power style classes that are fun, challenging, and creative. Classes focus on building strength and skill, as well as contentment, gratitude, and peace.

Anisa's first experience with yoga was when she was just 12 years old but has maintained a regular yoga practice since around the age of 14. Through life changes, yoga has always been a constant for her. Anisa deepened her practice by completing her 200-hr Yoga Teacher Training under Liz DeFour at Full Lotus Yoga in 2023. A lifelong student, Anisa has the intention to deepen her knowledge of yoga philosophy as well as expand her knowledge into the many different modalities of yoga. She believes that what is learned on the mat, such as the unification of breath, body, and mind can be translated into daily life to keep oneself grounded. When not on the mat, you may find Anisa cooking, baking, gardening, running, or spending time with her family.

Anna was first introduced to yoga through her exploration of mindfulness and meditation practices. She sees yoga as a means of uncovering one’s truth and as a vehicle for moving
knowledge from the head into the heart. She credits her own personal yoga practice with teaching her to breathe, reconnect with her body, and calm her nervous system. She delights to see these lessons of yoga continue off the mat and into day-to-day living both for herself and or her yoga students.

Anna has personally practiced yoga for over 15 years and completed her 200-hour yoga teacher training in 2018. Although she didn’t originally plan to teach, Anna fell in love with the opportunity to introduce others to all that yoga can offer. In class, she combines her background in western science, including neurobiology, anatomy, and kinesiology, with yogic philosophy and psychology to provide her students with a truly holistic experience. She loves to offer challenging sequences that enable students to expand their practice and to extend assistance in modifying poses for individual needs. She firmly believes that yoga is for every one and every body and is honored to guide students in developing their own practice.

Becca has been a yoga practitioner for over 10 years. She wanted to deepen her practice and gain more knowledge on asana, pranayama, and the yoga sutras. She earned her RYT-200 via Liz DeFour at Full Lotus Yoga in 2023. Becca also obtained two bachelor of science degrees. One in biology and the other in nursing. As a registered nurse, witnessing how stress, disease, and accidents can turn one’s life upside down, she understands the importance of holistic care. “Yoga benefits the mind and body in numerous ways that can help ward off illness and injury. Whether it’s a fresh start to your morning, or an end to a chaotic day, spending an hour on your mat performing hatha yoga or meditation can bring bliss, increase health, and empower the soul”.

In Becca’s free time, she loves to stay grounded in nature, rescue animals, and help with the family business.

Betty is a senior level yoga teacher at Full Lotus Yoga.  Betty began practicing yoga several years ago after multiple injuries, two of them related to running. Yoga helped her heal, build strength, improve flexibility and return to running. Yoga also gave Betty something very unexpected, a sense of peace. She would leave a class feeling physically challenged and mentally whole. Yoga gave her the mental energy to tackle the next challenge in her day.

Betty is a Certified Yoga Instructor. As a former track and cross-country coach, she is accustomed to helping individuals achieve their goals. Please stop to chat before or after class and let her know what you want to get out of your yoga practice.

Welcome to FLY! May you find physical and mental strength.

Brooke Mallon is a senior level teacher at Full Lotus Yoga. RYT 200 Certified Yoga Instructor and Nia Brown Belt. Brooke embarked on her own healing journey through an eating disorder in part transformed through conscious movement as well as seeking support. Brooke’s mind body connection and appreciation continues to grow when she is anchored in her movement practice: Movement and Rest, the Ability to Settle into Stillness, and the Presence to Move to the Music of the Moment are all key ongoing learnings through the HeArt of Yoga and Nia. With a Bachelors of Fine Arts in Theater, Brooke is influenced by Dance, Theater, and Music; she uses Nia, Yoga, Sounding, Meditation and Play to free up her students creativity and to reconnect them to their own resources of wisdom and well-being.

Carol began practicing yoga as a teenager and has continued a serious practice ever since. She credits her longtime yoga practice with reducing tension, anxiety and arthritis. Carol is a also practitioner of mindfulness meditation, which she often combines with her personal yoga practice for a “moving meditation.” Carol received her YTT 200 Certified Yoga Instructor from Full Lotus Yoga in 2016. Carol’s classes focus on integrating breath with movement and alignment. Carol’s yoga philosophy is, “yoga is for everyone; if you can breathe, you can do yoga.”

