Our Story
Erika Hill, Owner
Erika, the founder of Studio Lotus Yoga, is an RN who spent 12 years working in emergency and oncology departments at multiple hospitals. With her last two years being focused in oncology, she found that as so many people approached the end of their lives, they only regretted not truly living.
Erika’s personal yoga practice became an anchor that helped her stay centered and deal with the emotional challenges of her work. As yoga was an outlet for her, she decided that she wanted to help people live every day through yoga and community. Studio Lotus Yoga was founded with the mission of creating community and helping people live every day of their lives.
After opening in 2021, Erika found additional value in continued study of meditation and breathwork that complimented her current yoga practice. Within the Studio Lotus community, she has been fortunate to build connections with incredible teachers who have brought their vast modalities of healing, meditation, breathwork and more, to further honor her mission.
Dan, Teacher
Dan is a full-time mover and teacher at heart. His approach blends movement principles with applied anatomy for joint health. Dan is committed to cultivating a whole-life movement paradigm that inspires others to adopt an individualized, diverse, and pain-free practice.
As a teacher, he is committed to truthfully and effectively sharing the yoga tradition in a safe and inclusive way. On this path, his aim is to guide students to be responsible for cultivating their own personal practice, joint & bone health, and the cultivation & preservation of their energetic voltage.
Dan is 500-hr RYT with the Yoga Alliance and Co-Founder of Samani Yoga + Wellness.
Taylor, Teacher
Yoga is like coming home. Knowing you have everything you need in your mind, body, and soul. Everyone’s home is unique, and is perfect and safe for them.
As an instructor, I strive to guide people home. To create a safe space for individuals to fall into complete love and acceptance of themselves. My goal is to release any “shoulds” and expectations. Yoga is far beyond a physical practice of postures. When you take my classes, I will invite and challenge you to move into and out of your body into the elements and energies within creating strength and balance. Bettering yourself for a better world. I will hold space for my students and bring them into the present, helping them let go of the rest and be their most authentic self.
Cristina, Teacher
A native to Mexico City and a newbie to Boise, Cristina strives to infuse soulfulness into every facet of life. Her teaching is known for its precision, loving space, and challenge, all while leaving students empowered and taken care of.
In addition to co-founding Samani Yoga + Wellness, Cristina is the founder of her own wellness coaching brand. She is wildly passionate about empowering women to transform how they related to themselves, their careers, their relationships, and their “why.” When she’s not teaching or working with clients you can catch her in the kitchen, on the trails, or binging the latest series.
Alexis, Teacher
Hi! My name is Alexis and I am a 200-hr YTT. I found yoga a couple of years ago on a healing quest and will be eternally grateful for the shifts it has made in my life. I learned the importance of listening and trusting your body no matter what the external factors are saying. All of the answers to the questions we seek can be found internally, we just need to give ourselves the space to connect and listen. Through my teaching, I strive to create a sacred space for my students to do just that. To listen to their bodies, their intuition, and become more familiar with themselves. Our bodies are extremely incredible with no limits, whatever we focus thought on will come to fruition. We create our own realty, so let’s create a beautiful, abundant, love filled reality together.
Emily, Teacher
Emily is an Idaho native, outdoor-loving gal who was first introduced to yoga in 2009, using yoga as cross training for long-distance running. Emily has been running races around the Idaho foothills and the Northwest for almost 20 years and has a true passion for getting out into nature and moving the body in a way that feels good from day to day. After experiencing a large amount of physical burn out and consistent running injuries, Emily decided it was time to take the next step in her self-care by recommitting to her yoga practice. In the Spring of 2021, Emily completed her 200-hour YTT through Boise Om School and has been teaching ever since.
“Recommitting to my yoga practice has provided the space to slow down, embrace the moment and listen to how my heart, mind and body are feeling from day to day. Yoga has allowed me to become more vulnerable and open with my feelings and to be more accepting of the parts of myself I always saw as flawed.”
As a yoga teacher Emily is committed to sharing this practice with students of all ages and abilities, enjoys working with athletes and aims to consistently provide a safe space for students to grow mentally and physically. Away from the studio Emily loves to travel with her husband and doggos, along with growing food in the garden and cooking for friends and family.
