Our Origin Story
Hello! I’m Brittani, owner + director of Rising Om Yoga. We have been passionately serving our community through yoga + wellness classes since 2010. These studios, and the lives that have been transformed here over the years, are the deepest expression of my heart + soul.
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The path from our opening day to where we are now, has been layered with joy, love, connection, pain, tears, trauma, loss, growth + healing. It’s been a wild ride to say the least and it’s hard to believe it all began with just one yoga class a decade ago.
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I was a 24 year old professional dancer. My body was broken from a lifetime of dance training and my spirit destroyed after years of rejection.
I didn't even realize I was miserable though. I had always had a short temper, inability to process emotions, constant anxiety/insomnia + an overall struggle to simply be Happy. I didn't know life any other way. I found myself constantly searching for the next thing to "finally make me content".
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Then…Yoga shattered my world in the best way possible. My soul cracked open after that first Bikram hot yoga class.
Well, it was actually AWFUL. Truly, why was it so DANG hot in there and why were they making me hold these poses this long?! And yet, on the drive home I found myself sobbing my eyes out—barely able to see the road. I could not understand what was happening to me but I felt a veil lifted off my eyes + heart for the first time in my life.
I felt Light. Open. HAPPY. Most obvious was my excruciating back pain that had existed since a dance injury 2 years before. It was gone. I felt relief. That day literally changed my life.
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I was hooked. I willingly signed myself up to scrub the showers + toilets at the yoga studio in return for free yoga—I was a broke artist and needed a way to get myself in those yoga classes . I fell in love with the practice and everything about being a part of that yoga studio. It changed the entire wiring in my brain.
I started looking forward to waking up in the morning. I started feeling happy. My entire lifestyle evolved, not just the physical movement part. I absorbed every book there was on mindfulness, energy + personal development.
I learned the value behind choosing joy and the power of taking ownership of my health + happiness.
It was a massive tidal wave of transformation and I was having the wildest of rides.
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I didn’t know it back then, but I was subtly paying attention to how that studio in Vegas operated. To the people who walked in the doors. To what I loved about the check in process, booking clients + daily operations. Energy was being put into motion that I wasn’t even aware of.
I was dreaming up the yoga studio that I would open one day.
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In a matter of months I sold all my belongings, shipped my sweet dog, Lily, back to my parents and hopped on a cruise ship around the world to dance in their shows for 9 months so I could save money for my 200 Hour Yoga Teacher Training.
I completed my training at the Barkan Method Hot Yoga in Ft. Lauderdale.
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I moved back to Tallahassee, FL where I had received my BA in Multinational Business at FSU just a few years prior. My sister
and brother in law lived here and I knew I wanted to be close to them as I started settling down.
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I opened Hot Yoga Tallahassee (now Rising Om) in 2010 with no plan + zero equity. It was a complete experiment but one that I trusted with my whole heart. Building any business from the ground up is no small feat. It was just me in the beginning. It was grueling, back breaking, tearful work. Over time I was able to build my team of incredible souls who helped me develop this sacred space.
Life is SO much more peaceful when you have an amazing team surrounding you!
With the support of family, friends, community and what I call Divine Energy....we are now an abundant, beautiful + thriving community of yoga practitioners.
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While these studios are my greatest pride + joy— it’s this ancient practice of Yoga that creates the magic.
For me, yoga literally saved + transformed my life. Multiple times. It has gotten me through injuries, postpartum depression/anxiety, motherhood, grief, multiple traumas and all the way back around to navigating simple every day life.
The ability to roll out my yoga mat and have a space to move my body away from discomfort, to come emotionally undone if needed, or to simply remember to breathe…it’s what has rescued me from some of my darkest moments.
My love affair with yoga runs deep and necessary. And it is my life’s purpose to share yoga with others no matter where they are
on their journey.