Cassie is a senior level teacher at Full Lotus Yoga. She has been practicing yoga for over 15 years, completed a one-year teacher training through Shanti Yoga, and her RYT 200 hour certification in 2015. Cassie earned her Bachelor's Degree in Fine Arts from Wayne State University in 2009 and is currently a professional photographer. When she is not behind the lens of her camera, you will probably find Cassie on her yoga mat. “Yoga for me has been a release of the physical and emotional, and has allowed for strength in my body, mind, and a deeper understanding of who I am and what I want out of life."

A couple of Cassie’s favorite memories as a student was when she had the opportunity to attend an Ashtanga primary series workshop with Master Teacher Tim Miller in 2015. And also when she spent 3 months in Florida practicing Forrest Yoga through the lineage Ana Forrest.

I fell in love with yoga over 10 years ago when introduced to the practice. I was in awe of not only the physical effects that it had on me but also the incredible therapeutic impact. Wanting to share these discoveries and benefits, I became an RYT 200 Certified Instructor in 2014. Although initially certified at an Ashtanga Vinyasa-based studio, I enjoy teaching Vinyasa, Slow Flow, and Yin-style classes. I feel this practice helps create an interconnectedness among its practitioners, and I enjoy helping others tap into the philosophy in order to reconnect and reground.

Dan’s yoga journey began in 2014 in Detroit, and has taken him around the US, UK, and parts of Europe. He finds the international yoga community to be amazing, welcoming, and inspiring! Dan completed his 200 hour YTT in 2019. His goal for students each class: to calm the mind and energize the body. Among his many interests aside from yoga, Dan teaches advanced mathematics to at-risk youth, while training their teachers in a dynamic teaching methodology.

Darya discovered yoga in Ukraine during her pregnancy in 2009. She was looking for harmony between body and mind. Yoga kindly offered it. Ever since, the desire to practice has followed her. Besides finding balance and inner peace, Darya lost 25lbs and gained confidence in being the best version of herself. She deepened her practice by completing YogaWorks 200-Hour Yoga Teacher Training assisted by Liz DeFour at Full Lotus Yoga. Through dynamic and static movements, Darya encourages her students to listen to their body, be patient with themselves and focus on mindful breathing.

Drew came to yoga in the Spring of 2019, starting regularly attending classes at Full Lotus Yoga in Grosse Pointe. He has always been fascinated by the various teaching styles and expansiveness of the practice. He completed a YogaWorks 200 hr YTT with Liz DeFour in the fall of 2020! Given his primary career path as a nurse anesthesiologist, he is very motivated to learn and teach anatomy/alignment and the scientific foundations of the practice. Expect to build heat in his Vinyasa classes - placing an emphasis on dynamic yet graceful movement. His goal is for students to learn about the foundations of yoga while also promoting an intentional lifestyle outside of the studio.

After over ten years of developing a personal yoga practice I have been called to share this transformative gift with others. After receiving my ERYT 200 training in Power Vinyasa yoga I have also enjoyed guiding a more slow flow restorative style. I have been fortunate to be able to use yoga for emotional, spiritual, and physical healing in myself and others. I believe everyone should be able to incorporate this practice into their lives and I strive to help make it comfortable and accessible for all.

With our practice, on and off the mat, I believe it is in the heart to heart connection that we can find the space to live in the present; to slow down, to come back into harmony and connection.

Yoga, or Union, is not only unity of Our own interpersonal Mind , Body, Breath and Spirit , but also in Unifying with each other and All Life as we share our practice and this journey.

What I hope to bring to the spaces I occupy, especially in the Yoga space, is a web of support and trust to empower people to live life for themselves.

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Kitty completed her 500 RYT in 2021 with Alanna Kaivalya. Yoga introduced Kitty to a deeper relationship between the mind, body, and spirit in 2015. She hopes to provide a relaxing environment for her students to fully release anything they are holding onto physically, mentally, emotionally, and spiritually.

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“I look forward to connecting with you! The light within me sees and honors the same in each of you. With Love, Kitty Amante"

Yoga has been an important part of Lauren’s life for over 10 years. She began her journey at the age of 19 with her mom and has continued to fall in love with the art of yoga ever since. Her deep passion for yoga lies within being a perpetual student of the practice and following her genuine curiosity along the way.

Recently completing her 200hr YogaWorks teacher training through Full Lotus Yoga, Lauren already plans on advancing her training with an additional prenatal certification.

In her classes you will find creative sequencing, playful flows, a variety of music, and inspiration to deepen your practice. You will step off your mat feeling refreshed and balanced. Come to class to nourish your mind, body, and soul!

