Charlee Austin
Studio OWNER, 500ERYT + YACEP
Charlee is a certified Ayurvedic Life Coach and 500ERYT. She began practicing regularly in the Spring of 2014 and registered with Yoga Alliance in the Fall of 2014 after completing her 200 hour certification with Village Yoga & The Kunga Yoga School in Duck, North Carolina. She completed the 300 Hour Kunga Yoga Service and Leadership Certification in 2017 at Wilmington Yoga Center; with training in 5Elements Flow, Restorative Yoga, Power Vinyasa, Yoga for Seniors, Prenatal, and Kids Yoga. She received her Ayurvedic Lifestyle Coaching Certification through Katie Silcox and The Shakti School in 2019.
She is the founder of Veda del Soul, a 200 Hour Yoga + Ayurveda Lifestyle Teacher Training. Written and created out of love and passion for the ancient practices of Yoga + Ayurveda. Learn more about this program here.
Her primary teachers include Jessica Moody, Katie Kennis, Kristin Cooper-Gulak, Noelle Whittington, and Katie Silcox. She has also had the honor of practicing and studying with Hilary Garivaltis, Rachel Brathen, Rolf Gates, Emilie Perz, and Meredith Hogan. Charlee has led yoga classes in retreat settings in Costa Rica, India, and Hawaii with her primary teachers. She has hosted and led yoga retreats locally on the Outer Banks.
As studio owner, she strives to carry-forward the heart and soul, along with the foundational visions Village Yoga was founded upon. Her intention is to keep her classes lighthearted and fun, hoping to allow her students to find freedom in their ever-changing bodies and minds. Charlee also enjoys playing harmonium, surfing, snowboarding, traveling, spending time with friends and family!
Kennedy Long
Studio Manager, 200RYT
Kennedy is 200-hour RYT certified in Kunga Yoga, a style of not only teaching but living that focuses on using yoga as a path of service. She began a steady practice in 2015. Kennedy registered with Yoga Alliance in the Spring of 2017 after completing her 200 hour certification with Village Yoga & Wilmington Yoga Center in Duck, North Carolina during the Fall of 2015. Her primary teachers include Noelle Whittington, Jessica Moody, and Katie Kennis.
Since teaching Kennedy has continued her education and completed a 5 elements flow training, Yin yoga training, and a Stand up paddleboard (SUP) yoga certification. In 2019 Kennedy started a year long Ayurvedic Lifestyle Coaching program led by internationally recognized Ayurvedic Practitioner, Katie Silcox.
Kennedy dedicates herself to helping, healing, and empowering others through yoga and Ayurveda. She places a strong emphasis on self love, cultivating positivity, and the elements in her classes while also inspiring students to unlock their highest self. With a strong love for the calming effects of the water and yoga; Kennedy is passionate about SUP Yoga and the joy the practice brings.
Jessica Rienerth
500ERYT, Co-Founder
Jess completed her 200-hour and 300-hour Kunga Yoga Lifestyle and Teacher Trainings with Kristin Cooper and the Kunga Yoga School. She went on to complete a professional development mentorship with Kristin Cooper and Loren Gulak and has been co-leading 200-hour Kunga Yoga Teacher Trainings since 2014. Jess has been dedicated to a yogic lifestyle since 2007, and in 2013 she co-founded Village Yoga, a social entrepreneurship and yoga studio on the Outer Banks of North Carolina. Jess has also taught with non-profits and in retreat settings in Mexico, Costa Rica, and India.
She has received a certificate in 5Elements Vinyasa Flow, with advanced studies under the Kunga Yoga Methodology in Power Vinyasa, Restorative & Senior Yoga, Prenatal Yoga, Kids Yoga, and Yoga for PTSD and trauma sensitive populations. She has also studied with other inspirational teachers such as Kathryn Budig, Michael Johnson, Rolf Gates, Katie Silcox, Maty Ezraty, and Tiffany Cruikshank.
In 2019, after transferring ownership of Village Yoga to Charlee Ulmer, Jess continues to follow her passions professionally within socially responsible companies, and continues to be an active part of her Yoga community in Duck, North Carolina. Within her classes Jess enjoys creating a spiritually and physically progressive yoga practice that challenges her students to unlock their ultimate potentials and strive for their highest selves. When she’s not on the mat you can find her in the ocean riding waves, or searching for beach treasures with her dog, Waylon.