Jenn, Teacher
I’ve been hooked on yoga ever since I took my first class 8 years ago. Since then I have been able to hone my practice and fall even more in love with it, completing my 200hr YTT in Costa Rica during the summer of 2019.
So many life lessons I’ve learned on the yoga mat and been able to carry them with me throughout my daily life. Yoga has taught me that it takes strength to surrender, that when you are in control of your breath you can quiet your mind and that your physical body is capable of things you never thought possible.
I can’t wait to see you on the mat!
Carolyn, Teacher
Carolyn has been teaching yoga since 2016, and loves to teach vinyasa, prenatal yoga, restorative yoga and meditation.
Her classes incorporate movement, breath, music and, most importantly, fun! She aims to leave students feeling better about themselves and their bodies. Carolyn truly believes yoga is for every body and embodies the idea that “where your intention goes, the energy flows.
D’Arcy, Teacher
D’Arcy Valverde is a 500 RYT. She received her 200 hr Yoga Teacher Training (YTT) certification in 2017 from Sampoorna Yoga in Goa, India, and her 300 hr YTT certification in 2022 from Sage Yoga & Wellness in Boise, ID. D’Arcy’s passion for yoga began in 2010 with a hot vinyasa flow practice, bikram, and an ashtanga- inspired practice; jivamukti. Each practice had a strong focus on the physical components of yoga which she loved, and still loves to this day. Since then, D’Arcy has practiced yoga around the globe, and landed in her beloved home of Boise, ID. Over time her practice has evolved to encompass many yoga varieties including vinyasa flow, yin, yoga nidra, meditation, chanting, and somatic experiencing, to name a few. Yoga has become much more than a movement practice for D’Arcy; it is has evolved into a daily life practice. D’Arcy’s vinyasa classes are breath-focused flows – accessible to all levels!, and include grounding, time for meditation, and self-reflection. Her yin nidra classes are similar with a focus on slowing down and connecting to source. The goal of all of D’Arcy’s classes is to create a safe space and time for people to connect with their bodies, their mats, and themselves; their truest teachers!
Lila, Teacher
Lila has dedicated herself to the practice of yoga since discovering its joys and personal benefits ten years ago while instructing rhythmic gymnastics and dance.
She draws inspiration from enjoying time outdoors, hiking, running and stand up paddle boarding.
She inspires students to connect mind, body, and heart in the present moment. Lila’s kind and gentle manner is good for leading students of all levels. Her hope is to encourage peace on and off the mat.
Jamie, Teacher
A 200-hour certified yoga teacher, studying Vinyasa and Hatha yoga, Jamie loves to be on her mat! She is also a Licensed Clinical Professional Counselor (LCPC, NCC, RYT200). Jamie has a Master’s degree in Mental Health Counseling as well as a Master’s degree in Communication and Gender. She brings Buddhist philosophy into her therapy and her yoga teaching, wherein the mind, body, and spirit are the source of healing and connecting. She believes, how we move our bodies, talk to our bodies, recover with our bodies, have fun with our bodies can and will heal each other and the world. Please join her to begin the journey. She is also the co-founder of Yoga For Good; a fundraising organization for the community and yoga healing. We highlight local non-profits making a difference in Idaho and invite folks for donation yoga class and a small presentation by the chosen agency.
Sarah S, Teacher
Sarah Spodeck has practiced all over the world and completed her 200 hour yoga teacher training in Wellington, New Zealand. Sarah teaches various types of yoga with focus on form, strength, concentration, and breath. She enjoys meeting her students and celebrating their progress on and off the mat. Sarah is a member of Yoga Alliance.
Erin, Teacher
I have been practicing yoga for over 10 years and completed my 200-hour YTT in 2021. I am here to lead powerful and energetic classes in a supportive and compassionate way. I’m looking forward to building community and holding space for everyone to find a breakthrough in their practice. My favorite time to be in the studio is first thing in the morning and I invite you to join me! Off my mat you can find me trail running or doing anything outside, finding a new Boise restaurant, or at a concert.
