She Leads: The Women of YogaRenew & Their Stories

We decided to highlight some of the leading ladies behind many of the courses, classes and events of YogaRenew. In light of International Women’s Day, we asked them to share their story about what Women’s Month means to them and some of the ways in which women (including themselves) and yoga impact this great, vast world.

Here is what they had to say:

Lisa Bermudez

Yoga has taught me that leadership is less about being the loudest voice in the room and more about being the most regulated one. The women in my life and field have shown me that steadiness, care, and consistency are what truly guide people home to themselves. I am currently rising into a deeper trust in my voice while also resting back from the belief that I have to hold everything alone.

Mélie Purdon

No one goes through more fluctuations of body, mind, and hormones than women. And yet the fitness and yoga worlds keep asking us to be consistent—to show up with the same devotion, the same stamina, the same output, no matter what.

What truly became the catalyst for my own practice—and for the way I show up in this field—was studying these changes and developing my powers of observation, so I could serve my students no matter what stage of life they were in. It became about reminding people that yoga is made of many parts. All of them human.
Yoga is not a static practice, even though it’s often depicted that way. It’s not set in stone. It’s meant to evolve, to shift, to respond. Once you realize that, there isn’t a day when your yoga practice can’t carry you through. You show up, and it meets you where you are. It holds whatever you need it to hold.

Julie Pasqual/Jamuna Jaya Devi Dasi

To be at the front of a yoga class, is to represent yoga, and because of that I MUST live the ideals of yoga in order to live a life of integrity. The Bhagavad Gita tells us “What great men do, others follow.” I am not “great,” but I hope I can inspire those I teach to at least try their best.

Alyssa Bruno

Teaching yoga has helped me improve both my leadership skills and just my overall communication, public speaking and annunciation skills SO much! It just forces you to learn how to take control of the room – you need to learn how to properly guide people and how to effectively and efficiently communicate and those skills have now spilt over into my everyday conversations and work! It’s a skillset I am SO proud of now and it is because I’m used to teaching to a room full of people on a regular basis!

Kate Lombardo

Yoga has taught me how true, embodied strength– in life and in work– can come from a place of groundedness and ease instead of forcefulness and hustle. It’s helped me to realize that there’s so much power in slowing down, taking a breath, and making a decision or step forward from that space as opposed to always be “grinding and pushing” through life. It feels better for me and for all of those I come in contact with.

Rajaa Azouqa

If you know me, you know I created the mindfulness and mindful eating courses here on YogaRenew’s platform. You know I teach therapeutic yoga and somatic healing. You know I meditate for 90 minutes each day and unwind with yin and restorative practices in the evening. That soft inward work is sacred to me.

And yet, at 53, I’m choosing to share another essential priority in my practice; strength. Building and maintaining muscle isn’t about aesthetics, it’s about longevity, resilience, and independence. It’s about carrying my groceries with ease, climbing stairs confidently, traveling freely, hiking, paddle boarding, dancing, and standing tall without chronic aches and pains. Strong muscles support strong bones, enhance mood, and even help delay cognitive decline as we age.

For me, yoga is the bridge that holds it all; softness and strength, discipline and fun. This strenuous practice reflects my commitment to aging with vitality, dignity and choice. To every woman reading this: stay strong, not just in spirit, but in body. Your strength is your freedom.

Isabel Lagana

I was part of the first in-person 200 hour training (Dec 2023 grad!) and I loved my entire experience. I think the our sequencing methodology, learning how every phase of a flow has an appropriate energetic value, is what anchored the writing of my short film, which privately premiered there two years later. I’ll never cease being amazed by the wisdom of the body and YogaRenew taught me how to bring the wonder of that work on the mat into my day to day.

Carlie Davis

I have always been a student. I love learning from other people, especially people I admire. Naturally, when I like someone’s energy or way of being, I listen more closely. In my almost 9 years of consistent yoga practice, I’ve had so many yoga teachers that have inspired me and taught me more than I could have ever imagined. I have found that when you look up to someone, it’s because they embody something already present within yourself. Their leadership was a beacon in the night, showing me what is possible.

My favorite teachers have been women who are not afraid to take charge, who offer compassion to all, and who most of all, show up completely, and unapologetically, themselves. In this way, leadership means to show through example. Both as a student, and teacher of yoga I’ve learned leadership is walking your own path as a lighthouse for others to do the same.

Dari Dambaeva

I was first drawn to yoga for the philosophy – it felt intuitive, almost instinctive. As life became more focused on measurable progress, my practice followed, growing stronger, deeper and more performance-driven.

Through seasons of strength, injury, and rebuilding, I found my way back into my body. That shift from performance to presence feels a lot like becoming a woman – moving outward into expectation, then choosing to return home to yourself.

Emma O’Connor

The impact of the women in my life begins before I can even remember… quite literally from the womb. My mom took me with her to yoga class while she was pregnant, already introducing me to a way of being that honored the connection between mind, body, and spirit. Her belief that health is not just physical, but deeply emotional and energetic, laid the foundation for how I move through the world today. From the very beginning, I was surrounded by a woman who trusted her intuition, valued inner awareness, and modeled what it looks like to care for yourself holistically.

As I grew, that foundation expanded through the many women who shaped me along the way. In my family, I witnessed strength expressed through quiet perseverance, deep compassion, humor, and an unwavering sense of loyalty. These women taught me that showing up—again and again—matters. That love can be both gentle and fierce. That resilience doesn’t always look loud, but it is always powerful.