Katie Kennis
500ERYT, Co-Founder
Growing up on the Outer Banks, Village Yoga C0-Founder Katie Kennis first discovered yoga in 2003 through the loving guidance of her yogini mother, Maggie. From then on she was hooked. Through a dedicated daily practice and a love of travel, Katie found herself completing a 200-hour Hatha/Vinyasa Yoga certification through School Yoga Institute on the beautiful beach of Playa Gigante, Nicaragua in 2011. Eager to share the benefits cultivated through her self-practice and to dig deeper into all aspects of a yogic lifestyle, she returned to her childhood home on the Outer Banks where in 2013 she co-founded Village Yoga, a social entrepreneurship and yoga studio.
After a sudden loss of Katie’s mother, she soon found the consistent dedication to her practice to be the driving force in her healing process. With a vision to guide others on the path to self-discovery and healing within an all inclusive environment, Katie continues to draw inspiration from the fluidity of the ocean, freedom of her travel adventures, and above all the compassion of her most influential teacher, Mom.
Since the founding of Village Yoga, Katie has completed her 500-hour certification, and a professional mentorship with Kristin Cooper-Gulak and the Kunga Yoga School, during the spring of 2015. Katie is honored to have guest taught in 200-hour teacher training programs and is a certified Kunga Yoga teacher trainer at the professional level. Through her love of travel and service, she has had the opportunity to teach on retreats in Nosara, Costa Rica and and Kerala, India.
Katie has received a 5 Elements Vinyasa Flow certification from Kristin Cooper-Gulak at the Wilmington Yoga Center with additional training in Prenatal Yoga, Yoga for PTSD and trauma sensitive populations, Kids Yoga, Yoga for Seniors and more. Katie remains forever grateful to consider Maggie Kennis and Kristin Cooper-Gulak as her primary teachers. She has also studied under such influential teachers as Kathryn Budig, Tiffany Cruikshank, Tim Miller, Leslie Kaminoff, Jason Crandell, Rolf Gates, and Maty Ezraty.
Kate Brodie
200RYT
Kate is a 200hr Kunga Yoga instructor who is committed to sharing the benefits of uniting mind, body, and spirit in a welcoming community space through the practice of yoga. Addicted to movement from a young age, Kate was a competitive gymnast and springboard diver through college. After completing her Ph.D. in Oceanography in 2010, Kate moved to the Outer Banks and began searching for a new physical activity to serve as a lifelong sport. Kate discovered yoga in 2014, and was immediately drawn to the physical discipline and concentration required for the practice—as well as the chance to hang out upside-down again. Through a dedicated daily practice, Kate began to recognize not only the physical benefits of yoga, but also the transformational power of linking movement and breath in reducing stress, increasing focus, building community, and discovering the present moment.
Deciding to take her practice to the next level, Kate completed her 200 hour teaching certification with Village Yoga in August 2017 under the guidance of Katie Kennis and Jessica Moody, and is in the process of completing her 500 hour teaching certification with Yoga Medicine and Tiffany Cruikshank. Kate strives to create dynamic flows in her classes that promote functional movements and encourages students to safely explore new asanas through proper alignment and foundational strength building. When not practicing yoga or studying the coast as a research scientist at the Duck Research Pier, Kate can be found surfing, exploring with her Siberian Husky, Chloe, or hand-standing just about anywhere!
Allison Broughton
500RYT, 200ERYT
Allison came to yoga over 20 years ago for the physical practice, and stayed for the calm, clarity, and peace of mind she found there. She enrolled in her first 200-hr yoga teacher training primarily to deepen her own practice, but after completing the program with Amalam School at Outer Banks Yoga, she couldn’t wait to share her newfound knowledge with others, and immediately began teaching.
In 2017, Allison attended a workshop with Phoenix Rising Yoga Therapy founder Michael Lee at Satchidananda Ashram – Yogaville, and was inspired by the Phoenix Rising method of tuning
into the body to stay present and aware, allowing attention to temporarily shift away from the constant hum of the narrative mind and toward the present-moment experience. The method worked for her, and Allison enrolled in Phoenix Rising’s 500-hr yoga teacher training in January of 2018. She completed the program in August 2019.
