Briana has been teaching in one form or another for more then 20 years. She turned to yoga because of chronic back pain stemming from degenerative disk disease in her 20's. Yoga was a game changer and has helped her manage chronic pain and stay mobile. She has traveled the world both as a teacher and a student. Some of her teachers include Jason Crandell, Manju Jois, Paul Grilley and Simon Park.

Jessica Brink RYT Jessica has been practicing yoga since 2006. She completed her teacher certification (200&300hr) at CHY, and started teaching shortly thereafter. Jessica helped start our kids yoga/mini and me program. She’s worked in the community at various local schools sharing yoga with all ages. “My goal is to offer a safe space where together we challenge our yoga practice not only physically but mentally as well… and to sprinkle in some humor and lots of encouragement"

Jenn dabbled in yoga during her youth but didn't start taking it seriously until 2002. At the end of 2009, she completed her 200 hour training here at Chesapeake Hot Yoga. The 500 hour training soon followed right alongside her friend and studio owner, Briana Ward. Jenn left CHY in 2012 due to a military assignment to Germany. Traipsing around Europe was lots of fun, but now that the military life is over, Jenn is tickled pink to have made her way back to her yoga home in Chesapeake.

Kevin Crawford is a native of Hampton Roads and has had a career for 20 years in Los Angeles, California as a professional dancer on stage, film, and television. Throughout his career, he dabbled in the yoga world. When he returned back to Hampton Roads, he began practicing at Chesapeake Hot Yoga. Briana Ward (founder) took him down the path to be certified with his RYT 200 and 300 hours. A few years later, he followed up with 500 hour certification at Hot House Yoga in Virginia Beach.

I was dragged kicking & screaming into yoga after a knee injury that kept me out of the gym. Stillness, quietness, & a new pace was (sometimes still is) difficult for me. Yoga was not love at first sight; it was a gradual process. My mat is my sacred space, my calm and peace, in an otherwise chaotic world. My hope is that I can serve as a reminder to others that it doesn’t matter how you get to your mat, just show up, and find your peace.

A Groupon brought Dawnette to CHY in 2014 & she's never left! Yoga has brought positive physical and mental change, and has helped bring balance to her life as well. A neck injury in high school has always caused her pain, but through yoga she has found strength & stability, something that she never thought she'd have again. Dawnette is a special education teacher, married with two grown children.

Natosha Gorski grew up in Brush, CO. She played Division I Volleyball at the United States Naval Academy & served as a Surface Warfare Officer while on active duty. She's currently working at a defense contracting firm. Natosha found yoga following the birth of her 2nd child. While she came for the workout to return to her pre-pregnancy weight, yoga quickly became essential. Natosha lives in Chesapeake with her husband & children. They have two Greater Swiss Mountain Dogs & tuxedo cat.

Cara has been practicing yoga since 2006, and recently completed her 200 hour yoga teacher training at Chesapeake Hot Yoga. She is excited to share the grounding strength and inner connection that Yoga has brought to her own life.

Ryan found Yoga about 8 years ago & was immediately in love! Hot Vinyasa is her favorite, she loves the intensity and heat, it helps her body stretch, strengthen, & find flexibility. She completed her 200 and 300hr RYT trainings at Chesapeake Hot Yoga, & is extremely enthusiastic about sharing her love of Yoga. When not practicing Yoga, she’s a Certified Public Accountant, enjoys working with small & large businesses. She lives in Grassfield with her wonderful husband,2 amazing kids, and dog.

Kathryn (Kat) Kelly started practicing at Chesapeake Hot Yoga in 2013. She fell in love with the studio, and how yoga improved her physical, mental, and spiritual well-being. After years attending classes, she completed her 200-hour teacher training in October 2016. Outside the studio, Kat is an opera singer and private music teacher and performs regularly in Hampton Roads and beyond. She is so grateful for her CHY family and the privilege of guiding others on their yoga journey.

Chloe began her yoga journey at Chesapeake Hot Yoga to help reconnect her mind and body. Chloe fell in love with the practice of yoga and its benefits and completed her RYT 200 at CHY. Chloe is a graduate of James Madison University and is a pediatric Speech-Language Pathologist. She loves the beach, acro yoga, being on the water with her family, reading, and snuggling her sweet new nephew.

