Instructors - Alluma Yoga

MEET OUR TEAM

Isabel is a Registered Nurse and massage therapist. As a healthcare professional, she seeks to inform while empowering people to reach their best health. Her mission with Alluma Yoga was to create a space in which people of all ages, abilities, and paths can experience the gift of yoga, enriching their physical, social and emotional lives and enjoying the radiant energy of a supportive and nurturing community of yogis.

Isabel has donated the studio to Brianna Salmela in honor of her daughter, Catherine, so that the studio may continue to be a place of inspiration and joy.

Bri has been in the yoga industry for over 8 years, both acquiring training and teaching others. Her extensive training led her to realize how important the practice of yoga is for the mind, body, and soul. She is the former owner of Honor Yoga in Negaunee, MI, which is where she watched the beauty of creating a yoga community that flourished and bonded.

Her greatest treasures are her daughters Kina and Anja, and her family bond is extremely important to her. She defines her role as manager of Alluma Yoga as ensuring that all yogis and teachers can feel supported, safe, and content with their yoga journey.

My Why. Yoga has strengthened me inwardly, and outwardly. In the past, that meant pushing my body beyond my edge whether in yoga or some other fitness class. The mental discipline had to be tough and strong as well. At that time, something felt off with my life and my practice.

Today, strength means believing in me. I do not push past my edge when practicing yoga. I do see my edge growing all the time in a healthy accessible way. I surrender to where I am in the pose at that moment, breathing deeply and relaxing my mind. By blending ease and challenge in my practice, my body is strong and I feel powerful. I don’t resist the pose, and I don’t resist what occurs in my practice or in my life. I teach what I have learned. I teach what works for me. This yoga is about finding your own inner power — to be calm in the sometimes storms of life, and mostly to find love and kindness towards ME.

Kristen was born and raised in Marquette. Her love for the outdoors during all four seasons is strong. With my husband and two young boys, she enjoys biking, boating, skiing, traveling and trying new things. She is employed by UP Health System as a genetic technologist in the laboratory.
A part of her life since her late teens, she was grateful for yoga in 2020 as it became a much-needed outlet to slowdown and process difficult emotions. She signed up for Yoga Teacher Training (YTT) to take a deep dive in learning more about the practice that carried her through one of the most difficult years of her life. YTT taught her a lot about yoga, and just as much about herself. It gave her the courage to find her voice and the confidence to use it. Knowing how beneficial it has been to her, Kristen can’t help but share her love of yoga with others through teaching. She loves all styles of yoga, the numerous benefits to body, mind and spirit, and the opportunity to challenge yourself mentally and physically. At Alluma, she looks forward to new heart openings and ways to incorporate yoga into her life and her students’ lives on and off their mat.

Mary Connor is the owner of Marquette Ayurveda, LLC and is a NAMA certified ayurveda practitioner. She is registered with the Yoga Alliance (RYT-500) and is the former owner of the Marquette Yoga Center and Nirinjan Dev School of Yoga.Her formal university education includes a BS from West Virginia University in Food Science and Nutrition, and a Master’s degree from NMU in Exercise Science. An outdoor enthusiast, she enjoys cycling, camping, hiking, backpacking and skiing, and teaches cross country skiing. “Spending at least an hour or more outside each day, along with 20 minutes of meditation” is her prescription for everyone to manage the stress of everyday life and prevent disease.

I started practicing Yoga at Honor Yoga because it immediately felt like a community. Yoga showed up in my life when I didn’t know I needed it the most, which is why I decided to take my 200 hour Yoga Teacher Training.

Yoga continues to meet me where I am on my mat and in my life. It’s a practice that follows me when I’m off my mat and allows me to show up for myself, my family, and others that I encounter. I wanted to share both Yoga and YOD Yoga with others because of the impact they have had on my life through breath, intentional movement and joy.

Jessica was born and raised in Marquette where she now lives with her 3 children. She has been a hair stylist for 22 years. Her love of caring for people and desire to make them feel good began with the beauty industry but soon she felt the pull for more. She decided to try hot yoga 6 years ago, and has been opening her heart to the possibilities that yoga brings to her life. Now after completing yoga teacher training and becoming an instructor at Alluma, she is beyond excited to share her love of self-care with her students.

Catherine began her yoga journey while in medical school at Wayne State University. Yoga brought balance to her life, and helped her to manage the extraordinary stress and demands of becoming a physician. She earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Cellular and Molecular Biology at the University of Michigan, and completed her Residency at Oregon Health and Science University in Portland. She followed a whole-foods, plant-based diet, and has done extensive research and writing regarding plant-based nutrition.

She lived in Portland with her partner Tony, sister Sarah, and best buddy/ fur baby Teddy – a Mini Australian Shepherd. She loved to share her knowledge of food as medicine with others, and share the gift of yoga with family and friends. Her spirit shines bright and her light continues to inspire and touch the hearts and lives of many, many people.

Heather’s yoga journey began at the young age of 14 while committed to competitive sport, as yoga offered a different perspective on training; slower is better. As a swimmer and triathlete, she has a passion for physical activity, but the intense training and structure left her with anxiety from stress and feelings of exhaustion. She committed herself to yoga while studying at CU Boulder in Colorado. She completed her 200 hour YTT with CorePower in December of 2019. She plans on completing her 300 hour teacher training in Bali within the next few years. With an established background in fitness, Heather loves to incorporate yoga sculpt elements into her practice to connect, grow, and gain strength with the breath, and with a passion for plant medicine, essential oils are a foundation in her yoga routine. She practices yoga to listen; to become the witness to her body. Yoga brings her attention to value things greater than herself. For Heather, yoga is an investment of experience and knowledge to share with others. She is always looking to lead collective movement for the desire to connect people to health. “Movement has been my life, it is my life, and yoga is for my life.”

MEET OUR TEAM

Isabel Francis

Brianna Salmela

Lori Beth Jokinen

Kristen Gordon

Mary Connor

Emily McLean

Jessica Pesola

Catherine Edgell, MD

Heather House

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Classes 7 days a week

Alluma Yoga

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