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Over the years I have come to embrace all different styles of yoga. While we started out as strictly a ‘Hot Yoga” studio, I slowly began introducing new yoga classes such as Yin Yoga, Yoga Foundations, Yoga Sculpt, Pilates and so much more. If you see it on our schedule, it’s because I believe in it that much and want you to experience it too. I wanted there to be something for every one here and I sincerely hope we are able to be a part of your journey to health + happiness.
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I am so proud + excited for our new season as a community as we move forward as Rising Om Yoga.
Thank you to everyone who has shown love, support + an unwavering belief in what we do here. It is an honor to share this life experience with you. I look forward to many more decades serving our community.
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I hope you will be a part of our mission to keep Rising Above.
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With Gratitude,
Brittani
E-RYT 500
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Our Teachers
Amanda C
Hello my fellow yogis! I am from Panama City, Fl. I moved to Tallahassee in 2012 and was married October 2014. I have been working as an Aesthetician since March 2007. I am currently working at a dermatology office during the day and by the nights and weekends I'm am one happy yoga mama! I became a mother to my sweet firecracker baby girl July 4, 2017 and we love mommy and me yoga!
My love for yoga began in 2013 when I started my practice at HYT. I had been having neck and back pain from my day job for so many years and needed to find some type of relief. Yoga has been the only thing to help relieve these issues. Staring down for most of the day and at a computer definitely takes a toll on ones body. Since beginning my yoga journey, my mind, body and soul have been hooked ever since. In March 2016 at HYT I received my 200 hour certification thru Yoga Den in Jacksonville, FL. I am now a certified Registered Yoga Teacher, through Yoga Alliance. My specialty is Yoga Sculpt which uses 2-3 pound weights incorporated with basic yoga postures. I look forward to sharing my love for yoga with you all!
Peace and Love
Jen M
Hello all! My name is Jen Miller, and I am originally from Arkansas. I moved to Tallahassee in 1999 to go to college, and I graduated from Florida State University in 2005 with a Bachelor's in Social Work. I played roller derby with the Tallahassee Rollergirls for 8 years. I got to travel the country, compete with my friends, and be a part of an amazing and supportive community. I started my yoga journey at Hot Yoga Tallahassee during my derby years, looking for strength and pain relief for my injuries. What I found was a wonderful sense of peace and belonging, a sense of home. I gained so much internally and externally from yoga, and I wanted to share it. I graduated from the 200 hour teacher training program at the studio in February, and I am excited to share everything I learned with all of you! See you all on the mat!
Jill H
I fell in love with Pilates and yoga over twelve years. I am grateful to get to share my passion for these methods of movement with everyone at Rising Om Yoga! It continues to amaze me how Pilates and yoga can transform your body and provide an excellent dose of positive energy.
I earned my Pilates Matwork and Reformer certifications through June Kahn’s Bodyworks, LLC in 2008. I also completed my 200 hour yoga teacher training program with Halfmoon Yoga in 2013. A few years later in 2016, I completed my Aerial Yoga training.
I’ve had so much fun providing challenging and uplifting classes to everyone in our community. I incorporate core work into all my classes in an approachable and friendly way.
Shortly after earning my degree in public relations at Penn State, I moved south and now happily call Tallahassee home. When I’m not in a Pilates or yoga class you might find me gardening or teaching my energetic blue heeler new tricks.
Vipa D
Born and raised in Thailand, I have also lived in America, India and Malaysia as a trailing expat. Growing up in a Theravada Buddhist culture, yoga was never a foreign concept. Called by a different name, yoga were exercises performed by the monks to enhance health, clear the mind for meditation and to limber the body for those long periods of time dedicated to sitting through temple services.
As I grew closer to mid life, I felt a strong desire to return to the roots of my culture and to do something to strengthen the body and support continuous improvement in my health, this is where my real yoga journey began. In applying the knowledge and wisdom of the elders, I have found a renewed mental clarity, energy and spirit within myself. Hopefully, I will have the opportunity to share the many benefits of this ancient art form with you as well.
Katie B
I came to Tallahassee from Colorado Springs in 2002 to attend FSU, and aside from some temporary work relocations, I am proud to call it my home.
