Meet Our Team

The Yoga Tree is home to a select group of yoga professionals, who we believe comprise the finest teaching staff in the Pacific Northwest each specializing in a particular area of study or style of Hatha yoga. We are committed to teaching the highest quality yoga possible with attention to each student's specific needs.​ 
For information about private lessons or corporate classes,

CONTACT US

​Susanne Hutchinson (she/her)
Owner, Director of Teacher Training
E-RYT 500, YACEP
Certified iRest® Instructor

Susanne’s early experiences with yoga began as a small girl practicing along in her fuzzy pink pajamas with PBS’ Lillias, Yoga, and You. Many years later she tiptoed shyly into a class at the local gym searching for a way to alleviate stress and anxiety. She has been a devoted practitioner ever since, exploring many different styles and teachers.  

​Susanne firmly believes in the accessibility of yoga, and that anyone and everyone can experience its joy as well as its physical and mental benefits. Susanne is a student of yoga first and foremost, studying with amazing teachers from all over the world. Susanne has been teaching since 2010, and is registered with Yoga Alliance. In addition to Hatha Yoga, Susanne teaches the mindful practices of Yin and Restorative Yoga and Yoga Nidra. She is a Certified iRest® Yoga Nidra Instructor, and has assisted in numerous trainings, retreats and immersions.
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With Susanne, you can expect a class that is approachable, balanced, and a little bit playful. You might hear the occasional giggle or “ya’ll”. You will be encouraged to explore how poses feel in your body and maybe discover something new about yourself or experience a pose in a different way.

Off the mat, Susanne enjoys hiking and traveling with her husband and celebrating life with family and friends.

Sydni Baumgart (she/her)
​200 hr

Yoga found Sydni at a particularly challenging time in her life. Looking for a source of grounding and calm, she discovered breath work, meditation, and working with the nervous system would lead to significant shifts in mind, body, and spirit. She completed her 200 hr teacher training at the Yoga Tree in 2020, where she originally began her yoga journey.

As a teacher, Sydni strives to create a warm and compassionate container for all bodies to safely practice feeling into the body. Her classes are rhythmic, grounding, and rooted in meditation. Through intentional movement and mindfulness, Sydni hopes to guide students toward finding stillness and inner spaciousness. Sydni’s areas of study include meditation and yoga nidra, personal development, and trauma. Additionally, she is passionate about honoring the ancient philosophy of yoga and bringing her practice off the mat.

When not at the Yoga Tree, you will find Sydni playing with watercolors, diving deep into books ranging from astrology to social justice, or working with plants at Urban Earth Nursery in Fremont.

Jennifer Cabanero (she/her)
​E-RYT 500, C-IAYT
iRest® Senior Teacher Trainer
iRest® Certification Supervisor

“One day you finally knew what you had to do and began...”    ~ Mary Oliver
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Jennifer was introduced to Hatha yoga when she was a child by her mother who had learned it in turn, from her mother. Jennifer began teaching Hatha yoga in 1998. In 2003, Jennifer was introduced to the teachings of Dr. Richard Miller and the deeply healing practice of iRest® Yoga Nidra. In just a few sessions, she felt a profound shift in her ability to be at ease amidst the ups and downs of life.

Jennifer has trained extensively with Dr. Richard Miller in the art and craft of iRest® Yoga Nidra. She has been assisting in iRest trainings and retreats since 2012. She is a Senior iRest Teacher Trainer and a Certification Supervisor for the Integrative Restoration Institute (IRI) an educational non-profit, that provides programs, teacher trainings, and retreats based on the ancient teachings of Yoga. Come to her Tuesday morning or Wednesday night classes to find out more about this profound practice of restoration and self-inquiry. 

In her movement classes she encourages connecting with the breath and sensation, moment to moment, so that the poses arise from an inner wisdom rather than an outer form imposed upon the body. Jennifer’s students describe her as wise, approachable, intuitive and supportive. She infuses her classes with poetry and with a profound insight into the workings of the body and the nature of the human spirit. 

Her Hatha Yoga teaching has been inspired by Donna Farhi, Gary Kraftsow, and Richard Miller, She loves exploring BodySensing Yoga, Developmental Movement Patterns, Somatics, functional movement, and strength training.

