Annie Fleming

I was introduced to yoga in 1997 and was transformed by the depth of focus and relaxation of the practice.  I loved how the body could be stretched into a state of absolute bliss thru movement!    

After establishing a career in Massage Therapy in 2003, my interest in yoga increased in regard to the mind/body connection.  In 2005, I acquired a 200 hr. Yoga Teacher Training Certification and began to teach Iyengar yoga, all along learning more about the connection of relaxation and stress reduction thru movement.  In 2006, I was certified in Thai Yoga Massage and began blending passive yoga poses together with massage to help heal the body.  The results were and are amazing.

In 2013, I completed my 2nd Yoga Teacher Training in Power Yoga and I have attained additional training including Kids Yoga, Yoga Life Coaching, Yoga as Medicine, & Yin, Restorative, and Therapeutic Yoga.

I became a studio owner in 2014 when I opened Yoga Leaf.  The combination of profound focus, flexibility, and strength has been witnessed in the students I have taught thru the years. I work with all levels and abilities, incorporating yoga as a physical, mental, and emotional tool for growth and self-discovery.  It has been a testament of the power of yoga.  

Luann Griffin

In 2009 I fell in LOVE with yoga! The non-competitive nature was one thing that got me hooked. I completed my 230-hour yoga teacher training with the Yoga Center of Minneapolis in 2017. Then completed additional 300-hour training through YogaRenew. I have been further certified in Chair Yoga and have received training in Judith Hanson Lasater’s Experiential Anatomy for Yoga. My passion is teaching chair or accessible yoga that transitions from the chair to the mat.

I love watching students celebrate VICTORIES big and small as they continue to get stronger, discover body awareness, and gain balance on and off the mat.

It’s an honor to share yoga’s gifts with others, to help them obtain the same benefits that I have. I truly feel that yoga is a welcome practice for anyone. It knows no age or body type. It has phenomenal healing and strengthening effects on and off the mat. Practicing yoga is truly vital to your body, your breath, your mind, and your heart. Peace.

Jane Tessmann

I was invited by a friend to try yoga in the fall of 2012.  I was hooked!  I loved the calmness of yoga on my mat and in my daily life. I felt strong and flexible, so I got a little more serious and began a weekly practice. 

In April of 2016 I received my certification to teach Children’s Yoga and soon after, in October 2017, I completed my 230 hour Yoga Teacher Training with the Yoga Center of Minneapolis. It was a year long course of book and Self study. It sent me on the path to becoming a Yoga Instructor.  At this time, I am a substitute instructor at Yoga Leaf Studio and my passion is in teaching the practice of yoga to children.

I feel it is never too early to get Kids interested in yoga and I am fortunate to be able to bring my love of yoga to Kids.  What I find with Kids, is they will try almost anything if you make it fun! The kid’s yoga classes, I teach, are creative, active, and promote stretching, flexibility and calmness in their bodies. They hone the skill of focus and mindfulness.

I teach Kids Summer Yoga sessions and “Pop up” themed classes at Yoga Leaf.  I have also been able to participate with some Outreach classes, in Tomah and surrounding areas for Kids yoga.

Margie Genrich

Imagine an incense-infused room in the back of a health food store. People from all walks of life, united for 6 weeks, in pursuit of new knowledge, fun, & good exercise -Yoga. I was there and fell in love with this new practice that shifted my awareness of my health and brought about a significant change in my life. As a full-time secondary-level art teacher, mom of two active kids, wife, daughter, and friend, my yoga time gave way to family, work, and ...life. Unfortunately, to continue my practice I would also have to drive two hours to find a class!

Fast forward 16 years to the basement of our local Lutheran church where I met yoga teacher Annie Fleming. At last, a yoga class that I could attend! I floated in and out of classes until I retired after 34 years as a teacher and began the search for what would come next.

While enjoying my new freedom I discovered an outstanding yoga teacher training program and the opportunity to share my passion for yoga with others. In the spring of 2018, I completed the 200-hour YTT certification course and by fall began teaching my first class at Yoga Leaf, designed especially for men.

Realization of a greater sense of balance and body awareness in work and play, the emergence of balance in my emotional well-being, and overall strength came through yoga.

The healing qualities of yoga began manifesting in my own body. Now rolling my shoulders down and back as I lift my heart, a sense of calm emerges. An awakening of control takes over as life becomes increasingly challenging. Gratitude fills my heart for the help and supports Annie and the Yoga Leaf staff have shared with me. I look forward to sharing with others my belief that the spirit follows this same path. As a sense of wholeness and freedom eases into life, this potential healing process fuels my passion for yoga practice and I hope I have many opportunities to share all this 'love and light' that has been passed onto me.