Rachel Roberts initially found yoga in 1998 at the recommendation of a naturopathic doctor who suggested asana and pranayama as a way to control her worsening asthma. Over the next several years, yoga came in and out of her life until 2004 when she became increasingly dedicated to expanding her personal practice and yogic knowledge.
In 2008, Rachel left her home in the U.S. to travel the world through yoga, studying under great yogis throughout Europe and Asia. In 2009 Rachel continued her learning at Sri K. Patabbhi Jois’ Ashtanga Research Institute in Mysore, India and attended the Mandala teacher training in Bali with Shiva Rea. She has been blessed to count among her teachers Sharath Rangaswamy, Saraswathi Rangaswamy, Marco and Sandra Bianco, Katiza Satya, Rolf and Marci Naujokat, Katy Appleton, Mark Whitwell, Paul Dallaghan and Neil Barker.
Roberts leads weekly classes in Cincinnati, Ohio as well as international workshops and retreats on yoga and meditation. Seeking ways to further spread her love of yoga, she uses her creative backgrounds in both marketing and photojournalism on the website www.thisendup1.com. The site chronicles her journey and the inspiring changes that have occurred in her life; giving Rachel the chance to share the lessons she’s learned with a broad audience and to aid others along a similar path. In 2009 She started a line of yoga and mantra-inspired jewelry while living in Bali. In 2010 Rachel opened The Yoga Bar in the heart of downtown Cincinnati to create a yogi community center in her hometown.
“Yoga has so profoundly and completely changed my life in positive ways that I cannot help but share it with others.” – Rachel Roberts
Meredith Hogan began her yoga journey at age sixteen. As an injured ballerina she was experiencing her first heartbreak and was unable to simply dance her way out of the pain. She was like a bird with a broken wing frozen by the shock of true depression. Being so young she had no perspective. Sayings like “time heals all" seemed insulting and horribly inadequate. She did not agree with the teachings of simply waiting around for things to improve.
She looked to pilates which helped her body and then to yoga. it was in a crystal clear moment of feeling her breath spiraling in swirls of light around her heart and her spine long and tall with dignity that she began to feel the power of the formless within the form. She began to study and read books and practice whenever she could. She was in love and knew that this love must be shared.
Meredith went on to study theatre and cultural anthropology in college. She travelled to Brazil her last year at Miami and studied afro Brazilian dance, sustainable agriculture and capoeira. Falling in love with the freedom of expression inherent in the dance and pulse of afro-brazil. This freedom has affected her teachings as a yogini immensely. Rediscovering her voice and gift for music has further affected her offerings as a teacher. Her music is her bhakti, but she believes her gift as a teacher is to empower people to free themselves from the trappings and cycles of the unexplored mind, to make friends with the body and voice (our most precious garments) and to make positive changes in the world. She is grateful for all her teachers and this madly beautiful life.
