Sam's first love was dance and that put her on the path of body awareness, music therapy, and the practice of embodiment. She took all of this things and poured them into something she was so badly craving and created YoBa Studio. 

Sam set out to create something much more than a studio but a brand to share, build, and grow. She is here to help share these practices that are rooted in learning how to listen to the body. 

Sam is passionate about using the body as the gateway to process emotions and listen to your heart. She believes that movement is a powerful tool for listening to your heart and truth. 

Sam is ERYT-200, NASM-CPT,  ACE, & RYT certified and blessed to have the opportunity to help share her passion, love, and healing through YoBa Studio in Raleigh and surrounding areas.

Get to know Sam:

Music plays this role in my life:

Music is healing. Music is universal. Music can pull us out of a depressed state while bringing us to tears. It's a way to communicate. Feeling the rhythm and beat in your body, both start to work towards your soul.

Breakfast, Lunch, or Dinner?

BRUNCH all day every day. I love a good hash and waffle, but will never turn down a biscuit.

My teaching style is:

Heartfelt, passionate, energizing, strengthening, while learning to welcome and appreciate stillness and quietude.

The most fulfilling part of teaching a class:

Being able to share my real heart and soul with our community. Being venerable enough to show up raw and honest with all of our students. Giving myself permission to show up as I am hoping that will inspire others around me to do the same. It in some ways forces me to take care of myself the best I know how, it keeps me in check with my heart, spirit, and soul daily. Many days I myself want to run from my mat or practice but at the end of the day, I’m grateful to be able to do this for myself and other people.

Nicola is originally from Falmouth, Massachusetts. She grew up dancing and was in her first ballet class at age 3. She had an instant love for dance and spent many years in the studio taking ballet, pointe, and modern dance classes. 

In high school, Nicola taught ballet classes at her local studio and at an after school program at an elementary school. Nicola's love for dance continued at East Carolina University as a dance major where she took technique classes, choreographed, and performed. Nicola graduated from East Carolina University in 2015 with a Bachelor in Fine Arts in Dance Performance and a Bachelor of Science in Elementary Education. 

When Nicola moved to Raleigh, she began teaching kindergarten in Apex for over 6 years while also teaching class at YoBa and enjoyed the excitement and energy BOTH types of her students brought to the classroom!

In the summer of 2023, Nicola joined YoBa as the Studio Manager! She's excited to spend even MORE time with this community!

Get to know Nicola:

The most fulfilling part of teaching a class:

The connections with clients! I love having new clients fall in love with barre and existing clients return for something they whole heartily enjoy.

My enneagram is:

Type 1, The Reformer: Principled, Purposeful, Self-Controlled.

Mantra:

Stay present in each moment.

What has YoBa Studio meant to you?

It is my second home and my family by choice.

Kasey is originally from a small town in Central North Carolina called Graham. She discovered the beauty of yoga shortly after college in search of something additional to her regular fitness routine and fell in love with the freedom and full connection of mind, body, and spirit in Yoga. It's inspired her to spread that love to others!

Outside of YoBa, Kasey is an Executive Recruitment Manager, where she help companies hire talented individuals and help individuals land great jobs with great companies. She has a passion for helping others, and the combination of teaching/recruiting allows her to share her purpose everyday!

In her free time she loves taking movement classes, hanging at the beach, and relaxing with her fiance Erik, family, friends, & her pup Fin!

Get to know Kasey:

What has YoBa Studio meant to you?

It’s the core of who I am. YoBa has changed how I feel and communicate to my self and others, and continues to be my safe haven. I’ve made life long friendships along the way too!

Go to artists for playlists:

Maggie Rogers, Leon Bridges, anyone with a good beat and little bit of soul.

If I weren't so damn good at my job, I'd probably be:

A Talk Show Host - not podcaster. More like "Ellen" style.

Favorite class at YoBa and Why: 

YoBa- it’s a nice blend of all of our classes. I love that I get to move in so many different ways in one hour. 

Katie first started practicing yoga to manage stress and live more actively, but ended up finding freedom and connection by moving and feeling on her mat. She received her RYT-200 in 2020 at YoBa Studio in Raleigh, NC, and soon started teaching. Her classes are dynamic, full-body, and are always paired with a killer playlist. Outside of teaching yoga, Katie works as a digital marketing manager for a global e-commerce software company. When not practicing or teaching, Katie enjoys spending time with her mini labradoodle, Rosie, trying new restaurants and bars around town, watching all the things on Netflix, and traveling. 

Get to know Katie:

Podcast I’m currently listening to:

Busy Philipps is Doing Her Best - can I be best friends with Busy?!

Music plays this role in my life:

Music plays a huge role in my life! I spend so much of my free time going to as many concerts as I can, discovering and sharing new artists, and curating playlists.

By day,  I’m also a:

Client Strategy Manager, working with ecommerce clients on Amazon Advertising strategy

What has YoBa Studio meant to you?

YoBa has offered me a place to heal, grow, and discover, completely without judgement and always with support.