WHO WE ARE
Rise Yoga CLE is a Cleveland-based yoga collective offering local and virtual classes, private yoga, mentorship, and yoga retreats.
We believe in teaching smart, inclusive yoga with compassion and empathy. Our practice empowers students to heal physically, mentally and emotionally through yoga by providing them with all the tools needed to do so.
We help others RISE through yoga.
M E E T T H E O W N E R
hi, i’m kat!
I am a student of yoga first and a teacher second. I am a mother, friend, partner, nature lover, adventure hunter, traveler, hippie, a believer in magic, animal friend, lover of the arts, and health-seeker. I advocate for mental health, suicide prevention, addiction recovery, equality (and I’m always rooting for the underdog)!
It’s nice to meet you!
I RISE to give my students the tools to live their best lives by teaching smart, inclusive yoga with compassion and empathy. You can expect relatable and real from me, as I teach authentically from my heart, using my past experiences to inspire my students to heal physically, mentally, and emotionally.
The mission here at Rise Yoga holds such an incredible value because I personally have experienced how yoga can heal. In many ways, yoga saved my life. It healed me.
I see my students. I am them. We are the same.
my journey to yoga
Depression. Anxiety. Two things have been with me since my childhood. Battles I’ve fought (and continue to fight) and won, but not perfectly. In time, and with the help of yoga.
Starting at 18-years-old, I worked in the restaurant industry and stayed there for 15 years. During this time, I refined my ability to read people and their needs and learned how to use my intuition. I also did a lot of traveling - including backpacking through Europe for six months, living in Maui for a year, and in the Bahamas for three years.
That travel sounds magical, right? But here’s the truth.
My battle with depression and anxiety through all that was tough. I learned that the geographical cure didn’t work. Neither did medication - self (alcohol/ drugs) or prescriptions. I was seeking, looking for something outside of myself to “cure” me. It was in 2007, in the Bahamas, at my lowest of lows- when the Universe handed me a gift: that gift was yoga.
After only one class, I knew yoga was going to change everything.
From there, I went to live at the Ashram, and only six months into my yoga journey, I completed my first 200 hours. But this isn’t a perfect story - it’s a real one. Shortly after my graduation, I moved back to Cleveland. Home at last, but unfortunately I continued to struggle with competing energies. On one hand, I wanted to feel better, to BE better. On the other, I was falling back into old habits. Soon after, I had my daughter and it was the best thing that could have happened to me.
I dug into teaching yoga shortly after my daughter was born, while simultaneously putting myself through college as a single mom. I graduated at the top of my class with a degree in Urban Studies from Cleveland State University. I focused on healing and growth and fully leaned into motherhood and yoga.
I found myself.
So when I say I’ve been there, I mean it. I’ve lived it. I see you.
I RISE every day because I wholeheartedly believe I can empower you by providing the tools you need to heal through yoga. This practice has helped me to develop mental and physical strength, resilience, and balance while also teaching the importance of mindfulness and being present. It has shown me how to listen to my body and my intuition. But above all else, it has taught me compassion, empathy, and self-love.
If you’re looking to increase your capacity for flexibility, strength, resilience, and also peace, hope and joy - check out the offerings below.
Let’s RISE together.
18
YEAR YOGA STUDENT
13
YEAR YOGA TEACHER
Regardless of the amount of time and hours spent as a teacher, I will always be a student first. I honor and embrace the roots and traditions of yoga, from Shiva to Patanjali, and all the yogis who came before me, who have practiced and taught so that we can benefit today. I would like to thank my teachers: Swami Prem Sadasivananda (Sivananda), Jason Crandell (The Vinyasa Method), Lori Palmer (Inspirational Coach) and Kacee Must (Citizen Yoga). I would also like to acknowledge gratitude for those teachers (some within the yogic tradition, and some outside of) that have influenced my practice and teaching from afar with their writings, especially: T.K.V. Desikachar, B.K.S. Iyengar, Swami Sivananda, Thich Nhat Hanh, Jalal al-Din Muhammad Rumi, Rick Hanson PH.D., Judith Lasater and Michael Singer. Finally, thank you to my daughter Olive, friends, family and all of the people that have come into my life to help me learn a lesson- even the hard ones.
THE
offerings
Private Yoga Classes
Enjoy a curated private yoga experience with Kat. Private yoga sessions are more than just a yoga class, but a yoga experience. Available in 1:1 Private Sessions or Group Events (2-13+ students).
Local & Virtual Classes
Browse the local and virtual classes offered this week and book your session!
Retreats
An inclusive yoga retreat experience that gives you the space to disconnect from daily life and experience self-care, deep connection, and healing - leaving you recharged and renewed.
Teacher Mentorship
Are you a 200- hour yoga teacher who recently completed your training but just aren’t quite ready, or confident enough, to take the leap and teach your first class? Or maybe you are a newer teacher seeking to add a little more depth and knowledge to your teaching? An apprenticeship with me may be for you!