meet our team
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Instructor, Founder
“You never step in the same river twice.” —Zen Wisdom
Life is constantly changing, and so are we. Aubrey's work is rooted in helping people meet those changes with courage, curiosity, and trust in their own inner wisdom.
Yoga entered Aubrey's life during a pivotal chapter and became a pathway toward healing, self-discovery, and profound personal transformation. Through practice, she learned to break free from old patterns, embrace uncertainty, and cultivate a life that feels deeply aligned with her values. Today, her mission is simple yet powerful: to help others remember that they are already enough.
From a young age, Aubrey felt the transformative power of movement. Following her own challenging health and weight-loss journey, she discovered firsthand that lasting change is possible when we approach ourselves with honesty, compassion, and commitment. This experience continues to inform her teaching, allowing her to guide students from a place of lived experience rather than theory alone. She never asks others to walk a path she has not traveled herself.
Aubrey's teaching is an integration of Katonah Yoga, alignment-based movement, Chinese Medicine, seasonal living, breathwork, meditation, and nervous system awareness. She believes that each person carries an innate intelligence within them and that yoga offers a way to reconnect with that wisdom. Her classes invite students to move thoughtfully, listen deeply, and develop a more meaningful relationship with themselves.
At the heart of Aubrey's work is community. She has a gift for creating spaces where people feel seen, valued, supported, and inspired to grow. Whether leading a class, facilitating teacher training, hosting a retreat, or gathering people in conversation, she believes healing happens in relationship—with ourselves, with one another, and with the world around us.
In partnership with her husband Art, Aubrey co-founded Zion Well in 2019 and helped grow it into a thriving wellness community with locations in Ypsilanti and Ann Arbor. Together they have led thousands of students through classes, teacher trainings, workshops, continuing education programs, and more than 22 transformative retreats around the world. Their shared commitment to accessibility and equity led to the creation of the Zion Well Equity Program, which provides scholarships and opportunities for individuals from historically underrepresented communities.
Aubrey is a 500-hour Registered Yoga Teacher, trauma-informed yoga educator, certified meditation and breathwork coach, and lifelong student with more than 4,600 hours of teaching experience. She is currently completing her degree in Social Work, further deepening her understanding of human connection, resilience, and healing.
Those who practice with Aubrey quickly discover that her greatest gift is helping people see themselves more clearly. Through equal parts wisdom, compassion, and encouragement, she reminds students that they do not need to become someone else to be whole. They simply need to remember who they already are.
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Instructor, Founder
“Live always at the edge of mystery—the boundary of the unknown.”- Robert Oppenheimer
Art believes that life is meant to be lived at the edge of mystery. It is a philosophy that shapes not only his teaching, but the way he approaches creativity, leadership, nature, and personal growth.
Yoga and meditation have been Art's life's work for over a decade, but the deeper journey has always been one of inquiry. Through practice, he found a path that transformed his relationship to himself, clarified his values, and awakened a sense of purpose rooted in service, connection, and love. His classes are known for being equal parts challenging, thoughtful, playful, and deeply human. Humor is woven throughout his teaching, creating space for students to soften, laugh, and remember that growth doesn't have to be so serious.
Inspired by his Native American (Ojibwe) heritage, Art's relationship with yoga is inseparable from his relationship with nature. He and his wife live along the river in Michigan, where the rhythms of water, seasons, wildlife, and wild places continually shape his perspective as a teacher and student. Whether guiding meditation, leading retreats, or teaching asana, he draws inspiration from the natural world and the wisdom it offers about patience, resilience, balance, and belonging.
Outside the studio, Art is rarely sitting still. He is a painter, sculptor, writer, woodworker, and perpetual creator who finds joy in home projects, building things by hand, and bringing ideas into form.
In partnership with his wife Aubrey, Art founded Zion Well in 2019 and helped grow it into a thriving yoga community with two locations in Southeast Michigan. Together they also founded Zion Retreats, hosting 22 retreats around the world and leading transformative experiences in places such as Portugal, Costa Rica, Iceland, Italy, Greece, and the American Southwest. As a passionate entrepreneur, leader, and community builder, Art is driven by the belief that meaningful experiences have the power to change lives.
