Our Team of Teachers
Highly Trained and Experienced
Director and Co-Owner
Tracey Garcia, M.Ed., ERYT-500, RPYT, RCYT, YACEP
Trained Trauma Informed Teacher
Tracey’s journey into yoga began in 1995, when she discovered her first class in a gym, drawn to the unfamiliar rhythms of didgeridoo music and a feeling that something life-changing was happening. From that moment, yoga became more than just physical movement; it was a practice of mindful awareness that she immediately craved. Over time, it also became her lifeline. When her first baby was tragically born still, yoga offered her a way to process grief and find strength. The lessons she learned on the mat—about frustration, persistence, and acceptance—became essential tools for navigating life’s deeper challenges off the mat.
In 2003, inspired by her personal transformation through yoga, Tracey set out to share this gift with others by becoming a yoga teacher. Her studies with Deahna Brown in 2007 deepened her understanding of yoga's wisdom, and her advanced training at the Colorado School of Yoga in 2015 under Gina Caputo further refined her teaching. Through intelligent sequencing and a commitment to conscious living, Tracey approaches each class with the intention to create extraordinary experiences for her students.
Known for her approachable, down-to-earth style, Tracey has a unique ability to meet students where they are—whether they're new to yoga or seasoned practitioners. She fosters a space where everyone feels supported, with encouragement to modify when needed while challenging themselves to grow. With years of experience both in the classroom and in the studio, Tracey’s teaching adapts to the diverse ways people learn, ensuring every student benefits from their practice.
In addition to being an Experienced Registered Yoga Teacher (E-RYT 500), a Registered Children's Yoga Teacher, and a Registered Prenatal Yoga Teacher, Tracey holds a Bachelor’s degree in Psychology and a Master of Arts in Education. She has twice been awarded Gold for Best Yoga Teacher in the Gazette’s Best of the Springs (2015 and 2018). As the co-owner and director of Hippie Soul Yoga, Tracey has led multiple yoga teacher trainings and continues to empower her community through yoga, with a passion for helping others live their fullest lives both on and off the mat.
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Photo credit Teryn O'Brien Art and Movement
Yoga Teacher
Danielle Tortorice, RYT-500
Trained Trauma Informed Teacher
Danielle discovered yoga in college when she signed up for a hatha yoga series to fulfill a physical education requirement. Danielle was hooked, and she welcomed the healing journey that yoga took her on.
In 2010, she committed to a daily, regular yoga practice. By 2014 she was ready to take her journey to a new level, and signed up for teacher training with Meg Galazra, owner of YogaOne studio, located in Cedarburg, WI. It was through teacher training that Danielle discovered a love for the dynamic movements of vinyasa flow, and an appreciation of the relaxing benefits of restorative yin yoga. In 2017 Danielle completed her advanced yoga teacher training with the fearless Gina Caputo, director of The Colorado School of Yoga. In 2018 she went on to take trauma informed training with Comeback Yoga and Warriors at Ease, both non profit organizations who serve the military population.
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Photo credit Rachel Garrison Photography​​
Yoga Teacher
Marchelle Elliott, ERYT-200, RYT-500
Born and raised in Chicago, IL, Marchelle's fitness career began in 1992. She began teaching yoga in 2007 but her yoga practice did not commence until 2011.
Marchelle's approach to yoga teaching is light-hearted and fun. While having studied several styles of yoga, you will find that she is most connected to Vinyasa Yoga. From Gentle Yoga to Power Yoga, you will always leave her class feeling nurtured and grounded in the breath and movement of the class. She believes that yoga is for anybody and any body.
Marchelle is very passionate about healthy living inside and out. When she isn't teaching Yoga, you can find her teaching Indoor Cycling or enjoying home workouts. Outside of fitness, she is a proud mom of three beautiful, athletic children and adored wife of her retired Navy husband of more than 26 years.
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Photo credit JCM Photography
Yoga Teacher
Sarah Hogan, ERYT-500, YACEP
Trained Trauma Informed Teacher
Sarah stumbled upon yoga in college. Once found, the practice became a passion and a way back to herself during seasons of challenge. She has trained and instructs in trauma-informed and trauma-sensitive, restorative, vinyasa and neurogenic tremoring yoga and mindfulness practices. In 2020, Sarah continued her learning journey, completing a 500-hour certification with Jason Crandell Yoga Method.
Sarah offers expertise, experience, and centering to her classes. Her focus is on getting you to move from the big picture to a more nuanced experience in your body, and to leave class with a well-regulated nervous system. She is thrilled to share what she loves, emphasizing safe movement, gentle breath, and patient attention. She endeavors to provide you with the opportunity to identify truth in your body and to feel companioned in your practice.
Besides being a yogi, Sarah is a boy mom, high-school teacher, naturalist, dog trainer, cinephile, musician and pickleballer.
