Kristen McQuaide Founder - Director of The Space Yoga Studio, E-RYT 500, YACEP, (Intraining 800 HRYoga Therapist and Ayurvedic Counselor)

When I first discovered yoga over 30 years ago, I immediately experienced its transformative powers. Yoga saved my life when I was going through a very painful emotional transition, and yoga continues to save my life, keeping me balanced every day. Whether I am teaching or practicing Yoga, my happiest place is being on my mat. My mat never disappoints; it is my most honest teacher, listener, healer, and challenger. I seek to inspire and empower others to pioneer their personal wellness path on and off their mats.

Kristen McQuaide, E-RYT 500, YACEP, Ayurvedic Wellness Counselor L1, Aerial Yoga Certified. I am the founder- Director of The Space Yoga Studio in Visalia, California, USA. I am the first lead teacher of LEVITYoga 200 HR RYT. Co-Creator of FireFlex Yoga, a yoga-based wellness program for firefighters. I host annual 200 HR Yoga Teacher Training programs. Yoga Alliance accredited. I am currently studying to get my 800 HR Yoga Therapy Certification. Graduation in spring 2024. I have studied under the internationally recognized and advanced yoga teachers Peter Sterios ERYT-500 founder of LEVITYoga™, MANDUKA™ Yoga Mats, and creator of the popular yoga DVD series “Gravity & Grace.” After graduation, Kristen was asked to be the first LEVITYoga™ Teacher Trainer.

NICOLE TUDOR

Nicole Tudor 200 HR RYT + Certified Reiki Master has always shared her love for fitness and exercise in finding a mind-body connection. She moved from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, and brought with her a background in kinesiology and business. Her practice has evolved from physical cross-training in high school to find a place of calm and stillness in the mind, often with a focus on chakra awareness. Her classes are intelligently sequenced with compassion and humor. Nicole is passionate about philanthropy, traveling, hiking and striving to lead a healthy, well-balanced life while promoting that lifestyle to others. Nicole is also a Reiki practitioner, a Japanese form of energy work for stress release. You may contact her to schedule private sessions. Follow her on Instagram @nicoleatudor.

EMILY LUCIETTO

Emily's passion for practicing yoga and her enthusiasm for teaching is rooted in her sense of yoga as the ultimate form of self-care, which she feels is an essential part of a balanced and healthy lifestyle. As an E200 HR + 500-hour Registered Yoga Teacher, she started practicing in 1997 and was immediately drawn to its transformative effects. Emily completed her 300-hour certification in Santa Cruz, California with Mark Stephens, an internationally esteemed teacher and well-known author of several books, including the widely referenced Yoga Sequencing and Teaching Yoga. Emily also completed an independent study with Stephens, which focused on an in-depth examination of the practical and functional anatomy of the joints in yoga practice. She completed her 200-hour training at COIL Yoga in Fresno, California, where she studied under Katie Flinn, James Bailey, Cheri Clampett, Marie DiBona, and Arturo Peal. Emily is particularly skilled in teaching mixed level classes, focusing on the individual needs and intentions of each student. Her alignment-based vinyasa classes are thoughtfully structured, energetically uplifting, wholly welcoming, and leave her students coming back for more. With her home in Visalia, she and her husband Gian are the proud parents of three young children, Luca (6), Annie (5), and Marco (2).

CANDICE HANSEN

I started practicing yoga in 2004, and slowly started developing a home practice, with the asanas I learned in class. I used those asanas daily as a way to balance my body after working long hours as a massage therapist. I fell in love with yoga even more in 2010 while doing prenatal yoga. I realized how much the breathing and practice of yoga helped connect me with myself and my baby. Also it made me feel grounded in a time that can be challenging with the many changes of pregnancy and becoming a first time parent. I decided to get my 200hr RYT in 2015. After 14 years of being a massage therapist and working in a chiropractic office, I saw the tension, pain, and injury cycle happen over and over again. I felt that yoga is the best way to help people and hopefully break that cycle. So I feel that a person with less tension and pain has more energy and is a happier person. Allowing them to enjoy their life and loved ones more & have the energy to do the things they love. Which to me makes the world a better place.

