As a dancer, Stephanie danced with the Phoenix Repertory Dance Project in the early 1990s. She went on to deepen her knowledge of the body and of dance at the respected Dance Departments of Ohio State University and Kent State University. She has studied with well-known performers and choreographers Kimberly Karpanty, John Crawford, Darwin Prioleau, Chung-Fu Chang and Tommy Parlon.

Stephanie loves how Pilates lets her discover and connect with the complexity of the body... she also loves how it makes her butt look in jeans! In her teaching, she encourages students to explore different variations and learn to work within their limitations. She wants students to be challenged and feel like they have spent their money on a worthy cause--themselves.

Off the mat, Stephanie and her husband Fraser are expecting their first child. She works
full-time at design firm 2 nd Globe Studios and serves as a representative of The Children's Theatre Institute board of directors, providing children the opportunity to learn life skills though theatre arts.

Believing the best teachers always remain curious students, Laura continues to explore and evolve her yoga life by attending workshops and continuing trainings in often. Laura mindfully seeks out experiences in the many styles and schools of yoga. Her continued journey as a student of yoga and Pilates keeps her classes and teaching fresh and unique, and enables Laura to create thoughtful sequencing that offers students new perspectives from which to understand a pose, their practice, themselves, and relationship to and in the world around.

Laura received her Pilates mat training with the Physical Mind Institute in 2003, her 200-hour Yoga Alliance Registered training in 2006, attended Pilates reformer training with Balanced Body Institute in 2006, and completed prenatal yoga training in 2007. In addition to having attended yoga and Pilates classes across the US and in over fifteen countries, Laura has had the opportunity to study or attend classes with many of this generation’s yoga masters including: Seane Corn, David Swenson, Doug Swenson, Gurmukh Kaur Khalsa, Tias Little, Rodney Yee, Aadil Palkhivala, Lisa & Charles Matkin, Desiree Rumbaugh, Rod Stryker, Todd Norian, Nicki Doane, Eddie Modestini, Hala Khouri, Suzanne Sterling, Ashley Turner and others. In 2007 Laura completed a prenatal teacher training with Lisa Matkin.

In August 2009, Laura completed the Off the Mat, Into the World teacher training with Seane Corn, Hala Khouri and Suzanne Sterling. She is looking forward to bringing her Off the Mat leadership trainings to Indianapolis soon. You can find her “beyond the mat” approach to yoga in all of her regularly scheduled Invoke classes, and in her soul-challenging Detox Bootcamp workshops.

Laura also co-founded Urban Earth Indy with her husband Tyler. Together they run the Indianapolis Winter Farmers Market, teach rain barrel making, gardening and composting workshops, create edible urban gardens, and encourage bicycles for transportation.

Molly is honored to be instructing at Invoke Studio - the first place she found the practice of Pilates nearly five years ago.

As an IM=X certified instructor, Molly enjoys sharing her love of the Pilates practice on the reformer and in mat classes by helping her clients to first discover the power of their bodies and second, in meeting their fitness goals.

She works to provide each client with the encouragement and positive environment they need to enjoy and see results in their practice. Molly is inspired by her fellow instructors and by other Pilates and dance-related techniques including the BASI method and ballet barre fitness. She and her husband enjoy living and playing in Indianapolis.

With an extensive background in fitness Nicole, loves any activity that will challenge the body. Having played soccer for most of her life, she is also an avid runner and loves golf. In order to counter-balance the benefits/effects that rigorous exercise can have on her body, she tries to work yoga into her busy schedule as often as she can. Nicole enjoys a dynamic class that is challenging for all levels and stresses the importance of proper breathing technique, form, and counter-stretching. She enjoys bringing in new material and firmly believes that there's always room for laughter and great music in her classes.

Besides fitness Nicole enjoys traveling with her husband, music, painting, writing, and spending time outdoors — especially when there's sun!

Sage began her yoga practice in late 2003 as a way to integrate more stretching, deep breathing, and meditation into her running and exercise routines.  The serene feeling that came after a yoga class motivated her to continue.  Sage completed her 200 hour yoga teacher training at the Kripalu Center for Yoga and Health in Massachusetts and received her certification in May 2007.  Sage is a registered yoga teacher with Yoga Alliance, a member of the Kripalu Yoga Teacher’s Association and a member of the International Association of Yoga Therapists. Sage received her LifeForce Yoga for Depression Certification from Amy Wientraub in July of 2008 and her Prenatal Yoga Certification from Sarah Longacre in August 2010.      

Sage utilizes a flowing sequence of sun salutations to work and balance the physical, spiritual, and emotional bodies.  Sage’s teaching integrates movement, breath and contemplative practice to help her students become more physically strong, while cultivating the ability to observe thoughts and emotions.  Ultimately, Sage is on a journey to be in the present moment of each day and this is woven into each class she teaches.   

Sage is continually inspired by her loving family, all of her yoga teachers, her fellow yogis at Kripalu, and Amy Wientraub, who wrote the inspirational and accessible book Yoga for Depression.  Off of the mat, Sage works in nonprofit housing development to provide housing opportunities to low-income people in Indiana.  She enjoys running, cooking, taking walks with her dog, and time spent with loved ones.

