Ali is a vinyasa and yin yoga teacher & energy practitioner passionate about mending the relationships between mind, body, and soul.

Her physical practice aims to find the balance between movement (yang) and stillness (yin). Offering modifications for all levels, she welcomes students to explore and challenge themselves while listening to their bodies without judgment.

Whether it is through physical or energetic practices, she believes everybody has the power to heal themselves with the right support, resources, and guidance. She aims to make health, wellness, and holistic modalities more accessible and approachable for all.

Ali grew up on the beaches of the Jersey Shore and spent time living in Arizona, France, and New York City, before finding her way to Chicago. Ali is a certified Reiki Master and has a background in public relations, where she helps others tell their stories to diverse audiences through integrated communication strategies.

Autumn found yoga while searching for meaning outside of her corporate career and relief from chronic pain that had left her feeling disconnected from her body. What began as a personal practice born out of curiosity became a path of devotion to healing—physically, emotionally, and spiritually.

Completing her RYT200 training at The Lab  reshaped not only how she moves, but how she lives. Her goal is to share the gifts she has received from yoga to all- freedom from physical pain and anxiety and a sense of community. 

Her classes are a gentle yet powerful invitation to soften, to strengthen, and to come home to oneself. Whether students are navigating chronic pain, seeking stillness, or simply craving connection, she holds space for them to arrive just as they are—with curiosity, sense of play, compassion, and breath. Come as you are! 

Joanne Barrett teaches integrated movement, yoga and The Schatz Method (corrective functional movement) in Chicago. Classes focus on a blend of experiences including Ashtanga Method, Anusara, dance, gymnastics and somatic movement. She has been a yoga teacher, primarily a practitioner of the Ashtanga Yoga Method since 2009.

Joanne is trained in Somatic Movement Methods from Carol Swann/ The Moving On Center (Berkeley) and Diane Elliot, where she studied Experiential Anatomy, Bartenieff Fundamentals and Body- Mind Centering. She has a BFA in dance and had a 30 yr. performing career in concert dance. Joanne is a mother, artist and committed to building community through her practice and discipline of movements.

Karla Huffman is a 500hr. E-RYT, who has led yoga teacher trainers and Hatha yoga classes throughout the United States and beyond its borders. 

She has a relaxed and focused style that encourages her students to pursue the deepest benefits that their practice can provide while indulging their mental and spiritual selves throughout the class as she instructs them.  A patient, intentional rise to a powerful flow is the best way to explain her approach to yoga, as well as life. 

Originally from Tokyo, Japan, Tomoko would eventually move to New York City to fulfill a dream of dancing and take the training program at several schools. Inspired as a young girl by Broadway musicals, she would study dance, movement, and voice and perform professionally with a theater troupe. She soon joined aerial dance and performed off-Broadway with “Fly By Night” and “Aloft” later in Chicago.

Tomoko has pursued her love of Yoga for 25+ years. She became certified as a teacher, taking training from 2002-2003 for 200 hours in NY. She has taught yoga across Japan, Chicago and the Midwest, the New York metro area, and as far away as London, England. She has also taught yoga teacher training in Japan and for ten years taught both Yoga and dance to the deaf both in Japan and America.

Tomoko has also studied Oriental medicine and healing from a Japanese teacher and mentor and became certified in Makko Ho, a Japanese stretching art, and bodywork. She has continued teaching Makko Ho for more 25+ years.

Tomoko loves to challenge herself and discover her potential. She encourages students to dive into their own inner journey with joy and discover something new about themselves through yoga practice.

Teresa has incorporated fitness into her life from an early age!  This passion started with her love for competitive volleyball. She believes all movements, including adventures and sports, are fundamentals needed in our daily lives. Her yoga journey began in 2020 while doing virtual yoga in her living room. After several years of consistent practice, deep meditation, and her travels, she embarked on a journey to become a certified Yoga teacher.

Now an RYT-200 teacher, she is ready to share the gifts she has received and developed with the world.

In her classes, she loves to create a workshop-style flow allowing each yogi to build their confidence to reach a peak posture. Each practice is carefully curated to warm up and strengthen the body to get into each posture easily. She incorporates a spirit of playfulness and a dose of inspiration to help you deepen your practice while twisting out the negative energy. Expect to leave feeling deeply nourished and fulfilled in your practice! 

A lifelong advocate for holistic well-being, Ingrid believes in fusing breath with movement to cultivate strength, patience, intuition, and grace.

Ingrid developed her athleticism as a child through ballet and running. She later gravitated towards yoga as an escape from the pressures of her university studies and high-intensity career. Ultimately, yoga instilled a profound sense of peace and perseverance, inspiring Ingrid to deepen her practice.

Ingrid’s fluid classes invite students to build fire and heat while simultaneously calming the mind. Ingrid draws from a range of asana styles and offers options for students of all levels.

Ingrid holds BAs in economics and music from the University of Chicago, an MBA from the University of Chicago’s Booth School of Business, and her yoga teacher certification from the Lab.

Ashley’s exploration of Yoga was set in motion over 15 years ago, but it wasn’t until she was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2021 that she began to explore the true meaning of the practice. With her body unable to move like it once did, she found peace of mind in the aspects of Yoga that made her turn inward, specifically pranayama and meditation. Her own healing journey was so powerful that she felt inspired to help others and has since completed over 300 hours of teacher training. The classes Ashley offers are meant to provide people a safe space to reconnect, feel grounded and find a release.

Piper is a 3-year-old Wheaten Terrier and avid Lab goer. You can catch Piper attending classes and teacher trainings!