She is known for her infectious laugh and her abundant garden (those are her beautiful flowers you see at the studio). In addition to brightening the studio with her plants and personality, she also co-manages the studio.

In her own life, she has used yoga to heal from a severe back injury and uses iRest Yoga Nidra meditation as a way to nurture herself as she supports her husband, who lives with cancer. In her spare time she runs wild with her two nieces, enjoys cooking (she used to be a pastry chef!) and spending as much time out of doors as possible. 

Through the teachings of iRest Yoga Nidra, Jennifer has become aware of a deep sense of wholeness that has always been present and with this wholeness, an ability to fully welcome life with all of its ups and downs. How could she not share this with the world?

​Kate Collins(she/her)
​RYT 200

Kate grew up studying modern dance, which is when she first learned how daily physical activity can help to quiet the mind. That awareness deepened when she discovered yoga in her 20s.  She has since practiced a wide variety of yoga styles such as vinyasa flow, Kundalini, Iyengar and classical 8-limb Ashtanga with many incredible teachers. While each style has its unique approach, the most important takeaway for Kate has been that through regular practice, a deeper understanding and acceptance of self becomes possible. 

Kate completed a YogaWorks teacher training with Natasha Rizopoulos in 2010. Her eclectic background gives her an open approach to teaching and her strongest desire is to help people discover and embrace their individual paths. Her classes link breath awareness with flowing sequences as well as building strength and the ability to focus while holding poses. 

Kate loves to work hard on the physical aspects of yoga, but it’s the exploration of self and the profound practices of pranayama and meditation that inspire her most as a teacher and in her personal practice. Kate has lived in New York, Paris, Los Angeles, Maine, Baltimore and Washington D.C. before happily landing in Seattle with her husband and two teenage daughters in 2015.

​Suzanne Comeau
​RYT 200

Suzanne says, "I took my first yoga class at age 15 in Olympia, WA. As my life brought me to different teachers throughout the Pacific Northwest, I came to appreciate yoga as a practice of living well. Using yogic guidance passed down through the generations, my classes create a nurturing environment for students to respond to the wisdom in their own bodies. Together, we explore the benefits of breath, movement, and meditation. From creating physical and emotional resilience to supporting spiritual fulfillment, yoga contains a multitude of potential fruits; my hope is to support students in their own journey of discovery and connection." 

​Christina Ellis (she/her)
E-RYT 200
​Zoom Link Assistant

Christina started practicing yoga in 2002 to reduce stress and clear her mind, but she soon found her practice offered much more. It inspired her to get her teaching certification through Yoga Works in 2008 in order to help others find the peace of mind that she has through yoga. Christina is Yoga Alliance Certified and is constantly learning from all the teachers around her. Her accessible approach combines a Vinyasa flow with a focus on alignment. She would love to guide you on your journey to a healthier and happier body and mind!

Aubra Heller (she/her)
​RYT 200 

Aubra has been a part of The Yoga Tree community for almost as long as she can remember. She took her first class at the old location when she was seven years old in an attempt to lower her anxiety. She fell in love with the way the Friday night restorative class made her feel. Her seven-year-old way of articulating this was saying that meditating “was like taking a bath for your insides.” Since then, The Yoga Tree has been a supportive space to come back to throughout her life. 

Aubra has been dancing her whole life and finds movement in everything. Yoga has changed her relationship to dance by giving her a deeper appreciation for her body and the way it allows her to access her emotions and inner-self. Aubra’s goal as a teacher is to give every student a space to find dance, breath, creativity, and meditation in their bodies and minds in the way that works best for them. 

Studying Dance and Education at The University of Washington showed Aubra how important it is to continue learning in every area of her life. Yoga has been her ultimate teacher. She completed both her iRest® Yoga Nidra Level One training and 200-hour teacher training at the Yoga Tree and has dedicated herself to continuing her studies of yoga and its roots.

Aubra has found joy teaching in dance studios, childcare centers, and school settings, and is so excited to be teaching at a studio that means so much to her.

