DAYA FOUNDER

Born in a small mountain village in Poland, Anna’s connection to nature deeply shaped her philosophy and approach to healing. Her travels through India and Brazil further immersed her in spiritual practice, drawing inspiration from the Himalayas, the Ganges, forests, elders, and traditional healing modalities. Rooted in Hatha and Ashtanga Yoga, Ayurveda, Chinese Medicine, Reiki, and Capoeira, Anna’s teachings blend movement, breathwork, meditation, sound healing, and ritual into a deeply holistic practice. As Daya’s founder, she creates spaces for students to slow down, reconnect, heal, and witness themselves more deeply in body, mind, and spirit.

STUDIO MANAGER

Restorative, Yin, Vinyasa

Advanced Practice

Liza Leonard first studied yin yoga in 2019 at Daya Yoga on Jefferson St. Since then, she has taught yin yoga in NYC, Connecticut, India, and Nepal, and has trained Yin Yoga teachers. She loves sharing the depths of this practice and emphasizes meditation, or dharana. Learn the art of being still, observing, and how to guide others through this experience. Liza has studied and practiced tibetan buddhism, tantric meditation, and mantra meditation over the past 5 years.

Rocket, Advanced Practice, Yin Yoga, Meridian, Inversions, Backbends

Jodie began practicing yoga at a young age and, over the years, developed a deep dedication to the discipline as a path of self-discovery, compassion, and personal growth. She holds a 200-hour certification from YogaRenew, a 300-hour certification from AyurYoga Eco Ashram, and a Yin Yoga certification from Daya Yoga. Through her teaching, Jodie encourages students to show up authentically, build trust in themselves, and cultivate a sense of self-acceptance both on and off the mat.

Yin, Vinyasa, Sound Bath, Meditation

She received her 200-hour Yoga Teacher Training certification with Rainbow Body Yoga, 200-hour Meditation Teacher Training with Three Jewels, and her Yin training with Daya Yoga. She is grateful to be continuously learning from her teachers and students.

Dynamic Flow, Pilates

Reid Foster has lived in Bushwick since 2018 after spending his childhood in the South and his early adult years in the Midwest. He fell in love with yoga in 2016 and the practice has been a staple in his life since. He’s extensively practiced many styles of yoga, including Katonah, hot yoga and Ashtanga, which have influenced his teaching style. His goal as a teacher is to help others tap into the joy the practice has brought him. 

Ashtanga, Rocket Yoga, Katonah Yoga, Meridian Yoga Therapy, Meditation, Pranayama

Caro Lokah is a Miami-born yoga and meditation teacher who has been practicing since the age of 14, weaving together traditional yoga lineages and Buddhist meditation through a lifelong curiosity about how these systems meet in daily life. She completed her first teacher training in 2010 and has continued studying across the Ghosh lineage, Ashtanga Yoga in the lineage of Sri K. Pattabhi Jois, Rocket Yoga, Katonah Yoga, Meridian Yoga Therapy, and the Science of Self system with Erin Rose Vaughan since 2017, while also studying meditation through the Three Jewels lineage of Tibetan Buddhism. Known for her spicy, energized presence, Caro’s classes blend asana, pranayama, and meditation with clarity, humor, and kindness to help students build strength, resilience, and sustainable practice.

Advanced Yoga, Yoga Therapy, Meridian Work, Acupressure, Bhakti & Meditation

Multidisciplinary artist and yogini in NYC. Practicing and teaching for over a decade

“Im devoted to inner transformation in service of healing “

Vinyasa, Meridian Yoga, Yin Yoga, Thai Bodywork

Kaleb is a certified Vinyasa, Meridian, and Yin yoga instructor whose practice began as a way to cultivate inner peace, self-awareness, and gratitude. Drawing from yoga, Traditional Chinese Medicine, and Thai bodywork, his classes focus on stimulating the body’s fascial network and energy centers through breath, mindful movement, pressure, and internal awareness. Through intentional sequencing and compassionate guidance, Kaleb creates grounding, restorative experiences that support tension release, energetic balance, and a deeper connection to the body and breath.

Power Vinyasa, Dynamic Vinyasa, Somatic Movement, Inversions

With a background deeply rooted in dance, Mackenzie has spent over 15 years teaching movement and seven years teaching yoga. After completing her 200-hour YTT under the guidance of Yogini Kali, she began teaching Hatha and Vinyasa yoga, later evolving into the power and dynamic vinyasa classes she now offers at Daya. Drawing inspiration from dance, somatics, and inversion training, Mackenzie creates energizing, supportive classes that encourage self-confidence, resilience, playfulness, and a deeper connection to movement and self-expression.

