This website is about my yoga practice. I live here in Washington, DC. I'm a member of DC Phi Beta Kappa. I graduated Phi Beta Kappa from UT-Austin with a BA in Russian, Eastern European, and Eurasian Studies. I also studied at Saint Petersburg State Polytechnic Institute in Russia. Feel free to contact me! (202) 999-7246 or Welles@cua.edu

Here is an updated web version of my yoga resume: https://yogadc.online/Resume20240128.html

Today I am teaching two yoga classes, 9am and 11:15am. The first class is at OneLife Fitness Capitol Hill and then I go across town to Crunch Fitness Chevy which is in Chevy Chase, DC. Both locations are owned by the same larger company, US Fitness. (May 12, 2024)

Today I am teaching the 6pm yoga class at NYSC Columbia Heights. I've had that class since May 2022. I now teach two classes every week there, Tuesdays at noon and then Thursday evenings. (May 9, 2024)

Today is a really big day. I am teaching the 10:30am yoga class at Crunch Fitness. Last night they texted me and they said they needed a sub for the class. Monday I attended the class there. The classes are really nice. They are meditative. Conceptually, what should yoga be like at the gym? Probably a lot of stretching and meditation. (March 16, 2022)

These photos are from the past week or so. Today I weighed 138 lbs. (March 30, 2023)

Today I took an aerial yoga class at Yoga Heights on U Street NW. Then I went to Crunch Fitness and I taught the lunchtime class. We had six students in my class today. These photos below are me at Crunch today. (December 24, 2022)

I am a member of YogaClub. It's a subscription and they choose the outfit for you and send it to you. This is what I got this time.

This afternoon I decided to sign up for 4:30pm yoga. It's not too far from my apartment, maybe 1.5 miles or so. I thought about just staying home, but I thought for fitness I'll walk over there and I'll walk back. (December 23, 2022)

This is my current yoga teaching schedule. Additionally, I have been hired by Svetness Personal Training to teach yoga on Monday and Wednesday evenings beginning in January. (December 17, 2022)

This is me talking about my audition today at Up Dog Yoga. 12-12-22

This morning I am teaching my weekly class at Crunch Fitness at 11:15. I have changed my playlist to Yoga Workout which is on the Apple Music app. (December 11, 2022)

Today I taught the lunchtime flow class at Onelife Fitness in Tenleytown which is near American University. I am very proud of this. I am getting so I teach a lot at gyms around town. (November 26, 2022)

I'm really proud of this. This weekend I am teaching two classes at Onelife Fitness. I already work for Crunch Fitness. That is owned by US Fitness. And so is Onelife. These are large nice gyms around Washington, DC. I have become successful enough at teaching yoga and so I can teach at all of these large gyms now. (November 21, 2022)

Tomorrow I am teaching a class at an apartment complex called The Burton for HiRise Fitness. I am scheduled there once a month for a few months. It's a Saturday morning class at 10am. (November 18, 2022)

Today I walked to DuPont Circle and I took a class at DuPont Circle Yoga at 7am and then a few blocks away I took another class at Epic Yoga. (November 18, 2022)

Today was my first day teaching yoga for Hi-Rise Fitness. It's a teaching position at luxury apartment buildings. I taught at the Burton which is at 200 Florida Ave NE in Washington, DC. (October 29, 2022)

So...
The yoga project has really taken off. I've been very aggressive about applying to yoga jobs. I now work at two gyms, CorePower Yoga, and two corporate fitness firms. I teach two classes every week at Washington Sports Clubs and one class every week at Crunch Fitness. Additionally, I teach four classes every week for Kinema Fitness at different office buildings. Also, I clean the studio at CorePower CityCenter on Thursday mornings. Most recently, I have been hired by HiRise Fitness to teach at luxury apartment buildings. I am really proud of this. (October 13, 2022)

I'm the only one and I walk alone.
I walk alone I walk alone.

