Darling Yoga - Yoga For Every Body

Our Teachers

Emily Darling (Owner/Instuctor)

The opening of Darling Yoga is a life long dream for Emily who has been teaching in Kansas City since 1993. She began her studies in the rich tradition of Iyengar Yoga. She has also studied Ashtanga, Vinyasa, and Restorative Yoga. Her desire to continually expand her yoga knowledge led to her most recent certification in the fall of 2005 at The International Sivananda Vedanta Ashram in Woodbourne, New York. She creates a style of her own incorporating a variety of aspects from her vast yoga background. Emily is nurturing and compassionate by nature, thus creating a class atmosphere that is non-competitive yet challenging. Her orchestration of rest and movement create inner peace and strength in the body and mind. She credits inspiration to Max Strom, Doug Swenson, Shiva Rea, Judith Lasater, Kim Schwartz, and Bryan Kest, as well as the many great teachers in the Kansas City area including Lisa Uhl, Patricia Gray, Kathleen Kastner, Suzette Scholtes, and Mick Goodman. She thanks her mom who introduced her to yoga in her early teens.

"Yoga is the gift of finding peace within ourselves. It brings an awareness that allows us to see more clearly and live more fully from our hearts. I feel blessed to be able to teach and share what I feel so passionate about. Bringing people into stillness, allowing them to find the present moment is a beautiful art as it softens everyone."

Victor Roberts

Victor found yoga after years of football and the Marine Corps took a toll on his body. His first class, however, opened his mind to a much bigger view of what yoga could offer beyond the physical body, and before long it was evident that teaching was Victor's true calling. His personal experience with yoga as therapy allows him to relate to the differing needs of each student and he approaches each class with this inspiration. He has completed teacher traning programs with Max Strom as well as Marcia Wenig of Yoga Kids International, and he continues to be an avid student attending worshops with many nationally renowned teachers. Also a certified herbalist and Thai Yoga Massage Therapist, Victor truly believes in the practice of healing through the breath. His class encorporates this art along with great emphasis on proper alignment to enable both healing and development.

"I know of no other form of exercise that combines mental and physical awareness the way yoga does in order to open the many windows of opportunity within your own mind.Meditating through yoga is your access to the infinite."

Lisa Uhl

Lisa began her practice of yoga over a decade ago and became an instant favorite when she started teaching in the Kansas City area. Lisa is certified through the worldwide Bikram Yoga College of India and has also completed an Ashtanga teacher training program with David Swenson. She has also attended a workshop with internationally known yogi Pattabhi Jois. Lisa's love for yoga extends across many styles rooting with her beginning studies with Iyengar Yoga evolving into the flowing styles of Vinyasa and Ashtanga Yoga. Lisa offers a balanced and inspiring flow that follows the rhythm of the breath, blending fluid movement with careful attention to alignment. In a playful style, Lisa infuses joy and love into her classes encouraging flexibility in both body and mind.

"Yoga has changed me in so many ways. My life is more fulfilling, and I have a clear understanding of my purpose. Most of all I've learned to trust the process of life."

Kory Jacobs

Kory Jacobs has been practicing yoga for six years and teaching for three. A serious injury led her to study fitness and movement of the human body in college, and to delve into yoga as a way to rehabilitate her body. Her classes are taught with the intention to influence personal growth while bringing the body back into balance through understanding ones body awareness.

"I love teaching yoga because it has been very healing in my life and I have a passion about sharing it with others."

Ashley Walburn

Ashley has practiced yoga since 2001 and received her 200-hour RYT (yoga alliance registered yoga teacher) through the Seattle Holistic Center. She is certified in Pre-natal and Post-natal yoga. Ashley has also completed the Contemporary Teacher Training with Julian Walker and Hala Khouri weaving traditional talk therapy with yoga into an integrated healing yoga therapy. Ashley earned a Master's Degree in Marriage and Family Therapy in 2001 and also works as a doula helping women birth naturally using yoga poses and breath. Ashley teaches a prenatal partner workshop bi-monthly at Darling Yoga. Ashley has been most influenced locally by Emily Darling and believes that creating a nurturing class is essential for healing to occur. You can learn more about what Ashley is doing on her website at www.mamayoga.net.

"As a mother of four sons, yoga has helped guide me to a more peaceful, loving way of birthing and parenting my children. Teaching mothers yoga gives me an opportunity to share that part of me with them."

Michelle Warner

Michelle has completed a Restorative training with world renowned yoga teacher Judith Lasater. She is also a licensed massage therapist and is certified in prenatal massage. In 1996, Michelle acquired a degree in psychology from Nebraska Wesleyan University. With her background in health and wellness, which includes multiple certifications, Michelle easily conveys the importance of a yoga and massage to create a balanced life.

