Dr. Raelynn Deaton Haynes
Owner and Manager, Yoga Instructor (Ashtanga, Hot Yoga, Vinyasa, Rocket, Yin) & Pilates Instructor (Mat levels I, II, III)
Raelynn is a certified Yoga and Pilates instructor. In addition, she has training in Yoga Assisting and Adjusting, and Yoga Massage. She holds a master’s and PhD (Biology and Zoology) and has taught in academia for over 12 years. Before purchasing Willow Gardens Yoga Studio, she left her full-time academic position to pursue her yoga and nutrition career, explore her entrepreneurial spirit, and continue the growth of Willow Gardens Yoga Studios. She is a lecturer at Texas State University in San Marcos, a yoga & Pilates instructor, and a holistic health consultant. Raelynn also leads yoga retreats and yoga and Pilates training.
Kerrie Kelsey
Director of Yoga Teacher Training, Yoga Instructor (Hatha, Rocket, Power, Yin, Vinyasa), Pilates Instructor, and Barre Instructor
Kerrie has always enjoyed an active lifestyle: running, soccer, boxing, and hiking. She found Hot Yoga in 2013 and loved the benefits it provided, both physically and mentally. Finding Pilates, however, has been the biggest game changer in her life. For several years, she had been dealing with constant back pain. As an active person, she found this frustrating and discouraging. Pilates helped her find the relief she needed and taught her how to care for her spine health, balance her body to prevent further injury and build the strength she needed to continue doing what she loved.
Wendy Wray
Studio General Manager, Yoga Instructor (Yin and Restorative), Pilates Instructor
Wendy began her fitness journey in her 30s after deciding to sign up for a triathlon. Always looking for a new challenge, she tried CrossFit in her 40s. Recognizing that there was a need for a safe and judgment-free place for women to work out, she opened and operated a successful women-only CrossFit affiliate after receiving her Level 2 CrossFit Coach certification. In 2022, she received her 50-hour Yin teaching certification. Wendy’s goal is to provide safe and effective training to help people live strong and full lives.
Stacy Clayton
Yoga Instructor (Hot-26), Pilates Instructor (Mat Level I, II, III)
Yoga changed Stacy’s life; she believes it can change yours, too! In 2016, after several knee surgeries rendered her stiff, inflexible, and in chronic pain, she began searching for a new way to challenge her mind and body. At 52, she took her first hot yoga class and hasn’t looked back. In 2018, she took another leap of faith and traveled to Boulder to earn a Bikram-styled hot yoga certificate with Esak Garcia. She enjoyed teaching and sharing her passion for yoga so much that she embarked on another journey. She completed an additional 200-hour hot yoga certification in December 2019. She is also a certified Pilates instructor to round out her repertoire.
Karlee Kaltz
Yoga Teacher (Vinyasa, Yin, Aerial), NASM Certified Personal Trainer
Karlee began practicing yoga in 2016 as a way to connect with her body after she stopped dancing. She quickly realized that it was not only a physical practice, but a spiritual, mental, and emotional practice as well. In the summer of 2018, she completed her RYT200. It was a wonderful opportunity to connect deeper with her own yoga practice. In 2022 she wanted to redo her training and focus more on helping others connect deeper with their yoga practices so she participated in the RYT200 at Willow Gardens Yoga.
Laura Gale
Yoga Instructor (Yin, Hatha, Vinyasa), Pilates Instructor (Mat Certified), Sound Healing, and Meditation
Laura has found yoga multiple times throughout her adult life but became serious about it in 2014. Practicing yoga has helped her work through past trauma and personal health challenges. Laura is a mom of two amazing girls and a zany husband. She fell in love with Yin and devoted much of her continuing education to Yin and meditation. Yin Yoga has taught her to slow down, be present in the moment, and stay calm during times of stress. She infuses humor into her classes, believing laughter is the best medicine. Laura loves sharing what she has learned to help others surrender and find peace within themselves.
Ellie Bostwick
Yoga Instructor (Hot-26, Ashtanga, Yin), Pilates Instructor, Reiki Master, Sound Healing, Musician
Ellie started practicing yoga at the age of 15 in South Carolina, and after moving to NYC for art school in 2010, she discovered Bikram yoga and became certified in the fall of 2014. Along with teaching yoga, Ellie is a musician and began sound healing in 2019. By 2021, she had started her sound healing project (Crystal Voyager Vibes Sound Healing) and regularly facilitated sound baths and yin sound baths. She has trained with Candee Edwards, Danielle Golfarb, and Margie Sanders for sound healing and vibrational sound therapy. She also received her Reiki Master certificate from Izzy Swanson, and the course focused on the Jikiden Reiki lineage, deep trauma healing, and energetic protection. Ellie is available for private sessions using Reiki and vibrational sound therapy techniques.
Belle Stewart
Yoga Instructor (Vinyasa, Gentle)
Belle is a wife to the most amazing man and a mother to 2 beautiful little yogis in training. Her yoga journey began at Willow Gardens after a back injury incurred while weightlifting. She has experience with Vinyasa, Hatha, Hot, Yin, Power, Restorative, Ashtanga, and Iyengar Yoga. Belle enjoys incorporating her Christian faith in her classes and pushing her students to be their best on and off the mat.