MEREDITH CASARES

Meredith is a talker at heart and laugher by design. She loves interacting with people, experiencing other cultures, going on planes, driving in cars, riding bikes, or walking on her own feet to other places. In graduate school, she found her love of yoga. It allowed her to connect and know herself in a completely new way, and be a part of something greater and far more impactful than just attending a simple yoga class. As a Licensed Clinical Social Worker, Meredith uses her clinical understanding of mental health and aims to guide her classes through an honest understanding of self-awareness through movement and meditation. Finding a means to manage our stressors by attending to our own mental health through the practice of yoga. In attending her class Meredith hopes that you can come and see yourself in a way that you never have before so that you can find, meet and accept your truest self. There will be a good dose of fun, easy-going, and accepting energy for everyone who attends. Meredith lives in Visalia, California with her two pups Gussy and Roscoe, and considers herself more than humbled and grateful to have the love and support of her parents, Tony and Melanie, and the best group of supportive women surrounding her in town and across the country. Meredith has recently finished her 200 RYT yoga certification through the guidance and support of Kristen Bini McQuaide at The Space Yoga Studio and Levity Yoga.

ALORHA BAGA

500 RYT - Alorha loves the art of movement and has 25 years’ experience in various movement modalities; Native American dance, Raq Sharki, Modern Dance and personal yoga practice and teaching. Due to that, she loves taking the asana and embellishing it with music to fit the theme and tone. Leading an intelligent yet informative yoga practice. Yoga and movement have always been an integral part of her life. Believing in its holistic approach of connecting the mind, body, and spirit. She began her journey under Sojourn Yoga, completing two 200 hours of yoga teacher training. Diving deeper into the energetic body, completing Alchemy of the Chakras with Alanna Kaivalya, Ph.D. Also getting certified in Buti Yoga Movement modalities; Buti Yoga, DEEP (restorative), and Primal Flow Yoga. She is currently invited and is in training to become a Primal Flow Yoga Master Trainer. Also developing “The Art of the Energetic Body” workshop. Her love of yoga, led her to study under Janet Stone’s 300-hour Living Practice Yoga Teacher Training -- completing it April 4th, 2024. This opened a deeper practice for her, including the love of Chanting and the energetic body and breath practice. A well-rounded class can give students more knowledge of yoga beyond asana. Alorha lives on the Santa Rosa Rancheria near Lemoore with her husband Truman, and together, they have three children: Thomas, Grace, and Lily.

JESSICA WRIGHT

Jessica discovered her love for yoga in 2020 while vacationing with family in Mexico. On her flight home, she google-searched nearby Yoga studios when she stumbled upon The Space Yoga Studio.

She immediately was smitten with the teachers, the energy, the community, and the range of amazing classes offered at this incredible little yoga studio. A graduate of Kristen McQuaide’s 200 hr Yoga Teacher Training,

Jessica lives for all types of hot yoga, long soothing baths, singing and “dancing” to loud music while she cleans, and makes homemade fruit smoothies.

She currently lives in Visalia with her daughter Aria and their dog Lucy

RINDI STONE

Rindi began practicing yoga many years ago but became a consistent practitioner in 2016. She is a recent graduate from The Space Yoga Studio 200-hour LevityYoga teacher training with Kristen Bini McQuaide. Rindi enjoys the mind and body connection that comes with yoga practice. Rindi lives in Visalia teaches Kindergarten, and is a mom to two grown children. She is eager to share her love of yoga!

CADY GREEN

The year was 2020, and all of us were home, indoors, and masked up. I remember feeling desperate for connection, not just with others but within the confines of my own being. There was this desire for movement, for balance, for a long-sought-after marriage between my soul and my body. Soon to discover that an introduction to Yoga was about to be knocking at my door. After several online Yoga challenges, It wasn't until 2022, almost 2 years later, that I found a home within a local studio- The Space Yoga Studio. Little did I know then this would be a new adventure and journey into a home within my heart. The power of Yoga began to transform me from the inside out. And it continues to do so each and every day.

Growing up, I always struggled to trust my body and therefore testing it and believing that so much was possible for it. Yoga has shown me that almost anything is possible for anybody and everybody. Yoga has helped bridge the gap between my spiritual and physical body, and my mat is an altar where I'm able to offer my mind, body, and soul to God. Having found so much vitality, healing, and effervescence through Yoga, it's my passion to share this knowledge with others.

