Our Instructors
David Ryan
I never thought that I would ever try yoga until I hurt my leg. My sister said that it might help my injury so I decided to give it a try. That was back in 1995. If I didn’t practice yoga, I am convinced that I would be in a wheelchair today. I enjoy the challenge of a yoga class which works my body, mind, and spirit.
As a teacher I'm inspired by all students, especially those who are older and/or dealing with severe injuries. When I was recovering from my last car accident, I often felt hopeless because it seemed like I wouldn’t get better. During those times, I would remind myself of the students who overcame great difficulties. They still worked hard and kept a positive attitude.
I knew that if they could do that, then I could do it too.
Today I continue to heal my injuries through yoga. I practice yoga because I feel better and I'm happier when I invest in myself.
I believe that by helping others, I am also helping myself. I am truly grateful for this life because I know it didn’t have to turn out as good as it has.
Marcelo Alexander
With 18 years of martial arts under his belt, Marcelo never thought yoga was that one thing that he had been looking for all along. He first encountered Bikram yoga in 2000 when he was living in NY and immediately fell in love. So in love that he went 100 days straight after his 1st class. “Yoga completes me. It’s more than physical. It makes me happy.”
To improve his practice and his own self-growth, Marcelo took his Bikram Teacher Training in Hawaii in 2007. He lived a simple life in Bali close to the beach and his dogs for over a decade. He still teaches around the world, but these days, he calls NY his home.
Heatherly Maltezo
A few years ago, a student came up to Heatherly after class and asked if she could pose a personal question.
"You teach X number of classes a week, right? And each time, you also take class, right?"
Heatherly answered yes, totally unprepared for what she was about to say.
"So if you’re working that hard, shouldn’t you be skinny?"
"Excuse me?"
"As a yoga instructor, shouldn’t you be a better example to your students?"
“Actually, I like to eat and don’t feel like I have to deprive myself of anything. I eat what I want."
"What. Do you like, set an alarm to eat cheeseburgers?"
Heatherly: “People tend to assume that yoga teachers are skinny and vegan, [but] some of them like to have curves and enjoy all the great food and desserts that life has to offer.”
Our favorite drill sergeant is not just a yoga instructor, flight attendant, marathoner, former Hooters girl, and foodie, but she’s also a loving mama and partner, a loyal friend through and through.
Olive Timothee
Olive fell in love with Hot Yoga when she was 16 years old and never turned back. Fresh out of high school, she pursued her 200-hour Vinyasa Yoga Teacher Training and began teaching in her community. She never looked back, continuing on to specialize in Hot Yoga.
Olive is a true advocate of how Hot Yoga can transform not just your body, but also the mind and spirit. Olive stresses that we are not only training our bodies, but that we are training ourselves to be better humans! What we learn on our mat translates to every area of our lives.
IT IS NOT THAT YOGA MAKES LIFE BETTER, BUT THAT YOGA MAKES YOU BETTER AT LIFE!
Olive is constantly reminding students of the strength and resilience that is within them, whether they have discovered it or not. She will teach you heart 1st while supporting your wellness journey.
Kammy Fung
Kammy started her first yoga class in her late twenties having never enjoyed any movement prior to yoga practice.
Her first class was sweaty and challenging.
She discovered for the first time that sweating is joyful but that was just the beginning of her yoga journey.
With yoga, she was able to let go of her asthma inhaler and this led her into a new lifestyle.
Kammy attended her first Bikram Teacher Training in 2012 to strengthen her own practice. This opportunity led her to ask "What is yoga?"
She sought out the answers from some inspiring teachers such as Paul Grilley, Tom Myers, and Esak to name a few.
The on-going studies with Paul Grilley and Esak Garcia helped her to learn and explore new information from science-based study.
Her teaching style is integrated with TCM, Anatomy Train, and Fascia theory with yoga asanas.
Kammy is the founder of "Body Talk," which incorporates the Anatomy Train model and fascia theory with Bikram's 26 postures and 2 breathing exercises.
This method is to find one's own body alignment using the resistance bands.
Kammy’s goal as a teacher is to empower all people by teaching them anatomy in easy to understand terms and the importance of taking care of themselves at home.
Every student can (and should) find a practice that works for their own body, their own alignment and develop their own yoga.
Kammy is more than happy to assist and witness the change of body and mind through practice yoga and lead a more fulfilling life.
Food, travel & photography are her passion. When she’s not on her mat or the book, she’s either searching or cooking for yummy food.
Maria Cuoco
Since going to Bikram training in 2010, I have learned to navigate teaching this practice. For me it has been a long journey and not an easy one.
I came to Bikram after looking for a practice that I could use to calm anxiety and panic. This practice along with acupuncture saved me.
As you grow in your practice you find other practices that complement it. So in 2017 I went to Vinyasa training.