Heather Hested 
​500 hr RYT

I am fueled by the technology and philosophy of yoga. Yoga offers on-the-mat opportunities to discover one’s own relating to the self and the world from an explorer’s lens. A devoted practice nourishes the body, mind, and soul; and centers people in ways that empower them to be their most authentic and vibrant selves. This attunement, from the inside out, invites more openness, clarity and joy to off-the-mat opportunities in daily life. 
 
I teach yoga asana, pranayama and meditation because each practice offers the opportunity to uncover, accept, reflect and learn about oneself on a path of healing and transformation. 2009 was just the beginning with a 200-hr certification from locally based Pacific Yoga with Theresa Elliot. In 2017, I received an additional 300-hr certification from Seattle Yoga Arts and now, have my sights set on a Yoga Therapy accreditation. My learning will never stop as it informs my relating in the world and on the mat. Favorite offerings include sensual vinyasa flows, alignment- focused classes, meditation groups and spiritual book discussions. Yoga fuels an enriched existence. I hope to support you getting fueled by yoga, too.  See you on the mat! 

Jessica Jobaris
​E-RYT 200

Jessica Jobaris received her certification teacher training thru Pacific Yoga in Seattle, WA, having also studied at Samadhi, 8 limbs, Urth Yoga in Los Angeles, and Om Yoga in NYC. Her style is eclectic, drawing from Ashtanga Vinyasa, Iyengar, Anusara, and iRest Yoga Nidra. Jessica is deeply inspired by the powerful yet slow medicine of yoga.  

She aims to empower her students, with compassion and humor, by challenging them to safely find their physical edge, with a strong emphasis on sound alignment, to uncover the Sacred within each of us. Jessica also studied extensively with The Tamalpa Institute, training in Expressive Arts Therapy, a modality of mindful movement practices integrating with art. She has taught yoga extensively in Seattle, most notably at The Yoga Tree, Lotus Yoga Studio, Seattle Pacific University, University Prep Academy, Fred Hutch Cancer Center, Central Park, NYC, Casale Santa Brigada in Umbria, Italy, and at Dock 11 in Berlin, Germany, where she combined dance technique with yoga. She is also a professional dancer, choreographer and instructor of dance, with over 20 years of dance/movement training. Jessica also loves spending time with her partner Matt, traveling of any kind (this photo comes from Berlin, her second home!) and carries chocolate in her purse and glove compartment. Jessica has been teaching yoga for 9 years now, offering privates, semi-privates, and workshops, along with group classes.

Jennifer Kenworthy (she/her)
RYT 200

Jennifer came to yoga at a time when she was struggling to understand herself. She began practicing yoga as a way to add more movement into her life, but quickly realized that when she came to the mat she was gaining much more. Throughout her practice, she was able to rebuild her connection with her body and mind through conscious breathing and movement. She completed her 200 hour Hatha Yoga teacher training at The Yoga Tree so that she could share these amazing practices and hold space for others to find the light within themselves.

Jennifer is an energetic teacher that enjoys sharing her passion for yoga and meditation with others. In her classes she enjoys incorporating postures that build heat and focus on proper alignment while also taking the time for reflection. There will be space for laughing at ourselves while wobbling in a posture or joy when you find that perfect balance. Coming to the mat is such a great representation of everyday life, you just have to show up for what is here right now. She enjoys incorporating a theme into her classes and believes in being a lifelong student. 

Jennifer has also completed iRest® Yoga Nidra Level One training, is Reiki Level Two attuned and is interested in the mystical and spiritual side of life. When she isn’t practicing, you will find her outdoors hiking, backpacking, jogging or enjoying the wonders of nature.

Deborah King (she/her)
​E-RYT 500,YACEP,  Advanced Teacher of Yoga Therapy (Kripalu School of Integrative Yoga Therapy)

Deborah has been teaching since 2001 and is a lifelong practitioner of yoga, having grown up with a mother who taught yoga and creative movement, and who passed on her kinesthetic way of being in and understanding the world. 

As she began to train professionally as an actor as a teenager, and later at The Theatre School at DePaul University, her study of yoga deepened too.
She has studied under a wealth of remarkable teachers in many eclectic traditions including the Ananda. Iyengar, Viniyoga, Ashtanga, Anusara, Vijnana, and Integrative Yoga Therapy traditions.