After several years had passed since practicing yoga here-and-there with VHS guidance, I came upon a Groupon to try Hot Yoga Tallahassee during a period of unemployment post-campaign work in late 2012. I have been hooked ever since, and have truly found my tribe. After receiving a small windfall from my late Grandma Donna (a retired and enthusiastic high school ESL teacher post-divorce), I decided to pursue yoga teacher training in 2013 as a way to honor Grandma's love of teaching and "staying interesting."
I appreciate that yoga always meets me wherever I am in that moment, day, or even month. It has been one of the very few constants and pleasures in my life the past decade, and I am truly grateful for the balance my yoga practice and teaching provides. To bear witness to the small and big victories our bodies make in healing, strength, and balance is a daily gift I do not take for granted.
I believe that yoga is truly for EVERY body, and I look forward to meeting you on the mat!
Betsy P
I have been drawn to the benefits of yoga since college. It wasn’t until recovering from a running injury that I truly began to come into my practice. Spending most times in the hot room, I began to feel the spiritual side of the practice and wanted to learn more. In 2018, I received my 200 hour certification and looking forward to progressing into my 300 hour certification.
Yoga has allowed me to sustain a balanced, healthy, and disciplined lifestyle, and I would like to see my students take their yoga practice to a deeper level physically, mentally, and spiritually.
Megan N
From Miami, Florida originally when I moved to TLH @ 13 years old where I fell in love with the town so I stayed. Currently shacked up with my main squeeze and our two fur babies in N FL.
Experiencing the loss of close family members is where my yoga practice stemmed from. I needed to quiet my mind and gain clarity with how my world had permanently shifted and yoga was just the place where that magic happened.
I completed my 200 hr yoga teacher training through Hot Yoga Tallahassee and Yoga Den, graduating in 2018. I have since been guiding Mind Body Yoga classes at HYT and continuing to work on my craft.
I am forever grateful for a practice as powerful as yoga, my therapeutic escape.
Diana J
I began practicing yoga just after high school and immediately discovered the benefits of regulating the breath simply by paying attention to it. I believe in the power of meditation as a way to transform the body by quieting the mind with a deep focus on the breath. I’ve practiced many forms of yoga but currently hot flow and yin make up my practice. I studied history in graduate school at NYU and critical theory/cultural studies in the ph.d program at the University of Florida. I’m registered with Yoga Alliance as an RYT-200 instructor and have two yin certifications: one with Bernie Clark (British Columbia); the other with Josh Summers (Boston). I’m certified through the Warriors at Ease program to teach trauma-sensitive yoga to veterans and first responders. When I’m not working my day job (program director at a research office), teaching/practicing yoga, or working in my garden, I read widely in the arts, specifically literature, poetry, criticism, and history, and I write reviews of poetry collections and novels. In the wee bit of spare time left, I am an avid runner and vegan cook.
Ansley C
As a Tallahassee native, I was fortunate enough to start my yoga journey right here at our studio 2017. When I took my first class, I fell in love with the strength and clarity I felt after the practice, as well as how connected I felt to everyone else in the room. The studio quickly became my safe space to move, heal, grow and connect with those in my community!
Since then, I have worked the front desk and completed training in Barre, Pilates and Yoga with Rising Om and Yoga Den in 2019.
When not on the mat, you may find me as your local barista, professionally fostering client experience at our local nationally recognized financial consulting firm, Crossroad Capital Partners, or planning my next (often concert related) adventure.
Yoga has truly transformed all aspects of my life and I hope to share the practice with as many people as possible, whether in a Power, Hot Flow or Core Sculpt class. See you soon!
Christina
As a 500 RYT certified yoga teacher, I have dedicated myself to yoga, drawing from years of experience in Bikram and Ashtanga practices. My journey has been one of spiritual exploration as well as physical, and I am passionate about sharing this aspect of yoga with those around me.
