Brittany Cheadle
she/her/hers
RYT-200, Facilitator
Embark on a transformative journey with Brittany as your dedicated yoga guide, where she blends the fluidity of power yoga with the introspection of yin yoga. With over a decade of personal practice, she’s committed to leading you towards physical, mental, and spiritual wellness through mindful movement, breathwork, and meditation.
In sessions, she creates a nurturing and inclusive environment, inviting you to explore and connect with your inner self. Together, you’'ll cultivate presence in both mind and body, fostering a deeper sense of awareness and self-discovery.
Beyond the yoga mat, you'll find her immersed in a variety of passions, from the pages of a good book to the intensity of Muay Thai training. She also cherishes hikes with her beloved dog, Jasmine, and hitting the dance floor with friends. Join Brittany in the journey of self-exploration and holistic well-being.
Hannah Davis
she/her/hers
LICSW, LMSW, LCSW, E-RYT-200, YACEP, Founder & Executive Director
Hannah Davis is a social worker, yoga teacher and coach, passionate about leadership, youth and family.
Hannah began practicing yoga in 2009. She completed her 200-Hour yoga teacher certification from Sky House Yoga in Silver Spring, MD in 2017. Hannah has completed various trauma-sensitive healing trainings, including Trauma Recovery and Empowerment Model, Street Yoga’s Trauma-Informed Yoga for Youth Training, Surviving Assault: Yoga Essentials as Early Intervention Following Assault or Trauma with Diana Tokaji and Mind-Body Medicine Training through the Center for Mind-Body Medicine. She leads several healing, trauma-informed community-based yoga classes for youth and adults.
Hannah holds a Master of Social Work from University of Maryland – Baltimore, a Master of Public Management from University of Maryland and a bachelor’s degree in journalism, with a minor in sociology from Temple University. She is an Independent Licensed Social Worker in Maryland and the District of Columbia. Hannah sits on the Girl Scout Council of the Nation's Capital Gold Award Panel and serves as Chair with the Montgomery County Collaboration Council.
Carmen de Jesus
she/her/hers
RYT-200, Facilitator
Carmen is a seasoned yoga practitioner and dedicated yoga instructor, holding certifications as a Registered Yoga Teacher (RYT 200) and Reiki practitioner (Level 1 & 2). With a passion for teaching yoga and meditation, Carmen aims to promote physical and mental well-being while serving her community. When she's not teaching, Carmen loves spending time with family and friends, reading, immersing herself in nature, and dancing.
Kathryn Gitthens
she/her
RYT-200, Facilitator
After retiring from social work Kathryn Gitthens became certified as a chiropractor assistant and yoga instructor at Kripalu Academy in 2018. Her goal is to provide to others, especially those that may not feel comfortable going to a yoga studio, the benefits of incorporating a yoga practice into their life.
She now works with three chiropractors and a physical therapist working with individuals one-on-one. When she's not practicing yoga herself, she likes to spend time with family, hike, travel and most importantly of all play with her granddaughter.
Smita Khatri
she/her/hers
RYT-200, Facilitator
Smita Khatri is a lover of movement and stillness. Smita's first experience with teaching yoga was in 2015, when she began sharing meditation and simple yoga with male and female inmates at the Boulder County Jail. She experienced deep meaning and fulfillment in her work at the jail, and taught there for almost 2 years. In 2016, Smita completed a 200-hour Hatha Yoga teacher training in Kerala, India. And since 2009, she has completed three 10-day silent Vipassana meditation courses. Her yoga classes focus on breath and movement, stillness and surrender, and being kind and gentle to the body.
In addition to yoga, Smita enjoys sharing her joy for dance with others. She has taught dance since 2007, and has also practiced Hanna Somatics and Feldenkrais movement for many years. Currently she teaches yoga and dance in Maryland and D.C. at various fitness centers, as well as a senior center and hospital.
Born in Maryland, Smita has spent extended periods of time living in Greece, India, New Zealand, Hawaii, and many other beautiful places on this planet.
Chelsea Lovera
she/her/hers
RYT-200, Facilitator
Chelsea has been practicing yoga since 2019, but her journey deepened after the loss of her mother in 2023. During this challenging time, she found solace in her yoga practice and decided to fully immerse herself in it. In 2024, Chelsea completed her 200-hour Yoga Teacher Training with Thrive Yoga, driven by a desire to share the transformative benefits
and healing power of yoga with others.
Chelsea’s teaching philosophy is rooted in the belief that yoga is for everyone - regardless of age, size, or experience level. Her classes offer a supportive and welcoming environment where students can explore their practice at their own pace, with a focus on self-healing, mindfulness, and personal growth. She believes yoga is a lifelong journey and is eager to share her knowledge, compassion, and energy with every student she meets. She's helping students connect more deeply with themselves both on and off the mat.
Outside of yoga, Chelsea enjoys staying active by lifting weights at the gym, hiking, and spending time with family and friends.
