Meet The Instructors At Our Tahlequah Yoga Studio
The intention of The 108 is to help people improve their health and quality of life through the integration of body, mind, and spirit within a welcoming, supportive community. The practice of yoga, Pilates, and dance can be a transformative tool towards understanding and accepting our physical, mental, and emotional selves, as well as being instrumental in reaching our physical fitness goals. This ultimately creates peace of mind and peace of heart. Let us help you create your best self.
Dena Coleman
I was born in Hunington beach California but have spent most of my time in Oklahoma. I consider myself an open minded Okie:) Ive raised two boys here in the Tahlequah area and am happy to be living here where my ancestors once lived. I love teaching and encouraging others. I am an artist and a musician and enjoy expressing myself through creativity or movement or whatever I feel led to do in each moment. Im a lover of nature and our beautiful waterways and have a passion for preserving and protecting them. I have enjoyed leading yoga classes now for about 7 years and consider myself a forever student of life. I believe we all have alot to learn and share with each other. I am forever reminding myself to stay present in each moment and to breathe it all in. Life is a Joy!!
Teri Cochran
Although Teri has a terminal degree and thought she had reached her educational goals for life, life had other plans for her. She attended her first yoga class in 2014, at the invitation of a friend, and soon discovered that the benefits of yoga extend far beyond the mat. An eager convert, excited by this discovery, she became determined to share what she had experienced. She began taking instruction to teach through EveryOne Yoga School in Tulsa and received her RYS 200 certification in March 2018. Now she is truly ready to share the beneficial practice of yoga with you.
Carrie Scearce
My name is Carrie Scearce and I’ve been a trainer at Aerofit since February of 2017. My adventure with Aerofit however, began in October of 2015.
I was strongly persuaded to come in with my friend Kelley Roberson who was working with a trainer and wanted me to meet him and see how the whole “personal trainer” thing worked. I was very intimidated and flat out terrified at the thought of training with a fitness expert, however I made my decision that day and began the process the next morning. I cried as I drove to the gym knowing I was going to have to face my “numbers”. Tipping the scales at nearly 300 lbs I knew I had my work cut out for me; but I was determined. One year later I was down 100 lbs and well on my way to my goal. Out of my experience of training I began to think about helping others who were just like me. I wanted to train and help using my own experiences, struggles, disappointments and successes.
Since I became a certified personal trainer I have had the opportunity to help many people get healthy. In October of 2018 I began my training as a certified Holy Yoga instructor and completed my training in May of 2019. I have been leading classes at Aerofit health club since that date. I am a 200+ hour certified instructor with additional certification in Touch Yoga. It is a true blessing to me to be able to enter into someone’s struggle and be a source of help, encouragement and accountability. I know God has placed me here and it is a joy to help others as a personal trainer and Holy Yoga instructor
Dorena Terrapin
Dorena is a proud Oklahoma native and a member of the Shawnee, Delaware & Choctaw tribes. She has roots in White Oak & Oklahoma City but has happily called Tahlequah home for most of her life. She is a mother to three amazing children and takes joy in guiding and watching them discover the humans they will become. Dorena considers herself to be a student of life, eager to experience growth through the exploration of her passions and hobbies. A love of yoga, daily rituals & personal connections has sparked her desire to share her journey with others within the community. For this she thanks you for showing up and allowing her the opportunity to show up for you in return.
Mindy Hendrix
Mindy Hendrix is a Tahlequah Native and the owner of the 108 Yoga Studio. Natural Movement has been an integral part of her life since a young age and she has been practicing yoga since the age of 17. Mindy teaches special classes and workshops on Indigo Arts, a sacred set of practices she developed, which combines moving meditation, energy movement similar to Tai Chi, Namaskars and sequential yoga asanas. The practices help support a conscious lifestyle, connect us to the rhythms of Mother Earth and help strengthen energies within the body, resulting in the ability to be balanced, peaceful and present throughout the day and ultimately throughout our lives. A Bo Staff practice is implemented into the Indigo Arts practice. She also enjoys practicing and teaching ecstatic dance as a means to heal and connect to our true nature.
Mindy is a devoted student to her Maha teacher Shiva Rea, a yogini firekeeper, sacred activist and creator of Prana Flow Yoga which draws on the Ancient Wisdom of Yoga, Ayurveda, Tantra and Bhakti. She also reveres and continues to learn from her Tantra teacher Shibana Singh and the many other teachers who cross her path in various forms, including friends and loved ones.
