Our Mission

Meet Michelle, founder & owner of Yogamazia!

Bringing with her over two decades of healthcare experience, Michelle is a certified yoga instructor with specializations in prenatal/postnatal and children's yoga. She is also certified as a HypnoBirthing® childbirth educator, a newborn massage instructor, and a birth and postpartum doula. Additionally, Michelle is a Health and Wellness Educator within the Integrative Health department at the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP).

Michelle’s educational background includes a BSc in Pharmacy; a Master’s in Health Sciences, Clinical Research Administration; and a PhD in Public Health, Epidemiology. Her extensive expertise is also reflected in her authored, peer-reviewed research articles, which have been presented at various conferences and published in prestigious medical journals, including the New England Journal of Medicine.

Driven by her own journey, as well as her profound passion for yoga, Michelle established Yogamazia in 2020. Yogamazia offers support for expectant and current parents and caregivers to prepare for birth and guide them through the postpartum transition. Rooted in its core values of G.R.A.C.E. (gratitude, respect, authenticity, community, and equity), Yogamazia also serves as an educational sanctuary, providing a nurturing environment for children and families to thrive through the benefits of yoga. 

Michelle is a co-author of the book, We Rise in Power: Amplifying Women of Color and Our Voices for Change. She employs yoga as a means to initiate discussions on topics such as race, gender, and other social inequities, working to empower women and future generations of leaders. She is frequently called upon to speak at schools, conferences, corporate and other business events. In 2023, Yogamazia was recognized as the Pennsbury Partners Program Business Partner of the Year for being an exceptional asset to the Pennsbury School District. 

Michelle is also grateful to serve as a global ambassador for Yoga Gives Back and as a provider for Unite for HER. 

Outside of her professional life, Michelle is a wife and a mother to three daughters. She and her family reside in the suburbs of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

Meet Deb, one of our instructors! 

Deb began her yoga journey in 2011 after participating in a local class. She quickly realized that yoga practice involves so much more than just the asanas, or poses. 

As Yoga has a profound history and can offer strength, peace and a deep sense of calm and acceptance when applied to everyday life, Deb wanted to deepen her practice and share what she learned with those around her. She embarked on and completed her 200 hour yoga teacher training through Yogasphere in 2012, becoming a registered yoga teacher with Yoga Alliance. After this experience, she decided to expand her knowledge to children. If kids could experience this calmness, flexibility, focus and balance, it might also provide them with some important tools to reduce stress in their lives. This led her to complete her Children’s Yoga Instructor certification through ChildLight Yoga. 

Deb then put her enthusiasm and knowledge to use by designing and running children’s Yoga Camps for the Bucks County Community College 'Kids on Campus' program from 2014 to 2020. 

She is also currently a part-time substitute teacher for the Bucks County Intermediate Unit and works primarily with special needs and autistic children. 

Deb is excited to be participating in this adventure with Yogamazia and sharing light and love with the children in our community.

Meet Juli, one of our instructors!

Juli has been working with children since she was a youth herself as an art, music and movement teacher. She worked with various preschools and camps doing music and movement throughout the New York and Philadelphia areas before having her own four children. 

As she found herself intuitively using yoga with her family and in her classes she had the realization that she had always been the happiest in her life with a consistent practice and then became dedicated to teaching others the ability to calm, heal and grow through yoga. 

Juli completed her initial 200 hr yoga teacher training with an additional emphasis on Ayurveda, followed by a children’s yoga certification in NYC. She has continuously been training and studying in anatomy and myofascial release and is also chair yoga certified. 

Juli also completed her 500 hour advanced teacher certification, but looks forward to continuing her education in the near future. 

She teaches yoga at the Pen Ryn school and works with Earth School during the summers incorporating her passion for art, music, nature in all that she does to demonstrate that yoga can change the world one child at a time. 

Meet Dejenaba, one of our instructors!

Dejenaba is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Public Health at Arcadia University and has worked as a Community Health Outreach Worker at Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia teaching children and families in the Behavioral Health - Wellness Equity for a Healthy Life project.

Wellness is her passion and she believes all people should have the opportunity to thrive and live healthy, happy lives. With this in mind, and in an effort to help all persons find balance from the chaos of their lives and gain skills to manage stress, she founded the BE Yoga Wellness Network. BE Yoga is an agency that offers mobile adaptive, beginner yoga, group exercise, mindfulness/wellness and nutrition cooking classes. 

Originally from Camden, New Jersey, Dejenaba earned a B.S. degree from Temple University, and a Master of Public Health degree from Drexel University, and has also completed her 200-hr yoga teacher training.

Meet Amanda, our Studio Operations Consultant extraordinaire! 

Amanda has been in the fitness & wellness industry for 5 years and has a love for powerlifting - hitting a combined 325lb deadlift, 270lb squat, and 170lb bench.

She is also mom to a beautiful daughter, Emily Grace. 

With her expertise, Amanda streamlines our sales and bookings processes, ensuring a seamless experience as we continue on our journey to promote health, wellness, and balance with our Fox Tribe families!