Deepa Pahladsingh
she/her/hers
RYT-200, Facilitator
As a kid, Deepa grew up watching her dad do his asanas like bow pose and peacock pose on the floor of the living room. At that moment all she could think of was how he was able to lift his heavyset body off the floor, amazed by his display of strength, flexibility and balance.
Fast forward 30 years later, and like many yoga teachers, Deepa’s yoga journey started as a yoga student, taking classes at the local yoga studio in The Hague, The Netherlands. Then, years later she moved to the States and was introduced to different styles of yoga practice in the studios. In search of an alternative to a demanding professional life, Deepa took her yoga practice to the next level and in fall 2019 she started her 200-Hour yoga teacher training at ExtendYoga Studio in North Bethesda, MD. She finished her yoga teacher training with a spiritual bag full of knowledge, skills, yoga training and Kodak moments. Deepa started teaching yoga classes once businesses reopened after the global pandemic. Currently she teaches at a climbing gym, yoga studios, a private school and a retirement & assisted living facility. Deepa also teaches a community yoga class in the public library, bringing yoga to her neighborhood. In her free time, she loves walking her dogs, baking, cooking and hiking. Deepa loves to guide her students from their daily lives into the studio, onto their mat and take them to a journey of Coming Home to Yourself.
Arden Perry
she/her/hers
Coordinator, Marketing & Training
Arden is a training coordinator and marketing specialist dedicated to promoting health equity. She graduated from the University of Maryland with a Bachelor of Science in Community Health, specializing in health communication and program development. She advocates to improve the lives of marginalized groups, particularly those affected by mental health difficulties and experiences of trauma. Her goal is to broaden the scope of mental health treatment by advocating for and maximizing the healing potential of mind-body practices through the integration of the trauma-informed framework.
Arden is experienced in program development and outreach, her most notable projects being: an art therapy program for youth with intellectual and developmental disabilities, fundraising efforts to reduce food insecurity in PG County, and a marketing campaign to advocate for eye health and prevent blindness in Illinois.
In addition to training and marketing, Arden shares her passion for the trauma-informed approach in her work as a trial team paralegal. Here, she brings her trauma education to the legal field by providing clients with much needed support as they navigate newfound experiences of trauma and the complexities of medical treatment.
Ana Pestana
she/her/hers
RYT-200, Facilitator
Everyday Ana is so grateful to have found her path. She believes Yoga is so much more than being able to do a handstand or the splits. Yoga has helped her in unimaginable ways mentally, physically, and emotionally. She believes we all have our own journeys and practice. Together, we build strength, flexibility, mindfulness, awareness on the mat and bring it into our everyday lives. She hopes to help people using the art of yoga and other natural healing modalities to create physical and mental balance.
Elise Pierre
she/her/hers
RYT-200, Facilitator
Elise is passionate about the power of yoga. As a "Yoga Therapy" and "I am Yoga Nidra" meditation facilitator, Elise offers group and individual Yoga Therapy and Yoga Nidra sessions in English and French in the DC/MD area. Yoga therapy allows the body's own healing energy to play the leading role. It helps to resolve the body's symptoms by working with them at their root.
Since 2021 she has been leading Sound Bath session, Hatha Yoga, Flow Yoga and Restorative Yoga in Rockville. As a sound healer, she delivers sound baths directly to businesses in the Washington, D.C., area, bringing wellness to the workplace for a population not necessarily accustomed to this kind of practice.
She is Fluid Vinyasa (hot yoga) certified and has experience teaching Yin, Vinyasa Yoga, and Yoga Nidra sessions to kids, tweens, teens, and adults around the world.
Sara Prince
she/her/hers
RYT-200, Facilitator
Sara is a certified yoga instructor with a passion for linking breath with movement. Her mission in each class is to bring each student into deeper awareness of their body and mind through mindful breathing and vinyasa flow. As a self-certified non-flexible person, Sara knows that there are no physical requirements for practicing yoga, and ensures that everyone feels welcome and comfortable in class no matter where they are in their journey.
When she’s not practicing yoga or working at her full-time job editing TV ads, she enjoys hiking with her husband and two dogs, Kona and Theo, cooking for loved ones, and reading.
Stefanie Stofko
she/her/hers
RYT-200, Content Manager
Stefanie is a social media manager and virtual assistant. She helps organizations maintain their presence on social media and connect with their community in a creative way.
She also began practicing yoga in 2015 and received her 200-hour RYT certification in 2020. In her free time, she also enjoys spending time outdoors, photography, painting, traveling, and spending time with her pets.
Reid Yearwood
he/him/his
Operations Manager
Reid joined Vikara Village® as the Operations Manager in August 2023. Prior to this, he served for five years as the Executive Director of a Cincinnati-based non-profit organization dedicated to supporting the immigrant community of the Cincinnati metro area. Reid holds a degree in Business Administration and is currently pursuing a Master’s degree in Accounting. He is passionate about traveling, experiencing different cultures, and serving his community.