Joan is a New Englander by birth but has lived all over the United States, as well as Japan. She attended the United States Naval Academy, and is a career Navy Supply Corps Officer. While living in San Diego, California she took a nasty tumble while skiing that left her with permanent lumbar disc damage. She quickly realized the rehabilitative benefits of practicing yoga and the more she practiced the more she came to appreciate the mental benefits as well.

Diana started practicing yoga at CHY in 2007 and has been hooked ever since. She completed her RYT 200 at CHY in 2023 and is currently working on 300 hour teacher training. She loves the mindfulness, peace, and energy yoga brings on and off her mat. Her goal in teaching is to help her students find the same.

Courtney started practicing yoga almost seven years ago and completed her YTT at Circle Yoga Cooperative in 2023. She enjoys incorporating music into her practice and classes. She enjoys teaching and the strength, power, and stillness that yoga provides for both the body and mind.

Ashley recently relocated to Chesapeake after living in Northern Virginia for the last decade. The daughter of retired Army parents, she started practicing yoga while in college for stress relief and back pain management after a high school cheerleading injury. For nearly two decades, her practice has been an anchor through all of life’s transitions. As a busy lawyer, wife, and mother, Ashley understands the solace that can be found on one’s mat. In 2021, Ashley heeded the call to teach, and com

Debbie began her yoga journey over 10 years ago at CHY. Fast forward to 2024, CHY remained her haven for unwinding and discovering the inner peace we all need. It was during this time that she pursued her training to share the practice she cherished. Debbie achieved her RY200 certification in 2024 and continued her journey with an RY300 certification in 2026.

Emily is currently 30 years old, other than yoga she loves the beach, the mountains, and loves to spend time outside whenever she can.

Jazmin Sepulveda has been practicing yoga for over a decade, blending movement, breath, and mindfulness into a practice that feels both grounding and empowering. Originally from Central Florida, she has a strong background in athletics, holding a master’s degree in sports management and a bachelor’s in sport and exercise science. Beyond yoga, Jazmin is a jiujiteira and a firefighter—both of which have shaped her approach to strength, resilience, and staying present in the moment.

Jenna Smithwick fell in love with hot yoga at CHY, and while her adventures took her other places she is happy and grateful to call CHY her "yoga home" since 2013. Jenna originally began her yoga journey for the same reason many of us do: to gain a little more flexibility and to feel a little more mobile, but quickly realized there was a lot more to love about the practice than being able to touch her toes!

After practicing yoga at home for many years Rena joined Chesapeake Hot Yoga as a way to balance crossfit and cycling. She found that yoga not only helped to prevent injury but also relieved the stress that comes with an active lifestyle. Wanting to deepen her practice Rena went through CHY's RYT 200 teacher training program. She now enjoys bringing that same balance to others.

I was never fully committed to fitness — more of a sporadic enthusiast. About 14 years ago, I took up cycling and running, with a little yoga sprinkled in. As my practice deepened, I felt inspired to learn more and share what I’ve discovered along the way. ’m constantly striving to expand my yoga practice and understanding, and I look forward to sharing the joy of growth — little by little — with you all.

I started practicing yoga in 2023 and fell in love with the beauty of breath and stillness. I wanted to deepen my practice and decided to take my yoga teacher training after traveling to Bali in 2025. I believe yoga is a physical and spiritual practice that provides inner balance, self-discovery, good energy, and true connection of mind and body. As a yoga teacher my goal is to provide an inclusive space to slow down and feel deeply connected with intentional movement.

When Anne was 20 years old she completed her 200-hour RYT at Chesapeake Hot Yoga. One month later, she left to spend spent six months at the Sivananda Ashram in Paradise Island, Bahamas, where she immersed herself in yoga, meditation, and personal growth. She later returned home to finish her civil engineering degree and now balances life as a full-time naval architect and part-time yogi, proof that deep breaths and good alignment apply everywhere!

Caitlin started her yoga journey in 2021! Her significant other has attended CHY for years so she decided to follow along for a class one day and quickly fell in love with it! Yoga became a way for her to destress from the wildness of teaching kindergarten as well as still get a good stretch/ workout in! In 2024, Caitlin completed her 200hr Yoga Teacher Training at CHY in order to deepen her practice and start teaching others about the amazing benefits of yoga.