Who We Are

Sweet Tea Yoga has united some of the most dedicated and talented teachers in the Atlanta area. Every one of our teachers bring something unique to their practice and no two classes will be the same. We are honored to have them as a part of the Sweet Tea Yoga Family!

Heather Ambrosi

YOGA INSTRUCTOR/PRENATAL SPECIALIST/EXPERIENCED DOULA

Heather was first introduced to yoga by her mother at the age of 13. She continued to dabble with Yoga and exercise for several years but didn’t really bring Yoga into her life fully until a back injury, being a flight attendant dealing with September 11th and the death of her mother all in 2001. Yoga helped Heather with both her anxiety and emotions from all the loss.

Being strongly influenced by her Yoga Teacher in Las Vegas, Heather decided to become a registered yoga teacher upon moving to Atlanta in 2008. Heather received her first 200HR teacher training from Sivananda Vedante Center in Canada and furthered her trainings in Prenatal Yoga and is currently completing her 500HR Yoga certification.

In addition to her Vinyasa Classes, Heather’s main teaching passion is Prenatal Yoga with emphasis work on the Pelvic Floor. Heather brings her own personal and numerous training experiences to all classes she teaches. She has the ability to make each class both challenging and therapeutic with a strong emphasis on inclusivity for all skill levels as well as alignment and finding your inner body freedom! Heather is continuously learning and studying with various teachers around the country. She is a member of Yoga Alliance and the International Association of Yoga Therapists. Heather has also been a birth Doula to several of her prenatal students and a Yoga Mama to many!

Dana Boyle

YOGA INSTRUCTOR RYT-200

I started yoga in a mommy and me class 10 years ago. I enjoyed taking classes for many years before starting my journey as an instructor. I received certifications through Yoga Fit and Holy Yoga. I’m also now a personal trainer and specialize in kids yoga and yoga with weights. I love watching my students truly experience yoga through mind body connection. I believe everyone can do yoga and that everyone needs the benefits from yoga!

Jill Elkin

YOGA INSTRUCTOR RYT-200, Relax and Renew® Level 1 Instructor, iRest® Level 1 Teacher, Trauma-Informed

My earliest yoga memories are from around age 8. I remember doing sun salutations with my mom in our sun room. I remember the joy of reaching towards the sky to greet the day and the connection of sharing this with my mom. Yoga and meditation have been a part of my life through childhood and into adulthood. These incredible tools have given me the understanding and support to meet challenges, work through grief and loss, and ultimately find unchanging awareness from which to surf the changing aspects of life.

I completed my 200 hour teacher training in Therapeutic and Meditative Yoga with the Center for Integrative Yoga Studies in 2017, and am continuing my studies of yoga and meditation. I have had the privilege of learning from many wonderful teachers including Judith Hanson Lasater, Richard Miller, Stephanie Lopez, Marlysa Sullivan, Nick Atlas, Holle Black and Tra Kirpatrick. I hold certifications in restorative yoga, yoga nidra, and trauma-informed yoga.

My heartfelt intention is to offer each student the instructional support needed to explore their own physicality and connect with something deeper within themselves.

Shannon Veres

YOGA INSTRUCTOR RYT-200

I am originally from Cleveland Ohio. My family and I moved south in 2018 for a job opportunity and a new adventure! I have always been a lover of fitness and began my teaching career ten years ago by obtaining certifications to teach various types of group fitness classes. It wasn’t until after I had my children a year later that I began my yoga journey. Having two small children I began to practice at home and eventually became certified to teach kids yoga. In 2016 I went through my 200hr training under Haris Lender in the style of classical Hatha yoga. My training has strong roots in Integral Yoga which tends to incorporate meditation and pranayama as equally as Hatha yoga. In addition to my personal yoga practice and teaching, the other loves of my life are my two wonderful children and my best friend, my husband. I have learned over the years that yoga is so much more than fitness, it has served me tremendously in my journey to self-acceptance. It is a lifelong learning process and I am so grateful to have found it for myself and to be able to share it with others.

Kathy Pabst

YOGA INSTRUCTOR TYT 500/Yoga Therapist/Thai Massage Therapist

I obtained my 200 hours through YogaFit and completed my 500 hours with Asheville Yoga Center. I have been teaching yoga since 2008 and have over 1,000 hours of teaching. I have been helping clients heal with yoga therapy for 3 years. I am also certified in Kids Yoga, Pilates mat work, Thai Bodywork and mindfulness training for kids. I am a wife of 17 years and mom of a 13 year old daughter and 11 year old son. I love sharing the many gifts and blessings of yoga with others and look forward to doing so with all of the Sweet Tea Yoga Community.

Jennifer Schultz

YOGA INSTRUCTOR RYT-200

Toni Padgett

YOGA INSTRUCTOR E-RYT YACEP

I have been practicing yoga for 15 years and have been fortunate to have been taught by many of the great yoga teachers of our time. With those teachers I have experienced a wide variety of what yoga has to offer. One of the most important lessons is that the best teacher is always a student at heart. There is always more to learn from a dedicated, and consistent yoga practice. It’s not just a physical practice but has the ability to dramatically change your life in the most positive way. I invite you to experience the many benefits of yoga.