Art is an ERYT-200 yoga teacher, Yoga Nidra Meditation Coach, and Forest Bathing Guide with more than 4,000 hours of teaching experience. He continues his studies embracing the role of lifelong student with the same enthusiasm he brings to teaching. He is currently working towards a 500 hr certification with Tias Little as well as SATYA (sensory awareness training for yoga attunement) certification.
Following the loss of his mother, April, in 2022, Art dedicated his work to carrying forward the unconditional love she embodied. Her influence continues to inspire his mission: to help people reconnect with themselves, discover their unique gifts, and live with greater purpose, authenticity, and heart.
If you take one of Art's classes, you'll likely sweat, laugh, learn something unexpected, and leave feeling a little more connected—to yourself, to others, and to the mystery of being alive.
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Yoga Instructor
Lauren started practicing yoga in 2010, and was amazed at the level of discipline and patience that the movement required. Ever since, she felt drawn to yoga and devoured different practice styles. Following a spinal injury, Lauren shifted her movement to Olympic Weightlifting and CrossFit and learned that deep mindfulness is the heart of all physical movement, no matter the outward appearance. She values strong, foundational forms in yoga and believes that asana should always give rather than take away. Lauren is licensed Physical Therapy Assistant, and thrives in collective movement spaces where the practice is responsive + dynamic for all.
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Yoga Instructor
Vanessa discovered yoga more than 10 years ago, and fell in love. She received her 200 hour yoga and meditation teacher training certification from Zion Well in 2021.
Yoga has helped her find connection and love in relationships. She believes that yoga can offer a sense of peaceful wonder and reflection in life. In becoming a yoga instructor, she hopes to bring that same sense of wonder and calm to others.
As a knitting and fiber enthusiast, and a forever crafter, Vanessa also tries to bring a bit of creativity to anything she does.
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Mallory first found yoga in high school, as part of a sports team bonding activity. Since then, yoga has been a constant presence in her life during many seasons of change. Mallory completed her 200 hour teacher training in 2017 and 85-hour prenatal yoga certification in 2018, while living in Washington, D.C. A native Michigander (she and Art share a hometown!), Mallory moved to Ann Arbor in 2022 after more than a decade in D.C.
Mallory teaches a power-inspired class set to upbeat music, to give students the opportunity to find their edge and tap into their strength in a lighthearted way. Off the mat, you can find her wandering a farmers market, trying new restaurants, and exploring the Ann Arbor area with her husband and daughter.
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Yoga Instructor
Cydney started doing yoga in high school to manage chronic pain, and has been using movement as medicine ever since. Yoga helped her learn to live off balance and embrace uncertainty, and how to support her body while exploring the full depth of its capabilities. She graduated from Zion Well’s Teacher Training in 2023 after more than a decade of practice. Her classes incorporate body wisdom, nervous system care, playful disequilibrium, a lot of laughs, and full embodiment of self. You may also hear anecdotes about her time attending clown school in Bigfoot country, her large extended family’s adventures with blowtorches, or her many embarrassing moments onstage. Outside of the studio, Cydney can be found exploring graveyards, dabbling in various dance and circus arts, and napping with her doofy cat, Phineas.
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Yoga Instructor and Community Relations Coordinator
Kelsey grew up as a dancer, eventually turning to yoga as an additional form of mindful body movement. She received her 200 hour training in 2017 at CorePower, followed by Yoga Sculpt training in 2018. Her initial intention was to strengthen her own practice, but soon realized her passion was to share this knowledge and encourage the same growth within others. She has been teaching various forms of vinyasa yoga and fitness classes since then. In 2024, Kelsey went through 85 hour prenatal training, a newfound passion after becoming a mom of two little ones. Her goal when leading a class is to create a safe, healthy space for movement, finding the strength that lies within each of us. She ultimately still loves taking to her mat as a student to learn and grow alongside the community.
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Yoga Instructor
Meret has always been curious about humans and the complexities of life. As a sensitive person
she had to learn how to live in a body that feels deeply – which can be a little overwhelming at
times. Meret found yoga to be a great guide to be at home in her body. She has been practicing
yoga almost daily since 2018, which has become a ritual of self-care and helped her to brave
the adventures and challenges that life presented her with (including immense changes like
immigrating to the US from Switzerland!).
Meret is a proponent of yoga as a habit of self-care rather than a workout or simple physical
practice. Her classes focus on connection to self, creativity, joy and play. She received her 200-
hour yoga and meditation teacher training certification from Zion Well in the spring of 2024. In
her free time, she likes to be outdoors and visit her critter friends.