Allison is a strong believer in the benefits of yoga as an adjunct to treating addiction, eating disorders, stress, and anxiety, as well as yoga’s overall benefits to physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual well-being. She has trained in Yoga for 12-Step Recovery and is certified in Restorative Yoga.
Over the years, Allison has experienced first-hand the benefits of yoga and has turned to her practice time and again to stay present and grounded, even during times of change and upheaval. She is so grateful to have the opportunity to share the gift of yoga with her students, and looks forward to each and every class with tremendous joy and gratitude.
Sandy Brookeshire
Sandy was first introduced to yoga by her mother when she was a child. She began a regular practice in the 70’s while living on the west coast. It was then that her curiosity and interest grew about yogic philosophy and the teachings of the ancient yogis. After moving back east in 1985, she became a student of Swami Satchinananda and Intregal Yoga. His philosophy of “Truth is one, paths are many” remains a guiding principal in her life.
In 2010 she was first exposed to yoga nidra at a stress management conference at the Sivananda Ashram in the Bahamas. This method of guided meditation became a regular practice and in March 2015 Sandy began her studies with Guru Amrit Desai and was certified to teach yoga nidra at Amrit Institute in Florida. Sandy uses the principles of yoga with students to help them relax in the present moment and to contribute to their wholeness and aliveness through relaxation. The beauty of yoga nidra is that it is available to almost anyone and the benefits are numerous. Sandy believes that teaching yoga nidra is an extension of her personal spiritual disciple that enriches her life and helps others.
Denise DeCarlo
500RYT, 200ERYT
Denise began practicing yoga in the 1990s as a complement to a rigorous fitness regimen. She completely fell in love with the varied movement and the fact that yoga can serve everyone at every age. She became certified to teach in 2002 through AFPA and went on to complete her 200-hour certification with Vimala Ren Fields of the American Healing Arts Studio in Virginia in 2007, certified in Hatha Integral Yoga. She completed her 300-hour certification with My Vinyasa Practice and Michelle Young in 2021 with focus on Yin, Restorative, Trauma Informed, Adaptive Yoga, and Yoga Nidra.
In addition to her yoga, she is an exercise physiologist and certified personal trainer with experience working in studios, fitness, and medically based wellness centers. Denise brings a deep knowledge of anatomy and an ability to help all students find love of their shape and stillness in every pose.
She also holds an ACE Therapeutic Exercise Specialty certification that addresses cardiac and pulmonary conditions, and populations with obesity, diabetes, and pre-natal/post-natal concerns. Additionally, she is certified in Pilates, Barre Above, and Spinning.
Denise feels that as a teacher, it is imperative to continue learning and being a student, constant inquiry, constant curiosity, and continued growth. Her desire is to bring laughter, light, and love to her students so that they can leave with a smile, walk a little lighter, and love a little stronger.
Janine Forbes
Reiki I&II
Janine started practicing yoga in 2006. While practicing Savasana, she fell in love with meditation, leading her to adopt a daily meditation practice. Mediation has offered her miracles of insight; knowing; time spent with the Divine, and this is her greatest blessing. She was led to Reiki through meditation.
During her meditations, her hands get intensely hot; they tingle and burn. After consulting with other folks who meditate, she was told that those sensations are the flow of healing energy, “Reiki” and that she should investigate using it to help others.
She recently received her Reiki 1 & 11 attunements from Reiki Master Shree Fulcher, at Ascension Studio in Kill Devil Hills. Janine looks forward to helping you find balance throughout your system, as well as having an overall feeling of well being and relaxation.
Janine’s other loves are to spend time with her family and friends, sailing, reading, gardening and cooking.
Jennifer Jakubosky
500RYT
Jennifer first fell in love with movement as a child, participating in dance and gymnastics. Although these activities are no longer part of her life, she recognized this feeling of freedom when she took her first yoga class. Reconnecting with the breath and the body allowed her to get in touch with a movement she had forgotten. Yoga continues to open many doors and possibilities and through self exploration, Jennifer hopes to share what she has learned with others. She recently completed both her RYT-220 and RYT-300 with Anne Howard-Follenbach at the Amalam School of Yoga at Outer Banks Yoga.
