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Tips to be Consistent in Yoga and Meditation

Kit McFarland, RYT200 (Registered Yoga Teacher with Yoga Alliance, 200 hours, and  Owner of Dragonfly Yoga Studio), lives and works in downtown Fredericksburg. She is deeply committed to the development and enrichment of the local community. As a yoga enthusiast, she wanted a dedicated studio that would provide yoga classes, as well as community enrichment events such as meditation, poetry and literature readings, and special event space for community celebrations and local non-profits. In October 2013 she opened Dragonfly Yoga Studio and began teaching in D ecember. She encourages students to move to the pace of their breath, practicing mindfully with the intention of making physical, mental and spiritual progress that will benefit them off the mat. Kit has a super-supportive husband and two fun-loving kiddos.

  Audrey Aird is a RYT200 Hour Certified Hatha Yoga Teacher and certified Pilate’s instructor.  She has been practicing yoga for over 15 years, and teaching for over 10 years. Yoga, along with Pilates is Audrey’s passion and she enjoys sharing these teachings with everyone.  

Meredith Beattie draws on her background in sports, dance, trauma resilience, chakra study, Reiki and Vinyasa teacher training for adults and youth at risk  (200RYT/Yoga Gangsters Miami) to inform her teaching style. Delighting in yoga’s ability to provide a new surprise every time it is practiced, Meredith loves leading all class levels, holding space for practitioners to explore their edge, and providing juicy adjustments. Born and raised in Fredericksubrg, she is happy to find her yoga home in Dragonfly’s community.  

Michelle Etcho started practicing yoga with the intention of losing weight and getting leaner muscles.  What she found was so much more than that.  Through yoga she discovered a mental, emotional, and spiritual balance that went way beyond the physical benefits.  Michelle says that, “Yoga is a personal journey towards loving yourself, not just despite but because of your flaws, and appreciating the moments along the way.  With the hope of helping others on this journey of self-discovery, I pursued my 200RYT at Heal Me Institute in Bowling Green, Virginia.  My yoga philosophy is that yoga is for everyone, every shape, size, age, and background.  So often we rush through life or let life rush by us without taking the time to enjoy the present moment. Yoga is a way to slow life down and truly be grateful.  My teaching style challenges students to try new things and step outside their comfort zone.”   Alana Hartman completed her 200hr teacher training at Kripalu in 2006. “Yoga has taughtme that every  body is different and with the right modification anyone can do yoga. Its so important to exercise not only the body but also the mind. My motto is ‘Once you stop using it, you lose it.'” Soon after getting her certification Alana began teaching to college students and working professionals in the community.  As an adjunct professor at NVCC, she had the privilege to teach younger folks the beauty of yoga and how it can enrich their daily lives on and off the mat. In 2011, Alana moved to Fredericksburg and started a family. These days, she’s learning how to juggle being a mom, a wife and a yogini.

Kiersten Kennedy, E-RYT 200, has been practicing yoga,  massage therapy, and energy work for 10 years. She is also a certified Pilates instructor through Peak Beings Pilates and Balanced Body as well as a Virginia Board Certified Massage Therapist. She trained under her mentor, Annabel Castaldo in Oakland, California where she learned the importance of cultivating a balanced posture and working with clients based on their individual needs. Kiersten believes that Yoga and Pilates compliment each other and can help you find a balanced mind, body, and soul. Kiersten encourages students to “be grateful for all that you have and everything your beautiful body does for you.”

Kolbie Rosser took her first yoga class when she was fifteen, little did she know that this was just the beginning of a life long journey. Once she had graduated high school she started her RYT200 training with Dragonfly Yoga Studio. When Kolbie isn’t on her mat practicing yoga you can find her in yoga poses out on her paddle board. In all of her classes, Kolbie strives to hold an open and positive place where students are inspired to explore their minds and bodies through movement and breath. She loves encouraging her students to live a healthy lifestyle, reminding them to accept themselves on and off the mat.

Holley Ryan, E-RYT200, is a light-hearted and knowledgeable instructor  who has been teaching in the Fredericksburg area for the past 6 years. She teaches an energetic and creative vinyasa flow class,  concentrating on building strength, balance and flexibility. She also enjoys teaching beginners and introducing them to the joyful and transformative power of yoga. She focuses on creating a connection to breath as a way to bring peace to our busy minds, and rhythmic movements and stretches to release tension from our bodies. Holley, too,  will be teaching the special teen yoga class, introducing them to the physical as well as mental and emotional benefits of yoga during the challenging years of adolescence. Additionally, Holley has a special 100 hours of training in yoga for those with cancer, heart disease, and chronic illness. For more information, you can visit her website

Annie is a RYT200 teacher and received her certification in 2015 in Fredericksburg at the Healing Arts and Yoga studio. She first came to yoga in 2010 after taking a yoga class for college credit. Annie’s philosophy is that yoga is a mindful, moving meditation allowing body, mind and spirit to come into balance, if only for an hour. Her goal is to help people achieve their balance both on and off the mat. Annie is a peer fitness advisor for the Prince William County police department has been teaching locally since receiving her certification.

Maura Wilson Schneider, E-RPYT200, studied Hatha yoga at the Integral Yoga Institute at Yogaville and Vinyasa at FlowYoga in Washington, D.C. She firmly believes in the power of yoga to calm the mind, relax and strengthen the body, and bring a greater sense of well being and peace to the practitioner; She believes that yoga changes us in subtle and profound ways, and these changes affect our interactions with others and our sense of responsibility to the world. In addition to practicing and teaching yoga, she is the creator and host of Tell Fredericksburg, and a mama to Arden and Ingrid, and wife to Matt.

Amanda Sinn fell in love with yoga after graduating from Radford University in 2012, receiving a B.F.A. in Dance. She was introduced to yoga through her professors, Danah Bella, and Margaret Devanney, who often incorporated elements of yoga in their classes and choreographic works. In June 2015, Amanda completed her RYT 200 certification through Dragonfly Yoga Studio’s teacher training program. Amanda hopes to guide students through a fun and challenging practice, reminding students to let go of any sense of judgment, expectation, or competition. She is thankful to be a part of the wonderful yogi community of Fredericksburg, and she hopes to help students cultivate a little joy, peace, or serenity through their practice so that they may carry this light and share it with others they meet, making the world a bit of a happier place.

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