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Yoga Instructor
Haley first found yoga over a decade ago in college and has been practicing ever since. She became a regular student of Zion Well after moving to Ypsilanti in 2020. Inspired by the physical and mental benefits yoga has brought to her life, Haley completed Zion Well’s Yoga Teacher Training in the spring of 2025.
She is excited to share her love of yoga with others while continuing to grow as both a student and teacher. When she’s not on the mat, you can find Haley tending to her garden, doing something creative, or spending time with her cats.
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Yoga Instructor
Kamara’s yoga journey began during her undergraduate studies in 2018, when she discovered yoga as a grounding and peaceful space to reconnect with her body and breath.
In Spring 2025, she completed her 200-hour Yoga Teacher Training at Zion Well. Since then, she has been passionate about creating safe, supportive spaces where others can reconnect with themselves—mind, body, and breath.
Her teaching style is rooted in gentleness and intention. She guides individuals to move with awareness, honor their bodies, and embrace stillness as a source of strength. She believes yoga is for everyone, meeting each person exactly where they are.
For Kamara, yoga is more than movement—it is a practice of coming home to yourself. It has taught her how to navigate anxious thoughts, reconnect with her inner strength, and respond to life with greater presence and control. Through both practice and teaching, she continues to explore the balance between effort and ease.
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Yoga Instructor
Macy has been a practitioner of yoga for about 10 years and became certified to teach in the Spring of 2022. She was prompted to start practicing yoga by her cousin, who is a yoga instructor herself, and her parents. With her yoga history comes an immense love and passion for the practice. The way yoga brings a feeling of peace to both her body and mind is the feeling she hopes to share with as many people as she can. Outside of yoga, Macy is a web designer for an office at the University of Michigan. Working in educational technology, she strives to make her design work as understandable, accessible, and inclusive as she can, which is also what she is aiming to do while teaching yoga. Macy loves being creative in any way that she can and is excited to share that creativity within the sequences and flows that she teaches!
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Yoga Instructor
Ryan started practicing yoga during the pandemic in 2020 and obtained her 200 hour RYT in June 2025.
Ryan’s yoga philosophy is that that yoga is for everybody and every BODY. We all come with our own physical, mental and emotional challenges and strengths and yoga presents an opportunity to meet ourselves where we are. Ryan is passionate about offering modifications and encouraging folks to use support when they need it during class.
Outside of the studio, Ryan enjoys cooking, baking, reality TV, cheering on the Michigan Wolverines and spending quality time with friends and family.
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Yoga Instructor
Veronica found a love for yoga in 2023 while in a difficult place. Yoga taught her that stillness and slowing down is actually possible; and wonderful! Breathwork, movement and utilizing supports on the mat can translate to the “messiness” + realness of every day life!
As a Mom to 3 and with a background in education, Veronica knew it was time to share this new found self love with others. She completed YTT in Fall of 2024. Veronica strives to create a safe space where everyone feels seen, heard and supported while exploring what works and feels right in their bodies. Veronica’s classes will focus on using breath to explore and stay curious, autonomy and meeting ourselves where we’re at.
Outside of yoga, you’ll find Veronica hanging out with her husband + kids, spoiling her pups and reading true crime.
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Yoga Instructor
Anna became a consistent yoga practitioner in 2017 after graduating grad school and needing an activity to recommit to wellness for both her mind and body and that worked for her many previous sports injuries. She is an advocate for diversity of all kinds in the yoga space, especially body diversity, and has always appreciated use of props and accessible cues to customize poses to each student's body, rather than customizing our bodies to the poses. She completed her 200 hour YTT in 2024 and has found an even deeper love for the practice through teaching. She loves to laugh and find playfulness in practice, use props and modifications, and create spaces that allow you to dive deeper, whether that is physically or mentally, when you arrive on your mat. Off her mat, you will find Anna working at the UofM and Warby Parker, experimenting with new recipes, playing board games with her wife, and exploring with her two very silly dogs.
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Yoga Instructor
Chelsea first encountered yoga in 2013 while living in Chicago and was immediately drawn to the quiet strength and focus of the practice. Shortly after, she moved to Seattle where she had access to nearly every style of yoga, from Ashtanga to Kundalini to Viniyoga. In the end, Chelsea found her home in Vinyasa studios and completed her RYT 200 in March 2020 at Seattle Yoga Lounge. Having since returned to her home state of Michigan, she's excited to share all that she's learned and offer classes that guide students back into their bodies and expand their understanding of themselves. Outside of yoga, Chelsea loves playing any sport, reading, and being outdoors with her pup, Nova.
