Our Instructors

Our instructors are the heart of our studio and include some of the top yoga teachers and fitness trainers in Dallas, Texas. We only provide teachers who have completed a recognized teacher training program, or those who are well on their path to get there.

Vicki began practicing yoga in 1978, and has taught since 1994. Her professional training in yoga began at the Dallas Yoga Center with Fred Dowd, certified in the Iyengar tradition of Hatha yoga. Vicki has completed certification requirements in Integrative Yoga Therapy, founded by Joseph Lepage, and Namaste International Yoga, founded by Bill and Irene Beer. In 1998, Vicki studied in India and continues to study and practice with internationally recognized yoga teachers of various backgrounds bringing the best to her personal practice and students.

Vicki has brought the spirit of yoga to many groups in the community. These include special training for professionals in the chemical dependency and mental health fields and stress management programs for business and industry. She has created and implemented the Hatha yoga programs at University of Texas at Dallas and Collin County Community College here in Plano.

Vicki can be reached at:vicki@namasteusa.us

Tifany teaches a blend of Hatha Yoga styles to warm the heart, focus the mind, and strengthen the body. Teaching from the heart what she has learned along her own yoga journey, she helps students increase strength, flexibility, and peace of mind. Modifications are offered for each student’s body type, challenges, and level of expertise.

When Tifany took her first yoga class in 1997, she had no idea it would have such an impact on her that she would start teacher training the following year. Under the direction of her teachers Claude Grimes and Ranjana Pallana, she learned how to communicate the essence of yoga and develop her own teaching style. She received her teaching certification from Ranjana Pallana in 2000.

Tifany has attended workshops and teacher trainings with master teachers Irene Beers, Kofi Busia, Judith Lasater, Kausthub Desikachar, Rodney Yee, John Friend, Gary Kraftsow and others. Locally she has studied with Cynthia Pierro, Vicki Johnson/Namaste USA, Annette Doody and Ruth Lurie. Tifany has a bachelor’s degree in Business Computer Information Systems from the University of North Texas.

“I love doing yoga because it helps to calm my racing mind and makes me feel more balanced.”

Lesley is originally from upstate New York but has been in Texas since 1997. She began her yoga journey in 1999 and began teaching in 2004. She is a certified Kripalu yoga teacher and a 200 E-RYT registered instructor with Yoga Alliance. Lesley has a gentle style of teaching that encourages her students to start where they are, listen to their bodies, and appreciate what they are capable of in this moment. “It’s about how the yoga posture feels in your body.” She is currently studying with Judith Lasater working toward her certification in Relax & Renew Restorative Yoga. When not teaching yoga, she is wife, a busy mother of 2 girls, school volunteer, and avid reader.

Melissa is an engineer by trade, working as a software tester in the telecom industry. Before having children, she pursued an interest in the Martial Arts through Shaolin Kung Fu and Wu Hao style Tai Chi under the guidance of Sifu J.K. Wong. After she and husband, James, took ownership of Yoga Connection, Melissa began taking classes with various teachers at the studio. This gave her an appreciation for the different approaches that each person’s experience can bring to yoga. Melissa completed her Scaravelli Yoga Teacher Training through Namaste USA.

Melissa looks forward to helping others to explore the beauty and challenges of yoga.

Melissa can be reached at:info@planoyogaconnection.com

I draw on more than 15 years of being actively involved in health and fitness, working with individuals from varying background and fitness levels.

In addition to working with an individual’s fitness goals, my goal is to also provide functional strength and muscular balance for injury prevention. I merge these two objectives together by incorporating both traditional and functional training movements into an individual's exercise program. Based on my experience I feel that this makes the workout fun and keeps things interesting, while continuing to challenge all of our body's system and heightening mental engagement.

We have a variety of wellness programs for men and women of all ages. Each program is customized for you, based on your experience, your schedule and most importantly your goals.

James can be reached at james@planoyogaconnection.com