Our Instructors

Kristen Morton

Manager I Director Hatha Teacher Training

Along with teaching at the studio since 2013, Kristen is our studio manager, and director of our 60-Hour Hatha Teacher Training. She received her RYT® 500 through Hot Yoga of Mill Creek.

Having been involved in gymnastics and dance in her youth, she felt an immediate draw to the mind body connection. Her practice became a near-daily part of her life, as it allowed her to feel deeply connected to and trusting of her body during hard times. After a couple years of a committed practice and seeing how it transformed her life, she became a certified instructor to share the gifts of yoga with others.

You can expect to be challenged (with postures such as inversions and arm balances), but Kristen’s kind and gentle manner is well suited in leading students of all levels and encourages her students to prioritize paying attention to how they are feeling, physically and mentally, in the moment, and adjusting the practice to meet them where they are and the importance of honoring their boundaries each and every day.

Lindsay Custer

Lindsay was drawn to the physicality of yoga when she took her first hatha class over thirty years ago. A former gymnast, she found yoga to be a natural fit. Since then, her practice has evolved and been shaped by pivotal life experiences, deepening her appreciation for the mental and spiritual benefits of yoga. 

After being treated for cancer in 2017, Lindsay found her physical capabilities significantly limited, and her once active lifestyle came to a screeching halt, leading to anxiety and depression. She turned to yin yoga; the only physical practice accessible to her at the time. Its emphasis on breath work, meditation, and gentle, but deep movements helped her to slowly heal. 

Lindsay's lifelong passion for social justice work has also shaped her yoga practice. She is involved with Yoga Behind Bars and believes in the power of yoga to help heal trauma as well as to promote peace, community, and social justice. Lindsay loves the outdoors and is an avid hiker, snowshoer, and sailor. You will frequently find her mini–Australian Shepherd by her side. She has been an educator for over thirty years and has a deep passion for learning and development. The limitless opportunity to grow, practice, and evolve is one of her favorite things about yoga!  

Megan Disney

In 2010, Megan was invited to take a class at Hot Yoga of Mill Creek by her friend Kristin. At the time, she was at the peak of her fitness journey and thought yoga would simply be another fun way to exercise. She had no idea it would become so much more.

In September 2018, Megan completed her 200-hour teacher training at HYMC, an experience that completely shifted her perspective. Yoga became more than poses, it became a practice of self-acceptance. It taught her to appreciate her body in whatever season it was in, to honor what it does for her, and to challenge herself both physically and mentally. Whether going deeper into a pose, holding steady through discomfort, breathing through intense situations, or simply stretching in ways that feel good, yoga became a grounding force in her life.

Teaching at the very studio where she first discovered yoga feels full circle for Megan. She began with Hatha and quickly fell in love with it, and now she also enjoys teaching Yin and Power. She finds so much fulfillment in guiding students through flows she’s created (sometimes inspired and reimagined from Pinterest), watching their alignment improve, their confidence grow, and seeing the peace settle across their faces at the end of class. The word that comes closest to describing it is simply joy.

As a mom of three, Megan deeply understands the daily stresses of motherhood. Her personal yoga practice has been invaluable, a space to breathe, reset, and reconnect. The benefits, she says, are truly beyond counting.

Jason Southwick

Jason’s interest in yoga meditation and philosophy reach back to high school when he first read the Bhagavad Gita. He travelled to India in 1997 and has since been back
many times to visit family, explore ancient marvels and meditate.

Jason first joined a lunchtime yoga class offered at work and instantly enjoyed the balancing and rejuvenating effects of the practice. He has enjoyed a regular meditation practice at home since college and found the yoga asana practice to be an excellent way to enjoy meditation even more by providing the strength and ease to be in stillness.

Jason’s daughter Shivani is a yoga instructor who completed her RYT ® 200 and 300 hour teacher training at Hot Yoga of Mill Creek. Shivani encouraged and supported
him in his interest to learn more about yoga and take the plunge into teacher training. Jason completed his RYT ® 200 through Hot Yoga of Mill Creek in 2023.

Stefanie Carr

Stefanie started practicing yoga in early 2000’s when a friend invited her along to a Bikram class. She soon realized how Bikram yoga could compliment her long-distance running, as she was marathon training and had a goal of one day qualifying for the Boston Marathon. Through this training period, Stefanie found that yoga provided the balance and the euphoria that running gave her. Yoga has helped her through her injuries, mental instabilities, and times of not being able to run by providing a space to basically ‘sweat it all out and leave it all behind’. She became centered, calm, disciplined, mentally and physically strong. Stefanie’s goal is to incorporate her skill of motivation to inspire others through teaching yoga and be inspired by her students. She wants to create a caring, compassionate, and connected space in her yoga classes. In 2016, Stefanie became a certified running coach through RRCA and a certified instructor for Yoga for Athletes through Jas Yoga, and ran her Boston Marathon. In 2017, she became a certified yoga instructor for Traditional Hot Yoga in Mexico. And in 2019 became certified in Yin Yoga. When Stefanie is not running or yoga-ing, you can find her traveling, camping, skiing, cycling, baking, wine-tasting, puzzling, and enjoying time with her husband, 2 daughters, and great friends.

Jasmine Brown

Born and raised in Washington, Jasmine has always felt most at home in nature, whether walking through mossy forests, hiking mountain trails, or simply sitting in stillness near water. She first discovered yoga in high school, drawn to its calming effects and sense of grounding. In college, she found the courage to step into her first hot yoga class. It was intense and intimidating, but something clicked. That experience marked the beginning of a deeper relationship with yoga—one that would grow far beyond the physical.

As a political science graduate from the University of Washington, Jasmine has long been interested in how people heal, grow, and create change, both individually and collectively. When she read the Bhagava Gita, the philosophical depth of yoga resonated deeply, sparking a curiosity that eventually led her to complete her 200-hour teacher training In Ashtanga, Hatha-Vinyasa in Ubud, Bali in 2024. There, surrounded by jungle and community, her understanding of yoga expanded into something more holistic: a lifelong path of self-inquiry, compassion, and connection.

She loves all styles of yoga, from the structure of Ashtanga, to the intensity of Power, to the stillness of Yin, and believes each offer something valuable. She’s excited to share these practices in a way that supports connection, growth, and a sense of belonging within the community.

Ari Nelson

Ari is a yoga practitioner, instructor, musician, and sound bath facilitator from the Pacific Northwest. Her passion for yoga is rooted in spirituality and a lifelong curiosity about the connection between body, mind, and spirit.

Throughout her journey, Ari has explored a variety of contemplative traditions and practices, including Vipassana meditation, Bhakti yoga, Kriya yoga, and breathwork. These experiences have shaped her belief that yoga extends beyond the physical practice, offering a pathway to greater self-awareness, mindfulness, and inner balance.

Since completing her yoga teacher training in 2018, Ari has continued to deepen her personal practice while sharing her love of yoga with others. As a musician and sound bath facilitator, she brings a unique appreciation for music, voice, and sound into her teaching.

Ari's classes invite students to slow down, connect with their breath, move with intention, and cultivate a deeper sense of presence and connection, both on and off the mat.