Carly Badke
Yoga Instructor (Vinyasa, Yin)
Carly enrolled in yoga teacher training in 2017 to further dedicate herself to the practice and self-care, with no intention of becoming a teacher. The universe had other plans, and she’s been teaching ever since! Her grounding and approachable style encourages new and seasoned students to consciously integrate breath, movement, rest, and mindfulness to inspire us to be more kindly connected to ourselves, our communities, and the earth. Carly also holds a Master of Science in Higher Education and spent a decade working with college students in academic and community engagement programs. Off the mat, she enjoys getting her hands dirty in her mini backyard garden, cuddling with her adopted dog Bodhi, and co-managing her partner’s monster art business.
Erica Llewellyn
Pilates Instructor (Comprehensive), Yoga Instructor (Vinyasa, Gentle, Yin, Restorative,) and NASM Certified Personal Trainer
Erica started as a Certified Personal Trainer in the fitness and wellness industry in 2008. In 2010, personal training became her full-time career. She took a Pilates class in this role and couldn’t believe how challenging it felt. She kept taking classes and began understanding muscle activation and compensation in a way she hadn’t before. She learned this within herself, but it also allowed her to access a new way of teaching. She obtained a Comprehensive Certification through Peak Pilates in 2012 and has loved sharing Pilates with many people over the years.
Katie Gates
Barre Instructor, Pilates Instructor, ACE Certified Health Coach
Katie has loved moving for as long as she can remember. Starting dance classes at age 3, she began teaching fitness as a personal trainer and group exercise instructor while pursuing her BFA in Dance in St. Louis. As a dancer, Katie's first Pilates classes showed her how much the use of the breath can aid deep muscle work and the importance of muscle specificity, as opposed to just throwing yourself around to get an exercise done. Katie was introduced to the Hot 26 postures in 2002 and has been stretching in hot studios ever since!
Karrie Sheehan
Yoga Instructor (Healing Yoga, Wake Up & Stretch), Barre Instructor, Musician
Born in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, Karrie was interested in music from a young age. One holiday, she got a keyboard and started playing around with different sounds and rhythms. She never had formal training, so she would attempt to figure songs out “by ear.” Her most significant breakthrough came after college when she started playing drums to jam with her brother. She was hooked and wanted to learn all she could! She began taking lessons and continued doing that for several years. During this time, she was asked to join several bands, and she even taught drums one summer at the Salvation Army’s Music Conservatory. She also completed her 200HR Yoga Training and Yin Training.
Greg King
Yoga Instructor (Vinyasa, Yin)
Greg has 300 hours of yoga teacher training and he especially enjoys teaching gentle flows. Greg started his yoga journey around 2011 after a major car accident that cause damage to his lower back and shoulders. Not a native Texan, but he has fully converted and married a true Texan. Along with his partner and kids, they are a family of yogis that have seen the personal benefits both physically and mentally this practice and bring. As a former musician he enjoys incorporating music and creating playlist that set the mood for the yoga class. After years of progressing his personal practice he loves to share this energy, knowledge and sense of community with others.
Claudia Sand
Yoga Instructor (Hot-26, Vinyasa, Yin)
Claudia started her yoga journey in November 2015 when Willows Gardens in Buda opened its doors. After suffering from chronic back pain, she started with the HOT-26 practice 4 times a week. This practice helped her to overcome my back pain, and she fell in love with the way it had changed her body and mind. After several Yoga challenges and workshops, she took a 200-hour Yoga Teacher Training plus a 50HR HOT26 immersion training. In 2022, she added a 50HR Yin training; in February 2023, she finished her 200HR HOT Teacher Training.
Erica Nava
Yoga Instructor (vinyasa, chair, restorative) and Pilates Instructor
Erika Nava is a 200hr RY Teacher and she completed her Pilates training at Willow Gardens Yoga studio in Texas. Erika is a bilingual teacher in English and Spanish.
Erika, a runner, discovered Yoga in 2009 after suffering multiple knee injuries. Since then, she has maintained her practice to release stress and strengthen her body, mind, and spirit. Yoga has proven to be her best preventive and corrective therapy. Erika's multilevel classes combine core strengthening, injury prevention, and restorative postures and exercises.
Erika’s mission is to make Yoga and Pilates accessible to everyone and share their transformational effects. She is also a wife, mother of three grown children, a Latina leader, and a passionate engineer who specializes in continuous improvement and project management in the food industry.
Kayla Tizzano
Yoga Instructor (Vinyasa)
Kayla Tizzano is a passionate teacher who has completed two 200-HR YTT courses in Indonesia (East and West philosophy) and Austin. She has diverse experience in various yoga styles, including vinyasa, slow burn, ashtanga, yin, and hatha yoga.
Kayla's practice has taught her the value of intuition, failing and learning quickly, and leaving emotional baggage behind. She leads her life with humility and a smile and hopes to create a supportive and welcoming environment for her students to explore their yoga journeys.
