Our Teachers & Staff

Lynn Olexy
Lynn Olexy
Owner

Lynn Olexy is the co-owner and operator of Downtown Yoga. She comes to the mat with over 30 years of experience in health and wellness and her B.S. in Exercise Science, Dance Education and Business. Her passion for fitness took a turn when she discovered yoga 15 years ago and realized that “beating her body up” was not necessary to achieve her goals. She has a long history in the Carroll County community of establishing and managing a successful yoga studio. She has her 200 hour yoga certification through Charm City under the guidance of Kim Manfredi and in 2019 completed her 500 hour CYT at Downtown Yoga through Yoga Works.

Her classes are athletic yet authentic in her combination of flow with breath. Off the mat you will find her spending time with her family and 2 basset hounds, enjoying the outdoors or spending time at the beach. Her motto is…be kind to everyone along the way, as we all have our own stories.

Jamie Schneeman
Jamie Schneeman
Owner

Jamie Schneeman is the co-owner and operator of Downtown Yoga. She earned her BS in Exercise Science and Sports Coaching and obtained her MA in Administration. She began teaching group exercise in Westminster, and was trained by Kim Manfredi of Charm City Yoga in 2012. She earned her 200 hour CYT from Michelle Allen at Downtown Yoga in 2017 and in 2019 completed her 500 hour CYT through Yoga Works at Downtown Yoga. She enjoys teaching classes where you challenge and strengthen your physical and mental capabilities.
Jamie, Chadd, and Lynn opened Downtown Yoga in 2016.


Allison Korycki
Allison Korycki

Allison Korycki is a yoga teacher, mother and music lover who believes in you and your ability to manifest the life you love. Her uplifting classes welcome you as you are, blending fluid vinyasa, breath awareness, and soul-nourishing affirmations to live a more joyful, balanced and conscious life now. She incorporates yogic philosophy, energetics, chanting and free movement into the physical practice. You’ll leave her class feeling rejuvenated, inspired and empowered. For ten years, she mentored Baltimore’s top yoga teachers while overseeing the Charm City Yoga and YogaWorks studios. She has been a teacher trainer since 2011. She is 500 hour certified by Charm City Yoga under Kim Manfredi and is 200 hour certified by YogaWorks under Patty Quintero & Vytas Basauskas. Additionally, she studied Prenatal Yoga with Heather Hamlin Brown, Chakra Yoga with Anodea Judith, and trained in the Quiet Winds Method with Brianna Bedigian. She studied Philosophy and Political Science at East Carolina University. She lives in Baltimore with her husband and 2 sons, and enjoys seeing live music, solving crossword puzzles, and traveling often.

Amy Budzynski
Amy Budzynski

Amy is the mom of 2 boys and has been involved in group fitness for well over 16 years. She started her career as an elementary school teacher and then became a stay at home mom. Group exercise classes became a part of her everyday routine. In 2014 Amy decided to share her love of fitness and became an instructor. She is certified in both Les Mills Body Step and Soul Body Barre, as well as Barre Above. Amy loves the feeling working out gives her and sharing that feeling with others.

Brandi Kupchella
Brandi Kupchella
Brandi Kupchella is a Mountain West girl living in an East Coast world. A lifelong athlete, she was an avid runner after college sports ended and would have kept running until an injury brought her to group exercise back in 2014. Initially resistant to “working out with other humans” she found energy, community, and drive through sweating it out with others. Little did she know that her first cycle class would lead her to becoming an instructor of cycling, boot camps, muscle conditioning and eventually, through another injury to yoga. And that is where the game changed.
Brandi went from dabbling in yoga on rest days to finding the same athletic challenges and opportunities for growth as in her other classes. Her exploration of yoga has taught her that ALL physical activities should be Mind/Body and that movement of any kind is a blessing. She has an anatomical approach to yoga, focusing on breath and sensation to guide your body through your practice, and encouraging connection to where your body is in space and time. She also has been known to encourage spontaneous dance parties in her classes, because if you aren’t having fun in class, we are doing something wrong. She believes fitness is for everyBODY and does her best to provide options for success for all her students, whatever their goals may be.
Brandi and her family moved to Westminster in the summer of 2021. They have lived in seven states in 12 years and are looking forward to camping out in Westminster for as long as possible with two busy kids doing school, sports, and music! In her limited spare time, Brandi enjoys reading, working out, and dragging her reluctant family on hikes that never end.
Brooke Hagerty
Brooke Hagerty

Brooke is a graduate of DTY’s 2023 200-hour teacher training program under the guidance of Chris Mapp. Brooke came to yoga after the death of her son and has often referred to yoga and DTY as “lifesaving”. Her classes offer up more than the physical practice of yoga, the mental and spiritual aspect are evident as soon as you step into the room. With a concentration in Yin Brooke believes that in order to evolve your physical practice you truly need to embrace the spiritual aspect of the practice both on and off the mat.