A disciplined and forever student of yoga, Jennifer is committed to learning and deepening her own practice in order to best serve others as a teacher. She continues to find her voice and style, teaching on the Outer Banks, where she rediscovered her love of self through yoga. When she isn’t practicing on her mat or taking one of Anne’s classes, you can find Jennifer biking, meeting friends for tea, or meditating with her two cats. She is currently attending an online Mindfulness Training course to deepen her awareness.
Olivia Lifsey
200ERYT, 500RYT, YACEP
In 2013 Olivia attended Naropa University in Boulder, Colorado where she received her Bachelor’s degree in Traditional Eastern Arts with a concentration in Yoga, as well as completing over 1,000 hours of yoga teacher training. Upon graduation in 2015, Olivia registered with Yoga Alliance and began her teaching career while traveling throughout Central America, and in her hometown of Chagrin Falls, Ohio.
Olivia came to the Outer Banks in 2016 to complete the Kunga Yoga Lifestyle Program, a program dedicated to educating yogis how to use their practice as service for others. After completing the Kunga program, through Village Yoga and Wilmington Yoga Center with her teachers Jess Moody and Kristin Cooper, Olivia was offered a full time teaching position at Village Yoga, in Duck North Carolina.
Since moving to the Outer Banks, Olivia has completed a year long Ayurvedic Lifestyle Coaching program led by internationally recognized Ayurvedic Practitioner Katie Silcox, offered a a yoga and ayurveda retreat, ‘Svastha’, as well as completed a SUP yoga teacher training.
Inspired by her own life long healing journey, Olivia is dedicated to educating and empowering others to learn how to heal themselves through Ayurveda, mindful movement, and self-love.
Ashley Lynaugh
500RYT
When Ashley found yoga, she started to experience mindfulness for the first time, bringing calmness to the mind she sought for. What had started as a physical practice, quickly evolved into an inner development. She began to feel a sense of purpose, creating a harmony in her life she’d longed for. It sparked the transformation into the woman you meet today. Since embracing yoga and forming a steady practice, she took a step to deepen her knowledge by enrolling in a 200hr certification in Kunga Yoga through Village Yoga studying under Katie Kennis & Jess Moody. She registered with the yoga alliance in 2018 and has been teaching ever since. Ashley teaches an approach to yoga, rather than a style and believes in using yoga as a path of service.
Ashley continues to learn and grow, and has completed a Yoga Nidra certification under Aiyana Athenian & Krishna Peter Perry through the ShivaShakti School of Yoga and the Healing Arts (Swami Satyananda Saraswati lineage). She has earned a certification of Kunga Hands On Assisting with Noelle Whittington. She has studied Barre with Denise DeCarlo. She completed her 300YTT in June 2021 in the Authentic Movements school with Stephanie Gongora, Erin Kelly and Bianca Scalise.
Ashley hopes to spread knowledge on all the 8 limbs of yoga and the power of its entirety. She is privileged to teach this modern style of yoga while honoring the roots and foundations of this ancient practice. She strives to appreciate, not appropriate, continues to learn remaining a student first. Her classes are built around meditation, breath awareness, and dynamic movements. She has created the AromaFlow and developed workshops cultivating community and mindfulness. Ashley hopes to empower all humans through her teachings, and encourages a practice within. She values integrity, education, compassion, and connection.
Erin Price
200RYT
Erin is 200 hour Kunga Yoga and GroovyKids™ Yoga certified. She began practicing yoga in 2004, registering with Yoga Alliance after completing her Kunga Yoga Lifestyle and Teacher Training in the Fall of 2014 with Kristen Cooper, of Wilmington Yoga Center, along with Jess Moody and Katie Kennis of Village Yoga. Erin believes that yoga has the power to be a positive change in any ones life and sees yoga as a way to make positive connections. Erin’s goal is to make life changing yoga accessible for any person at any stage of life. Erin is also a Registered Occupational Therapist licensed in North Carolina, with more than 6 years of work experience in geriatrics, pediatrics and level 1 trauma rehabilitation. In 2016 Erin completed a training in Craniosacral Therapy and is currently offering sessions through Village Yoga.