Nicole Deacon-Miller

FOUNDER & CO-OWNER OF THE FOUNDRY & TEACHER TRAINING

Nicole Miller is the co-owner of The Foundry and founder of The Foundry Teacher Training. She started practicing yoga in the early 90s and began teaching Bikram yoga in 2005. She is passionate about yoga, leadership, and transformation. She began facilitating transformational programs at the age of 18 and continues to learn more methods of leadership skills. She holds certificates in Bikram Yoga, Hot Pilates, Power Yoga, Barre, Anatomy, Partnership, Transformational Work, & Executive Leadership.

Todd Deacon

CO-OWNER OF THE FOUNDRY

One of my greatest joys is being part of a community that is collectively moving toward a more enlightened world. The Foundry is a very special place. I took my first yoga class when I was 15 years old from Cintra Brown at the first Bikram Yoga studio in Arizona, now the Old Town location. I attended Oregon State University on a golf scholarship and received my degree in Business Administration. After college I played professional golf, at the end of my career I was left with chronic back pain. My sister Nicole encourage me to try a regular practice of yoga 5 times a week to see if that would help my back pain and episodes of barely being able to walk due to slipped disks. In no time I could feel the changes happening, but it took months for me to better understand my body and learn to use the practice to heal my body. I lost 40 lbs in the first year of regular practice and episodes of my back locking up reduced significantly.

I graduated in the inaugural Foundry Teacher Training and received my 200 Hour RYT Certification in 2015. I am also a certified 26+, Pilates, HIIT and Hot Flow Yoga Teacher.

Cintra Brown

26&2 YOGA LEAD TEACHER

Cintra Brown is a dedicated and knowledgeable yoga teacher with spiritual messages. Cintra met her teacher Bikram in 1987. Bikram certified her in 1991 and she holds a rare certificate from the Ghosh College of Physical Education in Calcutta. This is the same certification Bikram and Rajashree hold.Cintra was the founder of the first Bikram School in Scottsdale, Arizona. She was responsible for creating a huge and loyal following of students in love with her style, humour and deep humanity. Come to experience Cintra's class, where you will learn, laugh and come away with her 'Cintraisms' which are part of her teachings that help take yoga off the mat and into your everyday life.

Cintra is the Lead Yoga Teacher at both the 200-hour & 300-hour Teacher Trainings.

Julie Valenzuela

PILATES, HIIT & BARRE LEAD TEACHER

Julie is an experienced and energetic health and wellness professional. Having been a personal trainer and group fitness instructor for over twenty years, Julie's versatile background is what makes her a well-rounded instructor. Since obtaining her bachelor's in Exercise Physiology from the University of San Francisco and her Master's in Exercise in Wellness from Arizona State University, Julie has had the opportunity to bring her expertise to various fields of health and wellness including rehabilitation and physical therapy, fitness club management, and wellness program coordinating. She continues to inspire others to meet their professional fitness and wellness endeavors as an adjunct faculty for Paradise Community College, University of Phoenix, and Bryan University.

While diverse in her own education, Julie's passion is with Pilates and the principles that Joseph Pilates created. "Physical Fitness is the first requisite of happiness" is the opening statement in Pilates' writings on Contrology. Julie believes that a fit body contributes to a sound mind. Being able to perform movement with intention while improving one's own strength and flexibility is at the core of each workout. Julie is committed to optimizing all clients to the best of their abilities through Pilates, HIIT, and Barre!

Niki Fillmore

CHIEF OPERATING OFFICER OF THE FOUNDRY YOGA & FITNESS STUDIOS

Niki has been a full time yoga teacher since Fall of 2008. She attended Bikram's Teacher Training (500+ hours) in Acapulco, Mexico. For the past 10 years she has been mentoring and coaching teachers at The Foundry. In 2019 she stepped into the role as the Chief Operating Officer and works closely with all Foundry studio managers & franchise owners. Niki has sought out the best teachers in the community for her continued education. She has studied Pregnancy Yoga with Rajashree Choudhury, Teaching Philosophy & Dynamics, Inferno Hot Pilates with Gabi Walters, Hot Barre & Hot Pilates with our very own Julie Valenzuela, Primal Flow with Anton Mackey, Power Yoga with Beryl Bender Birch, & Meditation with Jemini Wild. She has served on the faculty of The Foundry Teacher Training since it’s inception in 2015.

Her passion to teach yoga comes from witnessing people transform and move towards living a life filled with vitality, joy and gratitude.

