staff bios

Liz Doyle (Studio Manager)

Liz Doyle Yoga has done so much for my life that I just couldn’t help becoming a teacher. I am grateful to all my mentors -- because of them, I am now able to share the many gems of yoga with you. In a short time, you’ll start to walk taller, feel better, move like you did years ago, and play like a kid. You will have more confidence and courage, you’ll have tools to manage the ups, downs and imbalances of everyday life, and you’ll be happier. Yoga did that for me, and I can show you how to do the same, if you’re ready.

You’ll find my classes fun and full of variety, with a strong flowing movement to keep the mind and body flexible and young.

I’ve personally been practicing yoga for over 10 years, completed a comprehensive 7 month teacher training program at Samadhi Yoga with Kathleen Hunt, which is certified by Yoga Alliance for the 200 hour certification level. I lead group classes as well as conduct private and semi-private lessons. If you have any other questions about me, my background, qualifications, please feel free to ask!


Shannon Askay

Shannon has been practicing yoga most of her life and began teaching yoga three years ago. An innate teacher, Shannon likes to share her knowledge and experience of asana (the physical postures of yoga) but encourages her students to listen to the sat guru (inner teacher) to find a yoga practice that best nourishes them. Classes are focused on breath work, proper alignment and combine a powerful vinyasa flow with strengthening core work, invigorating inversions and backbends, and opening seated and supine stretches that are sure to leave you with a sense of relaxed contentment and natural balance. Other passions of Shannon’s include swimming, travel, surfing, kitesurfing, languages, reading, family and being outdoors.


Porshah Dayton

Porshah Dayton Porshah began her yoga practice in 1996 attending inspiring hatha yoga classes while attending university. During her study abroad in Granada, Spain she had the opportunity to expand her practice by attending regular classes with a group of yogis heavily influenced by vinyasa style yoga. While residing in an apartment nestled in the caves of Sacremonte, Porshah found silence and peace through regular asana and meditation practice. In the years to follow her passion for yoga, nutrition, and wellness inspired her to become a licensed massage therapist and certified yoga instructor. Her signature style incorporates vinyasa and power while infusing and emphasizing the eight limbs yogic philosophy.

Porshah is the founder and facilitator of the Sanctuary 30 Day Detox Program which focuses on nutritional therapy, therapeutic yoga, detoxifying spa services, and stress management. Her mission to bring balance, empowerment, and happiness into the lives of the community provides daily motivation and fulfillment. Further passions include writing, literature, travel, nature, and family time!


Craig Duffy

Craig Duffy I discovered the blessed path of yoga in 1997 while living in New York City, pursuing opportunities as an artist/actor/musician . I grew up doing gymnastics & was a competitive diver in high school. The physicalness of being in your body is what I connected with first, & the ever unfolding spiritual & energetic aspects continue to bloom & blossom in my awareness. I believe I was led to teach, & have followed that path as it unravels before me. I began exploring Kundalini Yoga in NYC, thanks to the generous offerings of Ravi Singh to attend a free intro course. He helped me to see much deeper into the magic & wonder of yoga, & I began to know a sense of self confidence/peace/excitement/power I had never thought available. The events of Sept 11th led me to Seattle, where I quickly became immersed in the booming Vinyasa & Bikram scene- full of amazing instructors. I have also grown immensely from practicing with Ana Forrest, who inspired a deep rooted change in me as a being/yogi/instructor. Her keen intuitive sense of self power & healing is what speaks most to me, & she put into greater perspective, the inner energetic movements of yoga. After that, I did a workshop with Doug Swenson. Ironically, I learned more Yang/masculine strong Vinyasa from Ana, & Doug showed me a way to use soft/Yin Vinyasa to blend & balance a strong practice.

I think what I love most about yoga is the fact that I see no end to the opportunities to learn & therefore to grow as a practitioner & teacher. As an instructor I try to feel & intuit the group/individuals I am guiding through practice, & provide them the flow that best suits their needs.


Montana Dutton

Bio coming soon.


Emily Iverson

Emily Iverson Emily has been studying yoga for over 7 years. She is a certified yoga teacher through the National Yoga Alliance. She received this certification by completing the extensive 7 month teacher training program at Samadhi Yoga in Seattle with Kathleen Hunt.

Wanting to take her studies of yoga and Indian Philosophy to a new level Emily embarked on a 5 month trip to India from which she recently returned. She completed an intensive training course (over 200 hrs) in Chennai with A.G. Mohan, 18 year student of the great yoga master Sri T. Krishnamacharya (teacher of B.K.S. Iyengar and Pattabhi Jois). Mohan, his wife, and their son currently teach what they learned from the years of studying with Krishnamacharya in many courses around the world.

Emily has a varied background in yoga from the Ashtanga primary series to yoga therapy to an intense passion for the mechanics of how the mind works and how to overcome its obstacles by the path of yoga as defined by Patanjali: Yogah Citta Vrtti Nirodah; yoga is the cessation of the fluctuations of the mind. Her classes focus on moving within the breath, bringing strength and balance to the entire body structure as well as lengthening the breath through pranayama and mantra (chanting). These practices combined move the student towards a state of peace and contentment both inside and out.