I walk alone, I walk alone
I walk alone, I walk a

This morning I took two classes at CorePower Yoga H Street. Ebony taught the 9am class. I took her class also at a different studio called Bikram Yoga Works - Ivy City. (May 9, 2022)

Well, he walked up to me and he asked me if I wanted to dance
He looked kind of nice and so I said I might take a chance

My weekly class at Crunch Fitness began yesterday, 4/24. It will be every Sunday morning at 11:15am for an hour. This is the announcement in the gym's newsletter. (April 25, 2022)

I have been following Ricky Hatton's Instagram account. Here is a Tweet that I sent to him today.

I am in Austin, Texas visiting my parents for Easter. Austin is my hometown. I went to UT-Austin. My high school is about ten minutes from UT-Austin. Yesterday I took four classes at the CorePower Yoga Triangle studio. That is a few minutes north of UT-Austin on Guadalupe St. UT-Austin is about 20th Street or so. The Triangle is north of 45th Street or so. Today I am also signed up for four yoga classes at the same studio. (April 16, 2022)

Today I taught the 5:45pm vinyasa flow yoga class at Crunch Fitness. It was a last minute sub request and so I went right over. We had seven students. (April 6, 2022)

I believe that life is easier on the east coast than the west coast. Because of the banks in New York City, the defense budget, but also trade with Europe. It's really hard to make a living in California and Texas. Sometimes I hear that people in Washington, DC are moving out west.

"The highway is alive tonight and where it's headed everybody knows."
Conceptually, when people move out west.
Maybe they leave the east coast when they're not doing well and then it's worse out there.
"Waiting on the ghost of Tom Joad."

There is a Bruce Springsteen song called the 'The Ghost of Tom Joad'. It's about a John Steinbeck novel called 'The Grapes of Wrath'.

HAUS Yoga on H Street is changing ownership. I just got an email from the studio. "Welcome Haley Richers as the new owner of HAUS Yoga on H street! HAUS Community- I created HAUS as a space to play, teach, and do the yoga I want and love. When I opened the doors back in December 2019 I had no idea what first year of business would hold. I did know that I wanted to hold space for a power and rocket yoga community in DC. We did just that. We Sweated, Inverted, and put in the yoga work for 3 months before the studio had to close because the pandemic. Shout out to all that helped paint the studio before opening, all the teachers that stayed strong, and to the students that kept with us online! This studio is built upon a group of amazing yogis. It's a bittersweet departure from something that has brought me so much love and joy. I am passing the keys to Haley Richers. She will be the new owner of HAUS starting in May. Haley and I have been working together for over 5 years bringing the best power and rocket to NE DC. I have no doubt she will keep the same fun power vibes at HAUS. Please join me this week either tonight, Friday, or Saturday for some of my final Rocket classes at HAUS before I head to Cali. -Elyse"

I haven't heard back yet about my yoga audition at Washington Sports Clubs last weekend. It was 11am 4/3 which was a Sunday. And it was at the DuPont Circle club. Three of us were there to audition and I was the only yoga teacher. It was a group audition and so I took a Zumba class and a Body Pump class. They took my class. It's Wednesday. He said I would hear back this week sometime. I hope they hire me. I did the best I could. We'll see what they say. (April 6, 2022)

Today I have an audition to teach yoga at Washington Sports Clubs in DuPont Circle. I think they are a branch of New York Sports Clubs. And so maybe I would be working for a New York City-based gym. We'll see how it goes. I hope they hire me. It's a group audition. It's from 11am - 1pm today. 1835 Connecticut Ave NW. (April 3, 2022)

Today I took two yoga classes at Bhakti Yoga DC and then I worked my normal Friday shift at CorePower Yoga Clarendon. The first class was 7am and then the lunchtime flow at 12:30pm. And my shift at CPY is 10-11:30am. And so I took the metro to Clarendon and back in between classes. (April 1, 2022)

The Mongolians came from the Gobi desert. They would have wanted to be able to come and go.

