Our Teachers

Julie Brown

RYT500

Ruth Pipitone

RYT500

Gina Constantini

RYT 200

  • Gina is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker and trained psychotherapist with more than 20 years of experience. She earned her Master’s in Social Work at Marywood University. Gina has worked in a variety of settings helping people who struggle with anxiety, depression, or stress stemming from family and relationship issues. She helps individuals who are coping with significant medical issues, addiction, and those who have experienced loss or trauma. Gina has received additional training in several areas including Trauma therapy and Mental Health Nutrition.

    Along with her training and years as a clinician, Gina draws from her experience as a Yoga instructor and her knowledge of Ayurveda, the belief that health and wellness depend on a delicate balance between the mind, body, and spirit. She believes that incorporating mindfulness techniques with clinical approaches can best help a person to heal, to achieve goals for self-improvement, or overcome barriers. 

Tom Hoppel

Certified Instructor

  • Tom teaches Grace Yoga which is based on the first and second series of Ashtanga yoga, with a bit of Kundalini.

    He founded/taught at Yogasanas in Budapest, Hungary for 12 years. 

    Tom has studied directly with Sri Pattabhi (the founder of Ashtanga Yoga), Sharath, Saraswati, Sharmila and Sathu Jois extensively. He considers Manju Jois (Founder's Son) his primary teacher and is grateful for over 15 years of study with him. 

    Tom has spent over two years living in Mysore and Tiruvannamalai, India. He is a devotee of Sri Ramana Maharshi in addition to a practitioner of Ashtanga.  

    Recently, Tom was listed as a recognized, authorized and trusted teacher by Manju and Sathu Jois. He is honored to be authorized to teach in their lineage. 

    Tom also has several teaching certificates and is certified to teach asana, pranayama, mudras and philosophy by great Indian masters.

Kailey Mellen

Certified Yin Yoga Instructor

Kelly Evans

E-RYT500

  • Kailey was first introduced to yoga as teen over a decade ago. She stumbled upon a class in a local studio with her aunt and has been practicing ever since.. The physical asana practice drew her in but she soon discovered the many health benefits of the practice, including helping to focus and reducing anxiety.

    Kailey is a certified Yin Yoga Teacher, completing her training with author and YinYoga.com creator, Bernie Clark. She also recently began studying under the instruction of her aunt, Kelly Evans at Yoga West, where she is working towards her 200-hour yoga teacher certification.

    Kailey is a Licensed Esthetician and feels passionate about working with her clients to help them feel and look amazing. In her free time she loves to travel, read, and spend time with friends.

    Kailey strives to create a safe and comfortable environment in her classes. And although she feels she will aways be a student, she is excited to share her knowledge and guidance as a teacher at Yoga West studio and as part of the Yoga West "Yoga in School" team.

  • Kelly is the founder and director of Yoga West. As a teacher Kelly encourages self-acceptance while helping her students strive to reach their personal best. Her conviction that yoga can spark health and fulfillment is at the heart of her teaching.

    She started her teaching journey in a weekend Yoga Fit training and quickly moved on to a 200 Hour Yoga Teacher Training receiving a certification from Always at Aum.

    Over the years Kelly completed the Alanna Kaivalya 500 Hour YTT in addition to the Himalyan Institute 300 Hour YTT.

    She eventually fell in love Yin Yoga and completed Bernie Clarks 50 Hour Yin YTT.

    Being pasionate about teaching children, Kelly became a RCYT (Registered Children Yoga Teacher) specializing in Trauma Informed Yoga for Children.

    She is also a certified Ayurvedic Yoga Specialist. Her AYS training was facilitated by Kathyrn Templeton through Yoga International.

    Kelly spent the summer of 2023 at Miami Life Center doing an Intensive 200 hour Immersion of Ashtanga Yoga with Kino MacGregor and Tim Feldmann.

    She is also a certified in Assisted Stretch & Yoga Therapy.

    Her classes can be physically challenging, but accessible. She is caring, insightful, and edgy as she leads each class with a sense of humility and playfulness.

  • Ruth has always done some form of exercise, aerobics, Zumba, cycling and whatever the phase was at any given time and began to feel the effects of the pressure on her body. After doing yoga on and off with DVD’s at home a friend took her to a real yoga class and there she found the beauty in yoga and how it made her feel. After receiving a Level One YogaFit certificate, it peaked her interest even more and she went on to complete her 500 yoga teacher training with Always-at-Aum Yoga School. She fell in love with restorative yoga and received her Relax and Renew Trainer Certification from Judith Hanson Lasater. Ruth has a passion to continue growing and developing herself

    in yoga education because it’s a “lifetime practice”.

    She enrolled in the Yoga Vista Academy based in Vista, CA, which specializes in teaching Gentle, Chair and Wheelchair yoga. She invested her time taking many online courses to enhance her knowledge of teaching to the aging population. Ruth feels that age doesn’t have to be a limitation. We all have limitations at any age. Our yoga practice changes with those phases of life. Ruth says “As my body has changed withage, I value the phrase, we teach what we need to learn.”

    Ruth Pipitone is deeply grateful for the teachers and students who have inspired her along the way. As she thrives to keep students safe, she teaches to who is in the room and encourages students to do only what they can do, not what they can’t do and not push beyond their limits.

    Ruth is now teaching chair yoga to enhance the lives of others. Since she and her husband are both retired they will be traveling more to Arizona and Virginia to spend time with their grandchildren. She enjoys reading and learning all she can about yoga for healthy aging. Spending time with her sisters is always on her list of fun things to do.

  • Julie Brown started her yoga journey after spending many years as a group fitness instructor. Realizing that her inner body needed strengthening too, she began focusing on her own personal practice and that’s when the magic happened. The spirituality, the connection of breath and the movement, came full circle and she was hooked. She received her 200 hour RYT certification, and today Julie is a 500 hour RYT with Yoga Alliance.

    Julie uses her knowledge of both fitness and yoga to create a class that can be challenging for the physical body, yet very thoughtful and balanced to help you connect your heart, your mind and soul. What we learn about ourselves and cultivate on the mat we carry out into the world.

    As part of the Yoga West family, she teaches children yoga at a local school and enjoys watching the kids learn and practice.

    Her free time is spent at home with her family, Tony and her dogs Tia and Grizz. She enjoys being outside in the sunshine, taking walks and gardening. She loves to cook and try new recipes, and volunteer at the local animal shelter.