our | teachers

DWELL COLLECTIVE TEACHER

I am a sociocultural anthropologist with a love for cultivating experiences and communities to promote physical, mental, social, and emotional health. Originally from North Carolina, I moved to New Mexico for graduate school where I discovered the effect yoga and other forms of movement can have on my well-being, particularly my mental health. For the past several years, I've taught other forms of group exercise, including serving as a master trainer for POUND. Rockout. Workout. where I've had the pleasure of teaching new instructors all over the world how to lead POUND's drumming-inspired class formats. Still, I keep coming back to the liberating nature of yoga as the inspiration for the impact I want to have not only on participants in a class but on my broader community. To that end, in 2022, a decade after being introduced to yoga, I decided to pursue a 200 YTT. For classes, I highly value inclusivity, accessibility, and fun. I strive to ensure participants feel welcomed, successful and challenged, all while trying to not take things too seriously. I currently hold a group exercise certification from the American Council on Exercise (ACE).

DWELL COLLECTIVE TEACHER

I'm a Boston born girl currently living in New Mexico. In 2011, I fell in love with the practice, teachings, and lifestyle of Yoga. Today, I am grateful to share this transformative practice online and in person to so many beautiful beings. I have been a Yoga instructor since 2016, although I am forever a student first. Learning and trying new things is a must for me, and stepping out of my comfort zone offers so much space and opportunity for growth. Growing up I practiced dance and gymnastics and developed a passion for movement that led to the start of my fitness career, in 2014, as an ACE certified personal trainer and barre instructor. In 2015 I received a bachelor's degree in business management and a minor in dance through the University of Massachusetts Boston, and completed my 200hr YTT in 2016 through Balance Studio - Cohasset, MA. In October 2023 I became a certified Roll Model® practitioner offering a self-massage, mobility enhancing, therapeutic class. My classes are open and welcoming to everyone, offering a safe space to unite one another with love, kindness, and non-judgment.

ROCKET YOGA

DWELL COLLECTIVE TEACHER

“I am a free-spirited butterfly dancing on a purple moon.” This descriptor was created for me by fellow travelers on a spiritual journey. They got me!

When I retired in 2006, I followed my intuition and started taking yoga classes. After a few years, I enrolled in teacher training.  I didn’t know if I wanted to teach, but I wanted to deepen my practice and learn the history and philosophy of yoga. I enjoy teaching yin, restorative and flow classes. One of the most rewarding parts of this adventure has been realizing that I can combine travel and training anywhere in the world.

In my classes, I weave the ancient teachings of yoga into the class theme. Yoga is an inside job and so much more than just the asanas (poses). When you step on the mat, my intention is that you will dwell within, find your own wisdom/truth and take it with you off the mat.

She/Her

DWELL COLLECTIVE TEACHER

My name is Lorena Torres and I am born and raised in Las Cruces, NM. I dance because it is a fun way to release negative thoughts and feelings, live in the moment, create positivity and love within, and deepen your connection with self. I also believe it is a great way to break a sweat, maintain flexibility, and mobility. My classes are like a party! We come together in a safe space, where we can express ourself through intuitive dance, and minimal choreography. I like to call my style, sassy groove, with hip hop and Latin influence. I hope to dance with you soon!

 I am a homeschooling mom, environmental science professor, and trauma-sensitive yoga and mindfulness instructor. I am passionate about creating opportunities for healing individually, collectively, and through our relationship with the environment.

My yoga journey began in 2005 after a friend recommended yoga to help alleviate chronic pain in my shoulders and lower back. After a few years of practice, I started seeing a yoga therapist who provided me with tools for healing physically, mentally, and emotionally. It was an incredible experience, and I felt compelled to share this practice with so much healing potential. I completed my 500-hour yoga teacher training in therapeutic essentials and several other certifications including trauma-sensitive yoga, restoring prana (breath coaching), and yoga for kids and youth with special needs.

I teach Yoga for Trauma Recovery, Restorative and Yin Yoga, and slow-flow classes as well as other workshops and trainings emphasizing the healing potential of Yoga. In my yoga classes, students are empowered to listen to their bodies and move in ways that feel right to them in each moment while focusing on the mind-body connection, breath awareness, and mindful movement. 

DWELL COLLECTIVE TEACHER

I am a certified yoga therapist, C-IAYT, licensed massage therapist, LMT, Foundation Training Instructor and Natural Posture Specialist. My passion is helping people understand the underlying movement patterns and modern day ‘orca tanks’ causing the body and mind pain and discomfort. Education is at the heart of every yoga class giving clients the ability to continue the healing process beyond the yoga mat!

Over the past 25 years of teaching yoga, I have developed a unique practice called "Spinal Floss." Each class begins with a sequence to massage the back by taking the spine through its 5 directions of movement. The purpose of this is to reset the nervous system, release habituated tension patterns, and build subtle awareness. The body is then ready to dive into asana practice with muscles that are ready to work and explore new challenges. Please come earth surf, foot scoop, zip the linea alba, and align on the axis with me!

She/Her

DWELL COLLECTIVE TEACHER

I am a New Mexico native, plant enthusiast, yoga teacher and expansive entrepreneur. 

I started practicing yoga in 2015, in my living room from YouTube videos. After years of running and crossfit, yoga became a form of exercise where I didn't have to be the best or fastest, just my best self. In 2018, I became a certified Kids Yoga Teacher and in 2019 I received my 200HR RYT. Yoga has offered me powerful tools to help navigate stress and promote my overall wellness.

My classes offer space to just be, and observe yourself with kindness and curiosity. I encourage my students to explore movement and connect with the breath. You can expect to leave my classes feeling calm, refreshed and with a deeper connection to yourself. My classes are accessible to all, body, mind and soul.

