Elena is a Seattle-based movement specialist and yoga teacher whose mission is to empower individuals in their practice. She's studied anatomy and the biomechanics of yoga under internationally acclaimed teachers such as Tiffany Cruikshank, Richelle Ricard, and Jules Mitchell in an endeavor to understand the intricate beauty of the human body. Elena is a certified E-RYT 500, NASM Personal Trainer, and Yoga Medicine Therapeutic Specialist, and as such, she delights in helping people find joy in movement by supporting self-inquiry and autonomy. Over the course of her nine-plus-year journey in the yoga world, Elena has led and assisted anatomy trainings at both the 200- and 300-hour YTT levels, yoga retreats, and workshops, all in pursuit of her dream: to foster diverse and inclusive communities through authentic connection. As much as Elena loves being a nerd, she also aims not to take things too seriously; in her classes, expect a combination of intricate details, playfulness, and a balance of effort and ease. When Elena is not in the studio or immersed in yoga-related pursuits, she enjoys long walks with her dogs, lifting, movement arts, time with loved ones, reality TV, and cooking really, really delicious tonkatsu curry.