Mindy has her M.ED in Special Education and her Early Childhood Degree. She’s taught in public and private schools for 15 years and has 3 children, Joe, Ben and Elli Rose, who continue to teach and inspire her. Being a mother is Mindy’s most important role. She has a deep and profound respect for all children, admires their ability to live in the present moment and live by their intuitive nature.
Mindy also enjoys spending time in nature, kayaking, running, reading, writing, dancing, art and music. She is grateful for the souls she meets on the path and in this beautiful dance we call life.
Analeesa
Annelise has been involved in sports and fitness her whole life and In 2009 she tried yoga as a tool for recovery from strenuous race training. Annelise soon realized that yoga was so much more than a mode for recovery and she developed a great passion for her own practice and a deep desire to share all of the benefits of yoga with others . Annelise trained and received her RYT-200 at Be love Studio in Tulsa her city of birth and has since planted roots in Tahlequah where she teaches at the 108. Forever a student she enjoys learning different techniques and incorporating music and aromatherapy with all different styles of Yoga in her teaching .
Keri Combs
Keri found a passion for wellness through an unconventional approach. She started weightlifting with a personal trainer that taught her the importance fueling her mind and body. What started out as stretching before workouts soon became a routine which developed into a love for yoga. She made the leap and earned her RYT 200 From the Online Yoga School through the Yoga and Ayurveda Center. Teaching classes all over the Fort Gibson, Tahlequah and Muskogee Area, Keri is proud to call The 108 her home studio.
WENDY NELSON
I was born and raised in South Dakota and moved to Oklahoma in 2001. My love of yoga started in 2004 when I began taking yoga classes to help with flexibility and running. In 2013, I started Crossfit. Yoga has sustained and kept my body moving for both sports. In 2017, I started my journey into my 200-RYT certification. I completed my certification in June 2018 with Becca Hewes, ERYT500, C-IAYT. I am continuing my yoga training to reach my 300-hour certification at Spirit House Yoga with Martha McQuaid, ECYT500, C-IAYT in Oklahoma City. My training has deepened my knowledge of my body and practice. I am happy being able to share yoga with others wherever they are in their life and health journey. My goal is to help others to connect with their bodies, keep moving, become stronger, and live in the present moment. Outside of yoga, I am a medical transcriptionist and operate Bendy Armadillo Yoga Studio and Molly B Cabin, a small AirBnb in Cookson, Oklahoma. I love kayaking, hiking, traveling, art, and spending time with friends and family.
Jessica Lewendowskie
As a former collegiate athlete, Jessica has always been passionate about movement. She first discovered yoga while recovering from training injuries in 2014, and she has been practicing regularly ever since. In 2021, Jessica decided to deepen her practice by completing RYT-200 training. She specializes in vinyasa classes, and her favorite style of class to teach is power flow.
Jessica grew up in Tahlequah, and she is passionate about giving back to the community. She combines her love of yoga and philanthropy by hosting monthly donation-based classes at The 108 Yoga Studio. All levels are welcome and all proceeds from these classes benefit local nonprofits!
MELISSA PITTS-JOHNSON
Melissa Pitts Johnson has been teaching yoga since 2022. She enjoys incorporating asana and meditation into daily life to support emotional health and wellbeing. She is married, with 2 children, who also love doing yoga with mom. When not in the studio, you can find her doing therapy as a Licensed Mental Health Professional. She believes that everyone can benefit from yoga practice and enjoys supporting others on their wellness journeys.
Sandee McClure
Sandee McClure I am a lifelong student who loves to learn. I have always had a heart for natural health and learning about tools to help mind, body and spirit. After attending Kundalini yoga classes in 2016 my life and perspective started to change. I never dreamed in 2018 I would attend Raviana Yoga 200-hour teacher training in Springfield, MO or that I would become a yoga teacher.
Kundalini yoga is a great tool to help our mind, body and spirit balance especially with today’s life stresses. I completed Raviana Yoga 300-hour teacher training in 2019 with an online refresher training in 2021/2022. I love Kundalini yoga, all things natural living, frequency and vibration. My teacher Ravi Singh told me I am able to make the “impossible” Possible. I believe impossible is really “I’m Possible – I Am Possible” My goal is to help others who think yoga or anything outside their physical ability is truly possible and to never give up.
Kundalini yoga gives me the tools to never give up. I am a Holy Fire III Karuna Reiki Master and completed Trinity School of Natural Health’s Certified Natural Health Professional (CNHP) program. I am also an IT analyst where I’ve worked most of my life in the IT/Telecommunications industry. I know my path led me to yoga at the right and perfect time to keep working to make the impossible Possible. Join me for Kundalini yoga and you may find some of your impossible becomes I’M Possible!