About Us
Meet our collective of kind,
unique, and dedicated teachers.
Mission
The Collective has been serving our community for over 15 years. We believe that wellness shouldn’t be a luxury, that wholeness cannot exist without equity, and that every person deserves access to healing experiences. We work toward the liberation of all beings through the practice of the 8 Limbs of Yoga. We seek truth through the ancient practices of yoga and meditation gifted to us by the ancestors of South Asia and yogis all over the world. It doesn’t matter who you are, how you identify, where you are from, what you do or who you love. As you are in this moment, and every version you will become – we want to be your home.
Values
Integrity
Earning our community’s trust by keeping our word. Because we are humans, we will work to make it right if we mess up.
Belonging
We believe in nothing less than radical acceptance. Our space is for anyone interested in love, growth, and connection. F*** fitting in – at the Collective, you belong.
Humility
All people who walk through our doors are asked to come as they are physically, mentally and emotionally. We welcome the swagger of a good hair day and the tears of a hot mess.
Service
We are dedicated to providing approachable, interesting and soulful opportunities to heal, throughout every chapter of this cosmic ride.
Our Team
Roni Elissabeth
Roni Elissabeth Harris (she/her) is the founder & owner of the Bella Prāṇa Wellness Collective. Roni is an 500hr yoga instructor and has been teaching for over a decade. She is also a certified reiki practitioner, a life coach graduating from the Southwestern University of Healing Arts, as well as a nutrition coach through the Institute for Integrative Nutrition.
Roni is a certified wilderness emergency medical technician and adventurer who is known for her impactful class themes and life changing retreats around the world, in places such as India and Nepal. Using these skills, she is a sought after consultant, writer and speaker. Previously in full time ministry, with her first year of her masters in divinity, she was drawn to the healing yoga provided in such an efficient and tangible way. She is known for her special blend of spirituality, coaching, and yoga all woven together into moving experiences. When Roni isn’t at the studio she is with her husband Bret, her son Fintastic, and her puppy Winnie Cooper.
TINA TIDWELL
Tina Tidwell (she/her) is a 500 E-RYT, an owner at the Bella Prāṇa Wellness Collective and professional dancer, graduated from USF with a degree in Dance and Psychology. She fell in love with yoga, through dance, after studying with Michelle Jacobi in Paris. Tina received her 200 RYT in Ashtanga at Yoga on High (OH) with masters such as Tim Miller and Maty Ezraty. She received her 500 RYT through Asheville Yoga Center earning certifications in Meditation, Prenatal, Yin, Seniors, Yoga as Therapy, Yoga and Ayurveda, Restorative and Kids while studying with amazing mentors including Michael Johnson, Libby Hinsley and Stephanie Keach. Tina challenges the body in mindful movement while using the breath as the musical cue. She teaches in the USF’s School of Music as well as at DanceUSF and works privately with professional athletes. She is honored to be one of the first teachers at Bella Prana and a lead teacher of the teacher training program. When Tina isn’t on stage or in the studio, you can find her spending time with her husband, daughter and floppy puppy.
ASHLEY ADAMS
Progressive, funny, and 100% real, Ashley Adams (she/her) is an instructor and the founder of Black Prāṇa Magazine, which is in partnership with the Bella Prāṇa Collective Yoga Teacher Training. With family history hailing from the small beach town of Tarpon Springs, Florida, this business tycoon, mother, and eldest sister of four knew fate led her to purpose when doing “the work” didn’t quite feel like working. Ashley says the success of her business is rooted in pure frustration. In response to that frustration, Black Yoga Magazine was born. The only publication of its kind, BYM exists because of the lack of representation for people of color in the yoga world. Ashley also made the conscious decision to lower the barrier to entry when it comes to people of color obtaining their certification to teach Yoga and less than a year ago, Ashley launched her first 200-Hour Hatha Yoga Teacher Training Program virtually. To date, Ashley has successfully trained over 4000 yoga professionals.
