Cory Bryant (he/him) - Founder
Cory discovered yoga shortly after 9/11, while living in NYC —initially through a soft introduction at the Integral Hatha Yoga Institute in the West Village and then with the mind-blowing, tapas-inducing experience of Jivamukti Yoga. Since that time, pretty much everything about the way he views the world has been challenged, bringing with it transformation from a goal-oriented, judgmental, high-tempered, career-driven person to the more even-minded, compassionate person he humbly aspires to be today.
Cory began teaching yoga at Flow Yoga Center in Washington, DC, in 2008 after completing teacher training at Flow in 2007 and Jivamukti in 2008. In the years that followed, his commitment to practice and teaching continually deepened, and in December 2015, he resigned from an international food policy position at the U.S. Food & Drug Administration to pursue yoga study, practice and teaching full-time. He lives in East Nashville with his husband Richard and their rescue dogs Buddy, Bella & Puja.
Cory’s own practice is an integration of Tibetan Buddhism (of the Kagyu-Nyingma lineage of Tulku Urgyen Rinpoche) and Ashtanga Yoga. His main teachers are Chokyi Nyima Rinpoche and his brother Yongey Mingyur Rinpoche — both sons of Tulku Urgyen Rinpoche — along with Khenpo Tokpa Tulku and Any Gyan Tara (of Nagi Gompa Nunnery) all in Nepal. His study and practice of Ashtanga Yoga has been supported by Tim Feldmann, Jen René, Michael Joel Hall, Maggie Lively, Tim Miller and David Garrigues. He completed Tim Miller’s 2nd Series TT in 2016, and David Garrigues’ 2nd Series Intensive and 10-day Teacher’s Intensive in 2017 followed by 2 years of apprenticeship. David Life, Sharon Gannon, Ruth Lauer Manenti, Andrea Boyd, Jill Abelson and Alanna Kaivalya of Jivamukti Yoga were his early teachers and mentors and he attributes much of his understanding of yoga to them. Cory practices and teaches the Primary (Yoga Chikitsa) and Intermediate (Nadi Shodana) Series of Ashtanga Yoga.
Cory’s Training:
200hour Certification from Flow Yoga Center, Washington, DC - Feb, 2008
350hour Certification from Jivamukti Yoga School, New York, NY - May 2008
5 trips to India - total of 5 months spent in-country practicing and studying Ashtanga Yoga & Buddhism
7 trips to Nepal - total of 10 months spent in-country practicing and studying Buddhism and meditation
Taught weekly classes at Flow Yoga Center from 2008 through 2019
100hour Ashtanga Second Series Training with Tim Miller, Encintas, CA - Aug 2016
5-day Weekend immersion Second Series Training with David Garrigues, Philadephia, PA - 2017
100hour Ashtanga Teacher Intensive with David Garrigues, Phoenix, AZ - Nov 2017
2 year Apprenticeship with David Garrigues, Philadelphia, PA & Kovalam, India - 2016-2019
200hour Ashtanga Practitioners Intensive with Kino MacGregor & Tim Feldmann - Summer 2020
8 week Mindful Leader Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction Course - 2021
10-day Goenka Vipassana Retreat - Jessup, GA - 2021
6 month Wakeful Body meditation course with Lama Willa Blythe Baker - 2022
8 week Buddhist Studies course, Rangyung Yeshe Institute, Kathmandu, Nepal - June/July 2022
Tergar Joy of Living Level 1 (2022) and 2 completed (2023)
Tergar Path of Liberation Level 1 completed May 2023
Shana Rae Cummings (she/her)
Shana is a stay-at-home mother to four amazing kids and currently lives in Murfreesboro, TN. If she isn’t knitting (or spinning yarn) she can usually be found upside down.
She was drawn to Ashtanga yoga for the physical challenge, and began a dedicated practice in 2016. Once the sequence was committed to memory the practice shifted into a moving meditation, piquing her curiosity and prompting a deeper exploration of yoga. She graduated from Nashville’s Steadfast and True 200HR TT in early 2020 having practiced under Gillian St. Clair and Kristen Stanley. She currently studies under Cory Bryant and Day Christensen.
The practice of yoga has given her discipline, peace of mind, and helped to heal a wounded connection to her physical body. She aims to provide a safe and welcoming space for all to continually learn and grow in the practice; a space rooted in community, mindfulness, and challenge.
Derek Hall (he/him)
A native Tennessean, Derek just spent two months (Nov & Dec 2022) studying with Sharathji in Mysore, India. He’s a devoted practitioner and a really great guy. Enthusiastic about the practice and always willing to put in the extra time to help our students reach new heights in their pursuit of yoga.
Sarah McTee (she/her)
Sarah currently lives in Honolulu, Hawaii where she splits her time between working as a part time consultant for non-profits, teaching yoga and enjoying adventures in the ocean. Sarah discovered Jivamukti Yoga in 2006 while living in Washington, D.C. After years of practicing under Jill Abelson and Cory Bryant she was inspired to attend Jivamukti Yoga teacher training in 2011, and has been teaching in that style ever since. Recently, Sarah has augmented her yoga practice and instruction with the study of massage therapy and Reiki. Having experienced the emotional and physical healing made possible through yoga, she hopes to create a space for others to live life fully and with an open heart. www.sarahmctee.com