She began teaching while pregnant with her first child. She received her first certification from Eight Limbs Yoga in Chicago in 2003 under the guidance of Per Erez, Miguel Latronica, and Carla Douros, and went on to assist in the following trainings, as well as presenting modules on prenatal and postnatal yoga. Her work with pregnancy and following pregnancy spiraled into to a fascination with the therapeutic applications of yoga and this led her to apprentice with master Iyengar teacher Gabriel Halpern for two and half years and to begin her own private practice, often adjusting the practice for therapeutic needs.

Deborah teaches full time both publicly and privately, through studios and through partnerships with Swedish Medical Centers and The DOVE Project. She is fortunate to teach a large span of approaches to a wonderfully diverse spectrum of students: everything from Vinyasa classes to alignment-based hatha, to Gentle and Restorative classes and classes adapted for the needs of specific conditions, most notably PTSD, Trauma, Multiple Sclerosis and other neurological challenges, cancer, chronic pain, anxiety, and depression. Her passion is discovering the unique practice for each person.

She uses her extensive understanding of alignment and the nervous system in an experiential way to guide her students to explore the story and the process of their body system, uncovering, unwinding and also celebrating the asymmetries that make us human.

Currently, Deborah is pursuing her IAYT (International Association of Yoga Therapists) certification as a yoga therapist at the 800-hour level through Integrative Yoga Therapy at Kripalu, so that she may continue to expand her passion and understanding of the healing potential of yoga and how to make the practice accessible to all.

When not teaching or practicing, Deborah is raising her two amazing teenagers as a solo mama with help from her cats.

Jenny Leung
E-RYT 500, LMFT 

Jenny has been practicing yoga since 1998 and teaching since 2001, with an emphasis on yoga's therapeutic applications for over 10 years.   She is a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist offering counseling for couples and facilitating therapeutic groups.  Tending to our human experience with emotional maturity, relational awareness and sensitivity to the body is at the heart of all her work.  Bridging yoga and psychology, Jenny is passionate about sharing yoga to calm the nervous system as a prelude to deeper healing focused on restoring and repairing relationships - mending that with ourselves first and then tending to our bonds with others.  

Off the mat, Jenny enjoys long bike rides with her husband and school-aged daughter, cooking up big meals in the kitchen, consuming large quantities of books, seeking out moments of silence and stillness, and sharing deep conversations about all things that make us uniquely human.  

Nicole Lyon (she/her)
RYT 200, RDN 

Nicole was introduced to yoga in college when she attended a workout class that left her feeling not only strong and energized, but also soothed and relaxed. She fell in love with the practice because it helped her tune into her body, build strength, and calm her anxious mind. 

Registered Dietitian since 2015, Nicole works privately with clients and develops nutrition programs that incorporate mindfulness for holistic healing. In 2018, she completed a 200-hour teacher training in Anusara yoga with Seattle Yoga Arts. Nicole is passionate about meeting students where they are and helping them honor the needs of their mind & body. Her teaching style aims to bring curiosity, balance, and build strength both mentally and physically. 

When she's not teaching, you can find Nicole working with her nutrition clients, trying a new recipe, traveling, or exploring the great outdoors.  

Amanda Mitchell (she/her)
E-RYT 200, RYT 500, YACEP, RPYT 

Amanda has been teaching since 2013, and loves the whole-body support asana provides. She found yoga at a time when her mental and emotional state needed support, and feels that tuning into the body is an essential tool to navigate life's mind-focused culture. Ultimately, Amanda believes in using yoga to nourish yourself, and will often bring in vibration (a singing bowl or gong) to aid that process.
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In her asana classes, you'll experience a slow, deliberate style, with a focus on alignment, mixed in with humor and practicality. You will leave with a sensation of having worked hard without completely tiring yourself out. Amanda always incorporates steady breath work, while bringing in a mental component or theme so you can take yoga where it counts – off the mat, and into your life.

Linda Oshins
​E-RYT 500​​

Linda Oshins, ERYT-500 since 2002, dates her every-day practice of yoga back to 1987, and she has been teaching yoga since 1997. She is also a Reiki Master who studied under Katherine Dufrane and other energy healers, and teaches energy practices as a way self-revelation.