Michelle gains satisfaction assisting those with chronic pain, illness and expectant mothers.

"Yoga allows one to relax, renew and replenish. I feel so blessed to have been introduced to yoga and feel it's my calling to teach others the therapeutic benefits. In this busy world we all need to take care of ourselves. Yoga is one of the best avenues to do this. Come experience just letting go completely."

Sarah Darling (Owner/Instuctor)

Sarah is co-owner and founder of Darling Yoga. She began practicing yoga at the age of 13 with teachers including Emily Darling, Colleen Boveri, Christy Burnette, Patricia Gray, and Kathleen Kastner in Kansas City. Sarah has completed a teacher training course with Max Strom and has attended several workshops with master teachers including Max Strom, Jamie Elmer, Christy Burnette, Kim Schwartz, Les Leventhal, Ana Forrest, Bryan Kest, and others. Sarah's teaching style reflects these influences and is guided by her personal practice and experience.

Sumya Anani

Sumya has studied yoga for 13 years, many traditions; Ashtanga, Iyengar, Anusara. In her exploration of the styles, she's found unity in them all. She is grateful for any meditation practice because it gives an opportunity to live authentically. She is certified through Yoga Alliance (RYT500 hours). She leads annual "Spiritual Warrior" retreats to Jamaica, Guatemala and Colorado. Sumya is a former 4X World Champion in professional boxing. She is a massage therapist and Asst. Professor of Physical Education at Johnson County Community College. She teaches athletes at the college yoga and weight training for sports performance. She is a personal trainer and loves helping people reach their fitness goals. Sumya created and now hosts a weekly health show "Beat the Health Out of You" on Talk Radio 710am (Sundays, 1-2pm.) It covers 7 habits of health for body, mind and spirit, with each habit relating to a chakra. www.sumya.com

"Yoga is a wonderful practice to explore and fulfill our potential. I'm grateful for the daily lessons of being a better person, partner, and parent that yoga brings to my life."

Nancy Fabiano

Nancy has long believed in the interconnectedness of body mind and spirit. She was a certified fitness instructor for several years before discovering yoga in 2000. She credits her mother for introducing her to yoga. Nancy has been teaching Yoga in the Kansas City area since 2001. Her teaching style is clearly influenced by her training with great Iyengar teachers Aadil Palkhivala, Pauta Tortolano, John Shumacher and Francois Raoult.
Nancy is registering with Yoga Alliance for her RYT certification. She acknowledges Kansas City area yoga teachers Suzette Scholtes and Emily Darling for inspiring her on the path.

"For me, yoga is about reconnecting to our divine nature. It's about bringing light and awareness into our daily living. As our practice brings us into a place of peace and harmony, this has a ripple effect in the world. My hope is to create a sacred space where mindfulness, open-heartedness, and possibility can be experienced."

Sarah Manley (Sam)

Sarah (Sam) Manley teaches our Saturday morning Kid's Yoga class. Sam is a mother of three, ranging in age from two to ten. She has practiced yoga for over a decade. After getting her children involved her practice, she was inspired to become an instructor. She has been teaching children's yoga for two years. She is certified through YogaFit for adults and children and continues her education through workshops with renowned instructors like Max Strom and Kim Schwartz.

"Children and yoga fit together perfectly. It is a great opportunity for kids to get involved with the practice at such an impressionable time in their lives when all of poses come so easy and they have no body issues or stigmas. What better way to start a lifelong journey than when we are fresh and ready? And what a great way to spend some time with your family."

Lindsay Stephenson

Lindsay has been teaching yoga for ten years. She teaches high school English during the day and yoga as her passion. As former owner of Jiva Studio, she has a history in the fitness and health club industry and a strong following with the athletic community of Kansas City. Lindsay has completed a 30-hour Ashtanga Yoga training course and workshops with YogaFit, Tim Miller, Mark Blanchard, Ana Forrest and Bryan Kest. She has also trained extensively with Kathleen Kastner and Wade Mortenson of Maya Yoga in Kansas City. She continues to be dedicated to her self practice.

Sami Aaron

Sami Aaron began practicing Pranayama in 2004 as she worked through a period of deep grief after losing her older son to suicide. She found that the effects of this practice allowed her to realize a higher spiritual connection, bringing an acceptance and deeper understanding of the inner turmoil that resides in each of us. Her Pranayama inspiration originated with her first teacher, Patricia Gray; she has also studied Pranayama with Ganga White and Tracy Rich from the White Lotus Foundation and had private Pranayama training with Richard Rosen, author of a number of books on Pranayama. She currently is a Pranayama and Meditation student of Sri O. P. Tiwari of the Kaivalyadhama Yoga Institute in Lonavla, India.