In addition to Brooke’s teacher training, she is a health coach focusing on movement and nourishment, she teaches cooking classes (both private and public) and is an advocate for many local non-profits. When not on the mat you can find Brooke out in nature, often with her dog Lily and husband Ken.

Chris Mapp
Chris Mapp

Chris Mapp has been in the health and wellness industry in many differing ways since 2000. In addition to being a 500 hour certified yoga teacher, she teaches fitness classes of all kinds and is also a Professional bodybuilder. As an athlete, Chris understands the importance of flexibility and mobility as a way to enhance athletic performance and has found yoga to be a welcomed addition to her fitness routine. As a former massage therapist and personal trainer her appreciation and fascination with the human body is evident in the way she teaches while her passion for helping others find their best selves motivates her to keep growing as an educator. Chris prides herself on making her classes fun and accessible to everyone, making certain to give plenty of modifications for yogis of all levels, from beginners to advanced.

Chrissy Niper
Chrissy Niper

Chrissy started practicing yoga in 2014 to rehabilitate a game-changing soccer injury. It was then that she began to fall in love with yoga. Her competitive side wanted to learn all the cool poses, but her heart fell in love with getting to who she was deep down inside. Over the years her practice has evolved, and her competitiveness was replaced with a desire to show others what they were capable of. Today, Chrissy teaches strength, self-confidence, and kindness. She teaches postures, breath, and endurance. Chrissy teaches her students to enjoy the moment, the pose, and the beauty of yoga. Whether you are new to yoga or a seasoned yogi Chrissy will challenge you to know your limits and embrace where you are in your body. Chrissy completed her 200-hour yoga teacher training through Downtown Yoga in 2017 and her 300 Hour Yoga Teacher Training through Asheville Yoga Center in 2021.

Christen Shritter
Christen Shritter

Christen Shritter has been practicing and teaching yoga for over 10 years. Yoga has been a valuable source of healing for her and sharing this practice with others is one of her greatest joys. She has participated in over 800 hours of yoga teacher training with many wonderful teachers through Charm City Yoga, Kripalu Yoga Center, Pranakria Yoga, YogaWorks, and Katonah Yoga. Her classes include vinyasa yoga, breath work, meditation, real world philosophy, and good music. Everyone is welcome in this no judgment space.

E-RYT 200; RYT 500; RPYT

Colleen Bollinger
Colleen Bollinger

Colleen practices yoga because she can’t hide when stepping onto the mat. It allows her to be vulnerable and empowered at the same time. She learns something that can be integrated into her life off the mat and it often allows her to find balance in chaotic times. Yoga brings her back to who she want to be and who she is working on becoming. The connection and energy Colleen feels with her students inspires her every time she teaches. She is in awe of their presence and commitment to showing up, which is often the hardest part, and is deeply honored that they allow her to be part of their journey. The highlight of teaching for Colleen is the transformation that occurs; every class is unique and everyone contributes to the flow, feel and rhythm creating an authentic unique experience, creating space for change. Teaching all that is related to mind and body has been her passion for 3-decades. Colleen is RYT-200 hour certified, a 600-hour trained Massage Therapist and certified Group Fitness instructor. Colleen is a firm believer in the saying by Eleanor Roosevelt, “Do one thing that scares you every day” and she feels yoga embodies this expression every time we step onto our mat, allowing us the opportunity to melt away the layers of armor we wear in hopes of finding our true selves. Namaste!

