Joy In Movement Studio
Our studio is a place to embrace movement of all kinds leading to a healthier and happier community.
We want everyone who walks into our door to feel welcome, encouraged, motivated and eager to return. Whether you are looking for a place to sweat it out in a power yoga class, want to get your feet wet using dance as exercise or looking for yoga foundations and increased flexibility, you will find your movement here.
Emily Christian-Michaels
Owner/Manager
What brings you joy?
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Seeing people smile, being a doula and family.
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Emily lives in Bellevue with her three kids, Ellington, Bowie and Joni, dog and two cats. She created Joy In Movement to further a sense of community around a healthy lifestyle and exercise. She feels that everyone can benefit from finding ways to move their bodies that brings them joy and health.
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Emily O'Mara
Instructor
What brings you joy?
Being in nature, exploring new cultures, and hanging out with my dachshund.
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I came to yoga years ago looking to improve my body, but I found more than strength and flexibility. The emotional and mental health benefits I experienced was enough to keep me coming back.
Coming to the mat is much more than a workout. Yoga reduces stress, removes mental blockages, increases confidence, and provides emotional release. It teaches patience, endurance, and acceptance.
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I completed my 200-hour Yoga Teacher Training in October of 2019 at Yoga Vimoksha in Goa, India. It was one of the best experiences of my life.
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“Yoga teaches us to cure what need not be endured and endure what cannot be cured” – BKS Iyengar
Katie Paskorz
Instructor
What brings you joy?
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So many things bring me joy. Snuggles with my two doggies Theo and Daisy. A massive bowl of pasta. A cup (or three) of my husband’s expertly crafted but simple drip coffee. Silly and warm moments with my family and friends.
In 2015 I had found myself in a real mental health low. I was stuck in a high-stress job I hated and an internal struggle with an anxious mind that never stopped. So I had the idea to try to find something that I could do to totally exhaust my body and mind and relieve all the stress built up during my workday. That’s when I discovered hot yoga. That first week I was so filled with so much relief, I cried in every class. I also slept the best I had in years. I was immediately addicted. Then the real lessons started. If I could get through holding chair pose in a 98-degree studio, then I could get through anything.
Two years later, I decided to start training as a yoga teacher. I taught privately for about a year. Unfortunately, life and work got in the way of teaching, but I continued taking classes. In 2019 I started a Web Design and Development business, and during the pandemic, I discovered a new lease on life. I also felt that I had been missing teaching and am so happy to be allowed the opportunity to start again.
Jessica Duffell
Instructor
What brings you joy?
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I'm filled with joy when I'm surrounded by nature, whether it's lush trees and rivers, desert sand and rock formations, soaring mountains and glaciers, oceans and salty breezes, or anything in between.
My name is Jess, and I've been practicing yoga for about 12 years. When I first found yoga, I was treating it as a workout. I wanted to get into those advanced poses just to say that I could. I would work too hard at it and stretch too far. Over the years, I've realized that yoga is so much more than keeping our bodies strong and flexible. It's about moving with intention and moving with the breath; being aware of what are bodies are doing and how they're responding; and taking a quiet few minutes or few hours to put the world into perspective.
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Gina Painter
Instructor
What brings you joy?
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Savoring the simple moments. Whether it's a slow morning, an extra tasty cup of coffee or just my dog's sweet smile, taking the time to savor every single moment makes my heart sing. It may come as no surprise that my focus with yoga is slow & mindful movements. I have been a student of yoga for over 10 years, having the chance to practice yoga at work during my lunch breaks. In 2022 I left my full time job in the tech industry. I was generally burnt out by "traditional" work and decided to take the leap to pursue my dream of being a yoga teacher. I personally have found from yoga, a calmness and control of my mind I've never been able to reach before. Much to my surprise, I found as I focused on being present in the moment during yoga, I was better able to start processing a lot of past trauma. In 2020 I started focusing on my mental health & was diagnosed with C-PTSD, since then I have made it my goal to help other people process their traumas in a safe environment. I completed my RYT-200 training in December 2022. I have had the great pleasure to teach classes ranging from differently abled school children to traditional studio classes. I'm very excited to join this community while we continue our journey of education.