I recently studied under Kristen McQuaide, completing The Space Yoga Studio’s 200 Yoga Teacher Training Program led by Kristen McQuaide 500 HR E-RYT.

So much positive change started to happen for me once I began stepping on my mat. Now my mat feels like home, a home where connection and oneness begins within.

JESSICA WAGNER

Yoga had been in my life on and off for a little over a decade. It was not until January of 2022, when I took my first class at The Space Yoga Studio, that it planted itself within my heart for good. From the moment I stepped into the studio, I immediately felt at home, and I knew in my heart that I found something truly special.

I was fortunate enough to immerse myself in Levity Yoga’s 200 HR YTT led by Kristen McQuaide 500 HR E-RYT at The Space Yoga Studio. I learned about the Fall 2022 Yoga Teacher Training program Kristen McQuaide was going to host and I knew undoubtedly that diving deeper into my practice is what my heart longed for.

It singularly helped me during a very difficult time in my life, during which I experienced immense loss and struggled with my mental health. My training solidified, for me, the importance of balance on and off the mat.

Yoga has the wonderful ability to bring forth our authentic selves while reminding us of the necessity of patience, grace, and loving awareness. I am beyond excited to help cultivate an authentic practice and share my love for Yoga with Our Space community.

CHRISTIE LONG

Please take a moment to meet Christie, a passionate and dedicated yogini whose life has been profoundly transformed by her practice. A recent graduate from LevitYoga teacher training at The Space with Kristen McQuaide 500 E-RYT, she has a deep-rooted love for yoga and a burning desire to share its transformative power with others. Christie's journey began as a means to find freedom from anxiety and inner turmoil. Through years of consistent practice, she not only conquered her anxieties but also developed an intimate connection and appreciation for her own body, in all of its phases and stages. Christie aims to create a safe and nurturing space for her students to explore their own paths to tranquility and self-awareness. She empowers her students to embrace yoga as a lifestyle, allowing them to find the same liberation from anxiety and appreciation for their bodies that she has finally discovered herself.

Christie's approach to yoga celebrates the uniqueness of each individual, encouraging her students to honor their bodies' needs and limitations while pushing the boundaries of growth. Christie strives to have her students leave her sessions feeling rejuvenated, empowered, and grateful for the journey they are on. She hopes to remind students that yoga is not just a series of postures but a transformative tool that can lead to a life filled with freedom, acceptance, and joy.

LIZ GUND

Greetings from The Space Yoga Studio! My name is Liz Gund. My enthusiasm for yoga may be “out of this world,” but my journey started in 2010 on my living room floor with a quest to relieve sciatic nerve pain. I ultimately continued to practice yoga because the new space and freedom created in my body directly correlated to the space and freedom in my heart and mind. Yoga soothes and challenges me, uplifts and grounds me. The challenges in asana, pranayama, and meditation give me a new perspective on being a better human being who continuously evolves emotionally and physically as a member of a community and as a spiritual being in an awe-inspiring universe. My yoga practice was my best friend when confronted with major upheavals like the passing of loved ones, changes in profession, and my move to California’s Central Valley in 2022.

My journey to teaching yoga began in Kansas City as a student, where I took many Hatha, Vinyasa, and Ashtanga classes from a mix of yoga studios & teachers. I felt called to share my experiences and help others through yoga. In 2020, I began a 200-HR yoga teacher training through True Love Studio (Karma Tribe) under Lauren Leduc, E-RYT 500, YACEP. In 2022, I sought additional development through The Space Yoga Studio’s LEVITYOGA 200-HR YTT, under the tutelage and tender care of Kristen McQuaide, E-RYT 500, YACEP, and Peter Sterios, ERYT-500. I feel called to facilitate spaces where students can be accepted and celebrated for being their authentic selves without judgment. I am passionate about sharing the gifts of yoga, so students are empowered to move freely in their bodies, mind, and spirit.
As always, I wish you many blessings on and off the mat, and I look forward to when our paths cross!

TRICIA HAMSTRA
Here is just a little bit about me. I was born and raised in Tulare on a local dairy. It was an
adventurous life; we were always outside and very active. I moved away from this area for about 10 years, living in New Mexico and the Netherlands, two places that couldn’t be more different from each other. I learned a lot about the world in each of those places. After my children were born, I wanted to
return to Visalia, so we returned here in 2005.