Gina Wah
Gina Wah

Gina discovered yoga shortly after graduating college almost 20 years ago. She has always been an extremely active person. After experiencing repeated injuries from high impact workouts, she began looking for alternate ways to exercise. It only took one yoga class and she was obsessed! She found yoga to be fulfilling on so many levels. It was challenging yet calming, and she left feeling like a million bucks every single time. Her injuries became way less frequent and she never had to convince herself to attend a class. This was the “love-love” relationship with exercise she never knew existed. She believes you should not have to dread working out, instead you should discover a way you enjoy moving your body. One of her favorite yoga teachers once told her “Choose Joy!” and she has been living life by that motto ever since.

After 20 years on the mat, Gina had a desire to dig deeper and expand her knowledge of yoga. She completed her 200-hour yoga certification through Westminster Downtown Yoga under the guidance of Chris Mapp. She immersed herself in the philosophical and spiritual aspects of yoga. This in-depth education changed her life on and off the mat in ways that she didn’t think was possible. She believes the mind body connection that yoga helps you discover is invaluable. Through yoga, Gina hopes to help others experience that enlightenment as they pursue their truest form of joy.

Gina’s approach to yoga is rooted in the benefits of the physical practice while maintaining the vitality of the mental and emotional gain. She focuses on the balance between strength and flexibility, effort, and ease. She encourages you to challenge yourself to find your edge while truly listening to your body and honoring where you are in your practice. In her classes you can expect to move, sweat, breathe, self-reflect, de-stress and become a stronger person inside and out.

Heather Thomas
Heather Thomas

In 2019 Heather received her 200hr RYT, along with her Advanced 500hr RYT certification through Yoga Alliance. Trained in New York City, she received her certification as a Yoga 4 Cancer Instructor in 2019.
She is passionate and energetic about sharing the benefits of yoga while making a difference to the health and well-being of others. She aims to provide students with the ability to quiet their minds and open their hearts while mindfully introducing a yoga practice that is skillful, intelligent, and enjoyable. She focuses on intelligent yoga, which is a practice that is not just physically safe but also conducive to emotional and spiritual growth. She wants them to benefit from the sense of relaxation and stress relief that yoga can provide.
She gracefully weaves a mixed level flow in her teachings. Her classes cover beginner asanas, sun salutations, standing poses, hip openers, twists, back bends, and basic inversions. Her students can build a strong base while gaining flexibility, strength, and stamina. As a teacher, she expresses herself in a way that makes her students feels safe, confident, and accepted exactly as they are. Judgement and self-criticism are left at the door and she strives to create a supportive community that is inclusive and compassionate for all.
Her professional career in clinical research has helped transfer her caring and compassionate attributes from her patients to her students. Her favorite thing to do is to spend quality time with family and friends.
By spreading kindness on and off the mat, she nurtures her students in discovering their abilities to be in tune with their body, mind, and spirit.

Jill Grubb
Jill Grubb

Jill is a mother of four and a lover of yoga and exercise. She was introduced to yoga in college, as a means to complement running and other activities. While skeptical at first, she quickly became a lover of the practice and the way it made her body and mind feel. She continued to practice on her own, sometimes regularly, sometimes not, until she was given the opportunity to become certified and teach yoga at Center Street Yoga, in 2012. After her initial training at Charm City Yoga, she decided to further her training and completed her 200 hour yoga training. She enjoys teaching a variety of yoga styles, including vinyasa, restorative, children’s yoga and power yoga, and feels there is a type of yoga for everyone! She has seen, first hand, the ways in which yoga can bring balance, strength, calm and healing into the lives of others.

Jillian Shepard
Jillian Shepard

Jillian is a wife and mom of 3. There is never a dull moment in her life. Her family is energetic, fun, compassionate, and full of spunk. Yoga creates the state of balance in her life. Jillian found yoga 4 years ago, or perhaps it found her. She quickly learned that it was not something simple. It made her work physically, emotionally, and spiritually. Though she takes the asana practice seriously, her practice extends far off of her mat. Yoga has calmed her. Yoga has strengthened her. Yoga has made her live in the present. Yoga has healed her. Yoga has balanced her. She embarked on a teaching path in 2017, when she was given the opportunity to share her passion with others. Jillian trained for her 200-hour certification through a Charm City curriculum, under the guidance of Michelle Allen, at Downtown Yoga. In 2018 she furthered her training, becoming a certified Childlight Yoga and Mindfulness Children’s Instructor. She wants to help children learn to be calm, strong, and brave; believing that they could benefit from learning to listen to their inner voice early on. Her purpose in life is to help those around her heal, laugh, and be the best version of themselves. Join her in a well-balanced class, one that will make you sweat, laugh, and be still.