MEGAN WEATHERS DIGIACOMO
Megan DiGiacomo (she/her) is an 500 E-RYT YACEP instructor and the Director of Operations at Bella Prāṇa. She is lead instructor of our Yin, Gentle and Restorative Yoga Teacher Trainings as well as a lead instructor in our 200 Hr YTT. Her experience with yoga started as a young wife and mother with twin babies in 1995. Stress, anxiety and exhaustion were taking her over. She saw a photo of a woman doing yoga on a rock in Utah, and was inspired by quiet strength, grace and peace. She started practicing in 1995, and her path led her toward a calling to teach in 2007. As a lifelong student of Yoga, Megan is a Reiki master and received her 200 hr certification in the Hatha tradition, studied with Jessica Lynne Trese at Bella Prāṇa to receive her 300 certification in 2018, holds 50 hr advanced trainings in Restorative and Yin yoga with Bernie Clark, and is currently working toward a Ayurveda Health Advisor to be completed in 2023. Each class Megan teaches is meant to be a journey through physical posture, breath work and meditation to experience balance and a path back to Love.
JESSICA LYNNE TRESE
Jessica (she/her) owns and runs our Ashtanga Yoga Program at Bella Prāṇa through her business, Yoga Chikitsa. She is committed to teaching and practicing the Ashtanga Yoga method, as taught in KPJAYI, Jessica began teaching yoga in 2007, and the daily practice of Ashtanga yoga provides her with the healing, uplifting, and insightful benefits of a committed yoga practice. Jessica uses gentle encouragement to guide students along a path of healing self-discovery through yoga. Jessica has traveled to India to study at KPJAYI with R. Sharath Jois in Mysore, India and was blessed with the Authorization to teach Ashtanga Yoga in 2013. Jessica dedicates her life to learning and sharing the Ashtanga Yoga Method, it inspires her to cultivate peace, inspiration, dedication, devotion and self surrender on and off the yoga mat.
MARY WAUGH
Mary (she/her) began practicing yoga in February of 2013 due to a running injury. During those early days, her work on the mat was motivated by a longing for physical healing. Pleasantly surprised, she experienced peace and healing in her emotional, mental and spiritual body as well! This discovery inspired her to become a yoga teacher. So in the midst of being a wife, mother of 4, hugger, knitter, reader of literature and student of Life, Mary obtained her 200hr E-RYT, and 500hr RYT certification. As a yoga teacher, through guiding the practice of poses and breath, Mary desires to create space for everyone to cultivate and nourish peace and health in their own body, mind, and spirit.
TRACY JONES
In house massage therapist Tracy Jones (he/him) of Tampa Bay Sports Massage holds both a Bachelors and Masters Degrees in Social Work from the University of Illinois and holds a Massage Therapy Technician certification from the Myotherapy Institute of Utah. He has been an International Instructor of Manual Therapy (and is a co-developer of Neurosomatic Therapy), is a Certified Neuromuscular Therapist and is a golf fitness expert as a Level 3 Medical Certified Titleist Performance Institute graduate. He has been the Team Massage Therapist for the University of Notre Dame Track & Field Team for the past 7 seasons. Tracy and his team are with Tampa Bay Sports Massage located inside Bella Prāṇa Studio. Book your service at www.tampabaysportsmassage.com.
MAHARRI LODGE
Maharri is an instructor and coach who is highly invested in advocating a wellness lifestyle and the impact it has on our daily lives. After being diagnosed with lupus in 2013, Maharri went on a journey to heal her body holistically. Almost like a ritual, proper nutrition and yoga became her saving grace. After seeing her own transformation, she became inspired to teach yoga. Yoga has completely opened up a breakthrough for Maharri, not just on her wellness journey, but also her spiritual journey. The practice has expanded her intuitive connection to The Absolute Self. Growing up in rural Jamaica she infuses her Rastafari culture in the way she teaches and connects with her students.