Lex, Teacher
Alexa is a holistic health coach and yoga teacher, completing her first 200hr YTT in Greece in 2016 and took a second 200hr YTT in 2021. For the last year or so she has been a nomad traveling around the world, and recently settled in Boise. Alexa’s yoga is rooted in the belief that by nature we are physical beings, and yoga gives us the tools to tap into something more. Something that ignites the should, opens doors to our deepest parts, and celebrates the gooeyness that is life. Essentially, it is all the goodness of the universe rolled up into one. And teaching yoga means even more to her – teaching allows her to share with others the transformational magic that changed her life. She holds teaching is high reverence and treats it like the greatest gift she could ever give. Her style is quite fluid and dynamic, allowing you to lose yourself in the movement and the moment.
Jenny, Teacher
Jenny has been practicing yoga for over 15 years and received her 200 YTT certification at Yoga Shala in Paia, Maui. Jenny’s yoga practice focuses on breath, internal exploration, feeling the subtle sensations of the body. She loves to incorporate music and guide classes through powerful, expressive movements balanced with depth and fluidity. In addition to yoga, Jenny studies mental health and is endlessly intrigued by how yoga increases the connection between our brains and bodies, offering healing and overall well being. Jenny is a firm believer that yoga is for everyone!
Tauras, Teacher
Tauras completed his first and second 200 hour yoga teacher trainings at Studio Lotus Yoga after falling in love with yoga only a couple years into practice. He is a natural teacher with a true passion for everything that yoga is, on and off the mat. His favorite style to teach is Power yoga, with an emphasis on balance. Tauras finds his balance off the mat with a love for Chemistry, his current major at Boise State University.
Kylie, Teacher
I have been practicing yoga for 6 years now, I have enhanced my knowledge and love for yoga this past year when i received my 200hr certificate as a registered Yoga teacher!
Yoga has given me the ability to connect with my inner self, sustaining a healthy mind and happy heart through the breath and movement that yoga innately provides.
I look forward to sharing my passion for yoga, with the community that surrounds me. My intention for each practice is to fulfill a space with positive energy, challenging and modified movements that will create a lot of sweat and even more fun!
Ashley, Teacher
I am so glad you’re here! My name is Ashley and I have been practicing yoga for nearly 5 years, recently completing my 200 hour YTT training from none other than the wonderful Studio Lotus. As the discovery of yoga has encouraged such a positive and pivotal shift in my life, I am so honored to share and hold space for those in the community looking for the same benefits. I am passionate about self-nourishment, quieting the mind and tuning into your own intuition to further step into the best and most authentic expression of yourself. I believe yoga can be the segway into more possibilities than ever thought possible, and guiding students through this personal practice is a true privilege. Outside of the studio, you can find me mountain biking, skiing, hanging out by the lake, hiking or reading. I can’t wait to meet each and every one of you!
Erik, Teacher
Erik discovered yoga in 2016 when working to heal the physical body and soon discovered the deeper benefits a yoga practice can bring. A lifelong adventure athlete Erik knows an overuse injury or two. He focuses his practice on creating a limber and durable body and mind. A certified 200hr YT he focuses on teaching yoga to provide balance and recover for those who Cycle, Climbing, Ski, or… site at a desk all day
We asked Erik “why Yoga?” here is what he had to say:
You always hear Yoga is “linking breath with movement”, what you don’t hear is movement can be non-physical and breathing through an emotion or a negative thought is also Yoga. – Namaste
Let’s ride? Hit me up on IG @Erik.Stoermer
Taryn, Teacher
Hi! My name is Taryn and I am a 200 HR-RYT. I am 28 and have been practicing yoga off and on since I was 15. I started my yoga journey with more of a fitness mindset at our local YMCA. I quickly fell in love with it and decided then, during my weekly Wednesday night yoga class, that I wanted to be a teacher. I deepened my practice by starting to go to hot classes a year later and then finally enrolled in a teacher training program when I lived in Oxford, MS. I was trained in Baptiste yoga and truly found how yoga can be so much more than a workout. When I’m not teaching yoga I am a full time MRI technologist and LOVE anatomy. Being in the imaging field and seeing the muscles and tendons in your body, and then learning how they work together to create a strong, unified, collective being, and then learning to incorporate your mind and spirit helped me in ways nothing else quite has. I have been teaching now for 3 years and love the community I’ve joined and the uplifting people I’ve met. Whether you’re on your mat for a workout, some ‘you’ time, mental clarity or to help better yourself, I want to provide the space and community to help you get there.
