Our Leaders
Kristin Eddy
Being in love with life since her childhood in Western New York, Kristin Eddy has been intrigued by yoga for years. It wasn’t until she met Alison when she took her first yoga class at Homegrown Power Yoga in June 2017, that she experienced asana as she imagined it existed: authentic expression and powerful teaching in the context of a caring community. This sparked Kristin to cultivate a yoga practice, return to HPY day after day after day and explore the path of a deeper commitment to expand her knowledge and understanding of the many aspects of yoga. In May 2018 she completed the Kidding Around Yoga Teacher training and has been the yoga coach for her son’s hockey team. She completed her Level 1 training in the Catskills in July 2018 and stepped to the front of the room at HPY in September 2018. In June 2019 she spent a week at another yoga training in Costa Rica (bonus: her daughter joined her, and it included surfing!). From September to December 2021 Kristin completed the 200 hour Empowered Yoga certification (RYS 200 Yoga Alliance) with Reggie Hubbard and Leah Cullis. Kristin shares her love for yoga and her “life doesn’t get better by chance, it gets better by choice and change” attitude with everyone who spends time with her, on or off the mat. Kristin is a peaceful warrior who balances her yoga journey with her family, work and outdoor adventures.
Jennifer Lovelace
Jennifer took her first power yoga class with Alison in the cleared-out back office of a childcare center. She left the class feeling simultaneously exhausted and energized, and was immediately hooked on the physical practice. After a month of practicing once or twice a week, Jennifer quit the gym and began showing up every day. Through participating in Homegrown Power Yoga’s first 40-day program, Jennifer discovered the ease and sustainability possible in the practice, and the deep community that forms when people support one another in growth. After practicing at HPY for a little over a year, Alison suggested that Jennifer attend a week-long Level 1 program. The Level 1 seemed like an exciting (and scary) opportunity to challenge herself and deepen her personal practice, so she signed-up having no intention of ever actually leading a yoga class. Shortly before leaving for the training, Alison offered her the opportunity to co-lead a community class at HPY the day after her return from Level 1. She said “yes!” She said, “yes!” again when she was offered the to lead classes regularly at HPY. In addition to completing the Level One, Jennifer has completed an Assisting Course and a Power Yoga Instructor Credential Course. Outside of the yoga studio, Jennifer loves spending time with her family and friends, exploring new places, reading, knitting and all kinds of arts and crafts.
Becca Leslie
Becca started doing yoga through books and DVDs when she was 17! By the time she walked into her first heated power class with Alison in 2012, Becca thought she already knew it all... until she had her bottom handed to her! After that first eye-opening class, she returned a second time, and a third and soon became a consistent practitioner. She did her first teacher training at a local studio in 2015 and has worked multiple roles within yoga studios, including assisting, volunteering, concierge and management. She began teaching in early 2015 at a rock climbing gym and is so appreciative of her long-time students there. Becca's yoga community has been her rock and support system through some of the most challenging and empowering moves she has made in her adult life and supported her in the pursuit of new adventures. Outside of the Homegrown Power Yoga studio, Becca is pursuing a graduate degree in clinical mental health at Marymount University and works part-time in an outpatient mental health office. She's now an avid rock climber, loves to read, swim and aspires to live on the beach.
Andy Sigle
After spending almost 30 years in the telecommunications industry, finishing that segment of his career as a global vice-president at the data center giant Equinix, Andy Sigle entered the next phase of his work-life focusing on our Fairfax County community. Graduating from the Leadership Fairfax program in 2014, Andy switched gears and embarked on a series of volunteer and part-time employment opportunities in the community including time with Cornerstones, Reston Association, Southgate Community Center Advisory Council, Lake Anne Brew House, Reston Historic Trust and The Reston Chorale. A proud recipient of the 2018 Best of Reston award, he is now working at Leadership Fairfax as Chief Operating Officer doing his best to inspire, engage, connect and develop leaders in the community. Andy began practicing yoga on a regular basis at Homegrown Power Yoga with his daughter in 2017 and completed his Level 1 training in February 2019. Per Andy, "Building community is so important and there are many ways to do it; practicing yoga at HPY is definitely one of them!" He continues his journey of developing mind, body and spirit and began leading classes at HPY in April 2019.
