ROBYN LUND
OWNER
Robyn Lund, 500 E-RYT, came to yoga in college as a way to manage anxiety and stress. Having practiced for 15 years, she undertook her first Yoga Teacher Training in 2012, becoming Montana’s only Certified Curvy Yoga Teacher. Robyn has continued to study with Anna Guest-Jelly, founder of Curvy Yoga, Jivana Heyman of the Accessible Yoga Foundation, and Rachael Getecha of the Trauma Center for Trauma Sensitive Yoga, amongst others.
In 2013, Robyn opened the Gentle Healing Center in Helena, where she, along with several other teachers, lead weekly classes. In 2019, she founded the Montana Yoga Movement, a 501(c)3, aimed at bringing yoga to at-risk populations such as women’s shelters, in-patient addiction centers, homeless shelters, and more.
Robyn focuses on bringing yoga to your body, the one you have right now. Using props, specialized sequencing, and techniques to make classes accessible and enjoyable for everyone, no matter size, shape, ability to background.
PATRICIA TROOIEN
Patricia shares her love of yoga by consistently holding regular classes where students can grow and nurture their yoga practice. Patricia teaches a gentle Iyengar (alignment-based) style of yoga where she encourages participants to slow down, listen to their breath, and their body. Her classes are safe, relaxed, non-judgmental, and light-hearted.
Patricia began her yoga journey in 2001 while teaching in a small community in Kansas and received her RYT 500-hour teacher certification from The Yoga School of Therapeutics with Suzette Scholtes in Kansas City. Patricia has had the pleasure of studying with master yogis including Doug Keller, Aadil Palkhivala, Judith Lasater, and Paula Self.
Patricia feels blessed to have the opportunity to teach at Gentle Healing Wellness Center where every BODY is welcome.
MAUREEN BJERKE
Maureen started doing yoga in 2015 when she lived in Cameroon. She used a hand-me-down mat and a yoga book her sister sent her. Her studio was a mud-brick house and her fellow yogis were the kids in the village who taught her about life.
When Maureen came back to the states, it felt so fancy to go to a studio with her own yoga mat. Her favorite was hot power yoga and that is when she decided to do yoga teacher training in Missoula in 2017.
Maureen broke her arm in 2018 and could no longer do the hot power yoga she once loved. She learned to love and appreciate restorative yoga, slow yoga, and mindfulness.
Maureen loves the practice of yoga, on and off the mat. It has proven to be one of her strongest coping skills when life gets tough. Yoga principles align wonderfully with the kind of person she strives to be. Like many others, she struggled during COVID to maintain her yoga practice. She is happy to be getting back to teaching and practicing on a regular basis.
MOLLY McKINNEY
Molly is a non-binary, queer teacher with a passion for self-empowerment, community, and the healing power of nature and plants. They still believe in magic. They are an herbalist, an RN, a paramedic, and a health educator. They hold teaching certificates in Oula. One, 200-hour YTT, Trauma-Conscious (TCYM-T), and Yoga for Social Justice. Their practice pays particular attention to self-knowledge, empowerment, and chakra balancing, world healing through radical self-love, and the compassionate processing of trauma. Ravi is also an avid gardener, rock climber, hiker and backpacker, skier, and kayaker/rafter. They are originally from the East Coast, but call Montana home. They live with a dog, a fish, dozens of plants, and no fewer than 1000 books.
ANDREA CARVALHO
In my offerings I strive to create a healing atmosphere, where you can feel safe to explore your body, your thoughts and your emotions. You can bring it all, wherever you are in your life – strong or sad or mad. It’s all good. We’ll explore a full spectrum of yoga tools, not just asana (postures) but also, pranayama (breathwork), meditation, mudra (hand gestures), mantra, philosophy and Ayurveda (indigenous east Indian medicine and life science).
I have been a student of yoga since 1995 and a registered teacher since 2014. I have also studied astrology, reiki and shamanism. Currently I am near to completion of my Yoga Therapy training. I hold registrations with Yoga Alliance at the RYT 500 level and I am a YACEP Teacher. When I’m not geeking out over yoga I love to cook, hike, dance, watch movies and share deeply with others the magic and the challenges of life.
JEN AMBROSE
Jen Ambrose is a yoga teacher (RYT-500) and certified personal trainer from Great Falls, MT. She discovered yoga as a college student and eventually earned her 200-hour certification in Boston in 2016. Pre-Covid, she had been traveling and teaching yoga in Southeast Asia and completed an intensive 300-hour teacher training in Rishikesh, India, in early 2020. Since then, she’s had the opportunity to teach in Great Falls and Helena, offer a workshop at the Front Range Yoga Festival and continue the lifelong journey of learning and practice. Jen’s goal as a teacher is to help others develop practices that are meaningful, sustainable, and promote longevity, and honor the roots of yoga in each class.
JILL NYMAN
Jill believes yoga is everywhere and for everyBODY! Her classes connect breath and mindful movement to release tension and find balance. She began her yoga adventure six years ago and completed her 200-hour YTT at the Lotus in 2017. She has also studied trauma-informed yoga, accessible yoga and yoga nidra. Truly a “yoga nerd”, her focus is on creating a lifelong sustainable asana practice while discovering the yoga in day-to-day life. When not on the mat, Jill finds her bliss camping, hiking, walking and spending time with family.
ANGIE GIFFORD
Angie’s approach to yoga is a slow-slow practice focused on mindful movement. She aims to create a laid back, warm and welcoming space that is non-intimidating and open to all, allowing students of all levels to honor their bodies and find the balance between breath and movement, body and soul. As a Helena native, she is an outdoor junkie and believes that being in nature is just as important as the time on the mat. You can often find her taking her yoga outside on Helena’s trails and bodies of water.