I am a mom, wife, artist and yoga instructor. My husband and I live in Palmetto, GA with our 2 beautiful children (along with our 3 dogs, 1 cat and hamster).

I discovered yoga nearly 20 years ago, when I was in my late twenties. I quickly discovered that yoga was the key to three missing components in my life: peace of mind, a deeper connection to my Self and a sense of balance (physical and mental).

My practice took a backseat, after getting married and having two children, as my husband and I focused on raising our family. A few years ago, my yoga practice found her way back to me. My passion was quickly reignited and I decided to earn my 200-hour certification through the teachings and guidance of Swami Jaya Devi Bhagavati in Classical (Raja) Yoga at Kashi Atlanta and began instructing in June 2016.

I feel a deeper connection to myself and others when I'm actively pursuing my yoga and I absolutely love being able share those same benefits with others. To me, yoga is more than just a physical practice; it’s just as much, if not more, of the inner work that leads to transformation. In my class, the focus is on the breath as we move through a variety of postures. Yoga is for every BODY! Yoga is the linking of the body, the mind, the heart and the soul via the breath.

My hope is that everyone who comes to my class will leave with an understanding that everything we are seeking outside of ourselves can only be found by looking within. That peace is always with you. Roll out your mat, find that stillness, connect to your breath and you’re practicing your yoga. Namaste.

Kerri Jackson

YOGA INSTRUCTOR RYT-200

I am from England. I started practicing yoga regularly in 2014 when I first moved to the U.S. After my first class, I knew yoga was for me, and have been practicing ever since. Yoga makes me feel good for moving my body but also, makes me feel alive, mindful, present, balanced and focused. One of my favorite things about yoga is that it does not judge. No matter what age, gender or body type, you are capable of doing yoga as long as you have breath in your body and a body to do yoga with. Yoga became such a passion in my life that I completed my 200 hour yoga teacher training in December 2018. I am also a mother, dog Mom, travel enthusiast and lover of jokes so bad that it makes them funny.

Om shanti.

Flo Sheffield

YOGA INSTRUCTOR 200E - RYT YACEP

I found my way to yoga in 2006. I began like many do…in a gym. I started with one class a week, then after several months of practice I went on the hunt for more. I showed up at the doorstep of Balance Yoga to attend a Led Primary series class in February 2007. It was the hardest practice of my life, but at the end I knew I had found what I had been searching for.

After 2 years of practice I enrolled in a 40 Hour Vinyasa Yoga immersion at the Asheville Yoga Center in 2009. I fell in love with studying in Asheville and quickly signed up for my 200hr Teacher Training; it was a wonderful 9 month training. After graduating in 2010 I taught mainly Vinyasa classes in and around the Atlanta area.

I was incredibly lucky to meet my main teacher Taylor Hunt in 2015; that workshop changed the course of my life. I have had an on again off again relationship with Ashtanga Yoga. The practice forced me to see things about myself I wasn't entirely ready to see. I wasn't ready when Ashtanga initially showed up in my life; and I would bounce between Vinyasa classes and Ashtanga classes for many years until his workshop. During this time I was struggling with getting and staying Sober. After multiple relapses I made the decision to do whatever it took to get Sober and that included building an Ashtanga Practice. During this time I gained so much clarity and focus, as well as a healthier body and mind. I slowly changed the course of my life; literally Ashtanga Yoga saved my life.

I have continued to study and practice with Taylor multiple times a year to ensure continued growth on and off my mat. I have completed multiple Ashtanga intensives, workshops and attended the 1st Ashtanga & Addiction Forum under Taylor's teaching; and I am incredibly grateful for his guidance through Ashtanga and sobriety. I also completed an apprenticeship with Balance Yoga during 2016-2018 to learn how to teach in a Mysore setting and taught as part of the Mysore program during this time.

I have studied with many other senior ashtanga teachers as well; Shartha Jois Tour 2016, Tim Feldmann, Kino MacGregor, David Keil, David Swenson, David Garrigues, David Robson, Laruga Glaser.

My hope is to help others through the combined power of Ashtanga and recovery.

Georgia Wallace

YOGA INSTRUCTOR RYT-200/LEVEL ONE REIKI

How did my journey begin? I started practicing yoga during one of the toughest times in my life. Two of the major factors were that I had just had major back surgery and I was going through a really painful divorce. Lastly, I was trying to get sober again. Somewhere along the way, I needed help in remembering to breath. My doctors had recommended yoga and this is how my journey began. Why do I teach yoga? Because I want to help the suffering and help people attain freedom from pain. I’m not just talking about physical pain, but pain emotionally, spiritually and mentally. I want to be a vessel to help the community understand, that it doesn’t matter how well you “do yoga”, but that you practice consistently. In doing so, you will get results physically, mentally, emotionally and spiritually. My desire in teaching is to help those who are suffering attain peace. I want to create a safe place for anyone who needs it, create unity, show acceptance, and be a light to those who need it.