Yoga Teacher, Yin Specialist
Penelope Persson, ERYT-200, RYT-500, YACEP
Penelope's yoga and meditation journey started over 20 years ago with self practice. In 2017 she went to Thailand to take her first Yin yoga course and has been dedicated to learn more about yoga every day and she has been teaching with joy and compassion since her first course.
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Penelope's mission here in life is to inspire and guide people like you, to find their way to living a more balanced life.
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In Penelope's teaching of yoga and meditation there is created space for you, to discover your inner voice and truth, so that you can soften your breath, open and deepen your practice. She teaches both yoga and meditation from her heart and she wishes to share the wisdom she has learned throughout her own journey, for you to take home.
Yoga Teacher, Nutrition Specialist
Abby Housefield, RYT-200
As an avid athlete, Abby started practicing yoga over a decade ago for injury prevention and cross training. She quickly discovered yoga was so much more than just stretching. It didn't take long for her to fall in love with the practice and the "whole being" transformation that came with it.
Abby is trained in Integrated Vinyasa and crafts intelligently designed sequences that encourage exploration and growth, nurturing strength, flexibility, and mobility. Abby's heart for each of her classes is to hold space for you to recalibrate, refresh and discover your strength, confidence and clarity.
Off the mat, Abby owns and operates a homeschool enrichment program, homeschools her three children and loves all things active and outdoors: running, hiking, backpacking, snowboarding, gardening, all of it!
Yoga Teacher
Tina Huelle, RYT-200
Tina has been a practicing yogi for over ten years and has been teaching since graduating from the Colorado School of Yoga in 2020. She was introduced to yoga as a fitness class, and quickly became immersed in the many benefits that the practice offered to more than just her physical body. Throughout the years, her personal practice has continued to be deeply impactful in maintaining her mental health off the mat.
She enjoys crafting classes that are accessible, playful, and fun! Her priorities when offering a yoga class are always safety and inclusivity. She hopes to guide you into YOUR own unique practice with a feeling of confidence and curiosity.
Tina truly believes that yoga is a continuing practice of connection; not just of our minds and bodies, but to each other as human beings. She is proud to be a part of the Hippie Soul community and looks forward to practicing with you soon!
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Yoga Teacher
Lisa King, RYT-200
Lisa King is a native to Colorado Springs minus 8 years that she lived in Las Vegas, Nevada. She came to know yoga in 2011 and completed her 200 hour YTT certification in 2020 . Since discovering yoga It has brought much intentionality, peace, and growth to many facets of her life -physically, mentally, and emotionally.
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She is a mom of two sons, one daughter and two dogs. She loves to read, cook, hike, spend quality time with loved ones, and soaking up sunshine any chance she can get!
Lisa’s philosophy as a yoga teacher is to encourage her students to honor wherever they are in their yoga practice. She feels passionate about inviting her students to come to their mat just as they are in the here and now .
“I want to help empower all of my students to feel strong, centered, and graceful in their body, mind, and spirit - no matter where they are in their practice.“
Fitness and Barre Teacher
Iantha Lee
Iantha began teaching fitness classes 18 years ago. Her main goal at the time was creating athletic cross training classes to support obstacles racing. She realized flexibility and strength are two key foundations to racing, recovery and living a healthy lifestyle. She started teaching Barre to help with coordination, flexibility and core strength. There is so much joy in movement; Barre is a fun way to share it. She teaches an athletic Barre and loves that it targets specific muscle groups and enables all of us to be stronger versions of ourselves.
Outside of the studio, she is an animal (dogs, cat and snake oh my!) mom, wife, engineer and obstacle racer. Summer is her favorite time of the year in Colorado. She loves the long days and warm night to spend time outdoors.​​​​​​
Yoga Teacher
Jess Thomas, CYT-200
Jess began her yoga journey in 2013. After attending her first Yoga on the Rocks at Red Rocks, she was hooked. Yoga was fascinating to her in that it encompassed not only the physical practice but also emotional and spiritual pieces. The message of self-love interwoven in the sequencing of class was one she needed to hear and longed to share with others.
Jess completed her Dreamcatcher Teacher Training with Rebecca Butler at The Sanctuary Yoga Room in 2017. The theme shared in teacher training of always having the option to choose joy resonates deeply with Jess, and her goal is to share her experiences with others and to give students a space to connect with themselves on their journey to finding wholeness. Off the mat, Jess is a wife, mama, nutrition therapist, and lover of all things nature.
Yoga Teacher
Heather Fleck, CYT-500
Heather was introduced to yoga seventeen years ago because it was recommended to her by her doctor to help control the pain from scoliosis and a degenerative disc disease. SheI had no idea where it would eventually take her. Yoga helped Heather heal her mind/body connection.
She completed her advanced yoga teacher training in Colorado Springs and has been teaching for the last five years. She is passionate about education, alignment, and building connecting relationships with her students.
