Our Instructors
Amanda Nelch
I am very excited to introduce myself to you as the new owner of Venice Avenue Yoga. I look forward to meeting, working, and practicing with each and every one of you. I received my certification to teach the 26/2 yoga series in November of 2021. I obtained my certifcation in beautiful Sedona, Arizona through Hamsa Healing with Kay Ostrenko. A little about me: I am a native Floridian and I have lived my entire life here in Florida. I am a mother of three and dog mom to a retired racing greyhound. I work as a Registered Nurse specializing in Critical Care. Since the beginning of the Covid pandemic in 2020 I have worked as a crisis response nurse deployed to some of the hardest hit cities across the country. I have spent many months at a time traveling so you may recognize me only as someone you have seen at the studio on occasion. However, Venice Avenue Yoga has always been my studio to come home to. I am honored to be on this new journey. It is my hope and intent that you will find Venice Avenue Yoga to be your your home studio as well.
Posted On Thu December 23rd 2021
Ursula Akin
Ursula fell in love with yoga on her very first practice as she quickly understood that yoga is so much more than asana and pranayama. Ursula's yoga practice supported positive transformation in her life and positive life choices. Ursula became inspired to teach the sacred science of yoga after her practice helped her find, strength, courage, balance, confidence, and helped shift the course of her life in a positive direction.
She believes wholeheartedly that yoga has the power to heal, transform, and shift perspectives. Her classes are challenging, but accessible to all levels. She focuses on safety in the posture and listening to your body. She also invites us to approach our practice with curiosity, joy and playfulness.
Ursula believes in helping make yoga accessible to everyone in all walks of life. She is a Yoga Alliance ERYT 200 Instructor, 75 Tantra Yoga, lover of nature the great outdoors, plant food base and her amazing children.
Posted On Fri May 20th 2022
Parker Lorenzo
Parker Lorenzo has been in the fitness and wellness industry for over 20 years. She is a certified Yoga Instuctor 200 HR RYT, Certified Personal Trainer and Pilates Instructor, Spin Instructor and group exercise instructor. She incorporates her many disciplines into her teaching as well as her extensive knowledge of the the body. She teaches to all levels and her fitness philosophy is "move a muscle, change a feeling".
Posted On Sun January 30th 2022
Linda Hewins
In the Spring of 2005 Linda attended the Bikram Yoga Teacher Training in Los Angeles. It's a 9 week, 500+ hour course that includes 2 classes a day, seminars, lectures, anatomy classes and posture clinics designed to prepare you to teach the Bikram Method of Hot Yoga. Since then she has traveled through the New England area teaching at studios in MA, CT, RI, NH, and even Hong Kong for 6 months. In 2014 Linda helped to introduce Bikram Yoga to the southwest coast of Florida at a new studio in Venice Fl, Gulf Coast Yoga. Here she directed the studio for just over 4 years. Since then she has added Mat Pilates and Yin Yoga to the classes she teaches. In 2018 Linda started her own small business selling top quality yoga gear at Yoga Studios and Fitness Centers. Linda now travels around doing “Pop Up HOT Shops”, teaching classes, taking classes and meeting some really great people along the way. Linda and Swee Pea, her CEO (Canine Executive Officer) are loving every minute of their journey!
"In addition to the PopUps and teaching I am also available for private classes, seminars, workshops and dialogue coaching. I look forward to helping YOU on your journey. What are YOU waiting for?" Linda
Posted On Mon January 31st 2022
Alice Nelson
Alice is Bikram and Kripalou certified in yoga and Mad Dogg certfifed in spinning. Alice started her fitness journey teaching step aerobics out of her love of movement on a bicycle, which she did then and still rides today. During the early years of group classes she taught, step, body pump, cycling, pool classes and eventually yoga. Yoga's popularity started to grow when she was teaching at Bally's Total Fitness in NJ and Alice grew with it. Alice first attended a 200 hour training in 1999 at Kripalu Center in Ma. In 2000 Alice attended the 500 hour Bikram teacher training in Ca. From 2001-2006 Alice owned and operated a Bikram yoga studio in New jersey. That year, 2006, brought change to her life as she sold her studio and rode her bicycle across the US. Since then Alice has been lucky enough to teach and practice in NJ, CA, WA, MA, FL, New England and even New Zealand.
"Yoga gives one the opportunity to explore the self via movement and breath to better connect to everyday activities of daily living on planet earth, any style will do, come and explore how you feel via poses and breathwork with me!" Alice
Posted On Thu March 10th 2022
Dave Moran
Dave started practicing yoga in 2018 to improve core strength and flexibility. However, what he found was so much more. Yoga has transformed his life. In the summer of 2020 amid the Covid pandemic Dave completed 200 hours of teacher training which provided a beautiful distraction from the minutiae of the world. That same year he also trained as a breathwork facilitator and learned how to connect with spirit through breath. Dave is excited to share the fruits of his labor with all whom are interested in moving and breathing with intent.
Posted On Fri April 01st 2022
Amanda Bleich
Amanda began her Bikram yoga journey in New York City in early 2010 and immediately knew that she had discovered something magical. She practiced throughout NYC and attended retreats in Vermont, Hawaii, and Puerto Rico with Lynn Whitlow and Liz Patnode. Amanda moved to Los Angeles, California in August, 2014 where she studied at various Bikram studios and Hot 8 Yoga. She participated in a filming of the Bikram 26/2 sequence with her beloved teacher, Francesca Asumah in 2016 which has received hundreds of thousands of views. Amanda attended a 200-hour teacher training at Hot 8 yoga led by Francesca in early 2018. Following a mentorship with Francesca she was hired to teach 26/2 at Hot 8 Yoga in June 2018. She also completed a Yin teacher training in October of that year. Amanda has since taught throughout Los Angeles for Hot 8 Yoga, most often at the Beverly Hills, Santa Monica and Pasadena locations. She relocated to Sarasota in April 2021. She is absolutely thrilled and grateful to be able to share this wonderful yoga with you.
Posted On Fri May 20th 2022
Amy Haren
Amy has always been passionate about health and fitness. She began practicing hot yoga in 2018 and fell in love.She found that it not only helped her peace and serenity but also decreased the number of injuries she struggled with in the gym. After a year of taking multiple yoga classes a day she decided to embark on her journey of becoming a yoga instructor to help others find the same healing benefits that she discovered. She completed her RYT 200 hour training and began teaching soon after. Her classes are a mix of strength,flexibiity and fun. She likes to approach yoga in a playful and challenging manner, making each class unique. Yoga has truly transformed her life and she is excited to share the many benefits of this practice with others.