Our entire team is composed of certified yoga teachers who actively teach at our studio.
Get to know the team at 5KY!
Get to know the team at 5KY!
CO-OWNERS & YOGA SISTERS
MEET OUR DIRECTORS
|
ERIN HADDOCK
Administrative Director |
We found each other through our shared passion for bringing the gifts of yoga to students with intellectual, developmental and behavioral disabilities. Together, we have over 25 years of experience working with students of all ages and abilities.
We love making yoga work for you!
We love making yoga work for you!
MANAGEMENT TEAM
MEET OUR MANAGERS
RACHEL ASELTINE
Staff Manager |
MJ LOUNSBERRY
Operations Manager |
STUDIO INSTRUCTORS
MEET OUR YOGA INSTRUCTORS
AKIWELE BURAYIDI
Studio Representative |
|
|
RITA ALVIAR
Community Engagement Director
Certified Yoga Teacher & Licensed YSC Practitioner
Certified Yoga Teacher & Licensed YSC Practitioner
Rita has been practicing yoga since 2004. She completed her 200-hour teacher training with Rhonda Kantor, founder and director of The Global Yoga Center. Rita is also trained in the Yoga for the Special Child method by its founder, Sonia Sumar.
Rita's career serving children and adults with special needs spans twenty years. She offered small group classes for students in a residential setting, as well as "care for the caregiver" practices for staff. Rita integrated her yoga training with her special needs experience to create a practice specific to the residents' needs. She brings a spirit of inclusion to her classes and can gently adapt a practice to each student's needs. Yoga became a way for her residents to connect to their abilities, their gifts, and their light.
Rita believes in yoga as self-care - as a loving way to replenish energy and connect to your spirit. She finds it an enjoyable way to quiet the mind and find peace amidst our busy lives. She teaches all her students the simple beauty of slowing down and honoring our bodies.
Rita teaches Restorative Yoga on Sundays at 3 PM.
Rita's career serving children and adults with special needs spans twenty years. She offered small group classes for students in a residential setting, as well as "care for the caregiver" practices for staff. Rita integrated her yoga training with her special needs experience to create a practice specific to the residents' needs. She brings a spirit of inclusion to her classes and can gently adapt a practice to each student's needs. Yoga became a way for her residents to connect to their abilities, their gifts, and their light.
Rita believes in yoga as self-care - as a loving way to replenish energy and connect to your spirit. She finds it an enjoyable way to quiet the mind and find peace amidst our busy lives. She teaches all her students the simple beauty of slowing down and honoring our bodies.
Rita teaches Restorative Yoga on Sundays at 3 PM.
ERIN HADDOCK
Administrative Director
Certified Yoga Teacher, Yoga Therapist & Yoga Teacher Trainer
C-IAYT, E-RYT 500, RCYT, YACEP
YSC Part 1 Program Teacher
Certified Yoga Teacher, Yoga Therapist & Yoga Teacher Trainer
C-IAYT, E-RYT 500, RCYT, YACEP
YSC Part 1 Program Teacher
Anxious, stressed and living in my head, I began yoga to stay in shape for my acting career while recovering from surgery on my toe and living with osteoarthritis in my foot. Although such a small body part, the imbalance caused by this injury impacted my entire body and how I felt about myself mentally and spiritually as well. Committing to a regular yoga practice during my final year studying theater at Northwestern University improved my physical condition, helped recover some of my body’s balance and relaxed my racing mind. But it wasn’t until I met my inspiration, Sonia Sumar, that I finally understood what yoga was really about.
Studying with Sonia and her daughter, Renata Sumar Gaertner, taught me not only how to condition and better control my body, breath and mind. I’ve learned to live a life that is more “peaceful, easeful and useful.” This is the most precious gift I’ve ever received, aside from the gift of life. This mindset has helped me navigate the big challenges like grief, trauma and depression that are part of the human experience. I understand what it’s like to be uncomfortable in my body and emotionally on edge. I know what it’s like to feel that there must be something more to life than just getting through the day.
I teach yoga to share the gifts I’ve received from my yoga practice with others. Yoga can guide us to feel more comfortable and at ease in our body and mind. To live both more peacefully and more passionately. To live a life that is more authentic, productive and kind. I love guiding others seeking more integration in their lives. Yoga is the system I’ve found most effective and efficient at connecting my head and my heart. Practicing yoga feels good to me on every level and I’m honored that others entrust me to share that kind of experience with them.
