Our Yoga Guides!

    Molly Carlisle has been teaching yoga since May 2024. She did her teacher training through Bend Yoga and loves the liberating benefits of yoga's movement both physically and mentally. Molly often teaches Vinyasa Flow style classes with an emphasis on mindful movement. She focuses on anchoring to the present moment through body and breath awareness. 

    Molly's classes feature a variety of music, including but not limited to: hip hop, funk, folk, soul, indie rock, & oldies. Molly's playlist can differ based on the class theme and pace but all playlists strive to encapsulate a positive, peaceful, and liberating vibe crafted to encourage free-flowing movement. Molly's classes often include moments of pausing or holding in a pose for multiple breaths to notice and build strength. Molly finds inspiration in movement and community and hopes to share a sense of connection and peace through her yoga practice.

    Delayna has been with Bend since 2020. She enjoys teaching for the connection with others and the perspective she gains from those around her, offering classes that are generally moderate to intense with a combination of flow, balance, and breath. She is passionate about movement rooted in alignment that helps people feel truly connected to their body. 

    Delayna moved to South Bend in 2016 and loves the community she's become a part of. She spends her days (and many of her nights and weekends) at Notre Dame sporting events as the head coach and program director for the Notre Dame Cheerleaders and Leprechaun. Delayna recently became a registered dietitian and looks forward to exploring the health and wellness space in new ways. In her free time, she's probably at a Dave Matthews Band concert with her husband Jeff, watching the Detroit Lions play, or snuggling with her littles and mini goldendoodle Duncan.

Lisa was extremely unathletic and clumsy growing up, preferring to read or sit in nature instead of actually exercising. As a young adult, she realized that she felt better when she created time to move and stretch, and when her sister-in-law gave her a yoga video, she thought, "Why not?" Thus, a new love was kindled. Yoga didn't feel like exercising but it made her feel good; Lisa discovered that she had always been an anxious person, and yoga and meditation gave her some handy tools for managing that anxiety. 

In 2022, Lisa made a career change and suddenly found herself with a few months of free time. As a treat to herself, she signed up for Bend Yoga's unlimited intro offer starting on her first day off of work, and attended 20 yoga classes over the next 30 days. She completed her yoga teacher training at Bend in 2023 and teaches a wide range of yoga styles, from power flows that make you sweat to restorative practices to get you calm and sleepy. She incorporates meditative practices in each session and strives to make every class a chance to connect with your body, and foster love and acceptance for what you find.

Eric is a former university professor and cofounder of River Montessori High School in downtown South Bend. Having had back surgery at the age of 31 and struggling with flexibility his entire life, Eric never thought he would belong to a yoga studio, let alone train to become a teacher. All that changed 14 years later when he took his first class at Bend in July 2024. After experiencing the transformation of his body and spirit over the next year, he elected to complete teacher training in Summer 2025 as a way to grow in his practice and support others on their yoga journey. Eric gravitates toward upbeat, challenging – but accessible – flows that contain fun balances and transitions. His favorite pose is crow, and if you are practicing on a mat next to him when it is cued, you may hear a very quiet “caw caw.”

Jamie first began practicing yoga in college in 2000 and returned to it throughout the years that followed. A few years ago, she began practicing every day and discovered how different a consistent practice could make her feel—stronger, more grounded, and more at home in her body. That experience eventually led her to teaching, and she became certified to teach in 2025.

Jamie loves teaching power yoga and creating classes that are strong, energetic, and challenging while giving students room to make the practice their own. She especially loves the combination of strength, movement, and focus that keeps yoga interesting no matter how long you've been practicing. Outside the studio, Jamie is a professor at Saint Mary’s College. She lives in the South Bend area with her spouse and two daughters and loves jogging, travel, museums, theater, and bookstores.