Stephanie Butler
Stephanie is a “Homegrown” Reston, Virginia native, growing up here in Reston, graduating from South Lakes High School, and then The American University. After finishing back to back Marine Corps Marathons in 2013 and 2014, Stephanie was looking to repair her body, mind, and spirit. Stephanie first stepped into Homegrown Power Yoga on a cold Saturday morning in November of 2017 greeted by Alison’s infectious smile and spirit. After Alison’s immediate warm and inviting greeting, Stephanie knew she was where she wanted and needed to be. The feeling of deep connection to the community at HPY was immediate. After her first class (where she remembers vividly not being able to get her foot in her hand for dancer pose and wanting to walk out), she cancelled her gym membership and has been practicing consistently and happily at HPY ever since! The practice has deeply changed how she lives on and off the mat and how she meets life everyday. Since joining the HPY community Stephanie has participated in a 30 day yoga challenge and a HPY assistant teacher course. Outside of HPY Stephanie is the mother of 2 teenagers and 2 rescue dogs. She enjoys reading, watching documentaries, tie dying anything and everything with her kids and crocheting.
Van Loney
Starting her yoga practice in 2018, Van was in search of planting a seed in a new community upon moving to Northern Virginia from Southern California. After spending 42 years in her beach town, the NOVA transplant dove headfirst into her yoga practice. A few classes in, she noted that if she practiced three days a week she would change her body, and if she practiced five days a week, she would change her life. In this season of change in her life, she found that the yoga flow gave her the outlet to connect with herself and others, process challenges and experiences, and most importantly, to breathe. From practicing regularly in the studio to setting up her own hot yoga room in her house, she was hooked. Seeking an outlet to further develop her skills, she completed the 200 hour yoga Teacher Training program and the Art of Assisting in 2022. Sharing the transformational energy of the practice, Van enjoys teaching both Power and Deep Flow sessions to YIN yoga. The strength she gained and wisdom she gleaned in this practice has marked a blossoming chapter of her life. Off the mat, she is tending to her garden, creating a favorite recipe, and checking in on her family. Van’s favorite thing to do is cultivate connection and growth. Her appreciation for the connection of the community at HPY, Alison’s mantra, and the culture of support that confirms that we are stronger together.
Diane Rickman
Hello All! My name is Diane and I’ve practiced Yoga for 12 years, with over 1500 classes taught and 150+ hours of hands-on assisting. I am a certified 1200-hour instructor, with targeted trainings to include Art of Assisting; Power Vinyasa Teacher; Social Impact Leader; Cue Tips; Teacher Tune Ups that keeps me in this work. My yoga practice is my life work, my soul work, and my anchor in sobriety. I remember vividly taking my first power yoga class in early February 2012—that decision, that experience would alter my life in such profound ways that I am nothing short of a miracle to have survived as long as I did, pushing through and navigating relationships and life’s ups and downs. When I started my practice, my health was in terrible—extremely overweight; candidate for hypertension medication; very reactive; relied on co-dependent relationships; trying to control every aspect of my life—kids and career and drinking—I was exhausted. Throughout my life, I could not feel my body, name what I was feeling, know what to do—I was in a death spiral. My yoga practice served to awaken my body, open my heart, and empower my purpose, which is to use my voice to help others see the possibilities in life’s gifts and miracles. For many years, I had no idea what was meant by the cue “feel your body”—teachers would call that out all the damn time and I’m like, what the hell does that mean? I was numb and moving through life in my head—pretty miserable for me, especially my kids. Thankfully, I am not the same human I was 12 years ago—a 180-degree transformation that continues to awaken me to this life, this body, creating the life I want to live! Pretty amazing and forever grateful! My passion for this practice and my life purpose is to share the magic of yoga—it’s not rainbow and unicorns, but hard work and is so, so worth the investment of self and time. We all need this work and my aim to help each student explore the connection to the physical body, to understanding that yoga is not about the poses (really), but more about learning who we are and how we show up; to be willing to move the ego aside and see what is right and true—true up in life, see there is another way through the dis-ease we feel, to not get caught in the wave, rather how to ride the waves life presents.
Hannah Fackrell
Hannah began practicing power yoga in 2021 at the studio in her college town. She became a studio ambassador shortly after and gained the aspiration of becoming a teacher. Over the next two years Hannah grew her personal practice and continued to love the time spent on her mat. After her graduation from college in 2023, Hannah traveled to Bali and completed her 200 Hour training. During her training Hannah became deeply connected with the mental and spiritual aspects of yoga practice and gained further instruction and understanding of the eight limbs of yoga, specifically asana and pranayama. After returning home from her training, Hannah was looking for a studio to practice and share yoga with, that’s when she found Homegrown Power Yoga! Hannah felt the community and love as soon as she walked in the door and knew she found her new yoga home. Hannah began helping around the studio and after a few months was offered to begin leading the Community Class. Of course she said yes! Hannah has loved learning and growing at HPY and is so honored to strengthen her teaching alongside all of the amazing yogis who walk through the door. Outside of Homegrown Power Yoga Studio, Hannah lives with her family in Manassas and works in a residential mental health facility in Great Falls.