Bill Brady

YOGA INSTRUCTOR RYT-200

Namaste, I have a passion for all aspects of yoga, asked why I do yoga, because it Works! I believe, my diverse background, brings a different perspective into our sacred space! My engineering education and professional career, flying high performance jet aircraft for over 40 years brings a strong scientific foundation to my practice. I have been involved in athletics my entire life as an active participant and on the coaching side! Introduced to yoga at very early age by my Dad, my practice became a regular part of my life about eight years ago, I started teaching four years ago and formalized my teacher Training at the Asheville Yoga Center completing my 200 hour certification in the spring of 2018. My practice and study continues every day! I am excited to share that passion with my fellow yogis at Sweet Tea!

Joy Baumgarten

YOGA INSTRUCTOR RYT-500

After being born in South Africa, raised in South America, educated in Europe and extensive time Asia, Joy brings a deep acceptance and understanding of different cultures, people and opinions.

She started practicing Asthanga and Power Yoga in 2002, but In recent years has grown to appreciate the gentler forms of yoga, including pranayama and meditation. As a lifelong student her own practice is very important to her and she regularly participates in yoga and meditation conferences and retreats in the US and abroad.

Joy is a Yoga Alliance certified RYT500 yoga teacher and got her certification at Peachtree Yoga in Sandy Springs, GA. She describes her teaching style as alignment based flow, focusing on linking breath to movement and on bringing awareness into the current moment. With her background in psychology she not only sees yoga as bringing healing to the body but also to the mind by learning how to be kind to yourself, accepting where you are at any given moment and observing whatever comes up.

Jane Semaan

YOGA INSTRUCTOR RYT-200

Walking into my first LifePower yoga class in Rochester, Michigan back in 2012, I had some preconceived notions based on previous yoga experiences at other gyms and studios. This would be my “down day” from the rigorous weight and cardio classes I loved so much. Astonished, I found myself completely exhausted and fell asleep during savasana after my first class! Within weeks I discovered that this practice offered more physically than any other class or program I had done before, and my body had never felt better. After getting accustomed to the class flow, I began to notice more changes: I felt increasingly focused, calmer, and more centered. I was hooked, committing to more classes and realizing the profound physical and mental benefits I was getting. In 2016 I decided to complete the LifePower 200 yoga teacher training with the intent of taking this amazing practice into my own hands no matter where I lived. I was very fortunate for the opportunity to begin teaching classes soon after I completed the training. My favorite aspect of this style of yoga is that there is always something new to learn, whether it is a new variation of an asana or discovering something new about myself, you’re never bored! My goal as a teacher is to help guide students into that wonderful little space that exists during a yoga practice, when you are breathing and moving, and the mind becomes clear. Oh, and I love how every inch of your body gets worked!

Lynn Anne Raabe

PILATES INSTRUCTOR

I am a born and raised Indiana girl, who moved to NYC in 2002, and am now a southern girl! Being a stay at home mom to my 3 boys, a 9 year old and twin 4 year olds, is my main priority, but fitness is my passion! I fell in love with Barre and Pilates while living in NYC. It strengthened me, it relaxed me, it helped me stay focused, and it made me realize there was more to fitness than running miles upon miles on the pavement. After moving to Georgia, I couldn't find a local class or studio that gave me a pilates or barre class like I was used to in New York. So I took things into my own hands and decided to get certified shortly after my twins were born. It was my way to do something for myself and others! I love teaching! Seeing people transform not just physically, but mentally, inspires me to be a better teacher each and every day.

"SATSANGA": The company of like-minded people to uplift and inspire you on the yoga path.

Our Story

After years of living in the New York City area, owner Sarah Ruiz moved to Peachtree City in 2014. A yoga enthusiast for twelve years, she struggled to find a local studio that offered a variety of classes, at that time specifically, a prenatal yoga class. Since then, it has been her dream to create a space for the community that will foster a sense of mindfulness and wellbeing. Most importantly, to help others find healing of the mind, body and spirit through their practice. Like having a glass of tea on the front porch, we welcome you home to Sweet Tea Yoga!

Renee Morris

YOGA INSTRUCTOR RYT-200

Renee started her yoga journey at age 40. She never had a regular exercise regime until she found yoga. After one class she was hooked. She started for the physical benefits but has continued for the calm yoga brings her life. Renee’s current practice is Power Flow, Yin, and Ashtanga. She has a light-hearted and playful approach to her teaching so all students will feel comfortable in her classes. She uses an intelligent sequence to create strength, flexibility, and a calm mind. Renee obtained her RYT® 200 certification in 2016 from Grow Yoga School in Memphis, TN. When she is not teaching or practicing, you can find Renee in the woods or on the water with her husband, two boys, and two dogs.

Jennifer Manly

YOGA INSTRUCTOR RYT-200

I am a wife, mother of five, paramedic and fitness enthusiasts. I began my yoga journey while living over seas on the island of Dominica in 2013 and decided to take my passion to the next level in 2016 completing my 200-RYT at Infinity Yoga in Atlanta. Being a very busy working mom, long distance runner and in a career field full of unpredictability and constant chaos; yoga changed my life. My desire is share the healing benefits of yoga to all my students. While challenging them physically, invite them into an environment that allows them to breathe while discovering and connecting to the best version of themselves.