Linda has made the practice and study of pranayama her particular focus for many years, wrote the manual Pranayama: A Compendium of Practices, and teaches a 6-month web-based course on pranayama using the manual as its foundation. She is currently writing a book on healthy breathing.
 
Until she moved to Seattle four years ago, she owned and operated Yoga on High, a large yoga studio and teacher training institute in Columbus, Ohio, and has designed and run teacher training programs registered with Yoga Alliance since 2001. 

Linda is excited to become a part of ongoing inquiries into energy and breath at The Yoga Tree.

Annalisa Paulsmeyer (she/her)
​RYT 200​​

Annalisa teaches balanced yoga classes that give students the opportunity to challenge their physical edges yet also experience rest and rejuvenation for the body, heart, and mind. Her classes are rooted in: mindful movement, healthy alignment, the pure joy of being present in the here and now, and the eight limbs of yoga.
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In 2019, Annalisa earned a 200hr RYT from the Yoga Tree's teacher training program, and will always be thankful for having had this enriching experience. She draws on resources from previous professional experience in dance and elementary education as she continues to learn, teach, share, and move alongside others.

Sylvie P (she/her)
​RYT 200​​
EM Yoga Foundations Teacher

Sylvie, originally from France, began practicing yoga as a way to cope with persistent anxiety and freeze response. In its mindful practices and ancient teachings, she found answers and techniques that helped tremendously and convinced her to become a teacher. Through her long-term teachers Maria Williquette and Julia Canfield, both highly intuitive healers in their own right, she was seeped in a cauldron of yogic philosophy and its relationship with western psychology, as well as trauma-informed approaches. Through her teacher and mentor Lynn Jensen (Yoga for Fertility), she also began furthering her healing process thanks to the possibilities offered by Energy Medicine (Donna Eden) and Energy Medicine Yoga (Lauren Walker). Avid to learn and teach, Sylvie then became certified by Lauren Walker as an Energy Medicine Yoga® foundations teacher. She is now pursuing continuing education with Dianne Bondy and Amber Karnes through the Yoga for All training program, so as to make her yoga classes more accessible to different body types.
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Sylvie’s classes are a blend of all these influences. You might hear an occasional poem for inspiration, use hand mudras for concentration, and trace energy lines on your body while you move through gentle and adaptable flows. Her intention is to help guide the thinking mind to rest for the wisdom of the body to emerge.

Alyssa Pizarro (she/her)
​RYT 200​​

After leaving a 10 year corporate career in New York and moving to Seattle, she was able to pursue her passion for yoga which began in 2011.
 
Alyssa likes to emphasize patience and self-acceptance in her classes with an approachable and welcoming tone. Even though she takes yoga seriously, she likes to balance her classes with both humor and playfulness.
 
In 2015, Alyssa completed a 200 hr yoga certification in Nairobi, Kenya through Africa Yoga Project with Live Your Yoga, which is a part of the Baptiste lineage. She is a Development Coordinator and teacher with Yoga Behind Bars, and has attended both Street Yoga and multiple Off the Mat, Into the World trainings. Alyssa is certified as a Level II Reiki instructor and as a Death Doula, and is training to be a Hospice volunteer.
 
Her time practicing yoga has taught her the power behind discovering self-love and she is committed to making yoga accessible to all. While yoga and seva are her passions, Alyssa also enjoys reading, running and spending time with friends and family.​

Kristin Reed
​E-RYT 500​​

Coming from a background of gymnastics and modern dance, Kristin was first attracted to yoga by its physical benefits and discipline. However, once she began she quickly found the true gift of the practice: peace of mind and emotional health and well-being. Kristin completed her 500hr training from Sunstone Academy in 2009 and has been in love with teaching ever since.  

Kristin’s greatest passion is helping others connect with and find freedom in their bodies so that they can move and live to their fullest potential. Her classes emphasize building a solid foundation with strength and proper alignment, while also finding ease in asana and cultivating careful observation of the body and mind.  Outside the classroom Kristin works one-on-one with students as an LMT and practices Traditional Thai Massage. This combines bodywork and herbal therapies to help bring clients physically, mentally, and emotionally back into balance.