Jess Pate

PILATES MENTOR & HIIT FACULTY

Jess was born and raised in Peoria, Arizona. She started dance as a hobby at 8 years old but it turned into a passion for movement of the human body. She earned a dance degree while going to school in Sydney, Australia and an Exercise Science degree from Scottsdale Community College. She was Pilates Certified through Remedy Sports Center at Remedy Pilates in 2015.

“I love training all walks of life, from the stay at home mom, to the 75 year old grandfather, to the professional athlete. Pilates is my passion!”

Kimi Glover

FLOW YOGA FACULTY

Kimi is a dynamic and experienced yoga and fitness instructor based in Phoenix, AZ. Her journey into movement and teaching started early in life through dance, gymnastics, and cheerleading. She discovered Bikram Yoga at The Foundry in 2011, which became her yoga home.

Her teaching path began in 2017 when she completed her first 200-Hour RYT certification in 26&2 Hot Yoga with The Foundry. Building on this foundation, Kimi expanded her expertise by earning certifications in teaching 26&2+ intermediate variations, Vinyasa flow, Barre, Pilates, Yin Yoga, and guided meditations (500+ hours).

Kimi's teaching style is characterized by her passion for creating holistic experiences in her classes. She designs unique sequences and smooth transitions in her flow classes, incorporating elements of strength to harmonize the feminine and masculine aspects of the body. This approach not only promotes physical well-being but also supports mental and emotional healing, reflecting her personal journey. Beyond her own practice and teaching, Kimi is enthusiastic about sharing her knowledge and passion with new teachers, fostering a supportive and growth-oriented community.

Ellen Keane

YIN YOGA FACULTY

Ellen is a grounded and magnetic hot yoga + fitness teacher with the E-RYT 200, RYT 300, and YACEP designations. Her first love and passion is for Hot Flow and Yin Yoga, but she also teaches 26&2, Hot HIIT and Hot Pilates. She was first introduced to yoga by her father, who took her to a Bikram yoga class when she was in high school. As an athlete, she loved the structure and intensity of the class. After sustaining an injury, Ellen incorporated more yoga into her life and found a new sense of community outside of being a soccer player. She found the Baptiste yoga practice and got her 200-RYT certification in February of 2017 in Savannah, GA and has been teaching Vinyasa Power Flow Yoga and Yin Yoga ever since. Soon after Ellen moved to AZ with her husband and 3 cats, and taught around the Valley before she completed her 300-RYT at the Foundry Yoga in 2021. Ellen loves to teach teachers how to create an experience whether they are teaching an intentional Hot Flow sequence or guiding a powerfully still Yin Yoga class.

Lauren Carrizales

BARRE FACULTY

Lauren is a form focused barre teacher certified in 2019. A 12 year cheerleading background that ran through college and coaching led her to a barre studio where she quickly found a love for group fitness. While barre is her first love, she is now a certified pilates and HIIT teacher for The Foundry and loves the crossover from each modality. Her passion for the "why" behind barre and precision through each exercise makes her classes simple yet effective.

The power of the music, small isometric movements, repetition, and proper use of props makes each barre class fun and challenging. Her goal is to make each class challenging yet accessible. She loves to teach teachers how to tie all of these elements together along with strong cues for proper alignment.

Lynn Whitlow

26&2 YOGA FACULTY

Lynn’s resume is extensive in the yoga world: she was certified to teach Bikram yoga in the 1990s, holds an Ashtanga Yoga Certification, and has traveled to India to study with the Iyengar family to deepen her knowledge and expertise — immersing herself in the culture and traditions that she continues to pass on to others.

Alison Tavares

26&2 YOGA FACULTY

I took my first class of Bikram Yoga February 2003 and knew instantly that I had found something that was a game changer. I attended the Teacher Training in Fall 2006 in Los Angeles and since that experience I have had the opportunity to travel, teach (at over 20 studios) and learn from the Senior Teachers of our community. Along with attending Advance Class Seminars and I was blessed to attend the inaugural Women's Retreat in 2007 hosted by our beautiful Rajashree and our fearless leader Emmy Cleaves in Wisconsin and again in Austin, TX (love the city!). I've been trained by Rajashree on her Pregnancy Series she designed for women pre and post delivery at the gorgeous Kripalu Center For Yoga & Health in Stockbridge, MA in 2011. I've mentored with Diane Ducharme of 26&2 W Roxbury, MA, Lynn Whitlow Yoga Hell Petaluma, CA, Mardy and Jeff Chen Pure Austin, TX, Robin Brace True Bikram New Haven, CT and I thanks the many other teacher that have shared with me their knowledge and love of the Yoga.

