supporting your journey
Yoga strengthens the body, quiets the mind, opens the heart, and feels good, too!
At Yoga Bar 30A, Our certified instructors are dedicated to fostering a welcoming, peaceful, and inclusive environment for practitioners of all skill levels. We look forward to seeing you in class!
OUR FOUNDER
Dr. Lesa Klein
500 RYT, 200 E-RYT, YACEP
They say a true Yogi is practicing yoga before they take their first class. Lesa has been practicing yoga on and off the mat most of her life. She is as enthusiastic now as when she first began watching early PBS shows and VCR tapes. Yoga continues to shape her life providing balance and mindfulness.
Lesa wanted to deepen her practice of the asanas and the mind body connection. In 2016 she completed her 200 RYT at Yoga Source in St. Louis, MO. Shortly thereafter, she could no longer ignore the call of the ocean, and moved to 30A and began teaching. Lesa completed her 500 RYT certification through Dragon Fly Yoga in Ft. Walton Beach, in 2018. Lesa is also certified in Eldoa 1 & 2, and QiGong.
A health care provider for over 30 years, Dr. Klein remains committed to a healthy lifestyle. Part of her career as an adjunct professor, instilled a lifelong commitment to teaching. Lesa is delighted to bring her yoga practice to the beach and share her love for the sand and sea with fellow yogis or beginners.
Her approach to class is gentle, honest and fun loving. Being mindful that we are all on this journey together, she will forever remain a teacher as well as student.
Her Dharma was realized when the space became available, and Yoga Bar 30A was born. We welcome you to a space to be well, and be happy.
“My classes are accessible and inspirational. I love teaching and always bring a lesson and a laugh to each class.”
meet the instructors
-
200 E-RYT, YACEPAlla has been practicing yoga for over 20 years and teaching for 15. Shortly after moving to the United States in 1997, Alla was introduced to yoga by her husband Tony. He was interested in Buddhist philosophy and thought the blend of physical movement and meditation would benefit her as she was adapting to her new home, while also struggling with postpartum depression after her second pregnancy.
In the decade before becoming a teacher, Alla discovered the transformational power of creating a mind-body connection. Yoga instills in us an unwavering feeling of calm. Even in the most difficult situations, it teaches us to slow down and tune-in to our inner self. It teaches us how to let go of judgement towards ourselves, others, and our surroundings.
Her third pregnancy was a completely different experience. Practicing yoga almost up until her due date and then shortly after, helped tremendously improve her physical and mental state. From this, she became passionate about teaching prenatal yoga and creating a supportive and loving community for moms to be.
Alla began her journey as a yoga teacher with Joni Wahrer, completing her 200 RYT. Since then, she has apprenticed for Gabriel Halpern, a lifelong student of BKS Iyengar, and studied under Lori Gaspar, a certified yoga therapist from the International Association of Yoga Therapy. Alla also studied Relax and Renew® restorative yoga, founded by Judith Hanson Lasater. She is currently deepening her knowledge of yoga sequencing with Jason Crandell’s Art of Yoga Sequencing®.
Alla’s classes incorporate a dynamic flow that is alignment and breath focused. She is heavily influenced by Iyengar and Vinyasa styles, creating an intentional and approachable sequence for not just each class, but each individual. Alla’s motto is “yoga is for everybody and every body.”
Yoga introduced Alla to the full potential of life. She surrounds herself with a loving family, wonderful friends, and animals (a LOT of animals). In addition to her two adult daughters and her teenage son, Alla is a grandma of two boys, mom to three dogs, a grandma to three dogs, a mom to two cats, a grandma to two cats, and a mom to a lizard. Are you following all of this?
Above everything, yoga has taught her how to let go of a “perfect life” and enjoy the beautiful chaos of a world filled with love.
-
RYT 200Chloe, a multifaceted soul embodying the roles of a traveler, artist, yogini, and muse, brings a unique perspective to her practice as an RYT200 Barkan Method certified yoga instructor.
Her journey as a globe-trotting artist infuses her classes with a creative flair, guiding students through a transformative experience that merges physical alignment with artistic mindfulness. Chloe's classes offer a sacred space for self- discovery, inviting practitioners to explore their inner landscapes while fostering strength, balance, and inspiration on and off the mat.