Erin teaches Advanced Yoga on Saturdays at 9:30 AM.
Studying with Sonia and her daughter, Renata Sumar Gaertner, taught me not only how to condition and better control my body, breath and mind. I’ve learned to live a life that is more “peaceful, easeful and useful.” This is the most precious gift I’ve ever received, aside from the gift of life. This mindset has helped me navigate the big challenges like grief, trauma and depression that are part of the human experience. I understand what it’s like to be uncomfortable in my body and emotionally on edge. I know what it’s like to feel that there must be something more to life than just getting through the day.
I teach yoga to share the gifts I’ve received from my yoga practice with others. Yoga can guide us to feel more comfortable and at ease in our body and mind. To live both more peacefully and more passionately. To live a life that is more authentic, productive and kind. I love guiding others seeking more integration in their lives. Yoga is the system I’ve found most effective and efficient at connecting my head and my heart. Practicing yoga feels good to me on every level and I’m honored that others entrust me to share that kind of experience with them.
Erin teaches Advanced Yoga on Saturdays at 9:30 AM.
RACHEL ASELTINE
Staff Manager
Certified Yoga Teacher & YSC Trained
Trauma Informed Training
Certified Yoga Teacher & YSC Trained
Trauma Informed Training
Yoga changed my life in ways I didn’t know I needed and didn’t know were possible. Like many, I took my first yoga class hoping to learn how to do “cool poses” and maybe improve my flexibility. What I didn’t know at the time was that I was holding onto a boatload of unidentified, unresolved trauma. It had obscured my sense of self and deprived me of healthy or productive responses to stress. I had little to no connection with my body. I didn’t even know what a mind-body connection was, or how important it is to both mental and physical health. As I established my practice, I learned how to feel into and engage with my body. I was introduced to the concept of meditation through movement and how to use my breath as a tool for focus, calming and connection to my true self.
Yoga taught me – and continues to teach me – to be present and feel comfortable and confident in my body. Learning how to cultivate this mindfulness has provided me with powerful tools to meet challenges as they arise in my life. I’ve learned how marvelous, intelligent, resilient and elegant the human body and spirit are. By tapping into and fostering these qualities, we are capable of physical and spiritual growth and healing. I know this because I’ve experienced it myself, and there is a wealth of scientific research to support it. I want to share that experience with as many people as I can.
I am particularly passionate about introducing yoga to people who might never have thought they would be able to do it. Anyone can practice yoga because yoga is not a monolith. Different peoples’ practices may look drastically different, and everybody’s path is unique, but the heart of yoga leads to the same place for everyone. The only “right” way to do yoga is to honor the needs of your own body and mind. It might sound simple, but it requires connection, patience, practice, and presence, which are invaluable tools off the mat, too. Finding and developing these attributes might take a lifetime, but every time you do yoga, you get to tap into all of these things and take another step along your journey.
Rachel teaches Slow Flow Yoga on Tuesdays at 7:30 PM, Gentle Yoga on Thursdays at 5:45 PM, Candlelight Restorative Yoga on Fridays at 5:30 PM and regular, 8-week Intro to Yoga series on Saturdays at 3 PM.
Yoga taught me – and continues to teach me – to be present and feel comfortable and confident in my body. Learning how to cultivate this mindfulness has provided me with powerful tools to meet challenges as they arise in my life. I’ve learned how marvelous, intelligent, resilient and elegant the human body and spirit are. By tapping into and fostering these qualities, we are capable of physical and spiritual growth and healing. I know this because I’ve experienced it myself, and there is a wealth of scientific research to support it. I want to share that experience with as many people as I can.
I am particularly passionate about introducing yoga to people who might never have thought they would be able to do it. Anyone can practice yoga because yoga is not a monolith. Different peoples’ practices may look drastically different, and everybody’s path is unique, but the heart of yoga leads to the same place for everyone. The only “right” way to do yoga is to honor the needs of your own body and mind. It might sound simple, but it requires connection, patience, practice, and presence, which are invaluable tools off the mat, too. Finding and developing these attributes might take a lifetime, but every time you do yoga, you get to tap into all of these things and take another step along your journey.
Rachel teaches Slow Flow Yoga on Tuesdays at 7:30 PM, Gentle Yoga on Thursdays at 5:45 PM, Candlelight Restorative Yoga on Fridays at 5:30 PM and regular, 8-week Intro to Yoga series on Saturdays at 3 PM.
