SIMON SAYS YOGA STUDIO
Welcome – we’re glad you’re here!
Shauna took a chance starting Simon Says Yoga in 2010, with the intention to bring her years of experience in elementary school and wellness teaching together in one place – for her community. SSY is a place everyone can feel welcome, wanted, and appreciated. With experienced, thoughtful teachers, a beautiful studio, and a broad range of classes, workshops and events, SSY has been a central part of our little community for 12 years strong!
Simon Says Yoga is also a family story, with custom made wooden creations by Shauna’s husband and son (Stefan and Zach) and hand dyed clothing and bolsters made by Shauna’s daughter (Shabd).
They all came together to thoughtfully design a natural, handcrafted environment for people to be able to feel warmth and clarity in their surroundings; in themselves.
* Check out our awesome reviews online *
For all who come to nurture themselves; to gain more flexibility & a balance between strength & softness.
A welcome place to feel at home with teachers who really pay attention and give care to each student.
A place to improve inner and outer strength, bringing balance and calm into your every day life.
SSY has come to be a gathering of community, a place to be inspired, to take time to breathe and rejuvenate.
Meet Our Instructors
Shauna Simon, owner – Level 1 Yoga, Slow Flow, Sound Bath
Kids/Family Yoga, Super Gentle/Senior YogaShauna discovered Yoga at age 17 in a search for self discovery and an experience apart from the norm. She lived in a Yoga community (ashram) for over 20 years, traveling to India several times, truly integrating the practice of yoga into her everyday life. She brought up her children from birth with Yoga and Meditation as a building block in order to face the challenges of life with the tools to live an insightful, mindful & peaceful life. She is a 200-hour Yoga Alliance Registered Teacher, eRYT (approved to teach other teachers) and has certifications in Sivananda Yoga and YogaFit. In addition, she has Kid’s Yoga Certificates in Calming Kids Yoga, Budding Yogis and from the Asheville School of Yoga.
Susan, manager – Yin & Restore/Stretch & Refresh, Level 1, Gentle Yoga, Super Gentle/Senior Yoga
Susan has been committed to an alignment based Hatha and Iyengar yoga practice for over a dozen years. Her practice has been an insightful and compassionate guide to cultivating balance, flexibility and strength in all aspects of her life. She completed her 200 hour yoga teacher training with the Simon Says Yoga family and looks forward to sharing her experience and enthusiasm for healthy movement with you.
Anne – Strong Sisters, Cardio & Cool Down
Anne has been practicing yoga for 30 years. She is a 200 hour registered teacher who received her training from Thrive at Simon Says Yoga and a certification from Peggy Cappy’s Yoga for the Rest of Us. Anne focuses on working with seniors and those who are recovering from injuries by providing adaptive modifications when needed. With her encouraging teaching approach, Anne focuses on her students’ strengths in order to support their personal journeys throughout each class.
Nooshen – Vinyasa Flow, Kids Yoga
Teaching 10+ years and loving every minute of it – Nooshen lives her yoga, to the best of her ability, on and off the mat. “We are not only aligning our bodies but also our hearts.” Her style is “…heart, breath and alignment…”, which she reminds herself + her students consistently. She enjoys showing students how the breath transforms them dynamically. She welcomes all types of students. It is her hope to help others access their peace and joy through yoga; to help them realize their full potential, to live in the present moment, and to be happy and healthy.
Sarah – Vinyasa Flow Level 1/2 & Level 2
Sarah began yoga to help recover from a knee injury after many years of professional modern dancing took its toll on her body. She found not only a physically healing practice but also tools to live a happier, healthier, & more fulfilling life. She completed her training with Max Strom, & has assisted him with teacher trainings in DC, VA & PA. Sarah’s teaching style is both gentle & invigorating, emphasizing alignment & breath-initiated movement. Her ultimate intention: to deliver a safe & challenging practice, allowing students of all levels take their own journey of self-inquiry & move toward more ease & greater balance on the mat & in their lives.
Dave – Vinyasa Flow
A lifelong athlete, Dave discovered the transformative power of yoga in 2013. His yoga classes feature a fun and flowing style, focusing as much on transitions as it does on the postures themselves. Part of Dave’s style also includes utilizing innovative transitions at times to bring students into familiar postures in unfamiliar ways. His classes incorporate an energetic pace & flow designed to build both functional strength & balance.
Dave has had a successful professional career as both a retail entrepreneur & a real estate investor. In addition to teaching vinyasa yoga, he also serves as an Entrepreneur-in Residence at Georgetown University’s McDonough School of Business, where he coaches and mentors undergrads as well as MBA and other graduate students.
Jill – Vinyasa Flow Level 1/2 & Level 2
Jill discovered the physical/asana branch of yoga in her teens and began a steady practice of all 8 limbs of yoga by 1996. After having children, she became a certified Budding Yogis kids yoga instructor and has instructed children and families for almost a decade. She is a Registered Yoga Teacher at the 200-Level. Jill incorporates flowing movement in her classes while emphasizing correct postural alignment (with appropriate modifications + props to make poses more accessible and safe) and breath and intention awareness. While she finds yoga to be a stellar means of physical fitness, she believes the holistic health benefits are what make it a truly transformative practice.
