AJ Hiskey (RYT-200) is an enthusiastic and personable teacher. Born and raised in the DC area. AJ completed her Yoga-Alliance certified training in 2018 with plans to teach adults, but fell in love with teaching children young and old!

AJ teaches a variety of classes from tots to trapeze. Always a kid at heart, she connects easily with children and loves sharing her passions of yoga, meditation, and mindfulness.

When she’s not on the mat, AJ loves being outdoors. She enjoys hiking, camping, swimming, or reading a good book in the sunshine. If she’s indoors, she’s probably rooting for a DC sports team (whether they’re winning or losing!) A life-long cheerleader for not only her favorite teams but also her friends, family, and students, she loves supporting others and helping them to be their best in body, mind, and spirit.

Candace Glover is a yoga teacher with the Breathing Space DC.  Drawn to the mission of promoting positive community and holistic knowledge, this Washingtonian dedicated her life to helping those in her community achieve overall well-being when she started teaching in 2017. With a 200-accredited hour certification, a 300 CYT and a passion for all things yoga, she flexes her yogic muscles every day by empowering others through versatile mindfulness practices while stimulating the hearts and minds of the DMV’s youth. This former flight attendant uses her worldly influence and desire for mixing things up to engage students as they explore the 8 limbs of yoga. Candace seeks to provide an authentic outlook on the holistic approach by leading by example. Having known the struggle of acceptance and identity growing up, it became very important for Candace to share the empowering tools she uses every day with herself to provide an embrace of individuality with today’s youth.  Understanding that true love starts with self and with it we can accomplish anything, she has made it a top priority to make sure all students she interacts with know the importance of self-love and appreciation. Candace studied human services and general studies at Stevenson University. 

Carly teaches yoga, pilates and swimming. After years of practicing and teaching swimming, she decided to become a certified yoga teacher during lockdown. She has been teaching yoga to both adults and children since 2021.  Her classes focus on the mind-body connection through kriya, asana, and pranayama and typically end with meditation. More recently,  she decided to add Pilates to her repertoire and has been teaching mat Pilates since 2022. Through her knowledge of yoga, movement, and the body she hopes to help people of all ages become more accepting of themselves in order to heal and transform both inside and out.

Jen teaches Breathing Space Baby Yoga & Play classes, Tot, Toddler and Little Families Yoga, afterschool yoga, Baby Signing Time, and directs day-off and summer camps . . . in addition to doing a bunch of behind-the-scenes stuff to keep it all running.

Like so many, Jen first came to the yoga mat because of an injury, seeking nothing more than to feel better and balance her body for running. She comes back to the mat because yoga invites her to embrace her body and mind with all its imperfections and then to look beyond them to the greater Self.  Jen's practice became a source of strength and connection during the significant life changes of becoming a parent, eventually leading her to found Breathing Space to create a vibrant community hub for family yoga on Capitol Hill. 

Jen is a Yoga Alliance® Experienced Registered Yoga Teacher (E-RTY 200), Registered Children’s Yoga Teacher (RCTY) and Registered Prenatal Yoga Teacher (RPYT).  She has since trained with Budding Yogis, ChildLight Yoga, Yoga 4 Classrooms, and YoKid to offer classes to families and children of all ages. Jen’s work with children inspired her to complete adult yoga teacher training at Willow Street Yoga in 2010 and train in Prenatal Yoga with Janice Clarfield and Dolphin Yoga. She is also a Certified Educator of Infant Massage (CEIM) through Infant Massage USA and an International Board Certified Lactation Consultant (IBCLC). When she's not teaching or playing at Breathing Space, you may find her working with families through the Breastfeeding Center for Greater Washington DC or traveling the world with her partner and teen daughter.

Jessica LaGarde has been teaching creative movement in the metro area since 2005 and is passionate about helping children discover and explore their bodies and the world around them. She was trained by Joye Newman, MA to teach preschool creative movement for Kids’ Moving Company, a Bethesda-based creative movement studio. In 2017, she completed her Baby, Toddler, and Children’s Yoga Teacher Training through Childlight Yoga and has worked with Breathing Space Family Yoga ever since.  Jessica teaches classes for infants-tweens, directs BSFY yoga camps, and does much of the behind the scenes business administration.

In addition to working with children, Jessica is a registered massage practitioner and is trained in infant massage instruction. She has practiced massage since 2006 and taught massage as part of Potomac Massage Training Institute’s professional training program.  She maintains a private massage practice through Shine Massage & Wellness in College Park, MD.  Outside of the movement space and massage room, she enjoys cooking, knitting, gardening, coffee, reading non-fiction, and exploring the outdoors with her daughter.