In addition to teaching yoga, Ahna is a massage therapist, shiatsu practitioner and thai massage therapist. She loves any outdoor adventure and sport, and is inspired by mother nature. She grew up on a farm in Pa and has a huge passion for animals. Music, dance, and travel are also a big part of her life. Ahna loves to share her passion for life and yoga with her students.

Amanda's attention to alignment and detail in her yoga classes stems from almost fifteen years of extensive ballet training. Having studied at Lexington Ballet School, Virginia School of the Arts, the Indiana University Ballet undergraduate program, and the Joffrey Ballet School in New York City, Amanda has had the opportunity to learn from numerous renowned ballet dancers and choreographers. She also continues to expand her knowledge of yoga by attending workshops and master classes and by studying yogic philosophy. She has been privileged to attend workshops and study with many great teachers, including Nicki Doane, Sri Arun H.S., and Doug Swenson.

For Amanda, yoga is ultimately a practice in self-examination and improvement. She tries to take her practice with her into her life with the goal of becoming a better person. Amanda firmly believes that yoga is a path that holds benefits for everyone but also uses it as a vehicle to help others learn to laugh and take life less seriously.

Amanda is a graduate student at IUPUI and currently interns with the Indiana Department of Correction assisting in job placement for offenders returning to the community and teaching offenders valuable life skills to help improve their time management and job retention post release. She also enjoys spending time with her husband and their two dogs.

Amy has been a fitness instructor for over 10 years teaching step, kickboxing, strength, cycling and most recently received her ACE certification as a personal trainer. In 2008, she began taking private reformer classes in an effort to gain additional fitness knowledge and to quite her internal nagging question, “What is the big deal with Pilates?” Instantly,the jaded view of just another fitness fad was silenced and she was hooked.  On a quest to learn as much as possible, Amy began attending Balanced Body Univeristy Mat & Reformer teacher training sessions in Fort Wayne, Nashville, TN  and Chicago.  Amy looks forward to obtaining her comprehensive certification through Balanced Body University in the Winter of 2011.      

I believe pilates has not only changed my physique but my body awareness.  It has given me a better understanding of what health and strength truly are, and it has nothing to do with how many reps. you can do or how much you can benchpress! 

Hobbies: spending time with my two sons Henry (9) and Charlie (7), my husband and friends. 

Alissa Byers first entered the world of yoga and pilates while attending Indiana University in Bloomington. After graduating college with a BS in Public Health, Alissa took a high stress job in the not for profit world. Becoming one of Invoke’s first regulars, she retreated to the studio as a way to relieve stress and manage lower back pain. During her 6 years with the studio, Alissa’s love and study of Pilates led her to train as an instructor through Balanced Body. In addition to her time as a Pilates reformer instructor, Alissa also works as a health coach for a national health company.

As a health aficionado, she has also written a fitness column and holds a American College of Sports Medicine-PAPHS certification. Alissa’s free time is spent volunteering as a founding member of the Young Professional Board for Ronald McDonald House and teaching at Pike High Schools through the Common Goal Mentoring Program. When she is not devoting her time to others, Alissa loves to run, work Sudoku puzzles, cook and hang out with her adorable pooch; Dax. Dax is usually found either greeting studio guests or instructing reformer students from a his pillow!

Tess was introduced to yoga 6 years ago when she started a casual, in-home practice. It wasn’t until her first heated class, however, that she truly connected with yoga. She found that not only could she sweat out the day, but also find an amazing connection with her mind and body.

It has become her physical and mental outlet as well as a way of life. In the summer of 2009 she received her certification and has been teaching ever since.  She teaches in the Vinyasa style, focusing on alignment and using the breath to fuel your practice. She is so grateful for the opportunity to share her passion for yoga!

Corrie’s began practicing yoga around 8 years ago and has been athletic most of her life, always looking for indoor and outdoor adventures for fun and fitness. [if you guys want a summary of class style I suppose I would describe it something like: vinyasa classes focused on breath awareness and building strength through a flowing (ashtanga-inspired) sequence? She was introduced to yoga with a David Swenson video for beginners, and attended her first Ashtanga/Vinyasa class while visiting a best friend in Columbus, Ohio who insisted she join her.

After that first class, she began a more focused but gradual yogic journey, and over the years became aware of the effects of yoga and mindfulness on both physical and mental well-being of herself and others. With the intention to inspire others to define their yogic journey, she received her teaching certification at the 200-hour level through Invoke’s Teacher Training Course in December of 2010 and is registered with the Yoga Alliance. Corrie is also a psychology student and psychiatric research assistant studying the effects of empirically based mindfulness interventions on mental health within various populations in the clinical setting.

She is also a licensed esthetician, and
licensed nail technician trained in Aveda’s Ayurvedic skincare, nail care, and full-body massage. And she works at Bazbeaux downtown where she eats too much pizza. Yum.