Theodora – Pilates/Yoga Fusion, Mat Pilates, Vinyasa Flow
Theodora has a Masters in Health Promotion & is a health coach. Over the years she combined yoga & Pilates in her personal workouts & saw the results in how effective combining both styles was after the birth of her first child. She loves to share that with others. Theodora teaches both Pilates & Yoga. She is a proud mom of two beautiful kids & two amazing puppies with her spouse, George ~
Gayatri – Super Gentle Yoga
Gayatri has been practicing yoga for more than a decade. Gayatri has an intuitive understanding of how yoga can address the needs and concerns of the populations she works with and adapts her classes to meet students right where they are.
Gina – Vinyasa Flow
Gina has been a student of yoga since 2008 when she tried her first Bikram class. Since then she has studied and practiced many styles and had the privilege of learning from many incredible and inspiring yogis. She received her first 200 hr certification in 2013 with Yoga District and went on to take a second 200 hr training in Ashtanga Yoga with Marie Belle PR. She continues to train in strength, mobility, and hand balancing. Gina loves a fun sweaty class with upbeat music to match her energy. In her classes you’ll find a mix of styles blended together in a creative and accessible flow with lots of room to play
Joan – Super Gentle Yoga
“Yoga has changed who I am: happy, accepting, brave, patient and connected. I meet life’s challenges with an open heart. ?Teaching yoga to others nourishes me.” Developing a theme for each class and weaving it through the postures, breathing practices, mudra, affirmation and meditation, is a source of satisfaction and joy for her self and her students. Joan has been teaching since 2005 / has a 200 hr certification + Yoga Nidra training + training in Yoga for Heart Disease & Cancer.
Holly – Yoga Nidra, Vinyasa Flow Level 1, Meditation, Restorative
Holly’s yoga journey started in a New Orleans basement, long before yoga studios saturated our cities. After practicing Hatha, Vinyasa, and Kundalini yoga for 15 years, she became certified as a teacher in 2008. She has trained in Integral Hatha Yoga, Pranayama (breathing techniques), Yoga Nidra (deep relaxation), Chakra Psychology, and Trauma-Sensitive Yoga. Holly’s passion is sharing yoga and mindfulness techniques with trauma-affected youth and communities – and passing on the resources that have supported her own healing and growth. Both her teaching and her personal practice follow Swami Satchidananda’s idea of “Easeful Body, Peaceful Mind, Useful Life.”
Julie – Mat Pilates
Julie has been practicing pilates for over 10 years and is completing her 725 hour teacher certification program through Body Precision, a renowned pilates studio in Bryn Mawr, PA. She tries to ensure that for every student pilates enhances strength, balance and agility, and also invigorates the mind. Her interest in how pilates can keep us healthy and supple as we age, inspired Julie to become a licensed Pilates for Buff Bones® instructor.
Marisol – Zumba! & Bollywood
Marisol is an experienced, fun Zumba instructor. Her Bolivian & Indian heritage have given her inspiration for her creativity & fluid dance movement~
Lika – Vinyasa Flow Level 1/2
Lika was initially drawn to yoga as a way to maintain her flexibility and strength and soon discovered the full power of yoga, as a path to becoming a more balanced, compassionate and happy person. Lika teaches vinyasa flow based classes and focuses on creating a comfortable, non-competitive and safe space, where students can explore their practice while challenging themselves.She teaches Rejuvenating and Nourishing Flow classes ~
Kay – Mindful Flow Yoga
Kay started practicing Yoga more than 14 years ago. She experienced the healing power of Yoga practice first hand and decided to get certified and teach it and share all the wonderful benefits of Yoga with others. Kay teaches Vinyasa Flow, Restorative Yoga, Yoga Nidra and offers Laughter Yoga workshops. She strives to make every Yoga practice a suitable, relaxing and positive experience for each and every Yogi.
Tania – Zumba!
Tania originally from Ecuador shares her passion for dancing in each of her Zumba classes. She is a certified Zumba instructor with 10 years of experience in leading high-energy and fun-filled dance fitness classes. Tania enjoys helping others achieve their fitness goals while having a blast on the dance floor. Her classes are known for their upbeat Latin music, easy-to-follow choreography, and inclusive environment that welcomes participants of all fitness levels. Join Tania’s Zumba class and get ready to sweat, smile, and dance your way to a healthier you!
Amani & Sarah – Drum Circles
Originally from the Ivory Coast, Amani has 21 years of experience as a professional drummer and drum builder in Mali, Ghana and his home country.
Sara has studied drumming in Ghana and the USA; she performs with the Bele Bele Rhythm Collective, a woman-led group that plays traditional West African rhythms.