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Yoga Instructor
For Katie, yoga is more than just a physical and mental practice, it has allowed her to embrace her body while cultivating confidence and self-acceptance. Influenced by the diverse yoga community, teachers, and peers Katie brings empowerment to every class, showing students that yoga is for everybody and every body. Her classes are encouraging and challenging, allowing students to learn about yoga and the yogic lifestyle while experiencing it. By incorporating meditation, pranayama, asana, she aims to have every student leave reinvigorated and renewed. When she’s not teaching yoga, you can find her hanging with my Hubby, rescue pup, and toddler!
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Yoga Instructor
Heidi began practicing yoga simply to take a pause from balancing work and mom life, but she found and continues to find much more along the journey– presence, creativity, connection, community, the list goes on! Without realizing it initially, graduating from the 200-hour Zion Well Teacher Training in Spring of 2023 was a perfect melding of her experiences, identities and hopes. Heidi spent many childhood years in China and was immersed in holistic health and wellness practices from a young age. She holds a Bachelor's in Psychology where she first formally learned about mental health and the mind body connection. She’s always dreamed of being a teacher. She’s amazed how all of these are coming together through yoga. Heidi is excited to share this practice and give back all that it’s given her. She also enjoys teaching kids yoga of all ages. Off the mat, Heidi loves spending time in nature with her two kids.
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Yoga Instructor
Vinnie started practicing yoga in her early childhood years as her mother is also a yoga instructor. Throughout a decade of competitive swimming, she always managed to find her way to her yoga mat because it helped to create balance in her body and to prevent injury. Vinnie has a passion for education and has been teaching high school + middle school Spanish since 2018. Upon entering into the adult world, she noticed the lack of connection and attention to Self that she and her colleagues felt. She began implementing yoga and breath work practices for co-workers to strengthen this connection.
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Yoga Instructor
Sarah began their yoga journey in 2017 after ten years of dancing. After trying vinyasa, Hatha, and yin-style classes in college, she got hooked on the power of the practice. Sarah enjoys movement as a form of self-expression, and a way to connect to and find the strength of the mind, body, and spirit. Sarah completed their 200-hour YTT at Invoke Yoga and Pilates in Indianapolis in June 2023. She also completed a 10-hour Yin + Restorative movement training with Zion Well in July 2024.
In Sarah’s classes, you can expect a grounding and playful space for cultivating intentional exploration of breath and movement, good tunes and fun playlists, and themes that connect the practice to the more than human world. For Sarah, yoga is a time for practice, curiosity, self-study, and finding moments of zen amidst the beautiful chaos of everyday life. Sarah encourages her students to test their boundaries, find their strength and power, and invoke curiosity by trying something new. Ultimately, Sarah loves sharing tools and knowledge with her students that they can integrate into their daily lives so they can ultimately feel better and stronger.
Outside of yoga, Sarah works in the sustainability field and loves designing events and programming that encourages folks to reconnect with the natural world around them. She enjoys reading, anything food related [cooking, baking, gardening], being outside, hiking, camping, traveling, and spending time with her family and fur babies.
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Yoga Instructor
Misty has been practicing yoga on and off for 10 years. It wasn't until the pandemic that she found that consistent yoga was a way to remain mindful and connected during a hard time.
She completed her 200-hour Teacher Training through Zion Well in Fall of 2022. Since completing training she has been a part of many mentorship programs so she can continue to expand her knowledge of the yogic path.
Yoga has been a constant in the ever-changing world and offers peace of mind and grounding when life gets hard. She offers inclusive classes for all. Her teaching is calm, grounding but pushes you outside of your comfort zone in a kind and nourishing way. Outside of yoga, Misty loves spending time in her garden, reading, or with her pup and husband!
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Yoga Instructor
Julie graduated from Zion Well Yoga Teacher Training school in the spring of 2023. Prior to falling in love with yoga she trained in the Alexander Method and has taught it for many years. Julie is from England originally but now calls Ann Arbor home. She loves knitting, her dog, her kids and learning about new movement practices.
