Ahana instructors
Meet your instructors
Dawn B. Feinberg
Dawn B. Feinberg
Dawn B. Feinberg's bio goes here.
Nickole Gonzalez
Nickole Gonzalez
Nickole has been immersed in the world of yoga for as long as she can remember. A lifelong practitioner and second-generation yogi, she draws from a variety of traditions to create a teaching style that is both grounded and dynamic.
Her classes blend the discipline and focus of Ashtanga with the creativity and fluidity of Vinyasa, weaving breath, alignment, and ancient yogic wisdom throughout. She encourages students to explore their practice with curiosity and intention, creating space to go deeper while still finding joy in the experience.
After countless hours on the mat, months spent pilgrimaging to sacred places, and years studying with teachers from a range of yogic lineages, Nickole continues to consider herself a lifelong student of yoga. She is deeply grateful for the teachers who have deepened her practice and hopes to do the same for others.
Nicole Rodriguez
Nicole Rodriguez
Nicole Rodriguez, better known as Nikkie, is a Senior Teacher at Ahana Yoga, a Miami native, and a Luxury New Development Real Estate Agent.
Having undergone a complete life shift in 2019 after a good friend coerced her into trying yoga, Nikkie feels extremely passionate about sharing the practice that saved her life and helped her free herself from her many addictions.
Having experienced firsthand the beautiful changes that this practice can create, and having catapulted her own personal and professional growth by applying yoga philosophy to everything she does, she has found a lifelong connection to the practice.
Nikkie is all about finding the balance between all that is spiritually profound and this very real, material experience we are all having. She is honored to share the gift of yoga and feels strongly about passing down the sacred yoga philosophy that her many teachers have handed down to her.
Her classes are fun, spiritual, funny, and healing—just like her.
Nikkie completed her YTT at Ahana Yoga in 2020 and has taught here exclusively ever since.
Vanessa Goncalves
Vanessa Goncalves
Vanessa is a Miami Beach-based yoga instructor and wellness entrepreneur with six years of teaching experience across the U.S. and internationally. A rare bridge between clinical precision and embodied practice, she brings a former dentist’s anatomical eye to yoga — a perspective that sets her apart in Miami’s wellness scene.
Her training spans 200hr Ahana Vinyasa, 200hr Hatha, 300hr 7 Doorways Vinyasa, 175hr Yin/Restorative, and 75hr Jivamukti, plus meditation certification and wellness programming.
At Ahana, she teaches Vinyasa. She’s the author of I’m Enough, I’m Vulnerable and believes the mat is where discipline becomes presence.
Nicolas de Villada
Nicolas de Villada
Nicolas was born in Paris and moved to Miami at the age of four, and was heavily influenced by both his Cuban and French sides of the family. He began practicing yoga 15 years ago, and has been teaching for the past 12, guiding students through the many faces of Vinyasa: Ashtanga Vinyasa, Power Vinyasa, and classic Vinyasa flow.
Nicolas is known for his ability to hold space for beginners and advanced practitioners alike, meeting each student exactly where they are.His practice extends beyond the mat. Nicolas has participated in numerous meditation retreats and both practices and teaches Metta Vipassana, weaving loving-kindness and stillness into the physical work of yoga.
Stephanie Dewhurst
Stephanie Dewhurst
Stephanie discovered yoga while recovering from a running injury. She fell in love with the calming synchronization of breath to movement. During a season of grief and major life changes, she signed up for her first 200-hour YTT with Yoga Loft in Chicago.
She's since trained in yoga barre and pilates, and completed a second 200-hour YTT with Ahana Yoga. Moving to Miami in 2024 and finding a home at Ahana reignited her passion for teaching.
She loves to empower her students on and off the mat to grow outside their comfort zones. She brings a positive, calming energy and music-driven motivation to every class.
Brenna Wagnon
Brenna Wagnon
Brenna Wagnon's bio goes here.
Allaine Stricklen
Allaine Stricklen
Allaine Stricklen has been practicing Yoga for over 40 years, and has studied with many incredible teachers all over the world. She is a Yoga Therapist certified by IAYT (the International Association of Yoga Therapists) as well as a Master Yoga Instructor certified by the Yoga Alliance. Allaine believes that Yoga is for every body and everybody, and her mission is to help her students recognize and release old patterns that do not serve a higher purpose.
Allaine blends her extensive knowledge of Iyengar and Restorative Yoga into well-rounded classes. Allaine is a Certified Scoliosis Specialist and has studied with Yoga Teacher Elise Browning-Miller, a Senior Iyengar Yoga Teacher. Allaine offers traditional teachings which address each person's individual needs, with a joyous and open heart. Allaine's presence will immediately make you feel welcome and at ease.
