About Me

Hi friends, I’d like to welcome you to my website. If you’ve come this far than it is likely that you too have a love of yoga, wellness, whimsy, and a wanderlust spirit. Allow me to introduce myself, my name is Rachel Perez 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 22 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 in Northern Virginia) and have the opportunity to be her student and teach under her guidance as an apprentice teacher. 

Within a year of teaching Vinyasa Flow 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! I have continued my education with Yoga Medicine, finishing nearly 200 additional hours of advanced yoga teacher exploring more nuanced practices such as yin yoga and meditation along with 60 hours in myofascial release. In 2022 post-pandemic I decided to train with another globally notable and accomplished teacher, Jason Crandall and will complete his 300 hour advanced teacher training at the end of October 2022.
I can honestly say that I have learned from the best in the world and I carry this confidence into the classes that I bring to my students.

I take every opportunity to learn from other teachers, expanding my teaching 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,corporate wellness programs, private online instruction along with local community events and my highly sought after luxury 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. 

Om Shanti Shanti Shanti

Yoga Medicine, Tiffany Cruikshank 200hr RYT 

Certified SUP Yoga Teacher, StokedYogi, June 2014

Paddle Fit Level One Certified Instructor