_edi.png)
Gina Dropp
Gina first started practicing yoga unknowingly as an actor and theatre artist, but her real yoga
journey began when she was introduced to a more traditional yoga and meditation practice under
the mentorship of Ki Curtis in college. After moving to Chicago after undergrad, Gina
maintained a dedicated practice to focus on mental and emotional health and it was through the
experience of managing anxiety and depression in the competitive world of performing arts that
Gina wanted to bring the gift of yoga to others and received her 200-hr yoga certification through
Bloom Yoga Studio in Chicago. As a college professor, small theatre owner, playwright, and
professional child-care consultant, finding balance is key. As a yoga teacher, Gina hopes to bring
fellow yogi’s a practice that helps them feel strong, balanced, and safe.
Gina is the owner and operator of Mountain Yoga, with a continuous drive to maintain and grow the community and joy that Mountain Yoga brings to the area.
April Bell
April started her yoga journey in 2015. She found the health benefits that came from having a consistent yoga practice shortly after being diagnosed with cancer and rheumatoid arthritis. This fueled her drive to learn as much as she could about yoga and to become a certified yoga teacher. Yoga heals your body, mind, and soul. April is a Reiki Master, and will be completing her Aerial Yoga Teacher Training certification in October.
"I want other people to feel the way I feel after doing yoga. It is life changing if you allow it to be."
April is the previous owner and operator of Mountain Yoga and is passionate about sharing the positive benefits of yoga to everyone.
Penny Joy Barnett
Penny is a 200-hour Register Yoga Teacher (RYT) graduate of Interdisciplinary Yoga Teacher Training at Evolve Yoga + Wellness, in California, Maryland. She has her 50-hour Yoga Anatomy certification, and is currently working on her 30-hour Warrior At Ease certification for Trauma and PTSD She discovered the magic of movement with breath and the incredible benefits to her body.
She is a Veteran, married to a wonderful man and has five incredible daughters and one very adorable granddaughter. She loves being outside in nature and especially loves Earthing/Grounding where you will most likely catch her barefooted. Penny brings a mindfulness to her classes, slowing down to allow students to explore their body and learn to honor their journey.
Brooke Strickland
Brooke completed her yoga teacher training in South Carolina, and graduated in June 2020.
Her practice began as a teenager like many millennial/gen z borderlines...anxious, depressed, and dealing with personal traumas. The practice of concentrating and stilling the mind through meditation called to her first, through that she began her physical yoga practice. There would be a few years between this and attending her training, and her practice was strictly personal, at home. In the years between she attended The Chestnut School of Herbal Medicine, a 2.5 year program based out of NC, and also acquired her mushroom foraging license.
Through these studies she began to truly feel at one in nature. Hungry to continue on this path of personal wellness she decided it was time to take her yoga practice to a real studio. She walked in the first day to inquire with the owner about applying for teacher training. This request was met with an approving smile and was told "why don't you come in and make sure you like us first." Six months later teacher training began, and by the end Brooke learned that the practice of yoga is truly to still the ripples of the mind, because when the mind is still, that is where your true self will be found.