In 2008, I started coaching for AZ Regional Yoga Asana Championships. I've coached champions in the Regional Yoga Asana Championships, National Yoga Asana Finals and International Yoga Asana Championships. My judging career began not long after and I judged at the following Regional Championships - Missoula, Las Vegas, Mid-Atlantic, New England, N. California, Illinois. Finally in 2012 I competed in AZ Regional Asana Yoga Championships and finished 4th (to girls literally half my age, I was 44 at the time!).

I am happy and proud to have been the owner of Bikram Yoga East Valley - Gilbert for 7 years. The BYEV Tribe was a strong and compassionate community and will continue to live in all of our hearts and souls.

I look forward to seeing you on the mat. “Using what you’ve got to get what you don’t”

Lisa Ingle-Stevens

26&2 YOGA FACULTY

Lisa Ingle-Stevens has been practicing and teaching yoga for over 20 years. Her passion for people and learning are evident from the moment you meet her. She believes that hard work, consistency, life-long learning and fun are the keys to continuing to grow as a person. Her goal is to help spread the practice of yoga and movement and inspire others to become their best in all aspects of their lives.

Lisa is a graduate of Trinity University in San Antonio, Texas with a degree in Business Administration. Lisa took her first Bikram Yoga class in 1999, and immediately following her first class knew she wanted to teach yoga and help people heal and stay healthy through this incredible life-changing practice. In the fall of 2002, Lisa completed the Bikram Yoga Teacher Training Certification program in Los Angeles, California. She is the co-founder of The Union Fitness and Fun where her first yoga studio opened in the spring of 2004. Since than she has co-opened an additional two yoga studio locations with one of her closest friends Stevan Falk, to help spread and expand the healing benefits of yoga and movement to the San Antonio community. She serves as a mentoring teacher and studio owner around the globe and currently teaches Bikram Yoga, Power Yoga, Inferno Hot Pilates and Fusion classes at The Union. She holds a 500-RYT through Yoga Alliance and is on faculty with Beryl Bender Birch through the Hard & Soft Institute.

Lisa holds certifications in the area of Leadership Development through the PAX Mastery Program with Alison Armstrong and is a Lightyear Leadership coach with Susanne Conrad, Lisa co-founded The U Institute in 2019, which is a Leadership and Education learning company dedicated to creating life-long learners and help provide physical and mental tools for people to live their best lives.

Gianna Purcell

FLOW + 26&2 YOGA FACULTY

An International Yoga Teacher, anatomy and movement enthusiast, and Asana Champion, Gianna (she/they) travels the world leading workshops, trainings, retreats, and classes and learning from her teachers.

“My mission is to help people get interested in themselves and excited about healing, feelings, and gettin’ dirty.” Gianna does have classes geared towards more advanced asana but provides guidance for all levels. Her emotionally based classes include pranayama and meditation, long held active and passive positions for beginners to movement and veteran practitioners looking for sublet body work. Workshops on the 26&2 BIKRAM series, hatha yoga poses and techniques, Ashtanga yoga, meditation, and functional anatomy are her specialties. She is the creator of the Maha Hatha series and owner of the Siddhi School of Yoga.

Anton Mackey

FLOW YOGA FACULTY

Anton Mackey is a deliberate & intentional yoga teacher who masterfully bridges the gap between the spiritual and the physical, weaving his knowledge of the human body with the sacred wisdom of the soul.

Anton believes yoga is the practice of uniting the Divine Feminine with the Sacred Masculine to reach higher states of consciousness, while embodying our greatest authentic expression of ourselves.

His teaching and guidance creates a space for students to access their unlimited creative potential while navigating beyond limitations, inspiring them to become Empowered, Connected, & Whole!

He travels around the globe teaching workshops and teacher trainings, presenting at festivals, and leading yoga and meditation retreats with his beloved, Amy Solara Mackey.

Jemini Wild

MEDITATION LEAD TEACHER

Jemini believes that facilitating the journey toward inner peace, mindfulness, and holistic well-being for others, begins with the leadership of ourselves. She’s constantly learning and loves sharing her passion for personal and spiritual development. Her style seamlessly blends ancient wisdom with modern insights, providing practical tools that can be easily integrated into everyday life.

By weaving together elements of neuroscience, energetics, positive psychology, and wisdom traditions, she offers a well-rounded perspective that is both accessible and deeply inspiring. Her teaching philosophy is deeply rooted in inclusivity, aiming to bring the transformative benefits of meditation to everyone, regardless of experience or background.

The Meditation Teacher Training program was developed as a solution for soothing the challenges of today’s fast paced lifestyle. Her intention is to support students in developing mental clarity, emotional resilience, and a profound connection to themselves and the world.