THE TEAM

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Meet Gianna - a fearless leader in the world of yoga & fitness. As the owner of Heatwave, she has established not just a studio - but a sanctuary where strength, serenity & soul collide. 

With a foundation in yoga and a flair for dynamic fitness techniques, Gianna is known to bring the heat while still creating space to explore your mind, body & soul. She believes in the power of community, and is dedicated to sharing her passion with others through intentional sequencing & mindful guidance.  

Her classes will make you sweat, set you free, and leave you begging for more!

Whether you're a seasoned yogi or just stepping onto the mat, Gianna will meet you there with an energy that will inspire you to find balance, push limits, and embrace the journey.

Hailee is a certified hot pilates instructor with a passion for helping others feel strong, confident and energized through movement. Specializing in dynamic and engaging fitness classes, she blends strength, flexibility and mindfulness to create well-rounded workouts that challenge the body and center the mind. Hailee's classes are designed to meet all fitness levels, offering modifications to ensure everyone feels supported and motivated. Her goal is to make fitness enjoyable and accessible while inspiring her clients to build lasting, healthy habits. Her classes are guaranteed to challenge you to the CORE (literally)!

Nellie has always been passionate about living an active lifestyle. After having her second child, she was looking to reconnect with this aspect of her life, and recognized that yoga was the key. It not only opened up a path to a physical outlet, but an equally important mental and emotional one. She loves to push the physical limits, whether it's bringing the heat to a sculpt or tone class, or by adding that extra funky pose to a flow. Overall, she believes that the mind is the true beast to overcome in every class. Her favorite part of yoga is drawing awareness to the union of mind and body - the breath being the glue that holds it all together. 

Isabelle fell in love with yoga during her college years at the University of Iowa and has been hooked ever since! Through her journey, she continuously seeks growth and improvement both on and off the mat. Isabelle is passionate about helping her students connect the mind and body through breath. Her classes will allow you to dig deep into strength, find your rhythm of flow, and push past your limits! 

Matilin grew up as a ballerina, volleyball player, and track runner before discovering yoga at UW Madison where she started teaching and fell in love with the flow. She earned her 200 hour training at dragonfly hot yoga in Madison and then swapped the midwest for the mountains, spending eight years in Denver while earning her master's degree in mental health counseling, as well as working with the Denver police and globe-trotting whenever she could. Her vinyasa style classes are all about making yoga accessible, with playful options for everyone to feel at ease. Expect to leave her classes feeling longer, stronger and blissfully stress-free   -  like a lighter, bendier version of yourself!

Jailyn has always been passionate about her somatic training. Being a dancer, she knows what it takes and how to strive for longevity within her body. After a hip flexor tear in 2019, she needed to dig deep into healing without surgery and discovered a love for pilates. She got her certification in classical mat pilates in 2021. With the help of pilates and yoga she was able to strengthen her body and move herself forward in her career to dance professionally. Jailyn is excited to be in an environment where everyone can get stronger today. She looks forward to sharing her knowledge of body awareness making it known that no matter what age, pilates and yoga is for everyBODY.

Jill has been a lifelong athlete and practicing yoga has completely transformed her mind, body and overall life! The idea of sharing all of these amazing benefits of yoga with others sparked a desire within her to complete 200 hours of yoga teacher training. Jill brings a comprehensive approach to the mat and creates a practice with the intent to create a calm, centering connection for her students to indulge in. Through her Vinyasa style classes, you'll experience movement of your body and energy through the asanas, guided affirmations for your mind, and music that invigorates the spirit. Jill lives in Chicago and Fontana, but also has a passion for people, the outdoors and traveling the world. Join her on the mat for the ultimate balance between comfort and challenge!

Penny found a new passion for yoga at Heatwave. Sweating out the weeks stressors and toxins in sculpt classes had her hooked instantly! She feels so blessed to be able to share this new passion of hers with others, and strives to ensure that every yogi leaves her class feeling stronger and accomplished. She creates a fun and welcoming environment for yogi's of all skill levels, and with a background in personal training, her classes are sure to have you feeling the burn! 