Beginner Yoga, Vinyasa, Katonah-Inspired Flow

Julia has been cultivating her yoga practice since 2016, blending Katonah-inspired alignment and metaphor with her background as a dancer to create thoughtful, inventive flows accessible to all levels, especially beginners. She completed her 200-hour RYT at Daya Yoga and brings experience in Trauma-Informed Community Building, striving to create classes that feel safe, inclusive, and exploratory. Outside the studio, Julia works in food and nutrition policy after earning her Master of Public Health in Nutrition, integrating principles of holistic wellness and nourishment into both her teaching and daily life.

Vinyasa, Ashtanga-Inspired Flow, Yin Yoga, Acupressure, Thai Massage, Cupping

Glo began practicing yoga in 2016 after being introduced to a traditional Ashtanga primary series class, beginning a lifelong journey of healing, somatic exploration, and spiritual discovery. Her practice has supported her through chronic pain and illness, and she now teaches creative, dynamic vinyasa classes with Ashtanga influences that encourage students to cultivate their own unique experience. Glo completed her 200-hour teacher training with Yoga to the People in San Francisco, Yin Yoga Teacher Training with Daya Yoga, Art of Yoga Sequencing with Jason Crandell, and additional harmonium and kirtan trainings with Seth Lieberman, while also incorporating modalities such as acupressure, Thai massage, and cupping into her healing work.

Vinyasa Yoga, Sound Bath

Katerina (she/her) is a NYC-based dance artist who received her BFA in Dance from Purchase College before beginning her yoga teaching journey at Durga’s Tiger School in Ecuador. She later completed her 200-hour YTT at Daya Yoga in Spring 2023, where Ania and the Daya training helped deepen her connection to breath, movement, and grounded practice. Drawing from her background in dance, Katerina’s classes explore flow, coordination, strength, and mindful breath through an intentional and embodied approach to movement.

Hatha, Alignment-Based Vinyasa, Breathwork, Strength & Mobility, Therapeutic, Pilates

Casey has been practicing yoga for over ten years and teaching alignment-based Vinyasa for the past seven, with a focus on precise cueing, biomechanics, strength, mobility, and breath-centered movement. Influenced by teachers Tony G and Elizabeth Myers, Casey’s approach emphasizes cultivating body awareness, nervous system regulation, and trust in the process rather than striving for external shapes. Her classes are welcoming to all levels and designed to help students build confidence, strength, mobility, and a deeper connection to breath and alignment within a supportive practice.

Vinyasa, Dynamic Flow, Meditation

Linnea Vedder is a yoga and meditation teacher, visual artist, and co-creator of Moon Church, a Brooklyn-based women’s spirituality group. She has practiced yoga for over 20 years and taught for more than 13, receiving her teacher training at the Kripalu Center under the guidance of Priti Robyn Ross. Linnea has also studied meditation with Lorin Roche through the teachings of The Radiance Sutras, and her work as both a teacher and artist explores spirituality, intuition, creativity, and embodied practice.

Mat Pilates, Dynamic, Yin Yoga, Sound Healing

Jessanya is a 500-hour RYT, certified Mat Pilates instructor, and creator of the PALOGA Method. With a background in dance and years of training, mentorship, and teaching across Central America, Europe, India, and New York City, she brings a deeply embodied and intuitive approach to movement.

Her classes blend strength, fluidity, mindfulness, and breath to help students cultivate presence, build resilience, and reconnect with themselves. Whether guiding a dynamic flow, restorative Yin practice, Pilates class, or sound healing experience, Jessanya creates an inviting space for exploration, transformation, and authentic connection.

Yoga Philosophy, Meditation, Yoga Therapy, Meridian Theory

Vinay Kumar Mysore (they/them) is a nonbinary Lingayat yogi from Canada based in Brooklyn whose path has been shaped by 17 years of dedicated study in yoga and meditation. Their asana practice is rooted in the Krishnamacharya lineage through training with Ryan Leier, philosophy studies with Srivatsa Ramaswamy, and additional study with Sri Subha and Ayurvedic yoga therapy in Mysore, Karnataka. Vinay’s teaching is further informed by Chinese medicine and meridian theory studies with Dr. Rose Erin Vaughan, as well as a longstanding Vipassana meditation practice in the SN Goenka tradition since 2007. Their classes invite students to engage yoga as a South Asian system of liberation through breath, philosophy, mythology, scripture, and ethical practice.