AIYANA FRALEY
Aiyana Fraley (she/her) is a meditation and restorative yoga instructor, reiki teacher, and a licensed massage therapist since ’99. She guides students in integrating the principles of yoga and inner awareness into their everyday lives. Aiyana is also a massage therapy continuing education teacher, offering courses in reiki, aromatherapy, and massage. Additionally, she leads regular Reiki Trainings at Bella Prāṇa for Level I and II, along with master level certifications. See our workshops page for upcoming training. Aiyana also brings her healing skills to our Yoga Nidra and Full Moon Reiki class experiences, find those classes on our schedule page. Aiyana is called to heal and brings a grounding and kind energy to every room she enters.
JESSICA FREEDMAN
Jessica Freedman (she/her) is the Director of Family Programing at Bella Prāṇa and lead instructor in our Prenatal Teacher Training. She is a 200 HR RYT, Children’s author, a graduate of the University of Tampa, wife and mama. Originally bound for medical school, she had a change of heart. She started to gravitate toward a holistic approach to health and wellness and a call to serve others to lead a healthy and happy life. In 2006, she answered this call with not one, but two, 200hr Yoga Teacher trainings including advanced prenatal training and “Prāṇa Flow”. While pregnant with her own two children, she had the immense honor to learn from doulas, acupuncture physicians, naturopaths, midwives, and obstetricians. She combines 13 years of teaching yoga and fitness experience with the techniques taught to her by experts in these fields and postpartum health and healing, to bring a loving, balanced approach to pregnancy and postpartum recovery. Jessica’s offerings include Prenatal Yoga Teacher Trainings, prenatal, postnatal, restorative for pregnancy, and core and pelvic floor classes.
CHANEL VANZANT
Chanel’s experiences intend to expand and deepen your felt and intuitive understanding of body, mind and soul. She infuses her affection for music, structured and free movement, meditation, mantra and other ancient wisdom practices to help remind us of our gifts, strength and contribution to this world. Chanel’s been a part of the Bella Prana community since 2014. She’s 500RYT, a reiki master, DJ’s for joy, and has her own energy healing business.
KAMRAN ZAFAR
With a background in powerlifting and football, Kamran (he/him) found yoga as a way to heal injuries and turn inward. Yoga became an outlet where Kamran could be his true self and find the discipline to show up every day for his body and mind. It is his goal to show that yoga is for everyone from all walks of life. It is also his mission to guide students and bring them to a point where they can truly find themselves through a challenging, yet fun class to deal with all of life’s challenges through movement and breath.
BRIANNA PAULICH
Brianna started her yoga journey as a high school student in 2004. She was drawn to yoga’s physical, mental, and emotional healing properties and had been practicing it since. She completed her 200 Hour YTT training through Pranakriya Yoga. Then, she continued her studies, completing the Prenatal Training at Bella Prana Collective. As a marketing professor at the University of South Florida, Brianna is passionate about empowering students by allowing them to tap into their inner strength both on and off the mat. Brianna is an encouraging instructor who focuses on breath work and the mind-body connection.
LISA WILSON
Lisa (she/her) first stepped on to her yoga mat in 1999 and has been teaching yoga for over 15 years. She holds E-RYT-200, RPYT (prenatal) and RCYT (children’s) certifications from Yoga Alliance. She offers a wide range of yoga instruction to all ages and abilities including prenatal, postnatal, baby & me yoga, power flow vinyasa yoga, gentle/yin/restorative yoga, mindfulness meditation, iRest Yoga Nidra, chair yoga for seniors, corporate yoga for increased ease and productivity in the workplace, and adaptive yoga for differently abled bodies, specifically US veterans and their caregivers. Her classes are constructed to be fun and challenging, yet accessible to all. Lisa’s intension is to teach yoga and meditation as a lifelong source of health, fitness and vitality while inspiring students to be aware of the many benefits of wellbeing that are often simply an inhale & exhale away.