DWELL COLLECTIVE TEACHER

I'm a dog mom of 2, curious biologist, explorer of the outdoors, enjoyer of the indoors, music lover, sunset chaser and craft-maker. I'm an amalgamation of borderland experiences, adventures and deep connections.

Yoga found me in 2015, my first guided meditation experience occurred through movement and I was drawn deeper to explore these practices. I practice yoga as a return to love, to myself. The practice helps me tune into my mind, energy , sensation, and it teaches me to move and listen through the rough & uncomfortable edges of life.

My classes are high energy, filled with creative sequences that aim to build strength, spiral movements to promote spinal wellbeing, power and flexibility through yoga postures, cardio spikes, and plyometrics.

DWELL COLLECTIVE TEACHER

Ryan is a Doctor of Oriental Medicine who helps people tap into their inner resilience to manage pain, mental health, and chronic illness using yoga, meditation, acupuncture and somatic release.  Ryan moved to the borderlands in 2011 to support the people of Cd Juarez, Mexico in their recovery from trauma and violence, and continues to work throughout Latin America, teaching meditation and acupuncture. He started the non-profit Crossroads Acupuncture with it’s downtown clinic at the center of his outreach projects within the prison system as well as addictions care in the region.

She/Her

DWELL COLLECTIVE TEACHER

I am an intuitive feeler, seeker, massage therapist and yoga instructor. A free-spirited soul, I love to travel and spend time in nature, embracing authentic experience and energetic connections.

My first exposure to yoga was as a teenager living in California and later I returned to the practice in college. Yoga offered me a safe space to show up for myself, to nurture my neglected mind, body and spirit. In 2010 I enrolled in a 200 hour teacher training through my local community college as a way to deepen my practice. With an emphasis on structural alignment, this training nurtured my fascination for movement and the human body. Since then yoga has been an essential part of my life. It has helped me cope with my anxiety and has inspired me to explore and share various forms of movement and energy work over the years. From flow arts and acro yoga to meditation, breathwork and eventually massage therapy, yoga has been the foundation. In 2020 I completed another 200 hour yoga teacher training through DDY with an emphasis on optimal movement and trauma informed yoga.

Yoga invites people to slow down and listen to their body’s own innate wisdom. I believe this is where healing starts. As a yoga instructor my teachings focus on nurturing the relationship between mind and body through exploratory movement, stillness and breath. I strive to offer classes that are inclusive and accessible, so that every body may benefit from a sustainable yoga practice that will help them move through life with more balance and ease.

DWELL COLLECTIVE TEACHER

Mama of two fierce girls, reader, teacher, animal advocate, and lover of the outdoors, camping and hiking. Sheryl has been practicing yoga for over 10 years and teaching for two years. She is passionate about the mind, body and soul benefits of yoga, working with a wide range of students to tap into the transformative power of yoga to heal, energize and harmonize. When she first experienced yoga as a tool for personal healing and mental well-being, she decided to pursue her own certification and committed to sharing this gift with others. Her classes are a nurturing space where individuals of all levels can explore movement and foster a greater sense of peace and well-being. Join Sheryl to experience how yoga can balance your life, restore your energy, and deepen your connection to your inner self.

 I am a fierce mother, a passionate devotee of nature, and a humble student of the universe. My full-time gig is slowly and tenderly guiding my son along his path in life; I also work part-time as a clinical mental health counselor in this beloved community.

I was introduced to Yoga at the tender age of 15 and immediately fell in love with the physicality of asana- as an Aquarius, I love me some novel movement! Later, as a young adult, I enrolled in a semester-long Yoga class during my undergrad at UNM and became more deeply acquainted with the practice and, naturally, came into a deeper understanding of my Self. Yoga became the salve I didn't know my soul (and my bodymind) so, so desperately needed. Fast forward a few more years and I finally decided to heed the call to teach in 2017, where I completed my 200hr and, later, an additional 100hr teacher training in 2021- both through Downtown Desert Yoga- as a way to share the transformative benefits this practice has to offer. Since then, I have been teaching and involved in the Yoga community in various capacities.

My classes are trauma-informed with a focus on how shapes FEEL in your body, as opposed to how they look, with attention paid to the structural integrity of your unique body while in each shape. I seek to challenge my students through curiosity, intentionality, and by finding ease through the hard stuff.

She/Her

DWELL COLLECTIVE TEACHER

Through multiple modalities, I am a creator of connection. Yoga, teaching, and making things with my hands have allowed me to build relationships within my community in meaningful ways. I hold space that’s inclusive of all bodies and abilities, while helping folks connect with their body and spirit’s light one breath at a time. 

I am a visual artist/maker, collector, yogi, gardener, dreamer, traveler, teacher, wife and dog and cat mom. I am inspired by the beauty of the Las Cruces desert landscape and the rich cultures that prevail here. I enjoy bridging my inspirations through my art making in jewelry design, drawing, painting and printmaking. I co-own a screen printing company, Reviver Printing, with my husband Chris. It’s been a blast sharing our art and process with folks near and far. 

I have been teaching yoga for two and a half years and I have been practicing on and off for fifteen years. I received my 200 RYT certification from Paraiso Yoga in Sayulita, Mexico, summer 2019. I continued my training with Downtown Desert Yoga in Las Cruces, NM, spring/summer 2020 where I focused on fine tuning my practice in Hatha, Vinyasa flow, and Yin. Yoga is more than the asana or physical practice for me. The creation of embodied movement through yoga and other artistic outlets is the space where I connect freely. I am fascinated with the metaphysical aspect of yoga, which led me to complete a certification in Kundalini Fusion yoga. I love to invite intuitive, creative movement into my classes to inspire self-expression and divine connection.