But I always come back to Bikram to center myself and realign my body.
My wish is that others find this practice and find themselves along the way.
Nicole Varrone
Designer and dreamer, founder of Buddhas of Suburbia, Forever Student
500+ RYT hours, Hatha and Vinyasa Style, Restorative Yoga, Pilates and Thai body work practices based in the ANYA Method. You can learn more about the ANYA Method here.
AntiGravity Fitness ; Fundamentals, Restorative, AG Pilates, Aerial Yoga, &Suspension Fitness.
8 years as a line cook, 4 years studying Ayurvedic practices, wHolistic wellness, and a lifetime of exploring Nature’s ability to provide.
10 years studying Permaculture, Horticulture, Ecotourism, Hospitality Management & Culinary Arts have helped her cultivate a sense of support and unity around food and fitness.
Ruby Rodriguez
Ruby always found solace in her frequent practice of yoga, however, it was not until she was introduced to a hot practice in 2008 that her capacity for fulfillment, determination, and compassion were ignited. She found her practice transformed by the heat into a holistic experience that garnered for her not only great physical gains, but a multitude of other health benefits. So great was the impact, that she has now turned her practice into a life journey of sharing the benefits of yoga with others through the art of teaching. Ruby's passion for yoga is rooted in her conviction that the path to expanding her own practice is through sharing the gift of yoga with others. She believes that every student of yoga is his/her own best teacher; and through gentle guidance, hopes to awaken in her student their own potential for developing a concise and self-directed practice. She is currently a Barkan Method Hot Yoga Level I instructor, and is also Level II Barkan Method Hot Vinyasa certified.
Tomoko Vibulayacom
In Tomoko’s eyes, food is one of the most important parts of her life…and then she discovered yoga. Not just any yoga. Hot Yoga.
After practicing for over a decade, she recently discovered that she doesn’t have to give up what she loves as long as she maintains her balance. With food, work, relationships, life, herself, body and mind…everything is about balance. How does one achieve balance? By learning and practicing with the correct method. The key is to never stop learning and apply it to your everyday life. Practice with good actions. Tomoko thanks all of her teachers who have taught her to balance and she is still learning.
Although she doesn’t know much and is seen as carefree, she is serious in what she truly believes. Which is to take good care of others including herself. She loves to share from her heart and cherishes the moments of transformation in her students.
Tomoko hopes for everyone to experience this thing called yoga so they can balance their body and mind.
Her message to her students:
Let’s do this! I will do my part, eating to my full potential and sharing with my full potential. So do your part! Let us balance together by learning from each other and teaching one another.
See you in the hot room!
Vivian Lee
Born in South Korea and moved to New York in 2007. Vivian was a track runner for 20 years and worked as a chef and food coordinator for a hotel.
As a result of spending long hours working on her feet, she developed severe knee and lower back pain including a herniated disc. Initially she thought yoga was only for people who were in shape, she was intimidated at first but was shortly surprised.
She was referred to a doctor to help manage knee pain and was introduced to Bikram yoga. She was immediately hooked with her first class noticing a ripple that changed not only her body, but also her mind and spirit overall.
Certified as a Bikram yoga teacher in 2008, Vivian loves teaching and sharing this great energy with all of her students. Yoga is not just a workout for the body, It is also connection made between the body and the mind. Bikram yoga becomes a lifestyle change that brings people one step closer to power of self healing.
Vivian is a mother of two and became certified to teach prenatal yoga in 2014. She has been practicing Yin since 2017 and is certified in Vinyasa and kids yoga.
Her passion for learning has lead her to explore the effects that sound and vibration have on the body and she is very active in her sound healing practice.
Devon Stieglitz
Devon grew up in New Jersey and moved to Rego Park, Queens in his late teens to start an advertising internship. After working in the industry for over 10 years he started to question the point of all of the physical and mental stress the career was placing on him. He found yoga and meditation as a means to help deal with this stress in healthier ways and ultimately ended up walking away from advertising to focus more on the mind body connection and holistic health. He became a certified yoga therapy teacher in 2019 and a certified Shine meditation instructor under the lineage of Tulku Lobsang in 2022. He continues to deepen his own practice and teach others in the Rego Park and Forest Hills communities.
Talin Avades
I first stepped in the hot room in 2015 looking for an alternative yoga practice and was immediately hooked. Each time I take a class, I discover something new about one posture—be it how I feel while I am holding the pose, what it brings up emotionally, or how my body responds.
I graduated from my hot yoga training with Ida Ripley and my goal is to spread the message about this incredible, healing practice. I use the practice to complement my cardio and resistance training, and I welcome you to try it, too!
When not teaching or taking a class, I work to promote the rights of persons with disabilities and spend time with my husband and toddler.
See you in the hot room ;)