DEVIN JOHNSON
Devin Johnson (he/him) is a local Tampanian, and a retired competitive athlete, with a huge heart for sharing his love for yoga. By taking one of his classes he will help you realize that “it’s just yoga”. The secret people don’t tell you is that comparison doesn’t get you points in class. But with his gentle guidance you have the chance to connect to more of the subtle energies of what Yoga truly is.
CONSUELO VALDES
Consuelo (she/her) is a 500 hr RYT and Reiki Master. Her yoga journey started in 2016 in Des Moines, Iowa, where she study Hinduism as part of her college curriculum and shortly got attracted to the asana practice. In 2018, completed the 300 hr. yoga teacher and Reiki Master training at Heathwood Yoga Institute located in Bradenton. She believes that yoga is all about connecting the dots between the mind, heart, and body – a practice beyond the mat. Loves teaching Yin, Restore, Vinyasa, meditation, and Reiki. Consuelo was born and raised in Chile, and her biggest muse is her grandmother, Odette, a yogi and reiki master.
GIOVANNA HILERA
Initially the physical intensity and injury prevention benefits guided Giovanna (she/her) to go to a yoga class. The lessons about human nature opened the path to become a 500hr yoga instructor. Yoga balances her love and passion for endurance training and spiritually guides her soul to embrace life with ease. She leads her students to feel a powerful class, with awareness and purpose, to explore the dynamic experience within the physical aspects of their bodies and mind. “Yoga offers the playground of love to connect with your soul, offers the tools necessary to remove the obstacles that cause suffering and shows us a way of life to engage in reality with peace”. When Giovanna is not on her mat, she is swimming, biking, running or arranging a healthy meal.
SEAN BUTLER
Sean (He/Him) embarked on his yoga journey in 2019 at Bella Prana, where he discovered the profound connection between the mind and body, promoting mindfulness and self-awareness through the practice. His passion for yoga led him to a 26-2 certification, a 200-hour certification at Bella Prāṇa Collective in 2022, and is part of the Yoga Teacher Mentorship Program at The Bella Prāṇa Collective. His mission is to inspire others to discover their unique place within the vibrant yoga community, just as he did.
Beyond his yoga journey, Sean is a human resources executive and sits on numerous non profit boards in his community. Above all, he loves spending time with his family: his wife, Kristine, and their daughters, Meredith and Katelyn.
TAMMY THOMPSON
Tammy (she/her) began practicing yoga almost 20 years ago as a counterbalance to long distance running, but it was after she had children in 2001 that she really started to see the calming influence that a regular practice had on her. She completed her teacher training with Erin and Eric Wheeler of Lucky Cat Yoga, and has advanced training in Yoga Nidra through Jennifer Reiss out of Kripalu. Tammy has a focus in vinyasa flow and yoga nidra and works to bring the mind/body/breath connection together through this practice.
TERI MARTIN
Teri Martin (she/her) is an E-RYT500 Experienced Yoga Instructor from Boston and has been a yoga practitioner for over 20 years. In her yoga teaching she encourages, leads, and empowers students to tune in to and connect with themselves, creating increased physical and personal awareness. An avid swimmer and former dancer, Teri is passionate about the practice of yoga and its inherent benefits of increased strength, flexibility, and balance – on and off the yoga mat. She is an Artist, Art Consultant, Business Advisor and founder of TheArtNetwork. Her left brain has a Harvard MBA and is a former executive at HBO, Cinemax and Citicorp. Teri’s vinyasa flow classes are enjoyable, thoughtfully choreographed and appropriately paced flows of ashtanga – based postures and movement with strong emphasis on proper alignment, breath, personal awareness and individual attention.