In my classes, I strive to create a harmonious blend of meditation, physical movement, and playfulness. Through a powerful flow, I guide students to connect with their body, mind, and spirit, fostering a deeper understanding of themselves and the world around them, while not taking ourselves too seriously. I believe in taking the practice of yoga off the mat, encouraging the integration of yoga principles into our daily lives, and fostering mindfulness, compassion, and inner peace.
Join me on the mat as we embark on a journey of self-discovery, empowerment, and transformation through the practice of yoga. Namaste.
Nicole
I started my yoga journey in 2018, when I wanted to find a different way to move and appreciate my body. I had never found an activity that made me feel so alive and so good about myself, and I wanted to learn about it as much as I could. I spent the first year and a half of my yoga journey at home, until a friend encouraged me to attend a yoga class with her. The rest was history after that. Eventually, I found Rising Om Yoga and moved my home practice to the studio. I picked up a shift at the front desk and took as many classes as I could. I finally took the biggest plunge and completed my 200 YTT through the studio in June 2022. Yoga has changed my life in so many amazing ways, and I can’t wait to share this passion with so many other yogis!
Caulley
Caulley took her first yoga class in August of 2017. It didn’t take long to realize that yoga was a missing piece in her life. She quickly saw changes in both her body and mind. From cutting minutes off her mile time to staying calm in challenging situations, the benefits of yoga were both outwardly evident to others and inwardly evident to herself. She completed her 200 hour teacher training at Asheville Yoga Center in 2018 and her 500 hour training through Janet Stone in 2022. Her goals in teaching are to bring yoga to everyone so they can experience all the benefits it has to offer. She’s passionate about yoga as a way of life and will happily talk to you about any and all aspects of it at any time. Caulley is also a wife, mom of two teenage daughters, and a pediatrician. Yoga brought a balance to her life that she did not even know was missing. She hopes to help others find the same.
Mary
I was born and raised in West Palm Beach, Florida, but I currently call Tallahassee my home. I’m a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist that is passionate about the connection between movement and mental health. College was the time when I became consistent with my yoga practice. The group exercise room at my alma mater of UCF was my safe space as a young adult going out into the world. I also found myself engaging in fitness YouTube videos over the years as a way to stay active at times I didn’t have access to the gym. This is where I found and fell in love with POP Pilates, the other format I teach in addition to yoga. This exercise format was born on YouTube but became a fitness format with a certification program in 2015. Guess who was one of the first to sign up? Yep, it was me! This allowed me to start my journey sharing the awesomeness that is POP Pilates with others. All the while, I had it in my heart and soul that I wanted to one day become certified to teach yoga, as well. I believe mind-body formats are an incredibly powerful way to cultivate balance and overall wellness. Here I am now, so grateful that I chose to complete my 200-hour yoga training through Rising Om and I’m so excited to share my practice with you all!
Erin
I began practicing Ashtanga Yoga back in 2007, here in Tallahassee, and it completely revolutionized all aspects of my life. As my practice expanded, I knew I needed to do a teacher training to deepen my understanding of the wisdom of yoga. I completed my 200-hour Ashtanga YTT with All Yoga in Thailand in 2014 and it was one of the most eye-opening and transformational experiences I’ve ever had. I teach dynamic vinyasa style flow classes, rooted in my training in Ashtanga, focusing on the beauty of syncing breath with movement. --
Michelle
Growing up as a dancer, Michelle Manausa (RYT 200) made the leap to the fitness industry as a senior in high school on Long Island, NY in 1989. After moving to Tallahassee to attend FSU, she continued to embrace her love of movement and fitness as a staff instructor for the FSU Athletic Center and various Tallahassee fitness organizations. Michelle experienced her first yoga class in 2001 and it was love at first asana! Presently, Michelle teaches a variety of exercise modalities around town including Kickboxing, HIIT, Step, Pilates, Barre, Core, and Yoga. She is passionate about sharing the amazing benefits of yoga, meditation, exercise, and a healthy lifestyle and loves to introduce yoga to new enthusiasts. Michelle strives to always create a safe and encouraging environment for all yogis to explore breath and movement.