Julie Williams
Julie Williams

Julie Williams began teaching barre in the spring of 2021 after being a student for several months. She loves not only the physical challenge, but the mental challenge of it as well. She believes exercise is the best form of self-care and that everybody is a barre body! The previous ballerina in her loves the dance aspects of barre as well! You can find her taking other barres, yoga, and cycle classes from the other amazing DTY instructors.

Ka’ren Murchie
Ka’ren Murchie

Ka’ren discovered yoga at a time when she felt burnt out from the daily grind of life. Yoga provided her with a renewed sense of calm in her hectic life as a public-school teacher while raising her teenage daughter. She fell in love with the practice and began practicing daily, soon realizing that yoga had become the most important part of her day. Yoga provided a way for her to get grounded and centered in mind, body, and spirit, which remains a daily practice today. Through yoga, Ka’ren has become more flexible, emotionally grounded, gained self-confidence, and improved her overall wellness routine. Yoga has strengthened her immune system and expanded her spiritual practice of meditation and mindfulness. In 2023 Ka’ren completed her 200hr RYT at Downtown Yoga to deepen her personal practice and to share her passion for life though teaching yoga to all who are willing. She started teaching yoga professionally immediately after graduation and looks forward to continuing to grow as a lifelong learner. From beginners to advanced level and anywhere in between, Ka’ren teaches from a supportive, kind place of tranquility and spirituality. As a yoga teacher, Ka’ren encourages growth and challenges students’ practice by supporting all levels of learning. Ka’ren’s approach to yoga remains focused on the balance between breath work, strength, flexibility, exertion, and release. Her classes focus on Vinyasa Flow and the 8 limbs of Patanjali’s yoga sutras on and off the mat.

Kristen SanGiovanni
Kristen SanGiovanni
Kristen has always loved physical activity. She discovered yoga while in treatment for her breast cancer diagnosis in 2011 and fell in love with all aspects of it. The movement, breathwork, and mindfulness help her to stay grounded on and off the mat. 
Already an educator in the middle school sector, her love for adolescents and her passion for teaching led her to Downtown Yoga’s 200-hour teacher training in 2022.  She received her certification and hopes to help others (at every age) enjoy the benefits of a regular yoga practice.
Kristin Tucci
Kristin Tucci

Kristin has actively been instructing classes for over 20 years. Athletics have always been a passion of hers through her school years and she decided to start as a group fitness instructor at the age of 18. She loves good food, good music, and good wine! She also loves to show her passion for a healthy lifestyle to her two children. She is a certified Les Mills Bodycombat instructor, and she teaches freestyle yoga and cardio conditioning.  She recently took a newfound passion in cycling, and is super excited to share her passion for the bike with others.  She feels at home when she can bring her passion and drive to her students to create a killer class!  She is looking forward to teaching to the amazing community at DTY.

Laura Pollard
Laura Pollard

Laura has been teaching cycle since 2002 at various clubs in Westminster, Annapolis, and Baltimore. Her fitness certifications include Reebok Cycle, AFAA Cycle, Barre, and Group Ex. She loves teaching freestyle classes that include HIIT, Tabatas, Powerzone, and endurance training. These classes allow her to focus on members different fitness goals, offer a challenging workout and an awesome calorie burn! Coaching you with motivational music and creating a workout that fits your style, will have you coming back for more! Bringing the outdoor ride indoors. #yougotthis

Marie Triplett
Marie Triplett

Marie Triplett is a fun loving, light-hearted yoga teacher who enjoys creating space for her students to engage in a playful and joyful exploration of this physical and spiritual practice. Expect to laugh, sweat, be inspired, and challenged in equal measure. Marie’s mission is to provide a well-balanced class that helps her students find tools through yoga that can transcend beyond the mat. Marie found yoga in 2002 and after practicing a variety of styles of yoga for more than 10 years, she trained in Baltimore, MD under the guidance of Kim Manfredi, founder of Charm City Yoga in the 200 and 500 hour teacher training programs. Additionally, she has taken workshops with many leaders in the yoga world to include Kathryn Budig, Dharma Mittra, and Rodney Yee. As an avid food lover, she is also passionate about sharing delicious recipes and the spirit of family through her blog.