Liz Defour is the owner of Full Lotus Yoga studio and has been teaching Yoga for over a decade. She began studying Yoga as a teenager and was immediately aware of the importance a consistent practice made on her physical, mental, and spiritual well being. Now a certified 500-Hour E-RYT, Liz is dedicated to sharing Yoga with her community full time.

Beginning with and grounded in Ashtanga Yoga, Liz now likes to weave many modalities of movement into her teaching. Liz considers herself a voracious student of the Yoga Sutras and loves to discuss how we can incorporate this ancient ideology into our modern day lifestyle. 

Liz is also a Yogaworks certified Teacher Trainer and leads an annual 200-hour Teacher Training for students interested in advancing their practice and learning the art and technique of intelligent sequencing.

Molly Radtke is a senior level yoga teacher at Full Lotus Yoga. Yoga, in its many forms, has been imbued in Molly's life for decades. She is an E-RYT 500 Certified Instructor & YACEP. Some of the yoga disciplines she presently embodies in her teaching include: Anusara, Ashtanga, Iyengar, Vinyasa and Yin. Her personal practice focuses on being grounded, and mindfully integrating alignment with modification, both on and off the yoga mat. Teaching yoga gives her the opportunity to be a conduit for others to explore and expand their own life experience and to build awareness of breath and body, stillness and soul. Join Molly in class or in a private session.

Photo Credit : Gary Malerba

Monica is best known for her work in the field of contemplative arts in Detroit. She first practiced with books and recordings and, after a few years of self-study, enrolled in yoga teacher training. Monica continued seeking wisdom from mind-body instructors from around the globe. In 2005 she met one of her primary influences, Sri Dharma Mittra, where she learned specific instructions on meditation, pranayama (breath control), and psychic development. Monica enjoys facilitating mind-body workshops and offers yoga anatomy and physiology to teacher training schools. She provides services to globally renowned universities and national-pro athletic teams.

Monica loves bringing students a sense of support. She especially embraces those who feel they are navigating the world from spaces invalidated by the dominant culture. She is a certified Reiki Practitioner and death doula (someone who helps a person who is dying plan for their death and support families during the process). She holds an MFA from Cranbrook Academy of Art.

Nicole Castka is a senior level yoga teacher at Full Lotus Yoga. She is a practicing criminal defense trial attorney, energy work facilitator and an E-RYT- 500 certified yoga teacher trained in the vinyasa style of yoga through both the Yoga Shelter and Source Movement Yoga. She has been a voracious student of yoga since 2002 and has been teaching in the metro-Detroit area since 2011. Her teaching is specialized in the areas of: Family Yoga, Gentle Flow, Partner Yoga, PreTeen Yoga, Slow Flow, VinYin, Yin and Yoga Nidra. Nicole is currently teaching at Full Lotus Yoga in Grosse Pointe Woods, Michigan. She has taught amazing workshops and classes at the Sanlan RV Park in Lakeland, Florida; Paradise Aerial Dance in Niagara-On- The-Lake, Ontario; the Sedona Yoga Festival in Sedona, Arizona; MI Yoga Fest in Vanderbilt, Michigan and the Lole' White Tour in both New York City and Toronto.

Nicole creates a safe and comfortable space for her students through her unique use of humor, theme, energy and music that allows her students to journey into realms of inward reflection, deep peace and renewal.

Rachel first discovered yoga at the age of 16 and found that it brought a balance to her life like no other. With over a decade of consistent practice, she is most passionate about the intersection of conscious movement with breath that yoga elicits. Her intention as a yoga teacher is to facilitate a safe space of exploration and self-awareness through an intuition-based asana practice.

Rachel completed her RYT 200 hour YogaWorks certification through Full Lotus Yoga in 2021.

Randiah got her RYT200 certification through Yoga Works in 2021, but her journey with yoga and meditation started long before that. For Randiah, yoga is about introspection and the journey towards your highest self. Stepping on the mat is your time to honor your body’s needs while fostering a mind-body and spirit connection. In class, Randiah encourages students to use props and modifications to make yoga more accessible and best suited to their individual practice.

I am a multi-passionate entrepreneur who facilitates transformation in people’s lives. I use my knowledge of energy & plant medicine, human design, financial literacy, yoga, self-care, and spirituality to guide others toward wholeness and alignment.

I am a mama, earth lover, rebel with a cause, and devoted to living a life of authenticity. Today it means living in the city with my husband and dog, working with clients I love, and having lots of time to play and slow down.

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