Hayley, Teacher
Hayley O’Brien has been in the fitness industry for over two decades, specializing in all things group fitness. Since moving to Boise four years ago, yoga has become her absolute favorite class to teach. The practice of yoga holds a special corner of Hayley’s heart. Her personal practice has given her wings to fly…providing endless opportunities to feel love and to share it with others. Hayley’s purpose when she teaches is to create and share that same beautiful environment. One that lends itself to explore within and provide magical moments of self-care. Hayley would love for each person that joins one of her classes to leave feeling more rested and rejuvenated, treasured and loved, honored and seen. It is as simple as that. By day, Hayley is a yoga instructor, but she is also a mama of three, a wife, a sister, a daughter, an aunt, a friend…a Frenchie pup snuggler, a slow and steady marathon runner, a coffee sipper and a snack sneaker. Hayley is a 500 hour RYT and the owner of White Feather Yoga.
Morgan, Teacher
Hi my name is Morgan! I am recently a certified pilates instructor and have been teaching for a little under a year at a reformer based studio. About 5 years ago I was trying to find a low impact but high intensity movement and pilates is where I found that balance. My intention is to share my love for Pilates with all who will welcome it. Outside of teaching pilates you can find me practicing headstands, making smoothie bowls and spending time on the green belt or anywhere outside in the sunshine.
Radha, Teacher
Marisa Radha Weppner (Radha), MA is driven by a desire to understand what it means to be human, the nature of reality and what is God. Her classes aim to create a state of union within oneself for a felt sense of the ineffable. She will help you turn knowledge to wisdom by cultivating a connection to Self and a tangible sense of the deepest Truths of existence.
Radha is the host of the podcast Love, Service, Wisdom, is a 1000 hr Nosara Yoga Master Educator and a Somatic Experiencing Practitioner in training. She has been facilitating transformation and self-awakening for nearly 2 decades through a variety of settings including classes, retreats, community organizing, guiding psychedelic journeys, and private coaching. She is a faculty member of Esalen Institute, the co-owner of Source Meditation Space, and a therapist at Boise Ketamine Clinic.
Jackie, Teacher
I am so grateful for the practice of yoga! It has offered me wisdom on how to move through life with more ease and grace while offering a deeper connection to my intuition. I have a profound love and curiosity for understanding the complex nature of being human and the journey to find the most authentic Self. I’ve spent much of my life uncovering what it is to be the truest version of me and finding the movement and mindfulness practices that promote peace and acceptance of that Self- mind, body and soul.
My training is rooted in Self-Awakening Yoga, a lineage that focuses on an inquiry-based, non-authoritarian and experiential approach that develops the multidimensional self. I completed a 200-hour training with The Sage Yoga & Wellness School in 2017, a 300-hour immersion under the guidance of Radha Weppner in December of 2022, and am a 500-hour registered yoga teacher through the Yoga Alliance. My classes provide a platform to get curious through yoga, conscious breath, meditation, energetic flow and self-inquiry. I believe I am here to help others feel at home in their bodies and minds, and find ease as they move through life. I look forward to sharing space with you!
Hilary, Teacher
The word “yoga” in Sanskrit is “yuj” which means “unity.” Throughout my years of practicing and teaching yoga, I have seen many different ways yoga has lived up to its meaning. Yoga is the unity between mind, body, and the breath, the unity of flexibility and strength, the unity among individuals…yoga is the unity of consciousness.