Julie’s classes are grounded with a large emphasis on anatomy and spinal alignment. The Alexander Method is a form of movement that promotes spinal and postural alignment. She always provides a lot of awareness of breath and even practical pranayama. Check out Julie at both Zion Well studios!
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Yoga + Meditation Instructor
Vickie is a meditation guide who specializes in iRest Yoga Nidra meditation. Her training was an intense 2 year deep dive into all of the layers of the self. She fell in meditation years ago and has since dedicate her life to sharing these heart opening modalities. She also completed her 200 hr Yoga Teacher Training Course with Zion Well in December 2024. Her offerings are relaxing but lead to curious inquiry. She puts so much love into hear teachings and you will feel that right away.
“Imagine feeling grounded and peaceful in every moment. When we’re not bound by limitations, we learn to love ourselves deeply and authentically just as we are and know ourselves as peace.”
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Yoga Instructor
Madeline found yoga in 2020 as a way to keep moving during the pandemic and then spent the next few years practicing on and off. In 2023, while navigating a grief journey, Madeline was searching for a way to move her body that would bring her joy and some inner peace. She then joined the Zion Well community and has since found not only a regular yoga practice, but a way to slow down and speed up, be with community or be with herself, and find happiness in movement and mindfulness once again. She decided to take Zion Well's Yoga Teacher Training in 2024 to learn more about herself and what her yoga practice could look like and found a joy in teaching along the way. She's eager to keep learning and growing as both a yoga student and teacher. Madeline hopes to share her gratitude for yoga with others through practice and provide opportunities for people to find their own joy in her classes. Outside of her yoga practice, she enjoys spending time with her two cats, reading, and being outdoors.
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Yoga Instructor
Mari has always enjoyed trying different yoga classes and first felt a true connection to the practice while traveling in Mexico in 2019. Since then she’s loved exploring the relationship between the mind, body, and breath both in and out of yoga classes. She is inspired by how yoga practice can be both an individual journey and a community experience. Originally from Chicago, Mari moved to Ann Arbor in 2022 and completed her yoga teacher training in 2023. Off of the mat, you can find her researching old buildings, baking oatmeal chocolate chip cookies, or watching her dog dig holes in the dirt.
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Yoga Instructor
Steph fell in love with yoga moving to North Carolina and found a new way to enjoy movement after retiring from college athletics at EMU. She took her yoga teacher training in the summer of 2020 initially training in power vinyasa style. With inclusion as a core value, Steph noticed a gap in personal knowledge on how to adapt poses, meditation, and breathwork for people with physical and cognitive disabilities. Therefore she decided to pursue further education by attending the Accessible Yoga Teacher Training and LoveYourBrain's (LYB) Healthcare professional training program to become certified for instruction of yoga after traumatic brain injury.
Steph has instructed yoga on an individual and group level, as well as a healthcare setting as an inpatient rehabilitation Occupational Therapist. In 2023 she initiated LYB's yoga curriculum across her healthcare organization in North Carolina to improve free access to yoga as a supplemental tool for healing and connection after stroke, brain injury, and concussion. Through this experience she was able to see how every person regardless of physical or cognitive ability can participate in yoga. Steph firmly believes that yoga is for every body and has a unique ability to adapt for any individual and empower the collective. In her free time, Steph enjoys weight lifting, throwing pottery, reading, volunteering at LYB retreats, and hanging out with her husband and cat, Merlin.
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Yoga Instructor
Beth first found her way to the practice of yoga as a musician, seeking exercise that would support the physical demands of musical practice. Over the course of a decade, her relationship with yoga deepened to become a source of nourishment for her mental and spiritual self as well. Her journey with the practice led her to complete her 200 hour Teacher Training with Zion Well in the Spring of 2025, and she is passionate about sharing with others the joy and respite that yoga has brought her. Her teaching is heavily rooted in the anatomy of the body and its alignment in the asanas, guiding students to a deeper physical awareness of their own bodies and helping them cultivate a relationship of support and trust with themselves. In a fast paced world, one of the most impactful things we can do is just land in the present moment, and Beth’s classes are designed to empower students to do just that.
Off the mat, you may encounter Beth in her work as a harpist, or she can be found at home cooking, reading, and knitting.
Interested in joining the team?
We would love to hear from you! Please allow 48-72 hours for a reply from the hiring team. Thank you for your interest! With any specific questions email info@zionwell.com
