Our Instructors
Ren Hawkes
Ren (she/her) has been studying yoga for over 30 years. As an outdoor educator, she brings her passion for the natural world into her yoga practice. She completed her 200 YTT with Portland Yoga Project, holds a Kids yoga certification through Radiance Beginnings, and is certified as a Kripula Yin Yoga Teacher. Ren is also a Let Your Yoga Dance teacher and is an active member of the Let Your Yoga Dance teacher association. She invites playfulness, curiosity and joy into all of her classes.
Ren loves gardening in her yard, cycling, going for walks in the woods and camping with her family.
Jess Owen
“All you ever longed for is before you in this moment if you dare draw in a breath and whisper, "Yes.” ― Danna Faulds
Jess Owen (Zdanys) discovered yoga and meditation in her teenage years and felt inspired to become a teacher to share these healing practices with others. She obtained both 200 hour and 300 hour yoga teaching certificates in 2019 and 2021 with a focus on trauma-informed yoga. Jess is certified in Angelic Essence Healing as well as Reiki I and II, and enjoys weaving elements of spirituality into her teaching. Her passion for slow, meditative practices are featured in her classes which often blend meditation, breath work, dynamic movement, and traditional poses. Jess believes in upholding the fundamentals of the Yogic philosophy and enjoys educating students by sharing the ancient teachings of the Yogis.
Katie Bunch
Katie (she/her) is a NASM certified personal trainer and a health coach, and has been working in the health and fitness industry for over 12 years. As a fitness trainer, she specializes in resistance training, strength training, and HIIT, with a focus in correcting muscle imbalances and establishing a mind-to-muscle connection. She takes a balanced and holistic approach to exercise and nutrition, and loves to help people reach their wellness goals. She believes in meeting all where they are, and in making fitness fun and a celebration of what the body can do.
In her spare time, she enjoys spending time with her 2 daughters, gardening, and crocheting.
Hayley Baxter
Hayley (she/her) has been a student of yoga for half of her life; this year officially marked being a teacher for half of that time too. She is a self proclaimed student of life- truly enjoying learning something new from each day. Her curiosity for learning and life has led her toward + through teacher training certifications in Yoga, Barre, Aerial Yoga and Yoga Nidra Meditation (for now)!
Hayley has huge passions for humans and nature. She spends time outside everyday and cherishes every moment with those she loves. Combining these two strong passions, Hayley intentionally connects the movements of nature and the human body into her class plans! If you make it to her classes you can expect a mindful experience, great tunes, and to be met exactly as you are in that moment.
Lena DiMillo
Lena DiMillo (she/her) earned her 200 RYT from Scarborough Yoga. Born and raised in Portland, ME, she found yoga as a young adult through friends and taking a class in college. She was pleasantly surprised to learn that it was a practice she could integrate into her weekly schedule and something that could help to alleviate mental health struggles. Lena aims to deliver a Vinyasa class that leaves you feeling confident, strong, and refreshed. “Come as you are”, stay open and honest and take whatever you need, and leave what does not work for you.
When Lena is not teaching yoga, she surrounds herself with art, music and nature, while she explores Maine’s beaches, attends local concerts, and spending time with her partner and two cats, Oreo and Vinny.
Armella Brown
Armella has been practicing yoga since 2014 and completed her YTT 200 in 2016 through Corepower Yoga in Boston. Additionally, she has been trained in and taught Hot Power Fusion and Yoga Sculpt.
Armella's favorite style to teach is a power vinyasa flow that increases strength, flexibility and stamina, while connecting the mind and body.
Off the mat, Armella lives in a tiny house on wheels with her two cats, Loki and Luna, and dog, Stormie. She is a high school special education teacher, cheerleading coach, and loves finding ways to connect and empower others.
Meredith Minga
Meredith (she/her) has had a life-long passion for fitness, leading to her NASM certification in personal training. She believes that the ability to move our bodies is a gift and encourages a “we don’t have to, we get to” approach to fitness. Meredith focuses on strength training and proper form, with the goal of longevity and strength at all stages in life. A balanced approach is key to staying committed to a wellness journey, so integrating fun movement, good music, and great food are her non-negotiables.
In her free time, Meredith enjoys traveling, cooking, and spending time with her daughter and three rescue pups.
Madelyn Cook
Madelyn (she/her) is a contemplative and curious practitioner of yoga, mindfulness, and meditation. She began her yoga journey nearly 20 years ago at Inner Bliss Yoga Studio in Rocky River, OH, and has incorporated yoga into her life ever since. In fall of 2024, Madelyn embarked on a 6-month training program with longtime teacher of yoga, mindfulness, and meditation Natasha Korshak, Director of the Sol Center in Tucson, AZ. Here she developed a profound appreciation for the contemplation of consciousness, the nervous system, and the mind-body connection by way of movement and the Breath.
As a teacher, Madelyn's central goal is to help her students cultivate an inner sense of quiet clarity to balance the cacophony of an ever-active outside world. Her flows and meditations are guided by the second of Pantanjali's yoga sutras - yogás citta vṛtti nirodhaḥ - loosely translated as "yoga is the stilling of the waves of the mind."
Angela Balzano Gowen
Angela Balzano Gowen (she/her) became a certified Reiki I & II practitioner in 2021, shortly after having her first child. As a new mom, she found herself feeling disconnected from her body, mind, and spirit. She knew that nurturing her intuition would be essential during this transformative season of life. What began as a personal journey of healing and growth through reiki, has since blossomed into a passion she’s excited to share. She is developing her offerings by recently enrolling in a Gaian Reiki course, a form of reiki with an emphasis on connecting with Mother Earth/Gaia energy. Angela’s goal is to help others reconnect with themselves and invite a little more magic into their everyday lives.