Beginners Yoga

Alisa has been teaching at Daya Yoga since 2012 and brings a thoughtful, welcoming approach rooted in traditional yoga philosophy and alignment-based practice. She received her certification from Ananda Ashram in Monroe, NY, where she studied under respected teachers including Yogananda David Hollander.

Her beginner-friendly classes combine grounding breathwork, traditional chanting, and mindful movement to help students cultivate awareness from the inside out. Alisa encourages practitioners to focus less on external shapes and more on their personal experience of each posture, creating a practice that is both accessible and deeply transformative. Each class concludes with an extended savasana accompanied by the soothing sounds of Koshi chimes, offering space for deep rest and integration.

Kundalini Yoga, Meditation, Sound Healing

Zita Harkaran completed her Kundalini Yoga teacher training with Hari Kaur in NYC in 2010 and continued her studies through a 300-hour training with Simran Kaur, KRI, Krishna Kaur, Satkirin Kaur, and Hari Kaur. In 2019, she became certified in Quantum Healing Hypnosis Therapy through the Dolores Cannon Foundation, and in 2024 earned her Master’s in Teaching from NYU. For Zita, teaching Kundalini Yoga is both a gift and a calling, offering students an experiential understanding of the nervous system, chakras, intuition, and sound current to support deeper awareness, healing, and vitality.

Pilates

Maya Tsuruki-Holden (she/her) is a Japanese dancer, performer, and Pilates instructor whose work is rooted in embodied expression and intentional movement. She began her comprehensive Pilates certification through the Kane School in New York and is currently completing the apparatus program. Pilates has been a foundational part of Maya’s movement career, deepening her connection to the body and fostering a stronger mind-body awareness. Her classes emphasize body awareness, intentional movement, and sustainable wellness within a safe and inclusive environment. Alongside Pilates, Maya has performed professionally with companies including North Atlantic Ballet and City Ballet of Boston, and has appeared in projects spanning film, fashion, and live performance.

Mat Pilates, Reformer Pilates, Jumpboard Pilates

Erica (she/her) is a certified contemporary Mat, Reformer, and Jumpboard Pilates instructor based in Ridgewood, NY whose classes are upbeat, empowering, and driven by dynamic music inspired by her work in the music industry. As a longtime fitness enthusiast, Erica found Pilates to be the most transformative practice for cultivating a strong mind-body connection, grounding, and alignment. Her classes combine breathwork, control, strength, and heat-building movement to create an energizing, sweat-inducing experience that leaves students feeling centered and empowered. Outside the studio, Erica can often be found performing with her band, America Jayne, or immersed in the NYC music scene.

Mat Pilates, Barre, Fusion Flow, Vinyasa

Cara has three years of experience teaching group fitness and recently completed her 200-hour YTT with Kula Yoga Project. In addition to certifications in Mat Pilates and Barre, her teaching style blends elements of yoga, Pilates, and strength-based movement while staying rooted in the core principles of Pilates: joint health, mobility, muscular endurance, flexibility, and breath. Known for her fusion-style classes choreographed to the beat of the music, Cara brings fresh energy, intentional sequencing, and thoughtfully curated playlists to every class.

Meridian Yoga, Ashtanga, Rocket Yoga, Dharma Yoga

Lygia’s yoga practice has helped her discover a truth that exists beyond language and can only be experienced through the body, a feeling she hopes to share through her teaching. Rooted in presence, embodiment, and exploration, her classes are influenced by her studies in Meridian Yoga with Science of Self, as well as Ashtanga, Rocket, and Dharma Yoga with Mariangel Romero. With savasana as her favorite pose, Lygia encourages students to slow down, connect inward, and experience yoga as both a physical and energetic practice.

Strength Conditioning with Weights

Kayla discovered yoga at 19 and has maintained a dedicated practice ever since. Drawing from her background in hot yoga, she teaches dynamic, strength-focused classes that challenge students to build power, mobility, balance, and confidence both on and off the mat.

Known for her passion for arm balances and inversions, especially handstands, Kayla brings an encouraging and empowering energy to every class. She received her 200-hour yoga teacher certification through Daya Yoga Studio and is committed to helping students explore their potential through mindful movement.

Core Flow, Ashtanga

Lila believes in movement for life and movement for joy. Through playful exploration, attention to fundamentals, and a commitment to sustainable practice, she encourages students to build strength, mobility, and confidence that extends beyond the mat.

Drawing from backgrounds in Ashtanga, Iyengar, and Pilates, Lila brings a thoughtful, alignment-focused approach to her classes. Since finding her home at Daya in 2023, she has continued to be inspired by movement, lifelong learning, and the simple wisdom of her grandfather's daily fitness routine.