Yesterday I went to Solidcore Bethesda. The mirrors. I think I am losing weight. I weighed and I am 139 lbs. Before the pandemic I was working full time at YogaWorks and I weighed 133 lbs. I gained 10 lbs. This whole time I have been so miserable because I have felt so fat. My gut and my gallbladder ached because I gained 10 lbs. If I am still 139 lbs then I have less than 5 lbs to go. I actually do feel more slender today and yesterday. (March 25, 2022)

This is me this morning at the 7am Bhakti Yoga DC class:

Today I took two classes at Bhakti Yoga DC which is in Chinatown. I paid for a year long membership there. It's a really nice studio. In the morning after the 7am class I went to CorePower Clarendon. The studio was really dirty. Normally they have a woman that comes before me. My shift there is 10-11:30am. Usually someone has already come and gone who cleans the studios. I think they didn't come today. It was a lot of work getting that place clean. Hot yoga studios can be gross because there is so much cleaning.
Also, today I had a phone interview to teach yoga at apartment buildings. That is the third interview like that I have had. Each time I didn't get the job. I wonder who they do hire. This time they already told me I didn't get the job because they want someone to teach on Saturdays and I am already scheduled at my other job those days. (March 25, 2022)

Tomorrow I am going to the 7am yoga class at Bhakti Yoga in Chinatown. Then I am going to take the metro to Clarendon for my shift at CorePower Yoga from 10am - 11:30am. And then I'll go back to Bhakti Yoga for the 12:30pm lunchtime flow class. (March 24, 2022)

This morning I worked my normal weekly shift at CorePower Yoga Bethesda from 7am to 8:30am. I took the 9am Hot Power Fusion class. And then I used my ClassPass app and I went across the street to Solidcore Bethesda. That was the first class I had taken there. It's pilates. I asked and they have a pilates certification but they also complete a teacher training on site at Solidcore.
Last night I finished my CPR/AED training. I just sent an electronic copy of the certificate to Crunch Fitness. (March 24, 2022)

Jake Welker is the studio manager at CorePower Yoga Bethesda. He sent out a request that we add our profiles to the community wall. Here is mine:

I have another audition to teach yoga at a gym. It's at the Washington Sports Clubs in DuPont Circle on April 3. Hopefully they'll hire me.

Don't come in here!
I went down to Chinatown today because I have a membership at Bhakti Yoga. There was supposed to be an event at 11:15am. I paid the $5 donation. Also, I signed up for the 12:30pm lunchtime flow class. When I got there, the door was unlocked but nobody was in the studio. In the other room I could hear people talking but the door was shut. And so I took off my shoes and put my bag up. And then I opened the door where these women were talking.
A woman closed the door suddenly and told me not to come in. Because she was using that room for a massage client. I told her that I had paid to attend the event that was supposed to be there. We learned that the event was cancelled. I told her that I was also there for the lunchtime class. She said she was teaching the class. And so I told her I would cancel my reservation. That is why. If someone else would have been teaching, I would have stayed for the class. It's because she acted like I had done something wrong by opening the door. How was I supposed to know she was using the room for a massage client? On the schedule it said this event that I had paid to attend. (March 21, 2022)

Today is Friday. I took the 7am class at Bhakti Yoga. Then I went to CorePower Yoga Clarendon for my Friday shift. And then I took the 12:30pm class at Bhakti Yoga and I walked home. (March 18, 2022)

Today I signed up for a membership at Bhakti Yoga which is in Chinatown. I paid for a whole year at a time. The total was $1,104. Last year I bought a year long membership at HAUS Yoga on the H Street corridor. They raised the price of a year long membership to $1,500. They don't have many morning or lunchtime classes. It's a hassle for me to get over there because it's at 14th Street and H Street NE.
I am thinking about getting a certificate to be a personal trainer. This is the help response I got when I sent a query.
[I'm glad to see that you're interested in becoming an NASM Certified Personal Trainer. What questions do you have for me? Our latest Personal Trainer Certification is the most comprehensive program we've ever developed and has the most accurate, up-to-date science for real-world application.]
(March 18, 2022)