I found yoga shortly after a knee injury in 2008. I was amazed by how much yoga not only helped me physically, but also mentally and spiritually, which is when I really started to fall in love with it. I’ve been a registered yoga teacher since 2014 and have taught various classes throughout the years. My classes are a combination of finding your edge while incorporating self acceptance. I focus on alignment to get you in and out of poses safely. I intentionally theme and sequence around specific physical alignment, a peak pose, and yogic philosophy. I enjoy the connection yoga offers the individual and a group of people within a space.
Kaylee, Teacher
Hi I’m Kaylee!
I am a 200 hr E-RYT yoga instructor and meditation teacher. I have been practicing yoga for 7 years and teaching for 5 years! Outside of yoga, you’ll find me obsessing over my perfect dog, spending as much time in the sunshine as possible, or sipping drinks on a patio somewhere.
My intention in every class is to hold space for students to meet their body where it is in that moment with movement that is approachable but challenging. I guide with compassion, gratitude, and patience and hope my students can find the beauty in the journey of this practice. I can’t wait to meet you all. And there will always be bumpin’ playlists on deck ya’ll!
Kendra, Teacher
Born and raised in Boise, Kendra is a spunky yogi who loves her practice, her community, books, music, and nature. With classes centering around gratitude and all eight branches of yoga, she infuses her classes with breath work, meditation, and the teachings provided to her in her yoga adventures on and off of the mat. She is very passionate about yoga as a journey of the self, through the self, to the self and enjoys infusing classes with all the ways we can practice yoga in every aspect of our lives. Currently in her 500RYT, Kendra is fascinated with all the knowledge yoga has to offer. No matter what stage in life you are at, she believes yoga can be transformative for anyone and loves to share the practice that revolutionized her life.
Diana, Teacher
Diana is passionate about helping others live healthier and happier lives and to be inspired to reach their personal goals. She aspires to improve the quality of life and well-being of her students and clients by integrating and inspiring healthy living practices through yoga, exercise, stress management and self care. She has been teaching for over 20 years and is a 200 RYT Yoga teacher.
Jennifer P, Teacher
Jenn’s studied Ashtanga Yoga and Iyengar Yoga for two decades and is graduate of several internationally recognized yoga programs. She’s had the great privilege of training with master teachers Maty Ezraty (YogaWorks Founder) and Annie Carpenter (SmartFLOW®). Jenn has researched all 8 Limbs of Yoga with many great teachers and has received additional certifications in all of the following: Ayurveda, Yin Yoga, Aerial Yoga, Yoga for Athletes, Yoga for Kids, Restorative Yoga, Yoga Philosophy, Sanskrit, Pranayama & Vipassana Meditation.“Namaste Yogis! My intention is to share the techniques that have inspired and changed my own life- mind, body and soul. I believe that each practitioner requires a personal approach that involves curiosity, investigation, determination, practical application and a positive attitude. I love using props of all kinds to support each individual on their own personal journey. I look forward to breathing and moving with you on the mat!” ~Jenn
Claire, Teacher
Hi! My name is Claire and I love people, fitness, nature, and adventures. I have been teaching a HIIT-style class for almost two years, and recently received my 200 YTT. Yoga has been a very important part of my life for nearly a decade so to teach is a dream come true. I am excited to create a space that is filled with inclusion, love, music, movement, and fun. I look forward to guiding my students through their yoga practice. Namaste.
Bryce, Teacher
Originally from New Jersey, Bryce started yoga when he moved to California in the early ‘90s. A yoga teacher friend lovingly badgered him into trying out a class, and another friend gave him a copy of The Sivananda Companion to Yoga. He couldn’t even touch his knees in a forward bend—forget about feet!—when he began practicing. Thirty years later, his forward bend has changed, but his love of the practice hasn’t.
Along the way, he has studied with many teachers in many styles. He took teachers’ training with Richard Freeman at the Yoga Workshop in Boulder, CO, in the early 2000s, and his style remains heavily indebted to both the Iyengar and Ashtanga Vinyasa methods. In 2005, he met Dr. Shankaranarayana Jois, and has studied Jivana Yoga with him and his main U.S.-based teacher Kristin Laak since.
While his yoga studies might be “serious,” his teaching style is decidedly not. So, check out his fun and fundamentals-based class to learn more about your downward “dawg.”