When Heather is not teaching yoga, or being a single mom of a tenacious 16 year old boy, she is enjoying the outdoors, hiking, camping, and backpacking! ​​​​​​​​​
Yoga Teacher and Reiki Master
Andrea Borghi, ERYT-200, RYT-500, YACEP
Andrea is a skilled, passionate yoga instructor with many years of experience. Going through difficult times he found in yoga a mirror to his pain and channeled the benefits of this ancient practice to learn more about himself and keep a healthy lifestyle.
His experience in Thailand and Burma was only the beginning of a voyage leading to meditation and self-discovery. Andrea says: “Yoga is for everyone, there is no body type for yoga, we are all yogi “
Andrea’s classes radiate energy and passion. He is passionate about yoga and the beneficial effects on body and mind. In his practice, Andrea offers everyone the opportunity to learn about our own body’s strengths and areas of improvement and leverage them with a safe, restorative, and holistic approach.Through movement and breathing yoga teaches self-love, self-healing, and knowledge of yourself.
Andrea has a RYT 300 Certification with emphasis on Yoga Nidra, Myofascial Release, Pre and Post Natal Yoga, Yin Yoga, Yoga for Athletes, LSD (Long Slow Deep Hips) as taught by Paul Greely.
Andrea loves his dogs and together they walk and do yoga in the beautiful nature Colorado has to offer. Just like playing an instrument, yoga teaches you to be present in the moment. “I hope that my students experience the joy that this practice gives to me. Get in touch with me if you’re new to yoga or want to find out.” Andrea Borghi​
Yoga Teacher
Jasmine Gonzalez, RYT-200
Jasmine was born in Fort Carson, CO and spent most of her childhood and teens traveling due to being a military brat. She moved back to Colorado in 2020 and found who she is in the mountains. She used yoga as a way to help with joint pain and came to find the other healing effects of yoga and loves to share them with other people. This inspired her to get her RYT 200 with Tracey Garcia.
Jasmine is also a philosophy major at Pikes Peak State College. In her spare time, Jasmine likes to run away into the mountains and hike, camp, or snowboard.
Yoga Teacher
Rene' Hawthorne, CYT-500
Rene’ is a native Texan who has recently moved to Colorado Springs. She brings with her 14+ years of yoga experience, training and knowledge. Rene' is a wife and mother of two grown children and three fur babies.
Her hobbies include hiking, ballet and crafting. You can find her on social media as The Lotus Chick. Rene' looks forward to meeting each one of you and getting to know you both on and off the mat.
Namaste, the light in me honors the light in you.
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Yoga Teacher
Rebecca Hawkins, CYT-200
After practicing yoga for more than a decade, Rebecca became a 200 hr certified Holy Yoga instructor in 2019 and started Unforced Rhythms, LLC, with a mission to create sacred space for people to find rest. She experiences and offers Restorative yoga as a healing spiritual practice and an invitation to slow down, calm our over-stimulated nervous systems, and connect deeply with our True Self and divine inner wisdom.
Off the mat, she's the owner/founder of Regenerative Workplaces where she offers executive coaching and consulting to build employee well-being strategies for more human centered workplaces.
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Yoga Teacher
Cierra Robertson, RYT-200
Cierra started taking Yoga classes during her junior year of college and has never looked back! Yoga has helped her grow stronger, more flexible, and fearless, both on and off the mat, and inspires her to live each moment more mindfully.
In the winter of 2015, she received her 200 RYT in Denver, CO, and has enjoyed teaching a wide range of students and styles over the years. Cierra believes yoga is for everyone and enjoys providing instruction at varying levels to provide the very best experience for each student. Trained in a variety of yoga types including Vinyasa, Hot, and Gentle/Chair yoga, Cierra is excited to continue her yoga teaching career for the Hippie Soul community!
Yoga, Barre, and Pilates Teacher
Christin Dumale, CYT-200
Christin began attending yoga classes right after high school, but it wasn't until her early 20s that she fully dedicated herself to her practice. Although she initially appreciated the physical aspect, she soon discovered the therapeutic benefits of yoga and movement, finding much needed mental clarity and serenity.
Originally from Tucson, Arizona, Christin is a military wife, mom, and lover of all things outdoors. She completed her 200-hour yoga teacher training at Yoga San Angelo before relocating to Illinois. There, she began teaching classes in yoga studios and gyms, gaining experience with students of all levels.
During this time she found a passion for mat pilates and the fusion of yoga and pilates.
Christin creates classes that are both challenging and enjoyable, encouraging students to connect with their bodies and experiment with various movements, aiming to discover a practice that is both accessible and empowering.
Apply Today
Interested in joining our team? We are often looking for experienced teachers particularly those who are interested in subbing.
Please plan on joining us for at least two classes before reaching out to teach with us. We prefer that prospective team members to have a feel for our classes and community first!