Lili Wilson is a native Washingtonian and product of DC public schools. Lili graduated with a BA in Sociology from Spelman College in 2000. She went on to earn a Master of Divinity from Candler School of Theology at Emory University. In April 2015, Lili initiated The Beautiful Dawn LLC, a lifestyle brand that primarily inspires young ladies and women to live genuine, bold, passionate lives.

In 2016, Lili was trained in children’s yoga and mindfulness at Circle Yoga. For the past several years, she’s taught yoga and mindfulness to children. In Summer of 2020, Lili completed 200 (RYT) hours with Be Here Now Yoga and Wellness. In Spring 2021, Lili received a certificate in teaching mindfulness to children with the Interdependence Project.

In addition to self-care, Lili’s passion is singing and songwriting. She has been touring and recording with gospel, pop, and RnB artists since the age of 15. In Fall 2019, Lili’s talents landed her the tour of her life, Hans Zimmer Live, with movie composer Hans Zimmer. Lili’s desire is to encourage self-care and self-love, by incorporating her gifts of music, intuitive mediumship, and healing. She is the proud mother of one daughter, Alaia Mary.

Karen has always had a passion for play, creativity and trying new things. She discovered yoga at age 18 and has practiced on and off ever since. Karen has been working with children most of her life, spending her childhood and teen summers helping her mom care for the little ones in her home daycare and babysitting on weekends. She has always loved doing arts and crafts, and sharing projects with the children she cared for.

As an adult, Karen stepped away from childcare to manage a small neurology office for 9 years. When she became a mom in 2012, she left the office and began working again as a childcare provider, both as a nanny and for neighborhood children in her own home. Since 2019 she has been working as a substitute and teaching assistant at a Montessori school in Washington, DC.

Karen has completed AMI Montessori 12-18 Orientation to work with adolescents in the Montessori setting and holds ABAR (Anti-bias, Anti-racist) certification. She has also completed assistant trainings for both Montessori Primary and Atrium settings.  

Sol began her yoga journey at 17 in Buenos Aires, Argentina, and has studied under many enlightened teachers. In 2011, she became a certified yoga instructor to share the wonders of this practice and philosophy, earning additional certification as a Children's Yoga Instructor through the International Yoga Alliance. Through her studio in Buenos Aires, she taught Hatha and Vinyasa yoga, incorporating pranayama techniques and Ayurvedic principles, while continuing her education through workshops and teacher trainings around the world. In 2019, she relocated to the United States, teaching online students in Latin America until 2022, when she welcomed her son.

After becoming a mother, Sol took time to heal and grow through the practice of Svadhyaya (self-study) and embraced integrating her baby into her yoga practice. This joyful exploration deepened her connection to yoga and her new role as a parent. Outside of teaching, Sol is passionate about healing crystals and creates gemstone jewelry, believing there's a perfect stone for every need—including soothing her son to sleep.

Rachel Hopp is a 200-hour certified yoga teacher with specialized training in Hatha and Vinyasa yoga and a professional background in psychology and child development. With years of experience supporting both children and families, Rachel brings a nurturing, creative, and inclusive approach to her kids yoga classes. Her teaching blends movement, music, mindfulness, and imagination, turning each class into a space for joy, curiosity, and connection.

Rachel is especially passionate about helping young children feel seen, safe, and supported. Drawing on her background in psychology and early childhood engagement, she weaves social-emotional learning, sensory exploration, and body awareness into every session. Her classes often include familiar songs, story-based sequences, props, and play, making yoga accessible and engaging even for the youngest yogis. Parents and caregivers are welcomed with warmth and encouraged to participate in a way that deepens their bond with their child.

With a calm presence and a great sense of humor, Rachel fosters an environment where kids can practice listening to their bodies, expressing themselves freely, and developing tools for focus and emotional regulation, all while having fun. Whether they’re stretching like tall trees, or winding down with quiet breathwork, children leave Rachel’s class feeling more connected to themselves and their grownups.

Rachel teaches from a place of deep care, creativity, and kindness and is honored to be part of each child’s journey toward self-awareness, confidence, and calm.
 

Dira Hansen is a passionate running coach and longtime runner who turned to yoga for the physical elements, but fell in love with the philosophical teachings and spiritual growth. Following a 30-Day yoga challenge in 2016, Dira began to grow her practice exploring various types of yoga and finding an Iyengar class and teacher to study under. Though life brought distance between her times on the mat, Dira's passion for learning the philosophical teachings of yoga and sharing the empowerment she felt on the mat with others remained.

As she sought for her way to make an impact in the birthwork space, yoga became her answer. Dira enrolled in 200hr yoga teacher training at Yoga District in DC and followed it up with an 85hr prenatal teacher training with Trinatal Yoga School. Wishing to balance her athleticism with her nurturing and introspective nature, Dira's classes explore the pairing of effort with ease. Her slow flows focus on reconnecting with one's softer nature and learning to feel at home in one's body, by increasing self-awareness through breathwork, meditation, and movement.