Allaine has created her own unique style of Yoga called "Gentle Therapeutics Yoga" which is a safe and detailed method using various props to restore the body's balance and vitality.
Dana Mc Pherson
Dana Mc Pherson
Dana is a 200-hour Certified RYT and 50-hour Certified Yin Yoga Teacher. Yoga has been an integral part of her life for over 15 years. With a background in ballet and a lifelong love of movement and sports, Dana was naturally drawn to the balance of strength and flexibility that yoga offers. Over time, her practice became a sacred space for self-discovery, healing, and transformation.
Dana brings this personal connection into every class. She views yoga as a dance that connects breath to movement, where moments of tension and harmony weave together, grounding you in the present and inviting you to be a little less in the mind and a little more connected to your body. Her teaching encourages students to move with confidence and curiosity, slow down and reconnect with their inner wisdom, and feel grounded and at home in their own skin.
Chrissy Nasser
Chrissy Nasser
Chrissia is a 200-hour RYT with an additional 50 hours of Yin training, a certified personal trainer, and wellness specialist with a background in skin and body care. With roots in dance and strength training, movement has always been a meaningful part of her life. It was the mental, physical, and emotional healing she found through yoga that deepened her practice and drew her to the connection between mind, body, and movement.
Her teaching is intuitive and grounding, weaving together fluid movement, mobility, and deep release to create more openness and freedom in the body. She encourages students to listen to their bodies and move in a way that feels natural, creating an immersive experience that nourishes both mind and body. Her classes are an invitation to pause, reset, and become absorbed in the practice, allowing movement to become meditation and time on the mat to become an act of self-love and care.
Patrick Nolan
Patrick Nolan
Patrick Nolan is a yoga teacher and lifelong student with nearly two decades of teaching experience. Rooted in traditional Ashtanga Yoga, his teaching brings together asana, yoga philosophy, Sanskrit, and the scriptures that inform and deepen the practice.
Patrick holds Level 2 Authorization from R. Sharath Jois and has made seven study trips to Mysore, India. He has trained extensively with respected teachers including Kino MacGregor, Tim Feldmann, Richard Freeman, and Mary Taylor, and has spent nine years studying Sanskrit and Indian philosophy with renowned teachers and scholars.
Patrick’s approach is down-to-earth, thoughtful, and often humorous, making ancient teachings accessible and relevant to modern life. Having experienced the transformative power of yoga in his own life, he is passionate about honoring its Indian roots while helping students cultivate greater self-knowledge, resilience, and inner peace, both on and off the mat.
Maylen Dominguez
Maylen Dominguez
Maylen Dominguez has practiced yoga for over 30 years and taught for the past 18. A Senior Instructor at Ahana Yoga since the studio opened, she teaches Ahana Flow, weaving movement, breath, meditation, and wisdom into a practice that is both grounding and joyful.
Maylen completed her 200-hour teacher training with Saul David Raye, with whom she continued to study and assist extensively, and her 500-hour training with Sattva Yoga in Rishikesh, India. Her yoga journey has also included study with Erich Schiffmann, Mark Whitwell, Shiva Rea, Bryan Kest, and Amrit Desai. She is trained in Reiki, Thai Yoga Massage, Yoga Nidra, breathwork, and multiple meditation practices.
Her deepest passion as a teacher is sharing the wisdom behind the practice. Drawing from yoga philosophy and years of exploring Buddhism, Judaism, Kabbalah, Hinduism, Christianity, Sufism, and Bhakti, Maylen brings stories and teachings from many traditions into her classes. Her hope is to help students connect with their breath, listen inwardly, find the practice in their own bodies, and leave feeling lighter and more connected to themselves.
Maylen is also a writer and filmmaker whose most recent feature, Ethan Bloom, is currently in theatrical release.
Elissa Aragunde
Elissa Aragunde
Elissa is a dedicated yoga teacher with a deep passion for Kirtan. She earned her 200 RYT certification from Ahana Yoga in the summer of 2022. Elissa also hosts beginner harmonium workshops, holds a certification in Kids Yoga and contributes her expertise to the yoga teacher training program.
Originally from Miami Beach, she is an avid lover of the beach, cooking, golf, and dancing. Her approach to yoga is holistic, viewing it as a way of life. She excels in creating and holding space for her students, encouraging freedom of expression and personal growth.
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