Vanessa Veiock
Vanessa’s yoga journey started when she giggled through the VHS yoga video her high school cross country coach played on days before meets. She liked to be on the move and believed yoga was too slow-paced for her. In college, she started dabbling a little bit more, coming to the practice for some much-needed grounding. It took another handful of years before she committed to a regular practice and started her first 200-hour teacher training with Noell Clark in San Jose, California in 2015. A lifelong teacher, Vanessa started leading yoga classes when school was out at local studios, the public libraries, at several schools, and at middle school camp near Yosemite National Park. Pretty soon, Vanessa was leading 500 elementary school students during Tranquil Tuesday assemblies, working on her 500-hour training with Hannah Muse and Kenny Graham in Santa Cruz, and taking Adamantine training with James Miller. In 2016, Vanessa moved to Fairfax where she taught fifth graders by day, yoga classes by night, and founded a yoga summer camp for middle schoolers. By 2018, Vanessa’s family moved to San Luis Obispo, California where they started their family. Vanessa transitioned to teaching adult programming for new parents, and eventually started leading perinatal yoga classes after completing her prenatal yoga training with Hannah Muse at Mount Madonna. When Vanessa’s family moved to Reston in 2023, she started looking for a new yoga home. The day she walked into HPY, she knew she found just the place. HPY was welcoming and the classes weren’t just challenging, they were fun, too — a perfect balance of playfulness, presence, and heat! Vanessa teaches yoga at Children’s House Montessori school where both of her son’s attend school. She’s currently editing an anthology of stories on matrescence and pursuing a Master of Social Work at GMU and literally loves running through the forest in the spaces in between.
Jhanel Marchand
The book, “Yogalosophy”, by Mandy Ingber, was Jhanel’s introduction to Yoga. From 2013 to 2016, she practiced inconsistently because she was avoiding her main intentions of yoga-journeying inward and quieting the stillness of the fluctuations of her mind. It was overwhelming and loud every time she practiced. Eventually she gave up, put away her mat and let her anxiety take the wheel of her life. It wasn’t until 2017, she walked into an attic, with her Lululemon squad, to take a hot yoga class led by Alison. Jhanel’s practice was messy, intimidated, confusing and anxious-driven. However, the anchors to those waves, were specific phrases Alison said: “Get real. Get real to what is showing up RIGHT now.” That class was a snapshot of Jhanel’s mind on a day to day basis and those anchors kept her “boat” at bay. The difference from her previous practices to that specific one, was space. Space was present for growth. After that practice she laid out her mat again. In 2019, Jhanel graduated from Mindful Level 1 Yoga Teacher Training program located at the Red Woods in California. During that time, Alison asked Jhanel to teach community classes at Homegrown Power Yoga. As the year went on, she was asked to lead a class once a week, to then three times a week. “Forever the student” is a phrase she lives by. She believes each moment is an opportunity to learn something and if possible, share in that very moment. Jhanel works within the non-profit (Homegrown Power Yoga Foundation) under HPY to make Yoga and Meditation accessible to any community. Her dharma, or life’s purpose, is to give the World a hug through acts of service. In every conversation she has, her intention, is for both sides to be seen and heard. Jhanel is a stand for vulnerability, being in acts of service, and empowering others. She will celebrate you. She will support you. She will literally give you the shirt off her back. But most of all, she will continue to cheer you on to live your best life.
Mahrya MACINTIRE
Mahrya began her yoga practice in 2006 with an elective course during her last semester in college. For years she cycled in and out of regular practice, often making time to visit local studios while traveling for work, but lacking a community where she felt truly at home. A perfect storm of personal and professional challenges led her to Homegrown Power Yoga in April 2019, where she found the courage to deconstruct everything she thought she knew and start from scratch. For Mahrya, being present in Alison’s class finally gave her a visceral understanding of the connection between her practice on the mat and her life process outside of the studio. Realizing that we are never ready, and therefore always ready, Mahrya was honored to be invited by Alison to lead Community Class in January 2020 and is thrilled to continue her teaching journey at HPY. In the fall of 2022 she completed her first 200-hour YTT with Marie Belle Pérez Rivera, PhD, and Debra Mishalove at Flow Yoga Center in Washington, DC. Off the mat, Mahrya is an Emmy® Award-nominated documentary filmmaker, with a particular interest in sharing stories related to community (re)building and trauma healing. Her most recent film - THE SLOW HUSTLE - can be viewed on HBO. She finds joy in preparing food as medicine, reading nonfiction, and being cozy with her one-eyed cat.
#homegrownpoweryogaleaders #yogacommunity #togetherwegrow