Michelle Key
Yoga Instructor (Hot-26)
Michelle has been practicing yoga since March 2016. She has practiced various types of yoga, including Iyengar, Hatha, Vinyasa, Ashtanga, Yin, and Core Power Yoga. However, her first class at Willow Gardens was a Hot 26 class, which has become her passion ever since. In the fall of 2022, she completed a 200-hour Hot 26 teacher training and began teaching classes for Willow Gardens in the spring of 2023. In her free time, she enjoys road-tripping with her husband and lighting up the lives of her three children and four grandchildren, who are beyond blessed to call her “Mimi.”
Rebecca Knowles
Yoga Instructor (Hatha, Vinyasa, Gentle, Restorative) and Occupational Therapist
Rebecca is a registered yoga teacher and occupational therapist with over a decade of teaching experience. Her classes offer a balance of alignment and flow that is accessible and heart-centered while helping to build and refine skills. She hopes every student leaves class feeling more connected to themselves, others, and the world around them. Anusara, Vinyasa, and Iyengar are the ones who most influence her teaching. Rebecca is a new mom and enjoys running, cycling, and spending time in nature.
Nicole Marie
Yoga Instructor (Hatha, Vinyasa, Yin, Chair Yoga, Pre/ Post Natal, Yoga Nidra, Kundalini), Tai Chi, and Pilates Instructor
My name is Nicole Marie. After I had an extremely personal and devastating loss in my life, my friend and initial yoga mentor suggested I try yoga to find terra firma again. I have not looked back since. I am trained in the Hatha and Kundilini Yoga traditions, each at the 500 hour level. Now that I have been teaching yoga for 12 years the practice I share embodies hours of training and personal experience with many yoga masters. As a result I approach the mat from the perspective of the individual body's unique needs; this means we begin our practice right where we are.
Aimee Wagner
Yoga Instructor (Hot-26)
In 2008, Aimee discovered hot yoga as a sanctuary from the relentless pace of corporate life. The practice provided a sanctuary of heat and mindfulness, offering her a much-needed escape and a way to manage the stress of my demanding job. What began as a personal retreat soon blossomed into a profound journey of self-discovery and transformation. This rigorous practice, rooted in ancient yoga traditions, enhances physical strength and flexibility and fosters mental clarity and emotional resilience. She fell in love with it instantly.
For years, she dreamed of leaving the corporate grind behind and embracing a career in teaching yoga. In March 2024, she completed a 100-hour training program, which deepened her understanding of the practice and refined her teaching skills. Today, she is thrilled to live her dream and share hot yoga's transformative power with others. She is excited to continue her journey of growth and learning by pursuing additional training soon and expanding her teaching repertoire.
Please join Aimee for a rejuvenating hot yoga session. She looks forward to guiding you on your path to wellness and transformation.
Substitutes
David Collins
Yoga Instructor (RYT 200hr)
When David is not doing HVAC work, hiking, camping, riding his motorcycle, or hanging out with friends and family, you can find him practicing or guiding a class at Willow Gardens. David started his practice about 7 years ago, realizing that weight training did little for his balance and coordination. He found himself looking for a solution, dropped into a yoga class, and has been practicing ever since.
Gage Howell - Guest Teacher
Yoga Instructor (Vinyasa) and Licensed Massage Therapist
Hello! I’m Gage. I’ve spent the last 8 years learning through formal study and deep personal exploration what it means to exist in and out of the form of this particular human. Over the course of those years I have accumulated a degree in Comparative Religious Studies, a 200hr Yoga Teacher Training, a Massage Therapist License, and countless hours of formal continuing education and personal practice in a wide range of disciplines both ancient and modern.
Affiliates
Alli King - Guest Teacher
Yoga Instructor (Kids Yoga, Life Coach, Vinyasa, Meditation, Neuro-linguistic programming)
Alli is a real estate agent, coach, yoga teacher, guide, spiritual gangster, design nerd, mom, spouse, sister, and friend. Alli’s passion is helping others find their purpose and thrive in it. In 2020, she took what she loved about interior design, helping the people inside the spaces she worked on, and shifted her focus to how to guide people in all aspects of their lives. Alli wants to spread love & light in this world and encourage people to understand their patterns to step into their best selves.
Michele Schalin - Collaborator
Michele Schalin is an international speaker, author, mental fitness coach, breathwork facilitator, and meditation guide—the trailblazer in Mindful Metamorphosis. For over thirty years, she has been an unstoppable force that educates, guides, and supports people on their journey to personal development, spiritual growth, and inner transformation. As an expert in mental fitness training, she provides strategies for controlling one's thoughts, changing subconscious beliefs, regulating emotions better, managing stress healthily, and manifesting greatness into reality; the possibilities are endless.
Michele is an intrepid adventurer who always seeks to explore the unknown and share her journey with others. Her unstoppable spirit ignites genuine connection wherever she goes, from meaningful conversations to spontaneous singing and dancing. She lives life fully, embracing nature hikes and yoga and continuously seeking opportunities to elevate the collective consciousness. To know Michele is to be touched by her contagious smile and infectious laughter.