Beyond my family, I’ve been profoundly influenced by women who stepped into my life as mentors, coaches, teachers, and friends. I’ve been lucky to learn from women who led with integrity, who trusted their voices even when it felt uncomfortable, and who encouraged me to do the same. Yoga teachers at YogaRenew in particular have left a lasting mark on me, not just through physical practice, but through how they embodied presence, confidence, and authenticity. They showed me that leadership doesn’t have to be rigid or hierarchical; it can be rooted in empathy, curiosity, and connection.

One of the most meaningful lessons I’ve learned from the women in my life is that there is room at the table for all of us. Instead of competition, I’ve been shown the power of collaboration. Instead of comparison, the beauty of celebration. Time and time again, women have reminded me that lifting each other up creates more space, not less—and that success is not a limited resource.

Because of these women, I carry a deep belief that women are capable, intuitive, resilient, and endlessly creative. I believe we can accomplish anything we truly believe in, especially when we support one another along the way. The impact of the women in my life lives not only in what I do, but in how I do it with intention, compassion, and a commitment to community.

I hope to continue honoring the women who shaped me by embodying the values they passed down like self-trust, courage, and connection and by being a source of support and encouragement for others. In doing so, I carry their impact forward, creating space for more women to step fully into who they are meant to be.

What has yoga taught you about leadership?
Yoga has taught me that leadership begins with listening, especially to my own body, breath, and intuition. In both my teaching and my life, I’ve learned that the most powerful leadership is grounded, compassionate, and embodied rather than performative. When I lead from presence and authenticity, I create space for others to feel safe, seen, and empowered to trust themselves too 🙂

What would you tell your younger self?
I love this question, I think about lil me a lot and would tell her that she is full of love and light, and that her way of moving through the world is more than enough. I connect with her through crafting, playful movement and anything that simply feels good. I would remind her to keep shining, because when she follows what feels good, the right path always finds her!

Joanne Silver

As a woman, what would you tell your younger self?
I would tell my younger self to keep showing up with authenticity and compassion, even on the days she feels unsure. I would encourage her to trust that confidence in her teaching will come from finding her own voice and teaching from her heart. I would also tell her not to doubt her abilities and that one day she’ll be making a living in a job she truly loves, teaching private clients in Manhattan and leading yoga retreats around the world!

Magda Usarek-Witek

Yoga has taught me to be confident and stick to my instincts – trust that I know more than I give myself credit for.

Yoga also taught me to advocate for myself and ask for what I want! Sometimes life presents itself with opportunities, but other times we can’t just wait for them to come to us. I learned to build trust in my own instincts, knowledge, and intuition. I started asking for what I wanted and knowing when the timing was right. More importantly, the practice gave me the ability to let go of the attachments to outcome.

It helped me find my voice, to speak clearly and concisely, which has helped me in my other jobs and personal relationships.

Katie Healy

I’m currently rising into intuition over analysis, trust over perfection and surrender over control. I know how to be in the “doing” and achievement of life really well but the astrology of my soul actually wants me to learn the opposite, to trust and surrender. The greatest lesson I’ve learned continuously in my life is that not every “problem” can be solved by doing more. I would tell my younger self exactly that! And that most structures & systems are not going to work for you so don’t force yourself into them. You are meant to go your own way so listen to that. All the rules are fake, do you.

Natalia Ramos

For me, yoga has been less about leadership and more about mothership. Because the most advanced yoga I have ever done has nothing to do with what happens on the mat. It happens in all the messy, unglamorous, beautifully ordinary moments of being a mother. That is where the real practice lives, in the day to day.

The mat, the meditation, the asanas, those things help me get through it. They are the preparation, not the destination. And no matter how many years I have practiced, I still lose my patience, I still get overwhelmed. We are all works in progress, perfectly imperfect.

But here is what yoga keeps teaching me: you cannot pour from an empty cup. Caring for myself first is not selfish, it is necessary. When I tend to my own inner world, I become more present and grounded for the people who need me most. That is the real leadership lesson, mothering myself first.

Lucianna Silvestri

The women in my life have shaped me in so many ways. Some have guided me with words and others by example. Some of the women in my life have been safe spaces, and others have been mirrors. The women in my family have taught me resilience. They showed me what it looks like to hold families together, to move through uncertainty with grit and grace, and to keep going even when things feel heavy. From them, I learned strength. The women in the yoga community have taught me vulnerability. Through friendship and shared experience, I’ve learned that softness is not weakness. I’ve learned the power of sitting together; celebrating, grieving, questioning, evolving. They taught me we do not grow in isolation, but in community. The women who have mentored me, whether in yoga, in business, or in life have expanded my understanding of leadership. They’ve modeled integrity, devotion, and courage. They’ve shown me that leadership can be compassionate and that ambition can coexist with heart. Through them, I’ve learned that success does not have to come at the cost of authenticity. I also want to honor all the wisdom women share with the world. The ways in which they lead, nurture, create, and transform spaces far beyond what is always seen. The wonderful men in my life have also been shaped, supported, and surrounded by remarkable women. To me, honoring Women’s History Month is here to celebrate the women who came before us, the women walking beside us, and the women still becoming. As I reflect on all the women in my life, I see a lineage of strength and softness intertwined. They’ve all influenced the way I move through this world; as a teacher, as a leader, as a friend, as a daughter, as a sister, and as a woman. It is because of them I understand that empowerment is not about overpowering. It’s about knowing who you are and living from that place.

I’ve always felt connected to the strength of my voice, but teaching and being a student of yoga has helped my relationship to my voice evolve. With yin yoga and meditation I’ve learned how to slow down and listen, connecting to a quieter and more intuitive part of myself. Yoga has helped me refine my voice and I am forever grateful.

Radha Devi Om

My simple reflection is: Yoga for me seems to always peel that Shiva Bilva Leaf, One Bilva Leaf at a time, teaching me that exact Life Lesson that I have to learn, which in return Matures me into my own Authenticity and Teaching Style.