Morgan Sanders-Jackson has been interested in movement and fitness since childhood, pursuing everything from dance and musical theater to hiking and volleyball. After graduation from Indiana University in Bloomington, she returned to Indianapolis and began taking Les Mills BodyPump. On a whim, she decided to try certification training with a friend. Now certified in Les Mills BodyPump, NETA Group Fitness Instruction, Peak Pilates Mat, and soon to be certified through Peak Pilates in Reformer and Cadillac, Morgan has been teaching for several years and has worked for facilities all over the Indianapolis area.

She started taking Yoga and Pilates at Invoke to find balance, reduce stress, and release tightness from training; what she gained was so much more! Wanting to help others to enjoy the same benefits, Morgan pursued Peak Pilates certification to teach. She loves the accessibility and effectiveness of Pilates, and is passionate about helping people to feel strong and centered. When not teaching, Morgan spends time outside, cooks, does yoga, and laughs a lot.

Lois Cox graduated from Ohio State University with a BFA in Dance. Danced for various dance companies in Ohio and then moved to New York City, my home town. I taught dance for many years but decided to try the fitness world. I have now been teaching for 20 years. Pilates and Yoga have become my favorite classes to teach. I also teach a class called Ballecore composed of yoga, pilates and ballet. I have just completed my 200 hours in Yoga at Peace Through Yoga and I am in the processes of getting certified in the Pilates reformer from Balanced Body.

Cheryl likes riding motorcycles with her family; her husband of 13 years Terry, Addison 10 years old and Max 8. She also enjoys playing sports with her family and hanging out just being Mom.

Cheryl began her Yoga practice in 2001, after the birth of her first child Addison. At the time Yoga was introduced to Cheryl she had just left a high paced sales job to become a full time mom and was entering her 7th year teaching group fitness. Yoga was something totally new and different for Cheryl. She was hooked immediately.

Cheryl is certified as an Experienced Yoga Teacher with Yoga Alliance at the 200 hour level, and has also completed her 500 hour Yoga Teacher Training. Cheryl's trainings are in the tradition of Hot Yoga and Vinyasa Ashtanga yoga. Beryl Bender Birch, Bruce Bowditch, Meredith Holcomb, Doug Swenson and Manorama are among the many great Yogi's that have influenced Cheryl. However her greatest Love and Gratitude are upon her two teachers: Ann Richardson Stevens of Studio Bamboo Institute of Yoga and Lisa Rapp of My Yoga Spirit.

Cheryl is currently the lead Teacher for the 200 Hour Yoga Teacher Training program at Zen Hot Yoga Studio Virginia Beach VA. She draws inspiration to practice and teach by approaching her mat as a child would approach recess: opening herself up to the experience with a playful sense of exploration, acceptance and peace.

"Yesterday is gone. Tomorrow has not yet come. There is only today. Let us begin." Mother Teresa.

Cheryl looks forward to meeting and playing on the mat with each of you.

Marjan began her yoga practice as a time-out from a hectic career in wedding planning. After a couple of years of casually attending local yoga classes while looking for some relaxation and self-enrichment, Marjan found she not only loved the physical challenges that could be found with yoga, but the mental focus, peace and happiness that came with learning to be mindful and present. Carrying these lessons off the mat, yoga became not only an in-class practice but a lifestyle for Marjan.

Graduating in 2009, she has her 200-hr certification from Internationally recognized Yogaworks after studying under Carmen Fitzgibbon where she was trained in a broad range of styles with a particularly strong emphasis on alignment. She approaches her classes as an opportunity to help others grow their personal practice by offering classes grounded in form/alignment, breath-work and developing a personal sense of self-awareness on and off the mat. Whether teaching basics classes or more intense heated vinyasa classes, Marjan tries to maintain a class that encompasses both challenges and relaxation leaving you feeling refreshed and hopefully a little more grounded in your day-to-day life.

When not teaching, Marjan still enjoys wedding and event planning. Marjan's other passions and joys include whole foods and gourmet cooking (and of course eating!), biking, traveling, being outdoors, spending time with family and friends and hanging out with her two goofy dogs.

Glenna first tried Pilates in the comfort of her home with Ana Caban's DVDs available through Gaiam. She loved mind-body connection inherent in Pilates exercises and the core strength the workouts provided. As a competitive swimmer throughout high school and college, Glenna found that Pilates complemented swimming. As a masters swimmer (still occasionally competing), Pilates provides a quick and effective way to build and maintain strength. Also, with a few marathons and half-marathons under her belt, Glenna found that Pilates (and yoga) provided cross-training that helped to prevent and heal injuries. Glenna completed the Peak Pilates System (PPS) Level I training in 2011, with an emphasis on classical Pilates exercises on the mat, reformer, and Cadillac/tower. Glenna looks forward to attending additional training and workshops offered by Peak Pilates to continue to bring classical Pilates techniques to Invoke clients.

Glenna is currently a Research Coordinator with the Regenstrief Institute and recently completed her Masters in Public Health (Epidemiology) in August 2011. She lives right across from the downtown Invoke location and you might see her heading out for a run (or coming home) when she isnÕt teaching.