Breathing Space Family Yoga instructors incorporate training from many different styles and schools of yoga but all share a love for the practice and passion for sharing it with yogis of all ages.
Jessica LaGarde has been teaching creative movement in the metro area since 2005 and is passionate about helping children discover and explore their bodies and the world around them. She was trained by Joye Newman, MA to teach preschool creative movement for Kids’ Moving Company, a Bethesda-based creative movement studio. In 2017, she completed her Baby, Toddler, and Children’s Yoga Teacher Training through Childlight Yoga and has worked with Breathing Space Family Yoga ever since. Jessica teaches classes for infants-adults, directs BSFY yoga camps, and does much of the behind the scenes business administration.
In addition to working with children, Jessica is a registered massage practitioner and is trained in infant massage instruction. She has practiced massage since 2006 and taught massage as part of Potomac Massage Training Institute’s professional training program. She maintains a private massage practice through Shine Massage & Wellness in College Park, MD.
Outside of the movement space and massage room, she enjoys cooking, knitting, gardening, coffee, reading non-fiction, and exploring the outdoors with her daughter.
Irene Alexandra is a New York native who grew up as a competitive dancer. During her college years, she embarked on her yoga and mindfulness journey. During her journey, she received her BA in Ancient History, MA in Ancient History, MA in Education, and began a career teaching special needs students. Shortly after, she received her RYT-200 Certification and 95-Hour Special Needs and Children’s Yoga Certification. Irene is very enthusiastic about uniting mindfulness and yoga with traditional education, and works to educate others on tools and practices to bring mindfulness and awareness into the classroom and community.
During the summer of 2020, Irene was diagnosed with a rare cancer called Ewing’s Sarcoma, which she has been in remission from since the summer of 2021. While those who undergo chemotherapy and cancer treatment do experience a wide range of grueling physical, mental, and emotional side-effects, she credits yoga and mindfulness to helping to ease those side effects (including neuropathy, and emotional and mental well-being).
In her spare time, Irene loves to spend time with her puppies (Bacchus and Circe), read, travel, enjoy nature and the beach, and create new plant-based recipes.
Lauren Mae works with yogis of all ages to encourage self-connection, compassion, and confidence. She earned her 200 HR YTT certification in December 2022 and has experience teaching yoga to Pre-K and Kindergartners. She hopes to help students discover and grow their innate mindfulness superpowers.
Having survived childhood trauma, Lauren is passionate about providing kids with a safe and empowering yoga experience. She helps her students get to know their unique inner strength and cultivate it to carry off the mat and into life. Lauren is a yoga universalist and takes particular influence from vinyasa, yin, kundalini, and restorative yoga.
Candace Glover is a yoga teacher with the Breathing Space DC. Drawn to the mission of promoting positive community and holistic knowledge, this Washingtonian dedicated her life to helping those in her community achieve overall well-being when she started teaching in 2017. With a 200-accredited hour certification, a 300 CYT and a passion for all things yoga, she flexes her yogic muscles every day by empowering others through versatile mindfulness practices while stimulating the hearts and minds of the DMV’s youth. This former flight attendant uses her worldly influence and desire for mixing things up to engage students as they explore the 8 limbs of yoga. Candace seeks to provide an authentic outlook on the holistic approach by leading by example. Having known the struggle of acceptance and identity growing up, it became very important for Ms.Glover to share the empowering tools she uses every day with herself to provide an embrace of individuality with today’s youth. Understanding that true love starts with self and with it we can accomplish anything, she has made it a top priority to make sure all students she interacts with know the importance of self-love and appreciation. Candace studied human services and general studies at Stevenson University.
Kathy Foltin teaches All Levels Yoga (Adults) at Breathing Space Family Yoga. What Kathy loves about yoga is that there is a practice for everyone. Since 2000, she has been exploring yoga’s rich traditions, from vigorous to restorative, discovering that in yoga we can find what we need and uncover our best selves. Kathy shares her love of yoga with others in encouraging, playful alignment-based vinyasa classes that allow students to gain confidence and feel comfortable exploring poses, mindfulness, and linking breath with movement in a safe, inviting environment. She received her 200 hour certification in 2012, and her 500 hour certification in 2018.