Jenny Rhodes
​E-RYT and RPYT​​

Feeling better in your body is just a yoga class away! Jenny loves helping students find calm in the chaos while discovering the self-healing qualities and transformative power of this ancient practice. She started teaching children's yoga in 2005 while living in the UK with her young family and after moving to Seattle 11 years ago, became certified to teach the 'grown-ups', where she's been teaching ever since.
Jenny's been learning, growing and evolving her own yoga practice for over 2 decades and continues to be a lifelong student of yoga. As a teacher, she has a warm, welcoming energy that invites students into their own comfortable space at their own pace. With experience, compassion and skill, she offers Hatha, Vinyasa, Teen & Pre/Postnatal public and private classes, including workshops and twice yearly retreats. She weaves guided meditation, pranayama and yoga philosophy throughout her classes, cultivating fluidity, strength and grace into both her personal practice and her teachings; creating safe, encouraging space for students to work with an appreciation for the body they're in. Yoga is an ever-evolving practice of self-discovery and Jenny believes our greatest gift is to remain patient, curious and forgiving with ourselves each time we step onto our mats, remaining open to what arises. With humor and an open heart, Jenny takes a balanced approach to teaching and to life, bringing inspiration and purpose to everything she offers. It's a practice, and practice makes permanent!
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E-RYT & RPYT (Experienced Registered Yoga Teacher & Registered Pre/Postnatal Yoga Teacher), Postpartum Corrective Exercise Specialist and Certified Life-Coach.

Shubha Simhadri
RYT 500​​

Shubha believes breath has the ability to influence physical, physiological, and emotional health. Through her yoga classes, she focuses on connecting her students with this natural healing tool present in all of us all the time as long as we are alive. All her classes focus on connecting the mind and body through breath, and she is trained to adapt and modify the asanas to serve the student's needs.

She feels fortunate to receive her first Yoga training a decade ago in the T.Krishnamacharya yoga tradition, which focuses on the therapeutic benefits of Yoga using various tools like asana, pranayama, chanting, and meditation.  She continues to get guided by the teachers and mentors from this tradition in her lifelong journey of Yoga.

She loves to do private, semi-private sessions for the students interested in developing their personal practice or pranayama, chanting, Yoga philosophy (Yoga sutras), and ayurvedic cooking.  ​

Mary Kay Bisignano Vadino
​E-RYT 200​​

Mary Kay began her yoga journey in 1999 while recovering from an injury that had interrupted her career as a dancer, choreographer, and dance teacher. She was immediately drawn to the disciple and ritual of yoga. She recognized that not only was she healing from her injury, but also developing strength and flexibility that she had not previously enjoyed and finding relief from chronic tension and pain.  What she did not realize at the time is that yoga would become an integral aspect of her life, nurturing and supporting mental, emotional, and social wellbeing.  Mary Kay continues to teach dance at Dance Fremont and credits her longevity in her career to the infinite benefits of a regular yoga practice.
 
Mary Kay completed her 200-hour RYT certification with Pacific Yoga in 2010 and continues to deepen her professional training through local and international workshops.  She has taught yoga to people of all ages in a variety of setting including: Seattle public schools, health clubs, yoga studios, dance studios, and as a volunteer with Street Yoga serving, homeless youth, young adults, and children in immigration detention facilities and the foster care system.  She continues to study Trauma informed Yoga approaches and techniques and plans to further her connections with this inspiring community.   
 
Mary Kay teaches from a broad spectrum of yoga traditions including Hatha, Iyengar, and Vinyasas. She has been graced with amazing teachers who challenge and inspire her and she aims to do the same for her students.  Her classes are characterized by creative sequencing, anatomical cues, and a playful yet disciplined approach. Mindfulness techniques and breath work are woven into her classes.  She invites students to personalize their practice by staying tuned into sensation, following the breath, and making choices for the most appropriate levels of energetic engagement. Encouraging students to explore mind body connections that fuel vitality, nurture resilience, and promote wellbeing is fundamental to her teaching. Mary Kay is thrilled to be joining the teaching staff at Yoga Tree.  She looks forward to sharing her enthusiasm for the healing powers of yoga with students of all levels of experience. 
 
When not teaching or practicing yoga, you might find Mary Kay hiking, biking, swimming, traveling, or hanging out with a good book.