At High Country Yoga, there is a broad spectrum of classes offered so that you can come in and get just what you need on a day to day basis. Every class is taught to accommodate all skill levels of practitioners.
Our Instructors
Briana went to her first yoga class at the age of 12 years old at the local gym by her house. Her dad attended classes regularly and would sometimes bring her and her sister along. Growing up, she was a competitive gymnast, so she enjoyed the routine and discipline of the yoga practice. She began practicing vinyasa yoga regularly in high school and into college which is when she completed her 200 hour yoga teacher certification in July of 2011 in Davie, FL just outside of her hometown. She has now been teaching for over 10 years and loves to share her experience with the practice of yoga with others. Briana is a graduate from Appalachian State University and the founder of High Country Yoga which she opened in September of 2014. The first class she offered at HCY was a Friday evening “Reggae Yoga” class to set the tone of an easy-going, all-are-welcome vibe for the studio and it has been a staple HCY class ever since! Briana strives to provide a comfortable and judgment-free studio for everyone in the community and enjoys holding space for everyone to experience the practice of yoga in their own way. When Briana is not practicing yoga, she is likely to be hiking, camping, walking her dog Bear, listening to live music, paddle boarding, or relaxing by the river.
Veronica credits yoga to helping her through grief, burnout, writing a book, and heart surgery. She grew up in Wisconsin and dabbled in yoga throughout college. She began teaching group fitness classes in graduate school and discovered the joy of helping people find mindful ways to gain strength, flexibility, and balance. Veronica lived in California for 13 years before relocating to Boone. During that time she became a dedicated yoga practitioner and teacher, studying Ashtanga, Bikram, Hatha, Vinyasa, Yin, Yoga Nidra, Pranayama, and intuitive meditation. Veronica equally enjoys a sweaty Warm Vinyasa, a steady Slow Flow, a calming Gentle Yoga, and a relaxing Deep Stretch. She brings a thoughtful and inclusive approach to her teaching, which is informed by her passion for critical inquiry and social justice. Off the mat, Veronica works as a librarian, has two cats, likes gardening, and offers intuitive readings and healings.
Mary truly trusts in the power of the yoga lifestyle and believes that the real yoga is on and off the mat. Movement has always been a part of her life as she was a dancer before she began her yoga practice. After practicing yoga for over five years, Mary took a 200 hour teacher training course to become a certified yoga instructor so she could share this practice with her community. She has found that together with breath and mindful movement, we can create a powerful and energetic vibration to cleanse our mind and body and she is excited to share some yoga with you one day!
Rachel loves sharing joy and love with all those in her life. She’s been practicing yoga for over 14 years and teaching for the past 8. Asheville Yoga Center and Durga’s Tiger School in Ecuador are held near to her heart, as she received her 200 hour Vinyasa training in 2015 and 300 hour Kaula Tantra Yoga training in 2019 from those spaces respectively. Her style is intuitive, informed by the body, flowy, and creative. Come tap into your breath and body with Rachel!
Rebecca first arrived on her mat more than 15 years ago, during which time she gradually transitioned from classroom teacher to yoga teacher. She guides alignment-based classes that are steeped in imagery and metaphor to evoke the imagination and tune the instrument of the body. She sees yoga as a potent means to use our physiology to affect our psychology. When practiced with equal measures of curiosity, humility and tenacity of purpose, we cultivate a practice where the whole is so much greater than the sum of its parts. It allows us the space to create alchemical shifts that serve us in the myriad ways we are asked to show up as active participants in our lives. Rebecca employs the physical practice of yoga as a way to embody archetypes that make one more poised, pliable and powerful, both on and off the mat. Forever a student first, she is always hungry to expand her understanding of this transformative practice and continuously hone her teaching. Rebecca completed her 200 hour training at Citizen Yoga in the Detroit area in 2019 and is currently working toward a second certification in Katonah Yoga. A native of Michigan, Rebecca has spent the majority of her adulthood in North Carolina and feels finally settled in Boone, the place that has always made her feel the most alive. When she's not on her mat, you're likely to find her on a trail, on her paddleboard, or chasing after her two boys.