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Caitlin Grater Kapoor
Instructor
Caitlin is a woman of many hats!
Retired dancer, singer, mom, massage therapist, and board certified health coach! She grew up dancing with Pittsburgh Ballet Theatre through their pre-professional program and moved on to get her BFA in Dance from NYU. She danced as a freelancer modern dancer and company member with Tina Croll & Company in New York City for several years until deciding to move back home to Pittsburgh. She is a licensed massage therapist, trained at the Swedish Institute; College of Health Sciences, and has health coaching certifications from the Institute of Integrative Nutrition, The Functional Medicine Coaching Academy, and the National Board for Health & Wellness Coaches. Moving the body and healthy, delcious food are her favorite forms of medicine! She is active on Instagram with her company, Grater Health (@grater.health/www.graterhealth.com).
She is a Bellevue resident of 4 years with her two sons, dog son, and husband. Having grown up in Ben Avon, she is a true boomerang to the 15202. When not trying to make the world a healthier, happier place, she is most likely dancing and singing in her pajamas while cleaning the kitchen....again.
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Mahogany Harrington
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Instructor
What brings you joy?
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The first bite of a perfectly baked fudge brownie.
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I first found yoga about a decade ago after taking an Intro To Yoga course in college at IUP. Since then, I have incorporated yoga into my daily lifestyle and fallen in love with the practice of high paced, chatarunga filled, Ashtanga Yoga. Something about the way you feel after working up an intense sweat and leaving it all on the mat really keeps me going!
I moved to Pittsburgh in July of 2016 and I have been living in the Belleve/ Avalon area for my entire duration. Since then, I have purchased a house and adopted several animals with hopes to adopt more (once I find the space!) I just completed my first 200 hour Yoga Teacher Training this summer and I am looking forward to continuing my practice by teaching and sharing with others.
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Tiffany Bergman
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Instructor
What brings you joy?
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The sun kissing my skin, a warm breeze moving the trees, chirping birds, the beauty of the outdoors, a shared smile.
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Tiffany continues to be a student of knowledge, a health educator, and natural humanitarian. Her educational background in Health, Physical Education, and Exercise Physiology has given her a diverse and wide range of professional experiences. She has spent 13 years in the health and fitness industry. She has taught group fitness classes, swim lessons and personal trained clients of all demographics.
Tiffany is a Health and Physical Education teacher at an alternative learning school. She has coached multiple sports over the last 10 years. Some of those sports include youth summer swim teams, Varsity fastpitch softball and JV/ Varsity basketball.
Tiffany has been practicing yoga for 10 years. She enjoyed yoga so much she wanted to share her love by teaching to others. She started teaching yoga in 2017. In 2018 she received her Reiki certification. Recently she has obtained her Aromatherapy certification. She is continuing to learn and grow to become a health and spiritual guide to others.
She looks forward to helping others become the best version of themselves, exploring self love, and exploring ways to create joy in each day. Her passion for health goes beyond the physical body, but rather the connection between the mind, body, and spirit. Her goal is to help men and women learn to better love themselves while balancing the mind, body, and spirit within.
Natalie Roberson
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Instructor
What brings you joy?
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My tribe of friends, family, and small dogs. Yoga has given me so much peace and joy: after completing my first teacher training in 2011, I knew that sharing this practice with others was a gift. I call yoga "time travel." Not just the time that seems to go by during class, but the time it gives for reacting to situations. Even a split-second to think is valuable.
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My classes focus on teaching a strong and varied practice with emphasis on accessibility, challenge, and fun. Even slow movements can be challenging in their own way. Yoga is meant to be practiced with enjoyment and without judgment. During class we use breath, body, silence, and synchronicity to optimize present-moment awareness and connection.
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When not teaching or practicing yoga, you can find me working with data, knitting, reading, or writing for the NoBo Neighbor.