-
E-RYT 200, RYT 500, YACEPHeidi Fowler, E-RYT 200, RYT 500, YACEP comes to Yoga Bar with a passion for fitness and healthy living. She is well equipped with a strong background in exercise science and fitness. She completed her bachelor’s degree in Psychology, with a minor in Exercise Science. She has always been physically active in sports, working out, and training for marathons.
Yoga was great addition to life and she has been a practitioner for over 10 years. She began her Yoga Teaching journey in 2019, as she experienced for herself, the healing modalities of yoga, through movement, breath work, and meditation. She completed her 200YTT with Sid McNary, and knew she wanted more. She earned her 500 YTT with Balance Studio.
Heidi has studied and specializes in different forms of yoga, including Power, Vinyasa, Restorative, and Yin. She is also an Aqua Body Strong certified instructor, and loves teaching yoga and fit classes on the water fitness board.
She is passionate about sharing her knowledge in fitness and nutrition, and wants to continue to help others become the best version of themselves. She acknowledges that every person’s body is different, so students always have the option to do what they feel is best for themselves.
When Heidi is not on her mat or on the board, she enjoys being outdoors, running, rollerblading, going to the beach, and watching her kids play sports. She believes in a healthy balance between mindset, nutrition, movement, and recovery.
-
Genevieve moved to Santa Rosa Beach from Louisiana, but has always been a beach girl at heart. She loves anything that has to do with being outside and spending time with family and friends.
You will feel instantly at ease with Genevieve and fall easily in to her laughter. Practicing with the Pilates principle of overall fitness and strength training, her class will strengthen you both mentally and physically.
She is eager to share her love of fitness with you. "My goal is to encourage people to be a stronger, more confident and happier version of themselves! I am a strong beleiver that fitness and movement is so important for happiness in this gift of life !"
-
200 E-RYTJessica has always had a love for fitness, starting as a young child exercising with her mother to fitness shows on the living room television. Throughout her youth, she took dance classes which led to a lifelong commitment to fitness. Once she discovered yoga, it became her passion. She has been teaching yoga for 10 years, first at a fitness center in Seneca, SC, then in Santa Rosa Beach after her family moved to here in 2015 to fulfill their dream of living in a beach community.
Her first yoga certification was through AFPA, the American Fitness Professionals Association. Jessica also has 200-hour certifications in Vinyasa I and II from The Yoga Haus in Santa Rosa Beach, as well as certifications in Buti Yoga, yoga for the elderly, and nutrition and herbs. She has continued her training at workshops led by yoga teachers such as Bryan Kest and Sid McNairy. Her teaching style reflects her warm, gentle and positive personality, creating an uplifting and energizing yoga practice for students of all levels.
Jessica cares deeply about people and their wellness journey, something she has instilled in her two children, one an EMT, the other a recent high school graduate and fellow yogi. As a professional hair stylist, she also cares about helping people look and feel their best. When she’s not teaching yoga or giving someone a stunning new ‘do, Jess loves spend time with her firends and her kids.
-
RYT 200Kate has lived all over the country and practiced yoga in many different places. She was introduced to yoga in 2008 after the birth of her first child. She found that yoga alleviated many of the stresses of being a new mother in an environment which allowed her to focus on just herself. As her children started growing, so did her love of yoga. She is an RYT 200 and certified aerial yoga instructor. Kate hopes to share the transformative powers of yoga with others and continue to experience the life changing benefits of the practice and the community it builds. When she is not in the studio, she is traveling with her family, at home cooking or out and about with her dog, Roo. She focuses on a Vinyasa style practice infused with music, meditation and adjustments.
-
200 RYTMelody is a freelance writer and editor specializing in travel and wellness, a certified yoga instructor, and co-owner of Beach Yoga 30A. She has more than twenty years of experience as a public relations representative, event planner, and writer/editor primarily in the tourism industry. A world traveler, Melody has lived in New Zealand, Germany, and India.
While living in Bangalore, India, she became passionate about yoga. There, she trained with Acharya Keshavmurthy, PhD, founder of the Lifecareyoga Foundation, and his wife, Divya K Murthy, PhD, based on the teachings of BKS Iyengar. Inspired to teach others what she learned in India, Melody moved back to Colorado in 2012 and received her 200-hour certification in Hatha Yoga from Samadhi Center for Yoga in Denver. She has attended numerous workshops, yoga festivals and international yoga retreats, and has co-led workshops and retreats.
