Ambassadors

Meet The Ambassadors

Ashley Vasas, MN

Ashley Vasas (she/her) is a yoga teacher and founder of Nourish & Grow Yoga, located in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Ashley has studied several yoga modalities, including Vinyasa, Hatha, Yin, Pre-and Post-natal, Yoga Nidra, Meditation, and Yoga Tune Up®. She  earned an RYT 500 certification from Yoga Alliance in 2022. Ashley helps her students discover their potential through yoga, meditation, and self-love. She works with people of all ages, flexibility, and physical fitness levels. Ashley believes that yoga, in its many forms, has something to offer everyone.
IG: @nourishandgrowyoga

Danielle Foertsch Newman, MI

Danielle (she/her) prefers to see herself as a student first and instructor second. Her personal yoga practice is the complete opposite of the rest of her life – gentle, slow, and effortless. Initially drawn to yoga for the energetic practice of kundalini in 2013, which aligned with her then active, jam-packed, perfectionistic lifestyle, Danielle has evolved her yoga practice and teaching philosophy to allow more awareness, exploration, and imperfection into her mind, body, and breath. Danielle is an inquisitive, kinesthetic learner, and those qualities are the foundation of her teaching style, which encourages students to be curious and experiment with sensing and awareness of each pose in their own body and mind.
IG: @snowycedar

Emily Jo Sulzle, NE

Emily (she/her) was first introduced to yoga more than 20 years  ago and has been teaching for more than 12. Her favorite classes to teach are community and access focused classes, like little yogis in an after school program. Emily hopes to make yoga accessible to the aging population and its diverse needs – from preventive healthcare and recovery to chair yoga. Her mission is to meet people where they’re at and help them access the practice they need.
IG: @emilyjoyoga

Jessica Hoch

Jessica Hoch, MN

Jessica Hoch (she/her) is the owner and creator of Moxie Malas and has been a yoga teacher for 15 years now. With a degree in Apparel Design Moxie Malas was the perfect love child of the two worlds. What originally started out as gifts for family and friends has blossomed into a collection of meaningful jewelry for the person who wants what they wear to be intentional and a reflection of their journey.  Jessica originally earned her 200 E-RYT at CorePower Yoga in St. Paul, MN with additional trainings and workshops with instructors such as Jules Febre, Sadie Nardini, Johnny Kest and Alexandria Crow. Jessica is now a 500 E-RYT instructor certified through Devanadi School of Yoga and Wellness. A little more about her personally, she is a mother of two beautiful boys, a wife, yogi, gardener, artist and biker chick!
IG: @moxiemalas

Jillian Simpson

Dr. Jillian Simpson, MN

Dr. Jillian Simpson (she/her) is a feminist psychologist, coach, yoga teacher, and professional troublemaker. She earned a doctorate in Counseling Psychology from the University of St. Thomas in Minnesota and possesses over 20 years of clinical mental health experience helping a different range of humans rise above all manner of trauma, tragedy, and suffering. Her superpower is seeing human potential and she is passionate about co-creating spaces of belonging where humans feel safe to show up real. She is the founder of Velveteen Alchemy, a feminist psychology yoga coaching practice aimed at wholeness embodiment, internalized oppression eradication, and support reclaiming our wild.
IG: @thevelveteenalchemist

Mandi King

Mandi King, IA

With nearly two decades as a practitioner under her belt, Mandi King (she/her) began teaching eight years ago, always considering herself a student first and foremost. Mandi has a moxie for movement, but with a Master’s degree in English Literature, she discovered a profound interest in the ethical theory of Yoga philosophy found in Patanjali’s Yoga Sutra. Mandi holds a Level 1 – 100hr certification in Yoga Philosophy, complementing her 200hr E-RYT and YACEP credentials. She has taught at numerous Yoga festivals, retreats and conferences and most recently has been a published contributor to Midwest YOGA + Life magazine. Currently, she is actively pursuing a Level 2 certification.
IG: @mandi.n.king

Mary McCallum, MN

Mary McCallum (she/her) is a Curvy Yoga, Accessible Yoga, and Yoga for All certified yoga instructor who is passionate about making yoga accessible to everyone. Mary loves teaching how yoga can work for you and dispelling common yoga myths. Her goal is to create a fun, inclusive, supportive, and non-intimidating environment for all ages, sizes, and abilities.
IG: @mary.mccallum

McCall Kelly

McCall Kelly, NE

Meet McCall (she/her), a holistic health and wellness professional with a passion for helping people achieve optimal health and wellbeing in all aspects of their lives. She is a firm believer in self-development and mindfulness. Through her expertise in yoga and wellness coaching, McCall empowers individuals to find balance, manage stress, and embrace a holistic approach to wellbeing.
IG: @fitlivity

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Monica Delius, MN

Monica (she/her) is a yoga instructor and freelance writer. She is driven by a passion for making yoga accessible and enjoyable for individuals of all ages, particularly those in their mid-life and beyond. Her expertise extends to teaching chair yoga, catering to those who may face challenges practicing on a traditional mat. 

Paula Keck

Paula Keck, MN

Based in Central Minnesota, Paula (she/her) has been a yoga teacher since 2001 and a Sound Bath practitioner since 2021. She received her 500hr yoga certification through Yoga North and specializes in SomaYoga, along with myofascial release, restorative yoga and meditation. Together with her sister, Lila, they offer sound baths through their business Soul Sister Sound Baths. This is Paula’s 2nd year as a Midwest Yoga & Life Ambassador and she is excited to continue supporting our amazing community!
IG: @pkyogamn

Shelly Auld

Shelly Auld, MN

Shelly Auld (she/her) lives and engages in community in what is commonly called Brooklyn Center, MN, which is the unceded land of the Dakota and Ojibwe. Shelly is a certified 500-hour trained yoga teacher, as well as certified in Trauma-Sensitive Yoga, and child/youth yoga; a Reiki Master; and a Registered Health and Nutritionist Counselor. She is passionate about constantly learning how, and working to dismantle the oppressive systems in our society that obstruct humans from thriving, especially bodies that historically have experienced marginalization, especially through the philosophical yogic teachings.
IG: @shelauld

Tina Schmidt

Tina Schmidt, IA

Completing her 200 hr YTT with Karma Yoga Fitness just whetted Tina’s (she/her) appetite to learn more about yoga history and philosophy. She is continuing to learn all things yoga through a combination of weekend retreats, online classes and reading.  And now she is excited to be part of Midwest Yoga + Life as an Ambassador!  When she is not pursuing yoga, she resides in Nevada, Iowa, with her two cats and earns a paycheck as a CyberSecurity Solution Analyst.
IG: @tech.yoga.books