I started teaching group exercise classes at
the local gyms because it was a job that fit in well with my ‘mom life’, and my endless need to be in motion. I soon discovered that Pilates was one of my favorite formats to teach. And then I discovered yoga – yoga has taught me that moving at a slower pace can be good.

I first stepped onto a yoga mat in 2014. I had been teaching Pilates for many years, but I
quickly fell in love with yoga. I kept returning to it because I noticed that after a yoga class, I
had this wonderful sense of peace and well-being. I started to realize that it was a vital part of my self-care and healing. .

It had been my goal (dream) to become a yoga instructor for years, and in 2023 I became a certified 200 HR yoga instructor through the 200 HR Yoga Teacher Training Program at The Space Yoga Studio led by Kristen McQuaide, Found & Director of The Space Yoga Studio, 500-ERYT.
I love teaching yoga, and I’ve also noticed that the way I teach Pilates is different – new and improved. Yoga has helped me to have more awareness in every aspect of my life, and I love sharing it so I can help others on their path to health and well-being

KRISTINA KOSTER

Kristina first found yoga in 2012, when she wandered into the gym on her college campus, looking for an exercise class that would suit her needs. She quickly fell in love with yoga’s fluid movements and how it brought her closer to her most honest teacher, herself. Kristina continued going to yoga classes periodically, but developed a more consistent practice in 2020 after finding The Space Yoga Studio during her second postpartum journey.

During this time, she felt physically broken and it was yoga that helped her return to her truest teacher and was the impetus for her yoga teacher journey.

Kristina maintained her practice at The Space Yoga Studio and completed her Yoga teacher training in April 2023 through The Space’s 200 hour teacher training, led by Kristen McQuaide - Founder & Director of The Space Yoga Studio, E-RYT 500. It was a truly transformative experience and taught her many things. It connected her background as a science teacher and her experience practicing yoga, into one understanding that everything in the universe is energy.

Growing up, she felt like she always had to be strong, in all aspects of the word, and through the practice of yoga, she has found the practice of ‘sthira sukha in asana’ - simultaneous effort and ease in practice - to really resonate with her. It is when we are soft and surrender ourselves to gravity that we can go inward and meditate on what our bodies are trying to tell us.
She is dedicated to sharing this restorative, transformative practice with her fellow yogis at The Space and looks forward to practicing with you.

Hi friends! My name is Stephanie and I am beyond excited to be part of the community here at The Space! I began practicing yoga for fitness while in college at LMU in 2001, but I truly realized how much more there is to yoga beyond Asana during the yoga teacher training program under the guidance of Kristen McQuaide, Founder & Director of The Space Yoga Studio, E-RYT 500. Having completed my 200-hour RYT yoga certification, I now appreciate a holistic approach to yoga that helps me feel centered, calm and strong in my heart, mind and body. I have a wide variety of interests and am always searching for the next great adventure. My husband and I have been together over 20 years and we've got three amazing kiddos and a super special fur baby. I'm a physician assistant at a local community health clinic, co-owner of an event planning business and now a yoga teacher! I love all things related to Schitts Creek and The Office, singing along to Taylor Swift, doing DIY projects around my house, watching movies with my dog and traveling around the world to immerse in new cultures.

My husband and I reached the summit of Mount Kilimanjaro in Africa and next up we're climbing to Everest base camp in Nepal! I firmly believe that "we can do hard things" and that challenges are simply invitations for growth. Come meet me on the mat, where you'll find a healthy dose of fun, grace, strength, authenticity and some laughs along the way!

Yoga has been such a beautiful and unexpected journey for me. That journey started in my early 20s as more of a fitness routine and over the years yoga was always there when I felt I needed something familiar. However, my practice evolved into something so much deeper in 2020 after my nursing career became very overwhelming and yoga and The Space became a place of solace. I found a profound connection to my practice as well as myself and really started to glean the benefits of what yoga has to offer.

Deciding to join the Levity Yogas 200hr YTT program lead by Kristen McQuaide was the best gift I could have given myself. I went in to the process with the goal of growing my personal practice and learning more about yoga itself. What I gained was so much more meaningful and enlightening and now I can’t wait to spread this gift of yoga as an instructor.