MIA FRANZ
Mia Franz (she/her) turned to yoga in 2017 when she found that running in the Florida heat caused her more stress than fulfillment. She quickly discovered both joy and connection through her yoga practice. Wanting to share that experience with yogis of all levels, she became a certified teacher in September 2019, completing Bella Prana’s 200-hour teacher training. She loves the fact that three generations of her family now practice yoga–her parents, herself, and her children! Mia teaches gentle classes and enjoys creating fun sequences that emphasize the power of the breath. As a high school teacher, she seeks to bring the experience of yoga to adults and adolescents alike. When she’s not on the mat, she can be found adventuring with her family or sitting with her nose in a book, preferably at the beach!
TRACY REID
Tracy (she/her), an E-RYT500, discovered yoga as a graduate student at UF in 2010. As she delved deeper into the yogic philosophy and experienced the transformative power it had on her life, she felt compelled to share the gift of yoga with others. She completed a 200 Hour Hatha YTT and began teaching upon graduating in October 2012. She continued her studies participating in a 300 Hour Hatha YTT, the Level 1 iRest Yoga Nidra training, and the Prenatal Training at Bella Prana. As a mother of 3, she has a special interest in supporting and empowering women by providing resources and yogic tools to meet the physiological changes, stress, and anxiety that accompany pregnancy and motherhood. Additionally, she holds a Masters in Secondary Education and has over a decade of teaching experience in both the classroom setting and yoga studio.
JANE WEBB
Jane (she/her) began her yoga journey 22 years ago and has been teaching for 8 years. She received a 200hr RYT certification through LifePower Yoga under the direction of Jonny Kest. Jane’s passion for teaching is rooted in the transformation that she has experienced in her own life and the desire to share this gift of exploration with others. She enjoys teaching Vinyasa Flow, Power, Yin and Restorative. Her style is creative as well as challenging and grounding. Jane’s intention is to be a guide for students on their own journey of self-discovery and growth.
DEVIN DEMIRPOLAT
Devin (she/her) first stepped on the yoga mat in 2019, she quickly realized just how much it could transform her life to incorporate yoga into her workout routine. She began practicing more frequently and loved watching herself evolve mentally and physically on her yoga mat. She loves that yoga helps build her strength, confidence, awareness, mental clarity, and flexibility. A few years later, she graduated from her RYT-200 training registered with Yoga Alliance. Devin’s intention is to share her love and passion towards yoga with her students and to invite them on the lifelong journey of health and fitness benefits that yoga provides. She hopes that her students will leave the room feeling powerful, confident, and more relaxed than when they walked in.
NICOLE SCHOEN
Nicole (she/her), is a 200hr instructor with specialized training in yin and trauma informed teaching. She was introduced to yoga at a crucial point in her life while trying to navigate recovery from a traumatic relationship. She first explored yoga for the physical benefits and quickly fell in love with the positive influence it had on her mental well-being which kept her coming back to her mat. Her passion to bring this same space for healing and peace to others can be felt in her gentle, explorative teaching style. Nicole is also a Reiki 2 practitioner and enjoys helping students incorporate the subtle energetic side of their practice as well.
RENEE COYLE
Renée (she/her) has practiced yoga since 2016 and graduated Bella Prana’s 200hr YTT in 2021. Renée found yoga when she needed it the most. When her life seemed unbalanced and stuck, she decided to try something new. Not only did yoga challenge her physically, but mentally and emotionally as well. It’s a place where she can show up as her authentic-self and find purpose, strength, and presence. It brings her balance to the physical impact of sports and weight training. It helps her return to the body, silence the mind and focus on her own movement. Much like growth work, the posture begins when you want to get out of it. She hopes students will feel the same impact in her classes.
KJ KOSOBUCKI
KJ discovered yoga over decades ago in college just for fun, and it ended up filling her soul. She received her 200hr teacher training right here in Tampa and has been dedicated to learning and growing with her students everyday since. What inspired KJ most about teaching was how personal each individuals practice becomes. KJ loves to share the energy and strength of powerful vinyasa, with room to explore variations and modifications. “I want every person that steps onto the mat realize that every shape their body makes is already perfect.” In class you will find a blend of traditional Ashtanga Yoga aspects mixed with non-traditional flows and lots of great music.