Today is Sunday. Last week I learned I have been hired to teach yoga at Crunch Fitness which is in Washington, DC but it's near Bethesda. It's in a neighborhood called Chevy Chase. There is a Chevy Chase both in DC and in Maryland. I signed up to renew my CPR certification which is $90. Friday I stopped by Crunch Fitness and completed training about workplace stuff and the company mission. Crunch Fitness is a part of US Fitness. I am excited to begin working there. I have a membership there now and I can also workout at any of the other US Fitness locations. For example, I think there is a Capitol Hill Sport and Health. I am going to take the yoga class at Crunch on Monday. I cannot start teaching until I get my CPR certificate which is 3/23. (March 13, 2022)

Tomorrow morning is my audition at Crunch Fitness which is in Washington, DC but it is near Bethesda. I am not sure if they will hire me. It's at 9:30am. It's kind of across town. Maybe it will be the right fit. Also, if a lot of people applied they might hire someone else. I have taken classes at Brooklyn Boulders near my house. Crunch Fitness is a gym, it's not a yoga studio. There is no telling what they'll want for the yoga classes. Sometimes yoga at the gym is really slow and boring. Sometimes the classes are really high energy. I have no idea at all if they'll hire me. It would be fun if they did, but they might not. (March 7, 2022)

Last weekend I went to two classes Saturday morning at Brooklyn Boulders. No yoga today. I have a phone interview today to teach yoga at apartment buildings. There are a lot of ads up on Indeed.com right now. It's companies that hire yoga teachers to teach classes at apartment buildings. These aren't yoga studios. I might not be the right fit for these classes either. The students might have never practiced yoga before, for example. (March 7, 2022)

Today was my weekly shift at CorePower Bethesda. I worked from 7am - 8:30am and then I took the 9am and noon classes. Both classes were the Hot C2 class. Tomorrow is my weekly shift at CorePower Clarendon. I might additionally take the early morning classes at CorePower H Street. (March 3, 2022)

Today is Wednesday. This morning I went to the 6:15am and 7:30am C2 classes at CorePower H Street. I am not sure if I will take any more classes today.
Yesterday I went to the 7:15am flow class at Brooklyn Boulders and then the 12:30pm class at HAUS Yoga. Monday I went to two evening C2 classes at CorePower Bethesda.
Next Tuesday I have an audition at Crunch Fitness which is in Washington, DC near Bethesda. They want me to teach a few sun salutations and a warrior series. (March 2, 2022)

It's Sunday evening. I worked all weekend at the boutique. Tomorrow I have two phone interviews to teach yoga. I won't take any yoga classes though. One interview is at noon and the other is at 3pm. I will try to go to bed early. (February 27, 2022)

Today is Saturday. I have a part time job working at a consignment store on the weekends. Austin, Texas is my hometown. Used clothes are a big deal there. I'm a big hit at the consignment store here in Washington, DC. In Austin, I guess maybe we cannot afford the clothes new. But, somehow we think they're nicer used. The clothes are nicer, because they're used. Maybe our brains don't even think new clothes are as nice. For example, my first car was a 1980 Volvo and then I bought a 1989 Delta 88 Oldsmobile. Kind of used cars and used clothes in Austin. I've been working at the boutique since November 2019. It's hard work because it's standing up all day and the clothes are heavy. No yoga today. I'll be at the boutique all day today and tomorrow. (February 26, 2022)

Today is my weekly shift at CorePower Clarendon. That is in Arlington, Virginia. It is near the Court House metro stop. That is the first metro stop on the Virginia side of the border. My shift is from 10-11:30am. I always take the 12:15pm C2 class. Maybe today I will take the 4pm and 5:30pm classes there also. Sometimes I walk to the YMCA in between classes. It depends on the weather. (February 25, 2022)

I have a 200hr yoga teaching certificate. I have been practicing yoga since I moved to Washington, DC in 2013. I got my certificate in 2015 from Yoga District. I used to work full time at YogaWorks and part time at Yoga NoMa. Both have gone out of business.

Currently I have two paid yoga shifts each week. At CorePower Bethesda and CorePower Arlington I clean the studios on Thursday and Friday mornings.
Next Monday I have two interviews for yoga teaching positions. One of the interviews is at Crunch Fitness which is near American University and the other is to teach yoga to groups at apartment buildings. (February 24, 2022)