Instructors

Debbie Maier

Debbie Maier, DRYT 200 under Sri Dharma Mittra, dedicates her practice to inspiring students of all ages and backgrounds to find inner peace. She hopes students leave her classes with a smile and desire to live their yoga off the mat making a positive impact throughout the world.

The Pacific Northwest native is a former NCAA Division I athlete who has practiced yoga and meditation since 2000. Mother to three children and an active entrepreneur in High Point, NC, Debbie has owned DeBeen Espresso for 21 years and Pure Light Yoga for 7. Maier believes strongly in ahimsa, living by example and giving back to the community.

Leahann Bowen-Schmitt

Leahann has been a fitness instructor for over 25 years and a Yoga instructor for 12 years. She has taught everything from Step to Spin, however, her passion is Yoga. She has especially enjoyed teaching men during her lunch time Power Yoga class at Volvo Trucks. They have spent a lifetime in the gym pumping iron and are amazed at the body awareness, power and relaxation that Yoga offers. Leahann enjoys stories from her students and how Yoga has helped their running, cycling and skiing. She also enjoys a Holistic lifestyle as well as natural oils.

Leahann received her 230 hour Yoga Certification from Yoga Alliance in Asheville and she is also Level 1 certified with YogaFit. She also has certifications in Cycling and Aerobics.

Anthony Parra, E-RYT 500

Teacher and mentor, Tony Parra has been living a yogic lifestyle for over a decade. Incorporating the full spectrum of yogic practices into his teachings. He keeps the integrity and tradition of an ancient yoga style alive, yet remains open to complimentary modern techniques that he has found to be effective in supporting the growth of his students.

Tony believes that here is no area of one's life that is outside of the scope of yoga and aims to re-establish the ancient duty of the yogi as mentor, scholar, leader, seer, advisor and healer, etc.

His instructions completely transform his students. Increasing their health, wealth and awareness. He is consistently in a state of growth and inspires others to do so as well. Join him in this enlightening experience! Join him in the joy of yoga!

Jennifer Newton

“Stand in front of your past and let it be. In this space of LOVE all things are possible". ― Baron Baptiste

Yoga is a life preserver in stormy seas. I found my way to yoga when looking for a form of exercise that "fit". I tried everything my local YMCA had to offer and nothing worked. My last ditch effort was yoga. I walked into a class in that YMCA and something clicked. While it wasn't love at first sight, it certainly was accessible to me, I was a new mom at the time. Yoga is not easy. It's not all meditation and chanting. It took work and I put in the work. My body changed. I began to lose weight, tone, and gain muscle definition. The most miraculous change was the change yoga brought about in my mind. I was a little calmer. Connected to the bigger picture of life. I little more loving. I smiled for no reason.

Yoga is a life preserver in stormy seas. Fast forward a few years. The seas became incredibly stormy. My life in a sense fell apart. I lost my practice. I lost everything. What did remain was the knowledge I gained because of yoga. I tiny connection to something bigger. When I was ready, I reach for that "life raft". It was still there. All I had to do was step onto my mat. Broken, tired, weak, and hopeless I stepped onto my mat. Yoga lights a fire inside. Yoga fulfills a need. I felt alive, purposeful, strong. Yoga truly is for everybody, everywhere, no matter what the circumstance.

I became the captain of my ship. I stood in front of my past and let it be. I enrolled in a 200hr Yoga Teacher Training at CorePower Yoga in Charlotte, NC. This Baptiste based program has taught me that yoga can be fun, sweaty, blissful, and full of smiles. That's exactly what you'll get in my yoga class. We will move, we will sweat, we will laugh, and we will not take ourselves so seriously. It's just yoga. I love fun music, I love to push you to your edge and end class with a time of meditation that will truly leave you basking in the glow of yogic healing. "In this space of LOVE all things are possible". Jenn Newton is a wife and mother of 4 daughters. She loves the band Phish, homesteading, the mountains, dancing, and anything blissful. She is Reiki Level 1 and 2 certified. Jenn is a 200hr Certified Power Yoga Instructor, graduating from CorePower Yoga in December of 2017.

Tesha Benson

Tesha began practicing yoga at home in 2009 with videos. Initially used as a way to help her have a happy and healthy pregnancy, she was so impressed with the effectiveness of practice that she continued her at-home practice and began taking yoga classes at university as a way to relieve stress and stay fit. In 2015 she began to explore what yoga had to offer as a healing tool and began attending classes regularly at Pure Light, as well as attending various meditation workshops in the Triad.

She was certified to teach yoga in 2017 with a program that focuses on the enlightening aspects of a yogic practice, and continues to participate in meditation workshops to bring the healing components of yoga to all of her classes.

Wendy Robinson

Wendy Robinson, Ph.D., who has completed her 200-hour yoga teacher training with Mindbody Centering YOGA at the Global Breath Studio in Durham, NC. Wendy is a student and friend of Pure Light Yoga, and contributes the Moonday by Sphinx Yoga and Wonderful Moon for Wise + Well posts you may have read on Facebook.

A long-time yogi with experience across many practice styles, Wendy currently focuses on Dharma, where she began many years ago in New York City.

Jordan Harris

Jordan has been practicing yoga regularly since 2013. At the time she was training for her first marathon and noticed how much yoga seemed to help her speed, flexibility and recovery time. As her practice improved, she started noticing she felt better inside as well. She handled stress better and just felt overall more calm. Observing these things, she realized yoga wasn’t just about the asanas.

In 2015, within a few months time span, Jordan experienced several life changing events including the loss of a parent and a diagnosis of MS. After much research and thought, yoga seemed to be the answer.

It was about the complete picture: mind, body and soul. It has helped her heal in so many ways. She was so excited to have the opportunity to learn under Tony Parra and obtained her 200 hour yoga teacher training (200RYT) through Tony’s teaching program, The Living Path of Enlightened Yogis. Yoga has the amazing ability to give you just what you need when you need it. Her hope is to help you find the best version of yourself, and aid you in finding peace and confidence within.

Katie Koile

RYT 200, she completed her teacher training in April 2017 through Passion Yoga School in Costa Rica. Under the direction of yogi, Adi Shakti, Katie learned the Akhanda Shakti method, which means the "whole divine feminine." She seeks to empower students through yoga, and believes that yoga is a transformational journey and a path to bliss where we uncover a deep sense of peace."" Bio: "Katie grew up in Indiana, but lived in Wilmington for a few years before moving to High Point this past April. She has done lots of traveling and will surely bring some of those experiences and her wild freedom to the mat. You can find her most mornings slinging coffee at PLY's connected cafe, DeBeen Espresso.

RYT 200, she completed her teacher training in April 2017 through Passion Yoga School in Costa Rica. Under the direction of yogi, Adi Shakti, Katie learned the Akhanda Shakti method, which means the "whole divine feminine." She seeks to empower students through yoga, and believes that yoga is a transformational journey and a path to bliss where we uncover a deep sense of peace.""

MaryAnn Vinay-Ricks

MaryAnn first discovered yoga 10 years ago as a path to help cope with her over-active mind. In 2008 she began attending classes regularly at Pure Light. Throughout her journey she has found yoga to be centering, restorative and calming while also providing strength and flexibility. MaryAnn received her RYT 200 Yoga training from Yoga Mindset School of Yoga in High Point in 2018. She is passionate about encouraging individuals to discover yoga and its benefits to their body, mind and spirit. MaryAnn lives in High Point with her husband, active 2-year-old, and two dogs.