Teachers

Owner
Heather's yoga journey began in 2005 in a corporate midday yoga class. Noticing how much better she was equipped to handle stress in the afternoons than in the mornings, she couldn't ignore the direct correlation to the practice. As Heather continued to practice regularly, the benefits went well beyond stress management and she decided to leave her corporate career of 20 years and dedicate her life to sharing the practice that changed her life with others. She began teaching yoga in 2012 and opened her first studio in 2015. Heather has taught thousands of classes and has led several teacher trainings. Each experience has equipped her with profound learnings and she is grateful for each one. Her mission at Las Olas Yoga and as a yoga instructor is to provide a space and a practice that invites students of all levels on a journey of self-exploration and self-discovery that they can take off the mat to lead a consciously-aware, loving and fulfilled life. Her approach to teaching yoga combines a focus on alignment with the freedom and creativity of a Vinyasa flow in a fun, relaxed environment. Her flow classes are meant to take students off of autopilot to allow them to drop fully into their practice. Her foundations classes are designed to be accessible to first-time students yet creative and unique for long-time students that prefer a slower practice, heavily rooted in alignment. For those that enjoy acronyms, Heather is an E-RYT 500 hour, YACEP certified yoga instructor.

Studio Manager
Keely is a passionate and dedicated yoga teacher with over 10 years of experience. Through creative sequencing, mindful movement and breathwork, Keely encourages students to harness the power of presence, cultivating greater self-awareness and inner peace. Keely believes yoga is not just about physical postures but about fostering a self confidence that extends beyond the mat. Students leave Keely’s classes with a sense of inner strength and resilience, empowering them to approach life’s challenges with clarity and self-assurance. By integrating the physical benefits of yoga, Keely guides students to tap into their full potential, helping them live more vibrant and fulfilling lives, both on and off the mat.

Aly began her yoga practice when she was 15 years old through a passion for cheerleading and movement. She immediately fell in love, and continued to casually practice yoga throughout her life. Last year, she decided to take her practice to the next level and applied for the 200 Hour teacher training hosted by Las Olas Yoga. LOY holds a special place in her heart, as it is the home of her very first role as a yoga teacher. From slow warm ups to dynamic flows, she always encourages students to honor their bodies and hearts and move with their own beautiful rhythm. When not on her yoga mat, Alyson is a structural engineer specializing in retail store design.

After her first savasana in 2013, Amy fell hard and fast in love with the practice of yoga and began teaching it the very next year. Since then, she has taught thousands of hours in group classes, workshops, private lessons, and more, and she has over 600 training hours for teacher development. Amy's main focus in any classroom is to hold a space where practitioners can feel free and safe to explore and develop their practice in whatever way is best for them. You can expect to laugh a bit and sweat a lot in her Flow classes, find some meditative chill time in her Yin and Restore classes, and just maybe find a deeper connection with your Self and the world around you in any class you take with her.

Introduced to yoga as a child by her aunts, Carly has practiced for over 15 years. Yoga was the beginning of her career in alternative health, which is reinforced by a master's degree in public health and through personal experience with plant medicine and natural healing. She took her first teacher training online in 2022-2023 and followed it up with a second RYT-200 through Las Olas Yoga under Amy Baldacci in 2023-2024. In Carly's classes you will find a deep sense of meditation mixed with adaptability and acceptance. Carly believes yoga is for everyone and her greatest wish is to share the magic of the practice with all by making each pose and transition accessible.

Dawn Torti enjoys the space and escape that yoga brings to everyday life. She has been practicing yoga since 2003 and teaching professionally since 2005. She is a registered E-RYT-200 teacher with Yoga Alliance, and through her experience as a teacher of all types of yoga including: children's, yin, Ashtanga, Jivamukti, corporate, couples, marathon, hatha and so many more, she has seen firsthand the incredible benefits that the practice brings to the mind and spirit as well as the body. Before yoga touched her so deeply, she designed and sold satellite networks and has traveled to over 43 countries. Through her growing love of all things yoga; she left her corporate career in the dust in the Spring of 2006 and completed her 200 hour instruction at Tranquil Space in Washington, DC. Since moving back to her hometown of Ft Lauderdale in 2016, she has now devoted herself to teaching yoga locally, and enjoying her three amazing children who assist with her pursuit for living in the moment, and keep her inspired. She has trained under the following (but not exclusive to): Shiva Rea, Rodney Yee, Brian Kest, David Life, Rod Stryker, Kimberly Wilson, Seane Corne, David Swenson, Darren Main, Richard Freeman, Patricia Walden and Baron Baptiste. A love of travel and finding new space across the world, has translated itself in her yoga practice. She is simply a guide to finding new space and edge in each asana, and to opening up one's yoga practice into a deep practice and connection. Dawn brings a fun modern edge to her classes; her love of teaching yoga emanates through her class and she includes happy music and flow to each class as well as challenging variations to the practice. The eclectic music mix is truly about self-love and care to ease one into deepening the practice and the mind-body connection that is so magical in yoga. She loves finding new ways to deepen asanas as well as individual modifications that might be needed depending on the day, hour, energy level, injury or edge that each yogi brings to the mat.