MJ LOUNSBERRY
Operations Manager
Certified Yoga Teacher
Certified Yoga Teacher
I started practicing yoga when I was a kid. When I was little I practiced from the videos Inhale Yoga with Steve Ross with my Dad. In high school I started to practice more seriously and it helped me with the stress and pressures that come with that age.
Yoga helped me to find space for myself and allow my mind to slow back down and reset and regain a peaceful equilibrium. I found myself experiencing more peace of mind, better decision making skills and more productive social and emotional responses. I also developed more love and gratitude for myself and my body.
My goal as a teacher is to guide students into deepening their awareness of body and mind. I focus on strengthening students' mind-body connection through the use of the breath. In my classes, I also hope to expand my students' appreciation for the present moment and teach them to experience the flow of gratitude with ease. I love helping students connect to themselves beyond the physical level and cultivate a state of inner peace and grace.
Teaching and practicing yoga give me a sense of purpose and connects me to something bigger than myself - recognizing and appreciating the light within each one of us.
I hope to offer that to you too!
MJ teaches Dynamic Intermediate Yoga on Sundays at 9 AM, Mondays at 7:30 PM and Wednesdays at 7:30 PM.
Yoga helped me to find space for myself and allow my mind to slow back down and reset and regain a peaceful equilibrium. I found myself experiencing more peace of mind, better decision making skills and more productive social and emotional responses. I also developed more love and gratitude for myself and my body.
My goal as a teacher is to guide students into deepening their awareness of body and mind. I focus on strengthening students' mind-body connection through the use of the breath. In my classes, I also hope to expand my students' appreciation for the present moment and teach them to experience the flow of gratitude with ease. I love helping students connect to themselves beyond the physical level and cultivate a state of inner peace and grace.
Teaching and practicing yoga give me a sense of purpose and connects me to something bigger than myself - recognizing and appreciating the light within each one of us.
I hope to offer that to you too!
MJ teaches Dynamic Intermediate Yoga on Sundays at 9 AM, Mondays at 7:30 PM and Wednesdays at 7:30 PM.
BRENNA CRAMER
STUDIO REPRESENTATIVE
Certified Yoga Teacher
Certified Yoga Teacher
I was living with unmanaged anxiety and it grew increasingly worse when I embarked on the new journey of college life. I was struggling with my emotions, getting through daily tasks with a calm enough mind, and lacked joy and peace in so many aspects of my life. I found myself dealing with both mental and physical health challenges and needed something new to add in to my routine to help out.
Yoga was a new challenge, a new way to move my body and the first time I really connected with my breath. I had always been physically active and involved in sports, but I had never taken the time to slow down, and just be present in my body during a gentle yoga class. Yoga became time that was just carved out for me. I was able to calm my mind and body and better manage daily life stressors.
I felt better both physically and mentally. Yoga was not a magical solution to every single problem I faced - there was still great internal work to do - but it was a major step in the right direction for me. It was a consistent tool I could come back to on any given day when I needed to relieve stress, work through sadness, or tap into my strength. I built strength of both muscle and mind.
I aim to be a leader, a teacher, a guide, for all students I meet on the mat. I am not all-knowing, I am not the perfect yoga student myself, I am still learning and growing each day in my own yoga and life journey. I have been through my own struggles with anxiety, depression, disordered eating, chronic stress in my body and recovering from childhood traumas, and these have all contributed to whom I have become as a yoga teacher today. But no matter what you have or have not experienced, yoga can be a tool for relaxation, strength-building, and so much more.
I am passionate about helping students navigate life stressors and challenges because I have overcome challenging times myself, and for me, yoga was an essential tool in my toolbelt during those times. We all will face tough times in life at some point or another. There is no competition between who is dealing with the most stress or who “needs” yoga the most. We all deserve time to move our bodies, feel good in our bodies, and rest our bodies. I want to bring the benefits of yoga to people of all ages, abilities, and identities, because we all are worthy of feeling safe and at home in our minds and bodies.
I want to help people in any way that I can. I have found a pathway to help others through breath and movement. I enjoy connecting with others in communities around Chicago and beyond, and helping people feel more peaceful and joyful in their lives through yoga. If I can help at least one person each day feel safer in their bodies and more calm in their heart and mind, then I will have succeeded in my “why.”