While movement has always been a driving force in her life since a young age, Michelle's personal yoga practice has been a necessary grounding, growing, and balancing element. In addition to instructing studio classes, Michelle also works with private clients and off-site groups including volunteering for Connected Warriors, trauma-informed yoga for active service members, veterans, and first responders. Now an empty nester with 3 grown children, Michelle is taking her yoga on the road as a guest instructor at all-inclusive resorts and leading yoga adventures. In September 2023, Michelle will be leading a yoga trip to France combining wine, travel, and her shared love of yoga with others.
Jenny
I am a native of Tallahassee and I have been a hairstylist here for 27 years. I also have been a practicing yogi for 22 years and completed my 200 YTT at Rising Om Yoga and Yoga Den in 2023. My first yoga experience was in a hot yoga class taught by a friend who had just completed her YTT. It was in that class that I felt like my life flashed before my eyes. The hot room, the ability to focus, my muscles felt relaxed, I felt free just to say the least. I want to share that experience with everyone. Yoga is the journey of the self..through the self...to the self. Let's have fun being yogis!
Taylor
Yoga is just about the raddest thing ever. I've been involved in a ton of physical activities and sports, but yoga is something that is just so special to me.
There is nothing else in my life that after years of practice still surprises me this regularly, inspires me to listen hard for my own little personal truth, promotes compassion, shows me amazing ways of tending to my body, encourages a more connected perspective of life, shows me how to stay present, and then reminds me that we're all just people. And it's healthy as heck for just about anyone.
I'm so stoked to get to share this.
Lauren
Growing up as a dancer, I have always had an appreciation for movement. My first introduction to yoga was in high school but it didn’t become a regular practice until my late 20’s when I was seeking increased mobility and strength with less injuries. Finding the connection between mind, body and spirit has made an impactful impression on my love for the practice. I came back to yoga for the Asana (movement) but stayed for the pranayama (breath). Realizing yoga is so much more than movement and desiring to deepen my understanding beyond just the physical exercise, I completed my 200-hour yoga teacher training with Rising Om in 2024. I have called Tallahassee home since 2010 when I moved here to attend Florida State University. When not at the studio, you can find me on an outdoor adventure or in the kitchen accompanied by my Husband and dog. I hope to have the opportunity to share my practice with you.
Christa
As a former High School and ESOL (English for Speakers of Other Languages) Teacher, I have always enjoyed helping students make connections and experience those "Ah Ha" moments. This love of teaching, ultimately led me to embark on my current path as a yoga instructor (Rising Om 200 YTT). I believe that every student is also everyone's teacher.
It was shortly after moving back to Tallahassee, that I signed up for a class at Rising Om. I was hoping to get some relief from the achiness I was experiencing as I had recently returned to running after a three year hiatus. I was instantly hooked! I started to experience all the healing aspects of yoga (ease of movement, anxiety relief and spiritual growth). The cherry on top was the sense of community I found.
I enjoy all types of yoga, from the juicy release of a Hot Flow to the calming stillness of Yin.
In addition to teaching and practicing yoga, I love spending time with my Husband and son (walking our dogs - Cleatus & Brody, traveling often to my home state of Michigan and cheering on my alma mater- Go Noles)!
My hope is that when you leave my class, you connect a little deeper with yourself and find happiness in your own journey. Inhale...Exhale.
Sydney
Hi y’all! As a former professional dancer, I started practicing yoga to better balance my recurring injuries. Nevertheless, I can honestly say that I did not truly find yoga until an injury ended my dance career. Yoga started as a replacement activity but quickly became a way of life. Yoga has taught me to meet each moment and my body as honestly as possible. I love the fact that when life gets complicated (as it often does) I can always return to my mat, take a deep breath and begin again. In December of 2023, I completed my RYT-200 Teacher Training Program with Drishti Beats. The goal of all my classes is provide an inclusive community atmosphere, where everyone can experience the joy of yoga. I hope to see you on the mat and be able to share the joy of yoga with you.