Incorporating humor and mindfulness practices in her classes, Melody’s teaching style focuses on being conscious in the moment on and off the mat, proper alignment, connecting breath with movement, and creating a greater connection to spirit, one another, and the world around us. She particularly loves to introduce beginners to yoga in a supportive, inclusive atmosphere.
Drawing on her life-long love of singing, Melody has led kirtan – call and response mantra chanting – performed live music for yoga classes, and was the lead singer of Oneness, a mantra rock band in Denver. She has trained under New Orleans-based Sean Johnson & The Wild Lotus Band, and Grammy-nominated performers Dave Stringer and Sheela Bringi.
Melody traded the mountains of Colorado for the beaches of 30A in Santa Rosa Beach, Florida, in 2018.
-
200 RYT
Kellie’s yoga journey began in 2001 when a friend invited her to a yoga class, after which she started regular practice of yoga several times a week. She noticed the positive changes her yoga practice made in her life mentally and physically. Kellie‘s love of yoga continued to grow and she practiced on and off for the next 20 years.
As she dove deeper into her practice, she found a passion to share yoga with others, so Kellie began her yoga teacher training journey in September 2023 and completed her RYT 200 in May 2024. The yoga teacher training served to deepen Kellie's passion for all aspects of Yoga. The spirituality and stress reduction benefits of yoga ensure a better quality of life, and she wants to share this message with all of her students.
Kellie’s goal is to teach a powerful class that passes on the power of the mind-body connection, leaving my students feeling empowered and energized.
For Kellie, instructing yoga means meeting people where they are in their body, in their life, on their journey. Kellie’s teaching style is filled with a therapeutic approach full of gratitude and compassion for the ones sharing their practice with her and to be a companion on your journey. Kellie likes to keep any practice light-hearted, but challenging and multi-level, to find whatever the edge is that day.
Kellie enjoys all things water related. Deep sea fishing is her passion, along with paddle boarding, and kayaking. She loves spending time with her dogs, friends and family, especially her daughter, and traveling. Life is an adventure and Kellie is along for the ride!
-
200 E-RYTI started yoga practice at home 20 years ago, seeking relief for back and nerve pain when nothing else worked. After moving to Santa Rosa Beach with wife and kids in 2014, I began a regular studio practice at the Yoga Haus with Marie Landwehr, embracing the physical, psychological, and spiritual benefits available to everyone willing to do the work.
I completed my teacher training with Sid McNairy (Nahi Wellness) and certified as a RYT-200 in September 2018. I started teaching in the area soon after, finding my style and voice and doing my best to honor the lessons of my teachers and life: That it is a blessing to be you; that happiness is found inside; that strength and flexibility are equally important to authenticity, kindness, acceptance, empathy, gratitude, and love; and that it all starts with you, and only then can be shared with others.
For me, on the mat or out in the world, every moment offers an opportunity to learn and laugh, and to be present and grateful. My yoga classes combine traditional vinyasa with western influences. We play and challenge ourselves in a light, accepting environment; energizing the body, opening the heart and mind, and hopefully taking something good to share after leaving the mat.
-
500 RYT, 200 E-RYT, YACEPOriginally from Austria and passionate about the mountains, I am so blessed to spend this portion of my life at the beach. Yoga, to me, means living whole-heartedly - being mindful and accepting what life offers each day, no matter where we are and what we do.
Instructing yoga is about meeting each being with an open heart where they are that day, both in their bodies and lives. My teaching approach is alignment-based and structured to open from the outer to the inner deeper lines. I aim to keep each practice fun yet challenging, creating space for exploration. I am hoping to pass on yoga as a way to find clarity, strength, and experience small transformations each time you show up for yourself.
I received my 200-hour RYT training and certification with Yax Yoga Concepts in 2013, specializing in Hot Yoga and Hot Vinyasa. My 300-hour training took place at the Asheville Yoga Center in North Carolina. I hold certifications in Yin Yoga, Restorative and Therapeutic Yoga, Senior Yoga - along with additional certifications and workshops in Prenatal Yoga, Yoga for Cancer Patients, Yoga for Trauma and Pain Specialist Trainings.
As an authorized Yoga Warriors International Instructor, I had the privilege of helping combat veterans diagnosed with Combat and Operational Stress Reactions or Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder, breath by breath.
KIND WORDS