Brenna teaches Tuesdays and Thursdays at 7 AM at Gallagher Way (through September) and then 5KY, starting in October.
Yoga was a new challenge, a new way to move my body and the first time I really connected with my breath. I had always been physically active and involved in sports, but I had never taken the time to slow down, and just be present in my body during a gentle yoga class. Yoga became time that was just carved out for me. I was able to calm my mind and body and better manage daily life stressors.
I felt better both physically and mentally. Yoga was not a magical solution to every single problem I faced - there was still great internal work to do - but it was a major step in the right direction for me. It was a consistent tool I could come back to on any given day when I needed to relieve stress, work through sadness, or tap into my strength. I built strength of both muscle and mind.
I aim to be a leader, a teacher, a guide, for all students I meet on the mat. I am not all-knowing, I am not the perfect yoga student myself, I am still learning and growing each day in my own yoga and life journey. I have been through my own struggles with anxiety, depression, disordered eating, chronic stress in my body and recovering from childhood traumas, and these have all contributed to whom I have become as a yoga teacher today. But no matter what you have or have not experienced, yoga can be a tool for relaxation, strength-building, and so much more.
I am passionate about helping students navigate life stressors and challenges because I have overcome challenging times myself, and for me, yoga was an essential tool in my toolbelt during those times. We all will face tough times in life at some point or another. There is no competition between who is dealing with the most stress or who “needs” yoga the most. We all deserve time to move our bodies, feel good in our bodies, and rest our bodies. I want to bring the benefits of yoga to people of all ages, abilities, and identities, because we all are worthy of feeling safe and at home in our minds and bodies.
I want to help people in any way that I can. I have found a pathway to help others through breath and movement. I enjoy connecting with others in communities around Chicago and beyond, and helping people feel more peaceful and joyful in their lives through yoga. If I can help at least one person each day feel safer in their bodies and more calm in their heart and mind, then I will have succeeded in my “why.”
Brenna teaches Tuesdays and Thursdays at 7 AM at Gallagher Way (through September) and then 5KY, starting in October.
HELEN SPICA
STUDIO REPRESENTATIVE
Certified Yoga Teacher
Certified Yoga Teacher
I came to yoga from ballet, looking for a physically healing practice after injury, and a way to more positively connect to my own body. Yoga quickly became the practice by which I learned to understand and honor the intuitive knowledge of the body, which I’d spent years denying and pushing past.
Through practice I have developed a deep gratitude and admiration for the ability of the body and the will of the mind, and as a teacher my goal always is to guide students towards the discovery and admiration of their own capabilities.
I am passionate about making yoga accessible to all bodies and abilities, and my classes focus on experiencing traditional yogic movement and postures guided by sensory feedback and personal intention. It is my honor and aim as a teacher to make yoga a welcoming and joyful practice for all of my students.
Helen teaches Beginner Yoga on Mondays at 6 PM, Intermediate Yoga on Tuesdays at 5:45 PM, Beginner Yoga on Fridays at 4 PM and Gentle Yoga on Saturdays at 1:30 PM.
Through practice I have developed a deep gratitude and admiration for the ability of the body and the will of the mind, and as a teacher my goal always is to guide students towards the discovery and admiration of their own capabilities.
I am passionate about making yoga accessible to all bodies and abilities, and my classes focus on experiencing traditional yogic movement and postures guided by sensory feedback and personal intention. It is my honor and aim as a teacher to make yoga a welcoming and joyful practice for all of my students.
Helen teaches Beginner Yoga on Mondays at 6 PM, Intermediate Yoga on Tuesdays at 5:45 PM, Beginner Yoga on Fridays at 4 PM and Gentle Yoga on Saturdays at 1:30 PM.
Stay Up to Date with 5KY.
Subscribe to Our Newsletter.
Subscribe to Our Newsletter.
FIVE KEYS YOGA
|
WHAT OUR CLIENTS SAYFive Keys is fantastic! The studio is lovely and soothing, and the teachers are very caring and attentive. |
I've ... probably been to 25 different yoga studios. This is one of the most welcoming, calming spaces with very talented instructors. |
I love this yoga studio. It's a great balance of a good workout and relaxation and feels like a real community. |
An ideal studio for someone new to yoga. |
Five Keys Yoga, LLC ∙ 1818 W. Belmont Ave. ∙ Chicago, IL 60657 ∙ (773) 857-1763 ∙ namaste@5keysyoga.com