Hannah believes that although yoga is a great way to exercise, become flexible, and express movement, it’s also a wonderful opportunity for spiritual exploration and self-study. In 2015 Hannah began her practice partly because she was looking for a more expressive movement practice, but especially due to the anxiety that consumed her daily routines. The practices of breathing, moving, singing, and just sitting with yourself have been wholesome remedies for Hannah and to this day she continues to delve deeper into the spiritual, mental and philosophical aspects of yoga. Hannah received her 200 hour yoga teacher certification in May 2020 through Neighborhood Yoga after getting her MA in experimental psychology. Her studies have led her to empirical evidence that yoga is beneficial for various mental illnesses, and as a result she would like to help her students learn more about themselves and others. She says, “Yoga will not fix your life or eliminate the storm, but instead your practice will give you a compass so that you can navigate the waters more smoothly. “
Elina (Eli) discovered yoga in 2010 when on a whim she signed up for a Foundations of Hatha Yoga course during a post-bac semester in community college. She kept a steady practice through grad school and when she moved to Boone in 2014, quickly found her yoga home at High Country Yoga. She loves the way yoga can allow for challenge and discovery, and credits yoga for helping her, continuously reconnect with her inner self and voice. In 2024 she completed a 200-hr yoga teacher training at Asheville Yoga Center and she is excited to explore the art and craft of teaching yoga. Outside of yoga, Eli can be found spending time with her two pups Josey and Arlo, running, shape-note-singing, and gardening.
David took his first yoga class in 1978 in Los Angeles, the beginning of a rewarding and continuing dedication to the practice of yoga. His study has been eclectic with some of the most noted teachers in both the Ashtanga and Iyengar traditions. David shares, “While I have meditated off and on for some 44 years, I seldom could find a cessation to the ‘chatter of the mind’. However through a vigorous yoga practice, one which continuously challenges the body while at the same time focuses on the breath, I found I could have a profound experience of being—beyond all thought. Utilizing the standing and seated poses as well as twists and backbends, my hope is for us to experience that essence of yoga - the union of body, mind, and spirit.”
Valerie bought a yoga DVD in 2001 on a whim as a way to workout during college and quickly discovered yoga’s healing properties. She maintained a steady practice over the years, but even grew more serious in 2020 as a way to cope with stress, grief, and some serious health issues that arose for her in the midst of the pandemic. When she realized how integral yoga had been to her mental and physical health during those hard times, she knew it was time to deepen her practice through yoga teacher training. She received her 200 hour yoga certification from the Soma Yoga Institute in 2024. In her free time she spends as much time outside as possible and enjoys kayaking, paddleboarding, hiking, camping, gardening, or just curling up on her front porch with her dog, a mug of tea, and a good book.
Sarah began her yoga journey in 2016 with her first class at High Country Yoga. She quickly fell in love with the practice and the self-discovery possible in the poses. In the past 5 years, Sarah has attended over 800 classes with over 600 at High Country Yoga. In 2019, Sarah decided to pursue her dream of attending yoga teacher training and enrolled at the Asheville Yoga Center Teacher Training program. She finished her training in the summer of 2020 in the midst of the pandemic. Throughout the years, Sarah has built her practice to encourage self-discovery and find acceptance and love for oneself through the practice. Sarah lives in Vilas, NC with her husband, Nate, two dogs, Gracie and Samwise, kitty, Kirk, and two rabbits, Pipkin and Thistle. She enjoys spending as much time outside as possible through biking, gardening, running, and taking long walks with her puppies. She additionally works as a hospice music therapist with Medi Home Hospice. She is excited to have the opportunity to share the incredible impact that yoga has had on her life and encourage others to discover the profound benefits that yoga can have on one’s life.
James began his yoga journey in his freshman year of high school during a very confusing part of his life. He remembers being in dancer pose in one his first classes where he placed his hand on his heart and almost started crying. For the first time in over a year, he felt so alive and free. His confusion and fear was no longer there. Yoga has given James some of his biggest role models and best friends, and his practice has showed him how to love himself. The summer after he graduated high school James completed his 200 hour teacher training at Y2 Yoga in Charlotte, NC. James then began teaching his freshman year of college and has only grown more in love with the practice of yoga. He enjoys teaching a faster paced class in a power yoga style because that is what taught him the most about himself. James hopes that everyone who attends his class learns something about themselves before they leave their mat.
Sarah began her yoga journey in 2003 with a women’s only workshop. In 2005 she completed her Kripalu 200 hour certification in Charlotte, NC and Pranakriya 500 certification in 2010 both with Yoganand Michael Carroll. Along the way, she had had training in Yoga for Seniors at Duke University and certification in Mindful Yoga for Chronic Pain at Oregon Health and Science University, both with Kimberly and Jim Carson. Sarah has been teaching many styles of yoga from chair yoga to vinyasa to deep stretch. She also teaches meditation. Her passion is to make yoga accessible to everyone by emphasizing safety, self awareness and feeling movement with breath. In her spare time, she enjoys gallivanting with her husband, visiting grandchild in Maine and taking ballet classes.
Pam has been taking classes at High Country Yoga since March of 2015! She has an endearing smile, a compassionate heart, and a sincere care for others and we absolutely adore her! Pam completed the 200 Hour Yoga Teacher Training program at Asheville Yoga Center a couple of years ago and enjoys sharing the practice with others. She's been teaching Yoga at App State, in her residential community, at festivals and beyond and we are excited to have her as an instructor at our studio now too :)