MEET OUR INSTRUCTORS

 Kelli discovered yoga in a dusty community room almost thirty years ago when yoga was not as popular as today. Everything about it was perfect!  Over the years, this mother, runner, and high school teacher practiced yoga. Slowly and surely, it deepened from just a physical practice to a mental and spiritual way of life.  Kelli’s style of yoga and class atmosphere harken back to those first fun, encouraging Hatha classes along with specific trainings that she holds dear. Some trainings that have influenced her approach and makeup of a class: Restorative Yoga Training for calming the nerves and soul; Trauma Sensitive Training for keeping the class and students feeling safe; Traumatic Brain Injury Training for those recovering from concussions, strokes or other neurological conditions. Classes by Kelli are slower inviting the students to hold poses longer to lengthen and strengthen while also noting our bodies’ strengths and limits. 

 Michael has been studying and practicing yoga since the year 2000.  He completed his yoga teacher training five years later at the youthful age of 60. His classes are beneficial for students of all levels. He completed teacher training with Deb Neubauer in 2006, and completed advanced studies with master Anusara Yoga teachers as follows:

• Three teacher trainings with John Friend…founder of Anusara Yoga.
• 50 hours of workshops with Todd Norian
• 60 hours of workshops with Desiree Rumbaugh
• 2 weekend workshops with Doug Keller
• 13 years of meditation practice and study with Paul Muller Ortega.

Michael is also a professional classical guitarist who plays live guitar music for relaxation poses at the end of every class.  His objective for every class is that each student leaves feeling more enlivened, more awake, and more grateful for their every breath than they did when they came in the door.

 Michelle Moody Adshead of Reiki in the Woods is a level lll Shinpiden Reiki teacher and practitioner. Her Reiki and Shamanic based intuitive healing practice is located at her home in So.Portland, ME.  There she teaches traditional Japanese Reiki 1 and 2 certification classes and sees clients for private sessions. Michelle is a 200hr yoga teacher, and is currently working on her 500RYT. She teaches weekly yoga classes at Yoga, Etc in Falmouth, ME. She is also a Registered Maine Guide and Leave No Trace educator. Michelle's intention as a teacher, intuitive healer and wilderness guide is to assist her students and clients on their path to self-healing and self-love. 

and soul. More information about Michelle and her offerings at https://reikiinthewoods.com/

 Nicole's yoga journey began over 20 years ago when she was introduced to the practice while working as a case manager at a residential facility for previously incarcerated people experiencing substance use disorder.  The sense of calm she discovered and the feeling of being connected to her body that the practice provided was something she had no idea was missing from her life. Fast forward 10 years, 2 kids and a cross country move later and Nicole found herself in a 200 hour teacher training with Alice Ricardi at Portland Power Yoga. Since that first training, over 10 years ago, she has gone on to train in Yin Yoga with Josh Summers, Yoga Nidra, Meditation and Breathwork, Anatomy for Yoga all through the Shiva Shakti School of Yoga, Restorative Yoga with Margo Rosingana, a number or trainings for Trauma Informed Yoga and was a founding member of SeaChange Yoga. Nicole has taught in studios, homes, offices, youth homes, jails, on beaches and on Zoom!  Her classes are trauma informed where she aims to create a safe space for all bodies, allowing you to show up as you are in that moment.  She teaches in an authentic, lighthearted and relatable manner, giving clear instructions both verbally and visually. In addition to teaching yoga, she is a Mayo Clinic Certified Wellness Coach.  She currently lives in Portland with her partner Jane, two teenagers and way too many animals!

Michelle began practicing yoga 10 years ago while working through her own healing journey. She fell in love with the practice and its ability to move emotions through the body and transform them. 

In 2019 she completed 200 hour teacher training with Leslie Hartwell of Well Heart Yoga. Michelle is pursuing Yin and Restorative certification in the Spring/Summer of 2024. 

In addition to teaching classes at Yoga etc, Michelle  teaches classes at Meow Cat Lounge in Westbrook as well as leading healing and yoga retreats. 

 Her goal is to meet and to honor where each student is, Helping them to come home to their bodies and to heal themselves through movement and breath work. She has a passion for creating thoughtful dynamic sequences as well as restorative and yin style practices, meditation and yoga nidra . 

Michelle lives in Lewiston with her husband, son, and 2 cats. When she’s not teaching, Michelle loves to read, spend time outside, and cooking/baking. In addition to teaching yoga she has worked in the Maine restaurant industry for 15 years. 

Lance is a long time yogi and a new yoga instructor.  He completed a 200 hour YTT in 2023 at Portland Yoga Collective.  Lance is a husband, yoga teacher, cat dad and stepdad.  He is passionate about paddle boarding, gardening, hiking and camping. As a woodworker by trade, he has a lot of experience in building and repairing things.

Currently, Lance is also an instructor with Sea Change Yoga.  He is a person in recovery from substance use disorder, and yoga has been transformative in his life.  He is dedicated to bringing the healing power of yoga to people in institutions and the community.

He is quietly enthusiastic about guiding people through mindful movement, breathing techniques and meditations for all levels and all bodies.

Originally a Jersey girl, Melissa spent much of her adult life in Philadelphia, where it feels like 'home.'  She is very much an extrovert and also highly empathic.  She is a wife to a wonderful husband and mother to many cats, is a vegetarian, and is living alcohol-free in beautiful, nature-filled Maine. 

Melissa holds a Ph.D. in Educational Psychology from Temple University, along with a M.S. in Clinical and Counseling Psychology and a B.S. in Rehabilitation Psychology, both from the University of Central Missouri. She received her yoga teaching certification from Studio 34 in West Philadelphia in 2019. 

  Jessica is a fitness instructor, runner, and health coach who has been in the elementary classroom for over two decades. A long time fitness enthusiast, she discovered yoga while taking a break from overtraining.  After falling in love with yoga and its many benefits, she was inspired to complete her 200 hour yoga teacher training with Leslee Hartwell of Well Heart Yoga in 2018. Her wellness journey continued when she became a health coach.    

Combining her love of teaching and passion for health, she started a coaching business (www.simply-jess.com) helping her clients implement lifestyle changes while supporting them on their wellness journey. With a comprehensive background in fitness and teaching, Jessica believes that movement and achieving optimal health should be enjoyable and intuitive.     

While not at school or teaching fitness classes, you can find her soaking up sunshine at the beach, tending her garden, traveling with her husband and keeping her dogs Violet and Max out of mischief.