Cindy has a passion for helping others find their power and live a healthy well balanced lifestyle through yoga. Cindy's classes are designed to bring self awareness and strengthen the mind, body and soul. Students feel challenged, successful, energized and peaceful when they leave her class. She believes that yoga is about building a stronger relationship with yourself!

Yoga has been a part of Trinity's life for the past two decades. Asana, breath-work and meditation have helped guide her to a healthy, balanced lifestyle. - this keeps her grounded in her thoughts. Yoga and mixed styles of movement continue to guide her toward a positive relationship with herself and those around  her. 

Aside from teaching, Trinity is also a certified sound practitioner. She works with meditation and sound healing, using crystal bowls and gongs to help reset the neurological system and allow the physical and subtle body to replenish and rejuvenate with ease. 

In her spare time, Trinity loves to be at home on her farm! She loves hanging out with her goats and chickens, and tending to her garden. She also enjoys taking her dog on walks and playing competitive volleyball. Seeing and living the amazing benefits of yoga made her realize it was her calling to show others the magic of the practice!

G's passion for yoga began shortly after she was diagnosed with cancer. The benefits of yoga have helped her in her recovery and kept her in remission. G got her 500-ERYT yoga training certificate studying at Pulsation Yoga, and then acquired her Yoga for Cancer certificate under Ingrid Yang in San Diego, California. 

Her classes create heat and energy throughout your body while she guides you through a series of dynamic postures linking your breath with movement. G strives to help every student strengthen, tone and energize their body all while building flexibility and balance. Come flow with G and release that built-up stress through the movement of body and breath!

-Be Extraordinary-

Lola is the mother of an energetic 3 year old girl who is always keeping her on her toes. Her yoga journey began while living in Chicago when she was looking for a way to bring relaxation and movement into her daily life. A few years later, this turned into a full mind & body health journey and she has now been a certified yoga instructor for 6 years with 14 years of experience in the practice. Lola creates a fun and free environment in her classes, encouraging her students to explore yoga on a deeper level. She loves to include the option for arm balances and different variations in her classes to allow her students to express creativity in their practice, and she also likes to express creativity in her personal life in various ways such as her love for soap making!  Come join Lola on the mat for the opportunity to dive deeper into your yoga practice and leave feeling strong, uplifted and excited for your next class!

Ashley has been practicing yoga for 14 years and teaching for 6 years. Her yoga practice began in Boulder, CO in 2008 when a friend dragged her to class. She was hesitant because she feared she would not be "flexible enough." Against her better judgement, she went along and has fallen in love with the practice ever since.

In 2016, Ashley completed her 200 hour YTT in Chicago at "Live, Work, Yoga" studying with Rich Logan.

Ashley values the growth mindset that yoga provides. She sees each experience as an opportunity to learn something new about yourself. She believes that the healing benefits of yoga are key to finding balance in our modern world and enjoys sharing this transformative energy with her students. She teaches Vinyasa, Yin, Restorative, Hatha, and SUP Paddle Board Yoga.

Bri was raised by two yogis and has followed closely in their footsteps with her commitment to her practice! Her journey began during the pandemic after her dance studio closed, and she sought out a new way to find movement in her everyday life. Bri is a Chicagoan and was raised in Lakeview where she completed her 200 hour YTT during her senior year of high school. Her goal as a yoga teacher is to share the powerful benefits of yoga, benefits for the mind, body and spirit which she has experienced first hand. She harnesses these three aspects through her power vinyasa classes which are focused around the breath and complex movement. She loves a challenge and is always working toward new inversions and arm balances. Bri firmly believes that there is always room for growth in yoga!

Megan has been in the fitness space for over 20 years. Her passion is to connect the body through breath by clearing the mind and sequencing her classes to challenge you mentally, spiritually, and physically. With a yoga and barre background she creates the perfect class where there is peace within the push! You will leave feeling stronger and more connected to yourself!