Melissa Salazar-Goon
Melissa Salazar-Goon

Yoga has been a part of Melissa’s life for 16 years. Yoga has taught this mother of three how to be more flexible and mindful both on and off the mat, as well as how to find forgiveness for herself as a human. Melissa’s motto is “Yoga is a practice, not perfection!”
Working with Well Advantage of Sykesville, MD, Melissa began teaching onsite at corporations to facilitate healthier, happier employees. She enjoyed teaching at Toyota, Wachovia and The Baltimore National Aquarium. She went on to complete her 200 RYT with Leslie Coombs at Avalon Yoga Studio of Catonsville, MD. She is forever grateful to all of her teachers along the way, in the studio and life.
In her classes she offers the foundation for the student to explore and challenge their personal expression of yoga while joining the breath with movement.

Michelle Ament DeFeo
Michelle Ament DeFeo

Michelle is a mother of 4 with over 20 years experience in group fitness. Besides studying Interdisciplinary Studies at UMBC, she holds multiple certifications in Barre and Les Mills programming. Michelle remains fueled and inspired by the positive impact she has on the participants in the classes she leads, as well as our community.

Rebecca Ballantine
Rebecca Ballantine

Rebecca Ballantine began practicing yoga at the age of nineteen to add flexibility and relaxation into her workout routines. Learning more about the incredible benefits of yoga; both physically and mentally, she began incorporating it more into her regular fitness schedule. In 2017, Rebecca embarked on her yoga journey to obtain her 200-RYT certification through Charm City yoga/YogaWorks at Downtown Yoga in Westminster, MD. She continued her educational yoga journey in 2019 to complete her advanced 500hr RYT certification through yoga works, hosted by Downtown yoga. She has additional training in Restorative yoga and Yin yoga. Rebecca believes that we are forever students, always learning!

Rebecca provides a holistic approach to yoga; as she is also a registered nurse, and will provide a caring and safe environment to ensure that everyone has a fantastic practice. Rebecca has a loving yet joyful disposition, welcoming to all.

“Escaping onto my mat provides me a sense of belonging and purpose, along with personal time to challenge my body and mind.” -Rebecca Ballantine

Samantha Yingling
Samantha Yingling

Sam Yingling has been practicing yoga for over 12 years, and in 2022 committed to practicing daily for an entire year. She quickly saw amazing benefits in her mind, body, and spirit; and heard a whisper from her intuition that guiding others in the yoga practice would be part of her story. She enrolled in Downtown Yoga’s 200 Hour teacher training, completing the program in May 2023. As someone who has dealt with depression and anxiety since adolescence, yoga has given her a sense of well being and peace that nothing else ever has, and she is thus very passionate about sharing the mental health benefits of yoga. She encourages everyone to come exactly as they are to the mat, and provides a judgment free space for a dynamic and fun physical practice and mental respite.

In her free time, you can likely find Sam sitting on her deck with a good book, gardening, or hanging out with her husband and two sons, just enjoying the simple things in life.

Sarah Huezen
Sarah Huezen

Sarah Huezen started practicing yoga regularly 2 years ago wanting to bring a different level of wellness to her life. She found that not only did she love the strength building benefits but more so the calm, balance, mindfulness and sense of community that it brought to her life. In 2017 Sarah received her RYT 200 hr certification through charm city yoga/yoga works under the guidance of Michelle Allen at downtown yoga in Westminster. Sarah believes yoga can be loved and practiced by all bringing a sense of peace and mindfulness, strength, flexibility and sunshine into your life. Being able to teach and spread the benefits of coming to your mat alongside others and take that feeling out and share it with your community is what she hopes to achieve, knowing that passing on something as simple as a smile can brighten anyone’s day.

Toby
Toby
Toby always wanted to become a fitness instructor once she retired, but during the pandemic decided to embrace the now as she became a certified Pilates instructor. She found that Pilates changes the way you use your body. It helps improve strength, coordination, flexibility, and posture in a different way than any other exercise, and she loves bringing that knowledge to new people. Her Pilates classes begin with stabilizing your energy through grounding techniques and then continue with consciously moving the body through the Pilates mat sequence. She designs her classes to present new challenges each time to help you evoke a personal power within. Toby is also a certified meditation and mindfulness teacher, and she infuses these principles throughout her classes.