Jennifer Hill

Jennifer HillAn exuberant mover since an early age, Jennifer Hill competed in gymnastics, then danced through high school on scholarship at Pacific NW Ballet and gained her minor in dance while attending the University of Washington for geography. After graduation in 1998, she found yoga and realized that it was what she had loved all along inside of the other physical disciplines she had studied; the stretching, the subtlety, the surrender the and the enormous guidance of the breath. After completing her first teacher training in 2000 with Ana Forrest, she began teaching and has thrived doing so ever since completing subsequent teacher trainings with Rod Stryker, Shiva Rea, John Friend, David Life and Doug Keller among others. Her classes are fluid, inspirational and suitable for practitioners of mixed-level. Emphasis is placed on breath, core development, fluid strength and alignment within creative sequencing. Her calming voice and enthusiastic presence lead the class with grace and spirit.

A student of Ayurveda, the Indian Yogic "science of life", Jennifer shares from the depth of this wisdom to teach balance in body, mind and life in her classes and individual sessions. To compliment her yoga teaching, Jennifer has been a licensed massage practitioner since 2004. Jennifer also loves the arts, aerial acrobatics, the outdoors and travel and can often be found in Latin America.


Johnna Koenig

Johnna Koenig Johnna started practicing yoga almost ten years ago to complement and heal the impact that collegiate athletics had on her body. While completing a degree in Software Systems at the University of Washington, yoga became an outlet that provided a unique physical benefit and exploration of the mind, body, and breath union. With such a profound experience, Johnna felt a calling to learn and share more. In 2007 she completed her first teacher training with Baron Baptiste. Johnna’s classes bring energy and encourage practicing by exploring the body/mind with the greatest of compassion. If not practicing yoga you can find Johnna running, biking, swimming or spending time with her husband Ryan and new puppy Snickerdoodle.


Jaimie Morgan

Jaimie Morgan Jaimie has been a dedicated practitioner of Bikram method yoga since being introduced to it in San Francisco in 2000. After nearly five years of dedicated practice, she became certified both as a teacher and in CPR at Bikram's Yoga College of India in Los Angeles in the summer of 2004. She enjoys spending her time by sharing her love of Bikram yoga and all of its benefits (physical, mental and emotional) with her students. She is a powerful, funny and encouraging teacher, who hopes to inspire her students to work their hardest and reach their highest potential in each and every class.


Colin Patterson

Colin Patterson In 1996 while living in Portland, Colin received his calling to start practicing Yoga. He was searching for an activity using his body that would energetically ground him and spiritually enrich his life. He practiced heavily during the year he lived in Portland, with teacher Diane Wilson whose presence and teaching’s resonated deeply. After years of practicing many different styles Colin began teaching classes at Crystal Mtn. in the mornings before skiing and in a community center during the off season down in Enumclaw. In 2003 he moved to the Big Island of Hawaii where he started practicing astanga yoga with one of Guru G’s former students and teaching at the local yoga studio. A year later he moved to Kauai where he continued to practice ashtanga with another of Patabi Jois’s students. In the fall of 2005 Colin began Samadhi’s teacher training because it was dedicated to all the aspects of yoga. Colin currently teaches vinyasa, mantra, and pranayama.

His style of teaching is an open flow and dependent upon the people in the room and the energy of the day. Colin feels he has been truly blessed to have amazing teacher’s and looks forward to giving back to fellow yogi/teacher/students.


Nicole Russo

Nicole Russo Nicole has a strong passion for helping people through yoga and natural health. At the age of 15 she had severe degeneration of a disc in her lumbar spine which she has over come by changing her life style and doing yoga daily. Nicole discovered Ayurvedic Medicine at 20 and went to Los Angeles, CA to began her journey into the Eastern health philosophies including yoga. After a year she decided to move back to Ohio and further her studies in nutrition at a university as well as completing a 200 hour yoga certification course, in August of 2005. She then went to India for three months to travel, study yoga, chakras, meditation, and Ayurvedic Medicine. Currently she is studying Nutrition at Bastyr University as well as completing a massage program through Brenneke –Cortiva Institute. Her multiple interests of yoga, nutrition, Ayurvedic Medicine(treatments), and massage help her to incorporate a holistic lifestyle.

She enjoys doing multiple styles of yoga including Anusara, Ashtanga, Vinyasa, Power Yoga, and Hatha Yoga. Her teachings integrate these styles along with breathing exercises, strengthening, stress relief, energizing, toxin reducing, and clarifying yoga that is adaptable for every body.


Laurie Sasser

Laurie Sasser Laurie began exploring yoga in 2000, pursuing a deeper understanding of human movement and the mind's innate connection to the breath and the body. Although she has a diverse background including trainings with David Swenson and Shiva Rea, the yoga she most enjoys teaching is creative and dynamic vinyasa flow. Laurie's classes are challenging yet restorative, and incorporate sequencing that addresses stress, anxiety, depression, anger, imbalance, and the overactive mind. She ardently believes in yoga asana as a forum for self expression, connecting with the energetic body and navigating the emotional landscape. Through movement and breath, Laurie hopes her classes illustrate how the practice of yoga can train the mind to meet the uncertainty of life with grace and ease.


Amber Tande

Amber Tande Amber has over 12 years of experience and practice with yoga. She is also a certified Reiki Master, has a Bachelor of Science Degree in Holistic Health Psychology from Bastyr University and a Master’s Degree in Integrative Studies in Psychology with a focus on Holistic Health and Wellness Planning from Antioch University. She continues collaborating with others involved in the healing arts to bring students and patients a comprehensive understanding of their own healing potential. Amber also stays active in searching for natural and proactive ways to bring about healing (for example, conducted research and analyzed “The effects of Yoga on Incarcerated Youth,” A. Tande (1999), conducts yoga and meditation workshops addressing specific needs and interests, such as stress, anxiety, depression, detoxification, chakra balancing etc.