Emily was introduced to yoga in 2012 when she walked into a class at her local gym. At first she was drawn to the physicality of the practice but it didn't take long for her to realize the spiritual, mental and emotional benefits. Yoga quickly became the greatest way for her to practice self-care. Emily completed a 200 hour teacher training program in 2013 and spent the next 3 years teaching at various locations in her hometown of Brookfield, Wisconsin before moving to Fort Lauderdale in the spring of 2016. Upon moving to Fort Lauderdale, Emily began working and teaching at Ashtanga Yoga Worldwide. In 2018, she completed a year long training program under the guidance of world renowned yoga teacher Greg Nardi. Emily continues to experience the incredible benefits and healing powers of yoga through her daily practice and it brings her great joy to share the gift of yoga with others. She enjoys getting to know her students and believes in offering personalized instruction and guidance to fit each student's unique body and mind.

Justin came to yoga after working as a top sales representative in the high stress industry of finance. Like many others who have found themselves drawn to this ancient practice, Justin’s passion for yoga ignited most when he began to study yogic philosophy. After four years of dedicated practice, he took the leap to become a teacher and leave the corporate world. Justin’s primary interest is in inversions and arm balances, both because they are challenging and also require a focus mind that creates internal stillness. Justin’s teachings reach beyond the physical aspects of yoga and has a strong passion for the subtle ones such as meditation and pranayama. He is a devoted student of yogic philosophy, and continues to see himself as a student, as he travels the world to gain more knowledge. Justin has completed multiple 500-hour yoga teacher trainings, received the FRC mobility certificate, and most recently, completed the Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction training.

Michael uses yoga as a metaphor for life, believing that a yoga journey should be fun and engaging while also challenging one to test and expand their limits. As a 500-hour Registered Yoga Instructor, he recognizes that he is teaching real people with their own stories. Yoga and meditation have made him a healthier, more aware person, opening his eyes to a world of positive opportunities, and he is truly grateful to share what he has learned with others. Each class he teaches has its own unique beat, vibration, and pulse. He focuses on alignment-based poses to deepen the practice, drawing from his dance background to create interesting and original sequences. This allows students to move authentically, finding their own rhythm and truth through movement.

You will feel Tammy's heart before you hear her voice. This is why she loves yoga. Not only does yoga unite your mind, body, and spirit; but yoga also unites us as a community. Tammy believes that yoga is for everyone who walks through the door. In her classes, the goal is not to just ground and nurture your body through creative sequencing, but to also stimulate your mind and spirit through thought-provoking readings and meditations that help guide you towards inner peace. It is Tammy's hope that each of you will step off the mat feeling balanced, nourished, and full of life.

When Violeta began her yoga journey, she was captivated by the power of yoga and its ability to bring harmony to the mind, body, and spirit. A few years into her practice, she felt inspired to deepen her understanding and share the benefits of yoga with others. She completed her Yoga Teacher Training in Bali, where she embraced a teaching style rooted in gentleness and patience. In her classes you can find a calming and relaxed ambience that invites you to explore and connect with yourself.

Viv is an E-RYT200 who's new to Florida! She fell in love with yoga as a way of healing the connection between mind and body, and believes that somatic expression is at the core of practicing yoga, and other forms of mindful movement. She's taught everything from yin yoga to pilates flow, as well as kids yoga and aerial hammock. Her heart lies in teaching slow flows with a focus on encouraging radical presence through breathwork & bodily awareness through safe alignment. She grew up with Traditional Chinese Medicine and is currently studying to become a licensed acupuncturist. She completed both her 200 and 300 hour trainings during different stints of her life abroad in Central & South America, where she hopes to return one day. She's a freediving instructor who prefers to do her breathwork underwater, and loves to practice aerial & circus arts.