OUR TEACHERS
Abby Hurst
Hamstrings Hips + Spines
Abby is a registered yoga teacher (RYT) with Yoga Alliance and earned her 200 Hour certificate as part of Rising Sol Yoga School's Class of 2025. As a marathon runner, Abby loves to explore the many ways yoga can enhance mobility, strength, and mental focus. Abby seeks to create a sense of compassion and connection in every class.
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Christine Jones
Hot 26
In 2009, Christine took her first yoga class and from that point forward embarked on a journey that changed her life. In 2017, Christine completed her 200-hour teacher training and her Level I reiki certification. She completed her 500-hour certification in July 2021 and continues to explore movement within the body and mind by teaching, listening, and educating herself.
Chris Karrat
Power Flow
Chris's yoga journey began in 2012 as part of healing for a low back injury. A friend took him to a Baptiste yoga class and from that day forward he was hooked. In 2017, he completed his 200-hour yoga teacher training at Down Dog Yoga. When he’s not practicing yoga, Chris enjoys rock climbing , skateboarding , motorcycle riding, and hanging out with his dog Grizelda.
Janine Edelson
Hamstrings Hips + Spines
Janine is a certified Yoga Alliance RYT and completed her 200-hour teacher training as part of Rising Sol's inaugural class. Janine's yoga journey began as a way to find relief while she was competing as an amatuer fighter in Muay Thai kickboxing. Janine aspires to create an atmosphere where students feel comfortable to come as they are and practice yoga freely on (and off) their mats.
Amy Flynn
Hamstrings Hips + Spines, Tone + Stretch
Amy completed her 200 hour yoga teacher training at Zweet Sport Hot Yoga, a proud member of its inaugural class. After years of long distance running and competitive bodybuilding, she started practicing yoga in 2018 to regain functional mobility. Yoga has taught her to appreciate every millimeter of progress, and her goal is to help students recognize and celebrate the small victories.
Kelynn Giorno
Power, Warm Yin
Kelynn began her practice 14 years ago following a severe arm injury. Kelynn has taught since 2011 and is a Yoga Alliance 500 Hour CYT, E-RYT 200 and YACEP. She has studied with teachers including Janet Stone, Baron Baptiste, Biff Mithoefer, Karina Hahn, and Trace Sahaja Bonner. Kelynn creates a space for her students to find a connection between mind, body, and spirit in a compassionate, empowering way.
Christina Hong
Hot 26, Vinyasa
Christina is a certified 200-hour yoga teacher and developmental psychologist. After 14 years of studying Classical Chinese dance and ballet, she unrolled her mat for the first time and fell in love with yoga. Christina aims to inspire her students to feel empowered in their bodies, honor their boundaries, and enjoy the beauty of the peaks and valleys along the way. When she’s not on the mat, Christina enjoys hiking and foraging for mushrooms, tending to her many plant babies, baking sourdough bread, and playing with Peanut, her 2 year old pit bull.
Katie Hottel
Vinyasa, Hot 26, Bishnu Ghosh
Katie is a certified 200-hour yoga teacher and a registered dietitian nutritionist. She is passionate about sharing the gift of yoga with others as a practice and tool for cultivating greater well-being of the whole being – mind, body, and soul. In her work as an integrative dietitian and yoga teacher, she leads with the message that we are whole, interconnected human beings that have the power to be our own healers and create more “feel-good” in our lives by first turning inward and coming home to yourself. Katie is also devoted to her morning coffee, sunshine, and her boxer-lab mix fur son, Cedar.
Nicole Huret
Vinyasa
Nicole began practicing yoga in 2016 and immediately fell in love with moving meditation. One of her lifelong passions is teaching and she graduated from Rising Sol’s 200-Hour Teacher Training in 2024. As a yoga teacher, Nicole hopes her students are inspired to find peace and levity not only in their practice, but in their whole lives.
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Sarah Leutz
Hot 26
Sarah received her 200 Hour Teaching Training and her Hot 26 certification through Rising Sol Yoga School.
Kelly Mullen
Power Flow, Hamstrings Hips + Spines
Kelly is a lifelong fitness enthusiast and a Yoga Alliance 500-Hour RYT. She completed her 200-hour training at Dancing Mind Yoga, a Baptiste affiliate studio, and her 300-hour certification with Mark Stephens. Additionally, she is certified in Baptiste Yoga, Yoga Nidra, Pranayama, and Meditation. As a teacher, her mission is to help others connect with their bodies, even in the presence of pain.
Kimberly Sickmen
Bishnu Ghosh, Bikram,
Hamstrings, Hips + Spines
E-RYT® 500, YACEP® Kimberly is an E-RYT® 500 certified yoga teacher who has owned and operated Rising Sol Yoga for over 13 years, where she has taught full-time and dedicated her life to the instruction and practice of yoga. She trained directly under Jim Ambrogi, who owned and operated the first hot yoga studio in all of Northern Virginia, for over 13 years, as well as Mary Jarvis, renowned for her life-changing Shape Shifting training. She credits her teachers for instilling her deep appreciation of yoga and yoga asana. Kimberly's focus is centered primarily in the Ghosh Lineage, as taught by her teachers. She often quotes her teacher Mary Jarvis in her instruction — "You don't have to do a lot, you just have to hold still" — which is her philosophy for practice. In addition to her teaching, Kimberly has competed at the state and national level through USA Yoga, placing 3rd in the state of Virginia in both 2013 and 2014.
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Meg Tierney
Power Flow
Meg graduated from Rising Sol Yoga School's 200-Hour Teacher Training in 2024.
Elena Velasco
Vinyasa
Elena Velasco found yoga through her career as a choreographer, director, and physical theater performer and completed her 200-hour teacher certification at Rising Sol Yoga School. A member of Yoga Alliance, she believes that creativity and authentic connection results from the synthesis of the mind-body-consciousness and is passionate about holding space for a range of students with diverse identities and lived experiences. Along with her active professional life, she enjoys biking, hiking, and meditating, and is the proud mother of seven children, all who have various paths and passions.
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Stephanie Watson
Power Flow
Stephanie is a member of Rising Sol Yoga School's Teacher Training Class of 2024.
Emily Whalen
Power Flow
Emily is a member of Rising Sol Yoga School's Teacher Training Class of 2025.
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Julie Wieland
Vinyasa
Julie has practiced and studied a wide variety of yoga disciplines but considers the Ashtanga and Anusara traditions her greatest influences. In 2006, she completed her 200-hr certification at Tranquil Space in Washington, DC. Julie’s teaching style is grounded in tradition with the playfulness of vinyasa creating smart and intuitive sequences meant not only to challenge, but to be accessible to students of all levels. A scientist at heart, Julie has pursued her passion for the science of healing as a massage therapist and yoga guide for trauma, anxiety, self-regulation, and PTSD. Julie’s long-standing interests in human health combined with her academic studies in biochemistry drive her professional pursuits in global access to health care, reproductive health, and the empowerment of women and girls across cultures.
MC Williams
Power Flow
MC is a 200-hour Yoga Alliance RYT and completed her teacher training with Zweet Sport Hot Yoga in 2022. She fell in love with hot yoga as a college student, and her teaching is shaped by years of competitive multisport and the belief that mindful movement brings us back to ourselves. MC works to give students a place to build confidence in their practice while encouraging curiosity and the courage to step beyond their comfort zone.
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