About Whimsy & Wanderlust 

My hope is to share my love of yoga and travel, to create beautiful connections, to make memories and fully experience life through mindful living, being the creator of my own epic story and helping you create yours. 

About Rachel Perez 

Hi! Welcome and allow me to introduce myself and share a little bit about me. My name is Rachel and my goal if you are reading this is to give you a snapshot of who I am, why I love yoga, and how I hope to use my love of this ancient practice to bring you into a more mindful, abundantly joyful way of living.  

My love of yoga began 20 years ago...As a young wife and the mother of two small children, (one child with significant developmental delays and countless therapy sessions.) I was seeking a way to decrease stress while increasing strength and flexibility.  Ultimately, I wanted to stay in shape, and possibly de-stress, but that was secondary.   Enter my introduction to Bikram yoga and thus my first yoga love affair ….For many years I was a hardcore Bikram devotee and envisioned myself completing teacher training and sharing the gift that brought me so much joy. While my commitment to my practice stayed strong, it took me nearly 12 years before I would be introduced to a different, less rigid, more whimsical style of yoga, enter Vinyasa Flow through teacher Mindy Piland, (owner of Yoga Time Studio) and have the opportunity to be her student and teach under her guidance as an apprentice teacher. 

Within a year of teaching Vinyasa Flow style of yoga and falling madly in love all over again and with the support of my amazing husband and three wonderful children, I decided to pursue my 200 RYT with (Internationally recognized teacher) Tiffany Cruikshank and complete her Teacher Training through Yoga Medicine. Tiffany was widely known, gracing covers of Yoga Journal and other yoga magazines but I was drawn to her brainy approach to understanding the intricacies of the human anatomy and how to use this knowledge to safely and effectively approach this practice.  Her teaching style taught me how to apply yoga as medicine and dive into the anatomical and philosophical themes of this ancient practice. This training forever changed me, igniting my flame and desire to know more! I know that I will always remain a student of yoga, always seeking to know more! Currently I am pursuing my 500 hour certification with Yoga Medicine and adding in a second 500 hour persuit with the extraordinary Jason Crandall Yoga. I look for every opportunity to learn from other teacher and I seek the best, so I’m excited to add a 100 hours of advanced teacher training with Jason Crandall in March and a deep exploration into meditation in Tulum Mexico with Yoga Medicine teachers and experts in their fields in October 2020. Expanding my teaching offerings onto the water with Stand Up Paddle Board Yoga and training with the extraordinary Amelia Travis of Stoked Yogi. All of these trainings have culminated in my desire to share my love of yoga, travel and connection with you through my daily studio classes, local events and destination yoga retreats.  

 I know first hand that through a dedicated yoga practice, transformation of the body, mind and spirit can and will occur. I am transformed because of what this practice has taught me and continues to teach me every time I roll out my mat.  I strive to live out my life cultivating joy though the simple daily practice of gratitude and service and by implementing yoga into everything I do. It is my desire to allow the Divinity that resides inside of me to shine as brightly as possible.  I want others to recognize their own Divine nature by finding stillness, by using their breath, and finding communion with God every time they practice.  It is my belief that flexibility on our mats is a metaphor for remaining flexible in life!  Learn to let things roll, bend so you won't break, smile and allow your beautiful light to shine!  With so much peace and love, I hope you will join me!

Om Shanti Shanti Shanti

Yoga Medicine, Tiffany Cruikshank 200hr RYT 

Certified SUP Yoga Teacher, StokedYogi, June 2014

Paddle Fit Level One Certified Instructor